#Best Survival Shelters and Bunkers

[terravivos]

Best Survival Shelters and Bunkers | underground survival shelters - Terra Vivos

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[strqyr]

this isn't super serious, but the most unrealistic thing in rwby (to me) is the apparent lack of any preparation for grimm invasion within the kingdoms or... anywhere, really.

where are the bunkers / shelters everyone knows to head to, specifically made for this scenario? where are the monthly tests of alarm systems? the stockpiles of food and medicine? you're living in a place surrounded by monsters who want to kill you and subway tunnels are the best you can do?? do you even want to survive??? /j

like yeah weaving that all in naturally might be difficult, but it's like. it feels like it should be a norm to the characters living in that setting? like someone just randomly mentioning their grimm-proof basement with everything needed to survive for x amount of time bc that's completely normal in the world—especially for those living far away from a city or a town—where you have no idea when, let alone if, the help is going to come.

plus it could make an interesting plot point if all the kingdoms did have these systems in place, but one / some of them got so comfortable with their current situation, believing the grimm could never breach their walls etc, that all of it was eventually de-funded and thus not kept up to date, which then would prove to be a costly mistake on a later date.

[allwormdiet]

Extermination 8.5

Skitter is now one for three on interacting with New Wave kids without making them hate her.

Also fun fact I actually hit the image limit while making this post so I had to nix a few of the smaller observations made, there's just that much shit going on

Neat to meet more of New Wave, but boy I wish it was under different circumstances

Also Taylor you were so close to making that descriptor of their anguish work, you shouldn't have acknowledged it

How fucking harrowing must it be to let your daughter go anywhere near the fucking thing that killed your son.

Also I like how even as Skitter realizes that this is not the time or place, she's still indignant at being called "the girl."

What an awful fucking day for all of them. What can even be done, what can even be said?

Just a wet fucking cat of a girl, being carried through the air.

Oh hey Coil, bet your asshole is clenching really fucking hard rn

I wish there was a way for Coil to drown down there without killing Dinah too, but alas

Also absolutely insane that this has all been in the span of, what, an hour? Maybe a little more? What the fuck

And here's Parian proving that she's actually a huge badass

"Why manipulate cloth" honestly my first assumption is that it's bc her power is cloth control

Really fucking funny that people apparently keep thinking that superpowers are magic, though

We hardly knew ye.

I did learn that this is a retcon; Browbeat survived in the initial version of the story, although he quit the Wards in the wake of this attack and never comes up again. The retcon was in... 2019? Reasoning is speculative but I guess people kept making stupid jokes about Browbeat and he got tired of it?

Hey you know what though, really good showing overall, better than a bunch of other capes today

Okay so did this attack go through Leviathan? What the fuck is going on with this Flechette girl, that is utterly fucking cracked. Armsmaster's fucking nanothorns couldn't hack that, what is she doing where her shots do this kinda damage.

Leviathan likes playing with its fucking food, which is weird as hell

This dramatic fucker

God that's so cool, just opening up a fucking chasm in the middle of the battlefield.

...I wonder if it was trying to get into the bunker like Coil was afraid of. I know enough about Noelle to know that could've gone really fucking poorly.

Laserdream is cool, does she get much love in the fandom or is she too peripheral a character for that?

This is kinda funny ngl

That's a lot of fucking dead people, Jesus H

Taylor you are genuinely being too cool about this, your arm is still broken

He can do anything he wants down there, it's terrifying

Very funny that Armsmaster's brand-spanking-new halberd is being put to better use in this fight by people who aren't him and for purposes he didn't intend

Haha, wuh oh!

First indicator that Coil's got some pretty remarkable commercial ties considering he managed to sneak his own fucking Endbringer shelter in for private use and nobody noticed.

Also, god that's gotta be fucking terrifying

...I think like 99% of things that have come up in this arc are fucking terrifying if we're being real for a second but I'm gonna keep saying it

Seeing someone who treats you like dirt and have a happy life outside of treating you like dirt is a certain kind of agony. Also fuck Gladly on principle tbh.

Ah fuck

She could have so easily given into spite and let them all suffer and die. She was under no obligation beyond her own drive to be good, to be better, to be better than Gladly. And that's why she's among the best of these fucking people.

And so the bug girl, both creepy AND wet, goes in there and saves everyone left standing by shoving the Halberd up Levi's nonexistent asshole and baiting him back out the shelter

She's a bigger hero than so many of the others

This might be one of the most intensely and personally terrifying moments of all. Paralysis and drowning hand in hand. A slow and insidious kind of horror.

Rachel Lindt MVP

Well hey, cool of Rachel to be concerned though

They should be giving Bitch the key to the fucking city for this, honestly

This poor girl sacrificed the closest thing she has to family to buy even a fraction of extra time for this asscrack of a city

And then there's this fucking asshole

Imagine if God thought you, personally and specifically, fucking sucked. What a weird feeling that must be.

Skipping past the downturn in the fighting and the teleportation bc we have to get to the conclusion of the chapter

Taylor did more to save this whole city than any of these people can even imagine, and they manhandle her into a cot and cuff her broken-ass arm because y'can't be too careful with villains, can you

This is going to go so poorly

Current Thoughts

Taylor did more, in the moment-to-moment breakdown of tracking, fighting, and responding to Leviathan, than like 90% of the other capes in this whole fucking deal, and nobody will ever know the full extent of it. She might have honestly saved more lives than Armsmaster, because he was too busy fucking grandstanding in the moments leading up to his, ahaha, disarmament.

Skitter is a hero, idgaf what anyone says. She earned better than what she's about to be fucking put through, that's for sure.

[baldy-wan-kenobi]

An Introduction to the False Peace

It has been fifty years since the Final Armistice was signed, ending the Long War that consumed the world for three centuries, plunging mankind from its very height into a new dark age.

In its aftermath, the nations of old are gone, replaced with vast swathes of desolate and inhospitable nothing punctuated only by ancient installations and the gleaming spires of the City-States.

Sanctuary and Citadel in one, the City-States are massive, heavily protected fortresses each enclosing thousands of square miles, housing a population of millions, as well as the industry required to sustain them. They are everything to those who live within: Safety from roving bandits and scavengers, Shelter from the fearsome and enigmatic storms that kill and mutate with fell energies, and a chance to Survive, in the last remaining bastions of civilization in a ruined world.

However, humanity is not content within these confines. Even as the dust settles, and storms of esoteric energy ravage the world, corporations and City-States are growing bolder and bolder in seeking conflict, driven by greed, ambition, and a lust for conquest. Despite the best efforts of the valiant Knights of Svalbard, equipped with unimaginably powerful technology from the World that Was and charged with the task of safeguarding human life, total war seems an inevitability.

In this time of False Peace, everyone has a hidden agenda, and those with power are always on the lookout for the piece of Old World Tech that will allow them to finally destroy their enemies, and in that desire, opportunity lurks…

You are a Tinman, one of many mercenaries piloting the war machines known as "Frames", contracted by the various corporate powers and City-State security forces of the world to fight their proxy wars and delve into the ancient ruins of once-mighty nations, to plumb their depths for the technological wonders that lie within. However, this task is not without danger, for these ruins are not so abandoned as they might appear. Within squalid bunkers and empty garrisons, ancient and mindless constructs awake, artificial minds bound to the will of masters centuries dead, and determined to safeguard their secrets to the bitter end…

Hey, everybody! So, this is the introduction/Primer to my as-yet-unnamed, semi-original Sci-Fi setting, taking heavy inspiration from the Armored Core games, the Battletech universe, and the Cyberpunk setting. From now on, I'll be posting various informative things about the universe, from faction overviews, exposition about worldbuilding elements, and progress as the eventual TTRPG takes shape!

[abyssalaerlocke]

The apocalypse coming, chaos, people running everywhere, you don't know what to do, and suddenly someone grabs your hand and your being pulled into a bunker before it's sealed shut.

You just got lucky — they had room to save one more, and you happened to be close, weren't running to your own shelter, or family, so you seemed like the best option.

The bunker is small/personal, nicely appointed. Its owners take good care of you, and you get along — they become your unexpected family, lover(s)...

What you don't know (yet), is you were scouted and selected long before they pulled you in here, as a potential organ donor — just another part of the medical supplies.

When it happens, is it ignorant and voluntary? "He'll die if he doesn't get a transplant, so even if you might not be a match, it's worth the chance that you are. I'm the only one that can perform the surgeries, and take care of you in recovery, so I can't be the donor."

Or is it terrifying, being drugged and put on the table, waking up and learning your organ was stolen? Maybe they explained/apologised as you were losing consciousness, why you were brought in, that you're the match he needs, but you'll be okay.

Maybe it was a preexisting condition that they anticipated that organ needing replacement — but who's to say they won't need another down the line? If it's your only remaining kidney, your heart? Are they willing to do that too?

The fear, the betrayal, all your affection founded on lies, suddenly washed away... But you just had surgery, you feel like shit, and need help right now, so you have no choice but to let your doctor friend close to take care of you. And so the Stockholm starts setting in.

How is it once you're out of bed, able to move about the bunker again? How do you handle your recipient/abductor being in proximity (did you recover in separate rooms, or did you have to tolerate their presence while you couldn't do anything about it?). Things can't go back to normal, but they have to go back to functional if you're going to maintain this shelter well enough to survive.

[secretsandwriting]

Preview

The Edutzal.

A species known for their ruthlessness and destruction. With an unimaginable amount of strength and power they were a species you didn't want the attention of, so why were there three of them spotted on Earth.

Masterlist -- Prologue

Alarms sounded across the entire planet. Superman’s recorded voice played over the speakers warning everyone of danger and to head to their nearest bunker and to stay there until further notice. Most people listened, hurrying to the shelters with their family or friends. Those who didn’t either huddled in their own homes or stood outside to try and see what could possible be so dangerous. 

Those in Germany got the first look. Three figures in the sky, seemingly playing a game. They almost seemed Kryptonian but not quite, their hair was white but their eyes. Their eyes were wrong. Instilling a fear in those who were able to see them. Their scleras were black, their iris’s were a sickly grey, and their pupils were white.

They moved through the sky, gracefully but something about it screamed danger. Everything about them seemed normal but was overthrown by an overwhelming sense of wrongness. Those who saw them fled into their hiding spots soon after. Their minds screaming danger days after. Most too afraid to say anything to the heroes that came to question them on what they saw.

Three days later, Italy received a visit from the mysterious flying people.

Three days after Italy, China saw them.

“It’s some of them.” Starfire confirmed. 

“Who?” Flash asked the question most of them seemed to have. 

“The Edutzal.” Superman spoke. “They’re known throughout the galaxies as the Destroyers. They come from the planet Engoth.” He pulled up a hologram of a planet. “The only life forms that can survive on the planet are extremely dangerous. No one has been able to gather data on the planet, the only thing we can assume is that those there have adapted to survive anything.”

“The Edutzal are known for destroying planets leaving only pebbles and dust. No one has survived a Edutzal massacre. If they set their sights on a planet, nothing can stop them from destroying it. Except another Edutzal. Which is very rare but has happened.” Starfire continued. 

“They haven’t seemed to have any interest in earth until now, the best case scenario, they get bored and leave, but considering we’re here, isn’t likely. The second best case scenario is that they like it here, and decide to claim earth as their home. They’re less likely to go on a spree killing if they think of the earth as their own. Worst case scenario, they destroy earth and all of us along with it.” 

“Even the second best case scenario isn’t that good, because if they decide it’s theirs, they could make a bunch of rules and there's a high chance we’ll have to figure out the rules by those killed and displayed as an example.” 

Silence filled the room. No one was sure what to say. Some digesting the fact there was a planet of beings so strong, the others recalling the stories of destruction they had heard or witnessed from the Edutzal.

[fanfics4all]

Snowed In

Request: Yes / No Fluffcember Day 17!

Don’t be shy, request things! <3 Have a nice day/night

John Murphy x Fem!Reader 

Word count: 750

Warnings: Just nice cozy fluff!

Y/N: Your Name 

Prompt(s): Snowed In

PLEASE DO NOT STEAL MY WORK, I WORK HARD ON MY FICS AND IT’S NOT COOL TO STEAL SOMEONE ELSE’S WORK! 

If you want to be on the tag list for anything (My series fics, specific character fics, or just all of them) All you have to do is send me an ask and I will add you! 

Masterlist 

If you enjoy my work, you could also show support by buying me a coffee! 

(Not my photo, credit to whoever made it!)

The wind howled as John and I pushed through the deep snow, searching for any sort of shelter. We’d been hiking for hours, and the storm only grew worse, blinding us with flurries of white and the cold biting at our skin. My fingers were numb and we both knew we couldn’t last much longer out here. Just as I was about to tell John we needed to turn back, he spotted something up ahead. It was a bunker door, partially buried in snow. I let out a relieved sigh, my shoulders dropping. 

“Thank God.” I muttered. He grabbed my hand as we trudged toward the entrance. We pulled the metal door open together, and he went in first, checking it was safe. I stepped in behind him, shivering as I closed the door, shutting out the bitter cold. The bunker was empty, a small space with old supplies and a couple of dusty blankets. It would keep us out of the store at least. Murphy shook the snow off himself, glancing around. 

“It’s not camp, but it’ll do.” I gave him a tired smile, sliding down to sit against the wall. 

“It’s perfect. I don’t think I could’ve taken another minute out there.” I sighed. 

We settled in, bundling up with the blankets and whatever supplies we could find to keep us warm. The bunker was chilly, but without the wind it was bearable. Murphy took off his jacket and wrapped it around my shoulders, despite my protests. 

“Keep it on. Can’t have you freezing to death on me.” He insisted. 

“You’re not half-bad sometimes, ya know?” I said, giving him a grateful look, my cheeks still flush from the cold. 

“Don’t let it get around.” He chuckled, settling beside me. We sat in comfortable silence for a while, the faint sound of the storm outside schooling through the bunker. The dim light flickered, casting soft shadows across his face, and I couldn’t help but notice how close we were. His shoulder was pressed against mine. 

“John… have you ever thought about what happens after all this?” I asked, breaking the silence. My voice was quiet, almost hesitant. 

“After what?” He looked at me, surprised. 

“After all the fighting, and survival.” I looked down at my hands. 

“What happens to people like us? Do we get a chance to… I don’t know, have something normal?” Murphy swallowed. We’ve been through so much together, fighting to survive, saving each other’s lives, risking everything. Yet, we never talked about what might come next. Or if there even was a ‘next’. 

“I don’t know.” He admitted, his voice rough. 

“Guess I never thought I’d make it long enough to find out.” I looked up at him, my eyes soft and vulnerable in a way I never let myself be before. 

“I want you to make it. I want us to make it.” I said, my voice barely a whisper. 

“Y/N…” Our faces were inches apart. I took a shaky breath, my fingers trembling as I reached out and took his hand. 

“John, you’re my best friend, but you’re more than that. I’ve felt this way for a long time, but I was always too scared to say anything.” I let out a nervous laugh, my cheeks turning a darker shade of pink. 

“I guess nearly freezing to death kind of put things into perspective.” He squeezed my hand. 

“You think I haven’t been feeling the same way?” I looked at him, surprised and he let out a quiet laugh. 

“Y/N, you’re… well you’re the only person who ever really made me feel like I was worth anything. I didn’t wanna mess it up by saying something stupid and you running off.” We stared at each other, the weight finally lifting. Slowly, he leaned in, brushing his lips against mine in a soft kiss. I sighed, my hand reaching up to caress his cheek, deepening the kiss until the cold around us seemed to melt away. When we pulled apart, I smiled, my eyes shining. 

“So, does this mean I’m stuck with you now?” I asked and he chuckled, pulling me closer. 

“I’d say I’m hard to get rid of.” I cuddled into him, the storm still raging outside, but neither of us cared. For the first time in what felt like forever, I felt safe. 

We slowly drifted to sleep, tangled in each other’s arms, and I knew I’d fight through anything as long as John was by my side.

Tag list: @les-bio-lie @tashy-bear @ashwarren32 @hollie-blogs-blog1 @lover-of-books-and-tea @nerdygaloresposts @teenwolfbitches28 @kmc1989 @drw0301bieber @lady-of-lies @ravenmoore14 @ravenempress101 @cillianchamp @rowanthomasknapp @rachelxwayne @ready-4-fanfiction @madammarvellous-blog1 @emo-godess-loves-you @now-imagine @bruisedfists-and-splitlips @vanessa-kom-skaikru @jjmymaybank

[bottlecapping]

A little bit on Charon's Origins:

From: A compound that boasts it has the best "hired guns" available. A lucrative and well-known business with a reputation for providing loyal, unnervingly obedient operatives for prices too steep for the average wastelander. The fighters are supplied by raising children in an intensely resource-competitive culture.

The compound children, to some success, are given shelter and protection from danger outside of the compound. Combat training and education (which is mostly propaganda and manipulation) is compulsory. The children that survive the brutal system long enough are assigned to an individual - henceforth known as their "Employer" - who oversees the last chapter of their education and turn them into ideal bodyguards. Their methods are high-risk to their wards, but it comes with a record of satisfying their wealthy customers.

Children, generally ones that compete well and show the most potential, are entered into a database where the most discriminating of customers can (for a large sum) select and alter the education of their choosing. Ultimately, so that the buyers can shape the temperament or skillsets of their future bodyguards.

Young orphans are common in the wasteland, and though accepting the compound's deal meant certain despotic rule, many such orphans traveled there to take those odds rather than face the wasteland on their own. These only make up one source of the children ranks.

Charon was raised here. Defiant, difficult to break, exceptional marksman.

Charon was selected by a de-thawed pre-War big shot executive, from a bunker nearby. Learned of the Compound from a neighboring vault that does trade with the compound. These trade-deals sometimes included the promise of viable children for one of their "hired guns". Vault dwellers understood the appeal of having someone competent and ruthless watching one's back in the wasteland, and they had to leave to upkeep their vault. They shared that sentiment with the Exec, who was allowed to remain at that vault until their bodyguard's graduation and purchase of contract.

There were several mandates by Charon's would-be employer as he was being educated at the compound. The Exec (we'll call em for now) wanted someone who, if asked to speak around the Exec's peers, would be well-mannered and formal, so Charon was provided tutoring for this between combat training. He was also given an expensive supply of medications for growth enhancement and stimulants.

Charon's employer was also an audiophile; had an impressive collection of holotapes, accounting for Charon's taste and appreciation for music.

Charon's ghoulification was a direct result of orders followed by the Exec. The command urged him into radiated danger.

[thebunniwagon]

Serial designation n x gn human reader where the reader is usually cold to others but is rather soft towards him. head canons?

Ok let’s see!

N x Cold hearted Human Reader (Gender Neutral)

Buckle in, this is pretty long!

(Episode 1) The cold barren wastes of the moon shine upon you

You hated this, living on a dead planet without any one else. Everyone died when whatever happened, you’d search, but those drones where everywhere. You’d didn’t trust any of them, so you stayed away from all shining lights.

Wasn’t long before the lights went out, murder drones soon came to the planet, wiping out many drones and forcing the others into bunkers underground. You kept your distance from the “murder” drones, assuming they don’t discriminate with their victims.

It’s been months after the murder drones landed on the planet, you managed to fix yourself a shelter after your old one was under the watch of local murder drones.

You carefully plotted the nearby patrols, keeping their every move into account. You figured that defending yourself wouldn’t work unless you had something to fight back with, so you tirelessly worked on your newest project; a magnetically amplified photon converter.

You inspected your work carefully, fixing any glitches you found. It just needed one more thing, except it’s somewhere deep into murder drone territory.

You gathered your survival kit, a few homebrew snacks, and set off to find the missing part.

You remembered the massacre that took place near your hideout, two murder drones slaughtered some refugee drones from another bunker. They still haven’t gotten into the one near their patrols, so you kept your guard up, they would be nearby.

While on your journey, you remembered the massacre; one drone taking extreme pleasure tearing the refugees apart, the other was strangely timid around her, preferring to stay back and curse his awkward advances.

He wore a grey jacket with a cap, and that’s all you knew about him. You wanted to know more about these drones, so maybe finding him would be a plus, after you killed him of course.

Looking into the distance after eating a snack, you noticed a mountain of corpses, so you figured that you would have the best luck of finding the part there. You continued forwards, keeping an eye on the sky.

Arriving at the base of the corpse mountain, you checked your surroundings before scavenging. You noticed a purple figure headed your direction, so you hid behind a rotting car.

The small worker drone walked past, muttering something to herself.

You chastised the small drone in your mind, she clearly wouldn’t survive a minute sooner out here.

Scavenging out of her sight, you tried to look for the part within the pile of corpses.

No dice, you checked up on the small drone who was digging into a copse pile.

You thought about revealing yourself, a nagging feeling accompanying that thought.

You got ready to show yourself as she found a small green battery; you would have to convince her to give it to you.

There was a loud rustling above; the small drone ran to cover, as you hid behind the a wall splashed with oil.

The small drone put the battery into her weapon, slipping out curses and trying to get some distance from the murder drone.

She catches sight of you while trying to aim her weapon at the murder drone, this was all that the murder drone needed to throw her off balance.

That poor drone is going to perish, you definitely can’t live with that. Against your instincts you decide to help her fight back against the drone.

The murder drone threw the kid at a wall, knocking the synthetic air out of her lungs.

You stabbed the drone on his wings, the wrench unfortunately didn’t last long against JC Jenson steel. The murder drone threw you with no restraint, you definitely felt something break.

The murder drone approached you, it’s interface shifting through files on what to do against a human. You reached for a nearby rebar stick, the drone placed its heavy leg on your chest.

You felt your chest lose all air, you tried your absolute best to move its leg even an inch.

Losing air, everything started to go black. You accepted your death at the hands of the murder drone.

A bright light awoke you from your fate as the murder drone fell over, missing its head.

The small drone ran over, you quickly fetched the rebar to defend yourself from any more attacks. The small drone put her weapon down and put her hands up to calm you.

“Woah dude, I wouldn’t recommend it, I can do karate. So let that stick go?” She smiled sheepishly, you slowly let your guard down.

“T- hmm” You managed to choke out as your breath hitched, you supported your back against some debris.

The small drone thanked you for the help, your knee felt extreme pain as you hissed in pain. The small drone helped you up, supporting you by her shoulder. Your legs had to rest, so you couldn’t walk properly; which made you dependent on her kindness.

“Who are- what are you- You’re human” The worker drone spoke, confusion laced in her words, her interface not moving.

“Yeah, I’m human” You replied, not knowing what to do. She suddenly stopped as a sloshing noise came from behind, you both turned around as the murder drone got back up. The small drone looked terrified as the murder drone restarted its systems, looking at her recharging gun.

She let you go and charged the murder drone with a piece a rebar.

SMACK

The murder drone stood there unfazed, rebooting it’s systems, before finally looking up the small purple drone.

“Did ya try to hit me with that piece of rebar?” It pointed towards her weapon.

“Uhhh, no!” She hid the weapon behind her, smiling meekly as the murder drone struggled to calculate a response.

“Hmm, oka- WHOA Who’s that!?” The murder drone pointed at you, his tail held high with curiosity. He slowly approached you, his interface shifting through the files, looking for a appropriate response.

“I thought there wasn’t any humans left, are you from the company?” The murder drone asked, his curious smile potentially hiding his true intent. You decided to tell the truth, you were probably screwed anyway.

“No, I’m just a sur-“ the pain was starting to get to you, it was getting harder to concentrate.

“They’re hurt! We should take them to… their place?!” The purple drone stood in front of you, holding up a finger as if it was a keen idea. The last thing you wanted is to let them into your home, but your injuries were too great that your body couldn’t handle the pain; so you nodded.

“Oh, they do some hurt… I guess they do need out help, wait… what is your names?” The murder drone asked you both; his scanners must be broken. No murder drone would ever talk to a worker drone unless it’s laced with homicidal intent, you could use this to your advantage.

“Not the time dude, and I’m Uzi” The purple drone helped you back up with ease, the other drone spread his wings as he walked towards you both.

“East, it’s east” Hopefully they can take you back home, at least then you could die in your bed instead of the ash.

“Your name is east?” N asked innocently.

“EAST, MY HOME IS EAST!” You managed to squeeze out before you felt yourself black out.

Skip to here if you want to get to the shipping🗿

Being taken care of by two drones is not how you expected to spend your evening, but they have no plans to murder you so that’s good.

You struggled to open your eyes, your breath hitched, you hissed with the pain; that murder drone really took you out of commission.

“Oh, you’re awake!” You heard the now familiar voice of the murder drone who stopped your lungs into pulp. He got up from his chair and walked over with a warm soup, you weren’t sure what it was made out of.

“Umm, Uzi helped me with this soup, It’s not really my forte” He smiled coyly, placing the soup near your bedside.

You slowly reached for the soup, but your hands were still tired, causing you to spill a small amount and the spoon.

“Damm” You reached to grab the spoon, muscles aching and the pain exhausting. The murder drone stopped you by reaching for it first.

“Let me get that for you, it’s really the least I can do for you” He gently held your hand and passed you the spoon, you didn’t smile back, you really didn’t know how to respond to his kindness.

“Thanks” Was all that you could muster out. He hummed in response before getting off your bedside, you slowly ate your soup, unsure of what it really contained.

Dried tomato soup, tastes terrible but you won’t complain to the drones who can bend your bones like sticks.

You tried to stay awake and get up but you kept falling back into sleep, so you decided to finally rest.

It was repeating process; wake up, try to move, eat some soup, fall asleep.

A week passed and your body finally felt healthy enough to move around, even for a bit. Thanks to N, he held you while you tried to walk again on your weak legs. He didn’t think much about, always excited to help you while Uzi mocked you both.

You’d give her a knuckle sandwich if you could, but she was beginning to grow on you. She’s outright mean, but you can tell underneath her rough exterior that she really wants to open up; so you obliged her silence. N was kinder than Uzi, often going out of his way to oblige your requests for help, maybe it was out of guilt.

N is gentle, very gentle, you weren’t expecting that murder drones have such sleek steel. It was soft and strong, and his eyes always patient with you, his tail wrapping itself around you.

“Aww, it’s like a cheesy couple in some stupid 90’s horror flick” Uzi laughed out, gaining ire from you and exasperation from N.

“Uzi, cut it out! Y/n’s needs my help, they could fall down if I don’t support them!” N continued to hold you while you leaned on him, Uzi spoke out a “bite me” while she left your bedroom.

“Uzi’s really ripping on us huh?”

“Why do you think so?” You said as N helped you onto your bed, your legs feeling better and your body outright healed.

“Maybe it’s because she’s just jealous of our friendship” N joked, you gave him a slight giggle in response. N wished you a good nights rest as you went to lay on your bed, you felt safe around those two. Especially N, you were often scared of his weapons and his sharp wings, his immense strength, his…

You felt the sun shine through a crack in your home, you’d need to patch it up, could be let in too much ash. You helped your self up, placing your feet on the floor, it felt natural. Shocked, you lift your leg, then your other. You could walk again! You spent some time just walking around, appreciating the interior of your base. You remember your plants, they were your livelihood and your passion, so you go to check up on them.

They were in top tier condition, watered and well taken care of, there a note next to the watering can.

“Hey! N and Uzi here, we thought you would like these plants alive and taken care of! Mostly because you can’t feed yourself without them!” You smiled while grabbing the note, you would thank them, but they’re not here. They definitely got caught out while looking for oil, you don’t blame them.

The light started to dim more and more, you then realized that you woke up as the sun began to set; a consequence of living with nocturnal drones. You sat down and contemplated going out to find them, your legs just healed, no need to put them at risk again.

A few hours passed by, and a knock on your door distracted you from your reading. You got up and headed to check, looking through the peephole and seeing your two companions there.

You opened the door to greet your friends, but you were surprised to see another murder drone, locked down to prevent her escape.

“Y/n, we don’t really have anywhere we can put our friend here… can she stay here with us?” N asked shyly, a awkward blush showing on his face.

“I’m not your friend weirdo” The new murder drone spoke out, getting smacked on the head by Uzi in the process.

“I know V, but can you please behave? This person really trusts us and I think you two could get along!”

“Fineee… but if they try to do any weird adjustments to me I will open them up” V showcased her claws, sharp and still oil stained.

“She won’t, trust me! Isn’t that right Y/n?!” N asked, running his puppy-dog eyes program, it worked.

“Alright, but I’m laying down some house rules; no murdering in my house, be kind to one another, help around the house if you want to stay” V looked at you puzzled, running her interface to find any programs to use.

“V, you’ll behave? Right?” N almost begged, Uzi looked ashamed to be near her friend, you thought it was rather adorable. V eventually relented, making a compromise with N, at least to keep herself feed.

You found a spot where V can be chained down, at least until she calms down.

“Well, what’s the deal with you huh? You some kinda desperate survivor?” V asked, blowing bubbles from an attachment from her arm.

“Hmm” That was all that you were gonna give a potentially psychotic murder drone.

“Ooo you’re a quiet gal aren’t you? A little shy fella?” V pressed again, trying to gauge a reaction from someone she was unsure of.

After a tense moment, you replied with a simple “no”

You headed back to bed, sure of your safety; N explained to you how murder drones quite literally cannot harm humans. V can talk all she wants, you’re safe, safe thanks to N.

The next night, you were surprised to see how chill V really is, she’s obviously doing this so she can break out but you don’t care much about it. You almost wanted to let her free, but she just hurt Uzi if you let her go.

Uzi had left with N to go investigate something along the name of Absolute solver. Leaving you with V, who you were sure is going to try convincing you to free her.

“Be careful Y/n, she won’t hurt you but V is still… something if she’s left unchecked” N pleaded before he left, you placed your hand on his cheek, or where you thought it was.

“Don’t worry N, she’ll behave” N placed his hand on yours, starting to smile his adorable smile. Uzi pulled him away, telling him to focus as he said goodbye; you waved back in return.

“Ooo, lover boy is off to solve some great mystery huh?” V spoke out, still chained to her spot. You walked over to her, passing the books that you read to her when she woke up. She liked the romantic books the most, you teased her at midnight about it.

“He’s not my lover, I just trust him” You said to defend your exterior shell, although you couldn’t deny your growing feelings from him; maybe it’s the chronic loneliness, maybe it’s because he’s so dang kind, or maybe because he cares about everyone and everything.

“Oh come on, who else would put their hand on someone’s cheek? Someone who is in loveeeee” V mocked, laughing like some school girl.

“We’re just friends!”

“Are you gonna put your hand on my cheek soon, since we’re suuuch good friends?” V continued, she really liked getting on your nerves.

“I just might, my dear friend” You got close to her, hopefully this confuses her and she backs off.

“Uhhh, I didn’t mean it like th- Wait! Are you gonna kiss him???” V spat out, initially backing up but running a divergence program, accompanied by a led smug face.

“He’s not my boyfriend”

“Oh come on, look. If you can unlock this thing, I can show you how you two are totally right for each other!” V twinkled her fingers, clearly intending to escape.

“No”

“Damm you robo-Jesus, you’ve abandoned me” V is clever, but you are definitely more clever than her.

“You said me and him are compatible, how?”

“So you do like him”

“I don’t, you wanted to prove a point so go ahead” You challenged her, at least to keep her at bay.

“Uh, fine…” V finally relented, she’s thankfully backing up.

“Despite your cold exterior, you let him touch you all he wants, a simple complement turns into holding each other’s hands. He’s finally thawing you out, eventually you’ll kiss his hand. Then boom! He’s in love, and lovely little lonely you would reciprocate those feelings”

V smirked, her smug interface bearing into your eyes. You didn’t want to admit that she was right, it’s been so lonely, and N is a wonderful person friend boyfriend thing.

“I- I’m going to bed” Now you just wanted to go to sleep, it’s almost day anyway and the night is starting to go away.

“Night!” V muttered something under in lower volume, she was probably agonizing over her failed escape attempt.

Knock Knock Knock

They’re back, Uzi and N are probably just checking up on V. You’ll let them know that she’s behaving well, feed her, then finally go to bed.

“N, Uzi ho-“

“Y/n, can we… talk?” N was alone, Uzi must’ve went back to her bunker. N looked rather sad, like he was told off by a parent for doing something bad.

“Um sure, let’s go to my room” You closed the door as N came in, the soft howling of the ash storms silenced.

N entered your room, before you could follow, you heard a whisper.

“Aww look at the lovers”

You scowled at V, who scoffed in return. She’s an asshole, but you wouldn’t have it any other way.

Entering your room, N was sitting in your chair, a rather sorry expression on his interface. You sat on your bed and placed your hand in his, something that you were starting to get comfortable with.

“What happened?”

As if he was about to start crying, N dumped it all on you. How the absolute solver program brought back his former friend, to how Uzi looked at him with absolute terror in her eyes. He couldn’t sob, but you were sure he was doing the drone equivalent of it.

“N..” He looked at you, digital tears flowing from his interface. You wrapped your arms around him, with him following in tandem.

“Don’t worry, Uzi will come around, she knows you aren’t dangerous”

“It’s just, I don’t want to lose my first ever friend, a- apart from you of course” You giggled as N let you go, letting out a tired yawn.

“I’m going to go feed V, night Y/n”

“Goodnight N”

(Episode 2) The maroon prom

Poor N, he really didn’t mean to hurt Uzi, you were sure of it. Maybe you’ll find her and hopefully explain everything to her, she’s just a kid, a slightly psychotic kid. Now that you think about it, she’s just like a kid.

Your eyes opened, the soft humming of the ash storm alerting you that it was night, time to wake up.

You entered your living room where V and N were talking about something, but before you could listen in you were horrified to see three corpses wearing formal attire.

“Oh you’re up! It’s prom night tonight! V wanted us to got us some suits! So we all could look dapper” N had a huge smile on his face, his face lit up with the prospect of hanging out with his friends to his first ever night out.

“Yeah like, we come in all fabulous and the purple freak lets us in, mostly because she doesn’t have any friends. And then boom! We pop her little head off along with everyone else” V grimly suggested, earring a conflicted stare from N.

“Aren’t we her friends?” You asked while inspecting the corpses, deciding to take the one with a red suit on.

“I’m not freeing you for prom murder v!” N groaned, while you grabbed the corpse and dragged it to your room.

“Don’t come in I’ll be changing!” N gave you a thumbs up while V winked at you, giving you a devilish smile.

You entered your while V and N started to argue about something, you would help, but it seems like they’re beginning to quiet down. So you focused on putting on your suit, you had to hurry though, your front door got opened.

Finally putting on your bow tie, you were ready to go, hopefully V is willing to hold back her murderer urges. If not, then she’ll have to miss out, that would suck.

You opened your door, looking for a dressed up drone ready to take you to your first ever prom.

N wasn’t moving, he was headless, he was dead. You slowly approached the body, oil splurging from his neck.

“N?” Your voice was soft, you haven’t noticed that it was beginning to quiver. You shuck his body, unsure of what to do, you couldn’t lose him, you won’t lose him.

You hugged his corpse, squeezing as hard you could, slowly closing your eyes. Hearing a program from N running, you hoped it would bring him back, you prayed that it would bring him back.

“Uh, Y/n? Y/n! It’s ok I’m perfectly fin- oh, are you crying!?”

You didn’t even notice that you were crying, N wrapped his arms around you. You kept sobbing on his shoulder, unsure of how to feel. This was sad, but you never really knew what sad was. So you kept crying.

“Y/n, it’s ok! I’m here, I’m here” You had to stop crying, V took off, she’s going to kill everyone at the prom. They can’t come back, N can, but the kid can’t. You needed to focus.

You blinked out your tears, brushing your eyes, before looking at your front door. N got up from the ground, suddenly remembering what V has done, he started to panic.

“Oh, Oh! V’s gonna, we’ve gotta, we need to go!” He looked at the remaining suit, before stepping towards the front door, but looking back at the corpse once again.

“I do wanna look dapper…” You were already up, ready to confront V.

Grabbing the suit off the corpse which crumbled into dust, you threw it to N. You pushed past him, ready to pursue V.

“Get dressed, there’s gonna be a murder at prom tonight”

You knew V was already headed to the bunker, so you and N flew quickly. N noticed that you were rather quiet, so he started to talk.

“Thank you for worrying about me, seriously Y/n. You’re a good friend. The other drones weren’t really kind to me… except Uzi of course”

“I thought you were a goner, I… was scared that you were gone” You closed your eyes and hugged him, wrapping your arms around his neck.

“It’s alright, I’ll always come back”

N smiled as he started to slow down, lowering himself closer to the ground, as you noticed Uzi running in front. You both landed and as you let go of N, he ran over to Uzi to calm her down.

“Uzi!”

They both interrupted each other as N despaired over Uzi not wanting him there, N began to walk away as he assumed Uzi was still afraid of him. You grabbed his hand as Uzi spoke up, clearly in distress.

“No! I could use the help… of you being there.. with me” Uzi sported a embarrassed blush, this must be very out of character for her emo ai. You looked at her with a soft smile, good to see she misses her friends.

“Dapper buddies!” N said while he squished you in between him and Uzi, you pushed him off after a while, reminding him about his killer co-worker.

Uzi led you two through the hallways, rushing quickly by some adult worker drones keeping security. You three climbed through the vent after N suggested that it would be “super cool!” Exiting the vent, N carried you and Uzi down to the dance floor full of other worker drones.

C R A S H

Landing hard, you grabbed your knifes ready for action, while Uzi shouted towards V. “Unhand them you Fiend!” Whispers amongst the other worker drones start to make you nervous, but you can’t be distracted now. The worker drone nearest to her spoke up quickly “On second thought you are way hotter than Doll, Run Idiot!”

“Ok I’m confused, what’s going on?” N said exactly what the group was thinking, Uzi pointed towards the red worker drone.

Everyone panicked as you realized that V was pinned by some metal pipes, the red worker drone crushed another worker drone into a oil paste. She used her powers to cause chaos and keep everyone locked inside the prom room.

The red drone spoke in a foreign language that you didn’t understand, as she started to walk slowly towards V she continued her onslaught on her fellow drones. V managed to free her hand and transform it into a smg, firing rounds at the red drone; who in turn deflected the bullets into the ground. The red drone launched a cleaver at V, lobbing her arm off. With no more bullets distracting her, the red drone ripped out the ceiling fan, intending to to finish V once in for all.

“Holy s-“

“Holy crap what is she doing”

“This isn’t what I expected at all!”

N’s bewilderment gave way to concern rather quickly.

“I guess we should-?” Uzi responded to that with a long groan.

With a swift motion, N flew forwards while Uzi ran over to his side. You charged the little drone as fast as you could, only to be thrown towards the others. You hissed from the pain in your arms, getting back up in a instant.

“Woah dude, that must’ve hurt”

You disregarded the pink skirted high schooler and listened the attacker, unfortunately she spoke Russian, at least the others could understand.

“Bite me! Whoever started this wants us to fight, I’m not dealing with anything well, but… I’m done dealing with everything alone”

N smiled as you joined your friends once again, ready to fight alongside them.

“We move forward together, or not at all!”

The red drone said something, before pinning N and launching another industrial fan towards you three. N shoved you both out of the way, giving you both a thumbs up, not that you saw it. You looked up to the red drone preparing a knife to throw, you grabbed a chair and jumped over Uzi to block the attack, you heard a strong rip in the chair. The knife was embedded into it, barely scraping your chest; Uzi grabbed it out the chair, laughing while doing so.

The red drone lifted her arms to grab onto Uzi, but was shocked to see nothing would work, so she threw another knife towards her. Uzi blocked it effortlessly, the red drone looked scared, but still kept her resolve. Uzi told you she could handle the red drone, imploring you to find N and make sure he isn’t dead.

“Thank you Lizzie!”

“Yeah he’s alive don’t worry”

Uzi deflected another flurry of knife throws, the lights started to flash, she must’ve hit the control panel. Doing a massive backflip, Uzi was able to get on the stage where you were, you held a wrench you found on the ground. After throwing the microphone stand towards her, you joined her as she got down on the dance floor. You tackled Uzi as the microphone stand flew by you both, she seamed thankful but you weren’t sure.

“Stop Saving Me!”

That’s her way of saying thank you, you were sure of it. You looked up to see a knife flying towards you, you held up your wrench as if you were about to hit a base ball. A stinging pain overwhelmed your hand as you let go of your wrench, the knife is embedded in your hand, the handle pointing towards the red drone.

Another knife started to fly towards you, thinking quickly you shoved Uzi out the way to keep her safe. You closed your eyes, ready for a knife to impale you. A sharp clink alerted you to open your eyes, you were happy to see N blocking the red drone’s attack.

“Y/n! We need to get you out of here!” He held out his hand, as if he was offering you a romantic dance. Part of you wanted to say no, so you smiled as you grabbed his hand. He looked over his shoulder and looked panicked, suddenly you were spun around as a large table flies by.

You were temporarily shocked but quick to adapt, with N spinning you towards him; you wrapped your arms around him, giving the red drone a cheeky smile. N shot a slim rocket towards her, intending to blind her visibility so Uzi could attack. Uzi didn’t fair well, as a table sent her to the stage, so you and N were on your own.

“Nice moves N~” You gave N a sly smile, his interface turned bright with a blush. He giggled a bit, before trying to flirt back.

“Aww than- WHAO OK YOUR TURN!” Launching you into the air, N was shoved back by another table. You were flying in midair, very much panicking, the red drone smiled as she summoned more tables. You weren’t looking forward to becoming a pancake, so you reached your legs out and were surprised when you managed to jump off the table onto the next.

Reminding yourself, you kept up your composure as you leaped towards the red drone. She summoned more knifes to throw, you reached out with your knife-embedded hand to stick it in her face. The knifes were fast, slicing your arms but embedding themselves in any way, you were focused on your target.

The red drone’s eyes widened in fear as you plunged your hand onto her face, the knife sticking in with a wet slick. You both collapsed onto the floor, the red drone deactivated, you caught your breath. With a groan, then a yelp you pulled out the knife.

“Well thanks for stealing my thunder newbie” V as always knew how to compliment your abilities, with a snide comment.

“Y/N! WE NEEDED HER ALIVE” Uzi shouted as she finally caught up, groaning as she looked the corpse.

“Nice going ding dong” Another snide comment, very helpful.

“As if you weren’t going to do the same” You retorted, getting lightly punched by V as a result.

Rolling your eyes, N stepped up to defend you but was cut off by Uzi bringing everyone back to heel. She picked up a small device from the floor, a sort of wristwatch. You followed Uzi towards the red drone’s room, where apparently she figured she’d find some clues.

“Uh oh”

“Hehe nice”

You entered the room, surprised to see corpses strewn about; disassembled with oil darkening the room, even as light shined upon it. You followed behind N, making sure to check on your bandaged hand. V took a arm and decided to have a little taste, much to everyone’s jargon.

“Uh self respect?”

You decided to keep an eye on everyone, you weren’t good at this investigation thing. N avoided stepping on the little bugs, V was busy trying to see if a door is a threat, Uzi was still at the kitchen looking at something. Before you could walk over to Uzi, N uncovered something.

“I think we found her folks”

V decided that the situation could be improved with one of her snide comments.

“Literally, they didn’t even taste that good”

“Dude you suck”

“V that’s really mean, like literally mean!”

Uzi checked on one of the corpses, finding a badge with the name Yeva. You looked up if by any miracle that the two murder drones would know anything about a Yeva. She was there.

“OH SHI-“

The knife flew past towards Uzi. She held up her hands stopping the knife midair, Uzi was controlling it. With a clink the knife fell. You cowered behind N as the red drone spoke, you couldn’t understand but you doubt the others did too.

“What- wh- oh don’t you dare!”

The red drone was gone, as she was never there.

“UHH I HATE IT HERE!!!”

You held N’s hand, still shocked.

Epilogue

“What the hell was that” V said, looking at Uzi. Uzi yelled back, clearly a little distressed over what just happened. N was about to step in but you held him back, noticing that another drone entered the room.

“Uzi?” The adult worker drone spoke, scared to be in the murder drone with two murder drones and some random human.

“I- uh, I’m coming dad…” Uzi shamefully followed her dad out the room. V scoffed as she left, looking back at you two.

“I’ll see you two back the house” V said, making sure to use her best flirty voice, another snide comment.

She left, leaving you and N behind as you both exit the room. You collapse on a bench in the hallway, exhausted from the fight. N sat down next to you, keeping his distance, respectful as always. You leaned onto him, trying your best to not fall asleep.

“Are you alright?” N carefully wrapped his arm around you. He decided against leaning onto you, staying as a stable foundation for you.

“Yeah, you’re here. I’m going to be alright” You leaned more, making sure to keep all of your weight onto him.

“Oh, I never got the chance to flirt back!” N spoke, eyes wide with excitement. You got up and waited patiently as N had to hype himself up, poor thing, it took him a while but he finally got the nerve.

“What’s your type? And why is it me?” He asked with a cheeky smile, breaking into laughter after a couple seconds. You joined in as he helped you up, he kept his arm around you. You both started to walk to the exit, heading back home.

“Well, you’re kind and considerate. Always willing to help others even when it’s really stupid to do so, encouraging me and Uzi to be the best that we could be. Fearless, even in the face of foldable prom tables!”

“Hey! They hurt ya know”

“I thought you JCdenton drones were durable”

“We are! It just hurts when we get hit by something”

“Alright alright, I’ll lay off”

“Hey uh Y/n, thanks for sticking around”

“Hmm, don’t mention it”

You gave N a quick kiss on his cheek, he of course started to blush and soon had to be carried to the exit. He was surprisingly light, although next time he will have to carry you, it’s only fair.

Fin🗿

Hey everyone, I’ve finally escaped from the locked warehouse these nice mafia men took me to. But seriously I’m back, and I’m glad to be back. I’ll try to be more consistent, pinky promise👍

Also I have a nephew now, so I had to help take care of him! That’s why I haven’t been writing as much. Still though, thanks for your request, you keep this fandom alive!

[possumsarenice]

Various DCA x Reader AU ideas from my list, (part 1(?))

Feel free to take what you like, but please tag me if you do

*Sun and Moon somehow get magic-ed into being human. Y/N and Faz Ent. know this and Y/N takes the boys in. I just want funny shenanigans with the boys getting used to being human, like:

Getting tired (low power probably was more like hunger)

Taste (imagine Y/N cooking for them or taking them to a restaurant they like so their first experience with food is the best they can offer)

Being weaker and pulling out your back/arms/etc. (Seriously, Moon could drag FREDDY single handedly, this would be a huge change for them)

Any other abilities they had like night vision that is now gone

Being able to not only leave the Plex whenever they want, but also being able to go anywhere they (or for the first few months Y/N) can afford

Going home after work instead of living there

Everyone always writes Y/N having bad self-care habits, which I do not disagree with in the slightest, but imagine if Sun and Moon both have difficulty taking care of their new bodies (in part because of habits built from when they could do this without something bad happening and in part because Faz Ent.’s “““incredible””” treatment) so Y/N gets onto THEM about their horrible self-care

Building off that last one, Y/N still has bad self-care habits and is a HUGE hypocrite about this, but now the boys are too

Taking the boys places, like zoos, aquariums, and planetariums to name some expensive ones

*I’ve seen apocalypse AU fics where reader the boys meet in the apocalypse zombie apocalypse, but imagine: Reader and the boys are already dating when the nuclear apocalypse starts. Sun and Moon go to charge but the start of the apocalypse cuts the power off so they’re have 0 battery. Y/N finds a base and drags the boys there before they can become scrap parts for someone seeing them as lifeless animatronics. It takes them between 6 months to a year and a half to get a safe way to charge the boys’ batteries in the long term. I’m that time, Y/N experiences the crushing new way of life all alone. Nearly freezing to death every day (no, this isn’t a Fallout styled desert, it’s nuclear winter setting) and having to fight for basic necessities tends to mentally destroy a person. Not in a insanity way (for Y/N at least) but in a “Doing things you’d thought you’d rather die then do” way. Eventually, the boys wake to a disheveled YN sobbing tears of relief and joy in a diy bunker. After calming down, YN explains what happened and also confesses they did some unsavory things in order to survive, but are vague about details. So basically, Sun and Moon are “that guy who was in a coma for the first part of the apocalypse” who also have to deal with a very broken Y/N. Bonus idea, Y/N ticked someone off and the boys, as much as they hate to admit, understand perfectly why the other person is out for vengeance (they don’t leave Y/N, but they do agree with both the person and Y/N when they say Y/N was the bad guy). Also, I could imagine a plot point where the boys leaving the base because YN was taking too long, and ending up saving Y/N after they almost died over one tiny mistake (i.e. forgetting to bring some emergency flares), while this whole ordeal making it finally realize just how cold (literally and metaphorically) their new world is

*Y/N is a dog person and runs a small rescue shelter they live in. One night, they wake up to a call about two massive dogs in someone’s yard. They go to get the dogs, only to find they look more like wolves and have weird markings, one shaped like the sun one and one shaped like the moon on the other, on their fur. But to Y/N, canine is canine, and Y/N has no self-preservation whatsoever so they take the wolves into the shelter. The next morning Y/N goes to the kennel the two wolves were in to find two guys with the same sun and moon shapes on their chest. Y/N freaks out before the two guys explain that they’re werewolves named Sun and Moon and Y/N caught them on the full moon. They do something to prove it and Y/N apologizes for taking them. The two remind Y/N that they convinced them to go of their own free will as wolves, and express that their more concerned that Y/N saw two human sized wolves and went “obviously friend”. They group makes small talk, and just as Y/N is about to let them go on their way, they learn the two are homeless and offers them a job at the shelter. While both uncertain, they accept. Funky shenanigans ensue as the trio tries to hide the fact that two of them can understand the animals and also really want the treats. 

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[celestelunisea16]

I just had a thought of a Pikmin au where at least one human survives somehow, but when they get out of hiding for several years, they realize that they've become smaller than anything in the outside world, any surviving houses that survived whatever nuclear war happened before are bigger than what the human remembers, trees are larger than them, creatures are larger than them, everything. I don't know how that human would survive, but I do have one thought.

They could've possibly survived by rationing their food, water, and keeping something that will keep them from going cuckoo while they're stuck in their shelter, even going through extreme measures to live.

It would make more sense if the human survived in the shelter with others, but before the thing that killed everyone else off was dropped, the people who were in the shelter were killed off by attacking humans while the last human survives by hiding. After the attackers leave, they lock the shelter from the outside, leaving the human trapped in there if there was any survivors.

They could've dealt with this as a kid around, like 11 or 12 at the time maybe? Then the time afterwards, when they're finally saved from the bunker, they're around like the teen years, maybe?

So like, a few years after, basically Olimar accidentally saves them and they're so excited thinking that he's a human, but once they see he's not a human and he has a group of colorful carrot looking people, they're just like:

"Wait a minute, you can't be a human, what are you?"

And Olimar would just be so confused, like, "Why is there a Hocotatian without a space suit on this unexplored planet?"

So like basically like an "Ok, explain yourself and I'll explain me" moment.

So the human explains who they are, and then Olimar explains who he is, and after hearing everything from the other, the human decides, "Hey, you're cool, so I'm gonna help you get your ship parts, so you can get home to your family."

Then basically acts like a second captain to the Pikmin, even counting them as the family they've never had since their family was killed in the incident. While Olimar decides to be kinda like their parental figure until he has to leave PNF-404 and tries to teach them the necessary things for survival.

And like if he survives, he survives and gets home. While the human tries to survive on their own on the planet, while the Pikmin also survive on the planet with them, but also leaving because they need to find places they can thrive on their own.

Then like a few human years later, around their 20-25's, Olimar comes back with Louie, and then the events of Pikmin 2 happen. Human has a pet Snagret of some kind, but it only shows up whenever the human gets into danger and acts like a defense mech kinda.

Though I feel like the human and Louie would be friends, since Olimar taught the human how to survive and find food on his last trip, they'd know how to cook things, even the creatures on the planet for food.

Post-game would go the same way, but the human wouldn't know Louie's intentions, so once Louie is stuck on the planet, they try their best to protect him from some of the dangers of the planet, but soon realizes that bug creatures don't mess with him for some reason, so they're just like "Something seems off" but they continue following Louie where ever he goes.

It's only when they make it to the Dream Den, when they realize, "Oh heck, we're in a dangerous place, we should probably leave-"

Only for Louie to continue onwards into the cave and making the human follow him because they're scared of what he's gonna possibly do.

And once he hacks into the Titan Dweevil's brain, they immediately get scared of him and try to run and hide on the sublevel, but since Louie likes them because they also like food and can cook, he's like, "Stay" and they're stuck there with him and the Titan Dweevil all because they can cook, until Olimar comes back with the President to the Dream Den.

They assume that the human and Louie were kidnapped by the Titan Dweevil, so once the Dweevil's defeated, Louie pretends he's unconscious, while the human is just glad to be away from that experience, then helps gather more treasures once they escape, and the Hocotatians get off the planet again, and...

*Cue the Pikmin 3 music and at least another two years and Olimar and Louie come back, and what happened to them in game, happens to them in game, and the human goes looking for help.*

Human sees another ship crash into the planet nearby and they follow the where the ship crashes then sees someone falling from the ship, and follows their falling path.

They see Alph, but they don't know how to introduce themselves because they don't look like a Hocotatian and they seem like they're asleep in the puddle of water, so the human wake him up and tries to ask him for help.

Alph is terrified by them, but they try to explain they aren't dangerous and somehow successfully gets him to trust them.

Events of Pikmin 3 happens, human helps them find food and acts like a Pikmin almost. The crew share the food with them, since they realize the human needs food as well.

As soon as they find Louie, though, stuff hits the fan. Because Louie steals 3/4ths of the food supply and Charlie's Rubber Duck, and lands the ship in an unknown area. Human chases after him when he runs, waking up the Koppites and alerting them.

Brittany reluctantly assumes the worst as she thinks of the Human as a friend and they all go looking for Louie and the human.

Human was found near the water shore in the rain, not dead, just knocked out. So the Koppites get the Winged Pikmin to bring them back to the ship, and then continue on their way to find Louie while collecting fruit to make more fruit juice.

When the day ends, human is up, explains what they were trying to do, then everything is fine with the human and all accusations are cleared from them. Luckily, human at least got back 1/4 of the juice Louie stole, so yay, survival.

When they find Louie again, they defeat the Quaggled Mireclops, (which I named Quagmire) and continue looking for Olimar.

Upon finding Olimar, the Plasm Wraith is (hopefully platonically) Yandere-chan and is found next to Olimar, who's suit put him into a deep sleep, curiously tapping his helmet to see if he'll wake up.

*Cue it then fleeing when it sees the Koppites and the Human*

Human tries carrying Olimar by themselves, cause they're like a Pikmin themselves at the moment, so they do that and requiring help of some of the water Pikmin, they carry him and follow Brittany, while Charlie and Alph head into the Formidable Oak's entrance to scout the place.

After Brittany leads them to the entrance though, they get chased by the Plasm Wraith. Panic ensues, but after solving several problems and standing in water puddles for a while with Olimar in tow, they make it out and think they're safe.

Incorrect for them, Olimar gets aggressively taken by the Wraith and a fight happens. Human just runs with all of the Pikmin in tow, puts up all but Rock Pikmin, and all of the team fight off Wraith.

After fighting the Wraith, human would try to get the Pikmin to take him back to the Drake. Plasm Wraith would make one last attempt, but human would try talking it into letting him go since he has a home to go to.

It works surprisingly and the Wraith goes back to its old tree.

Koppites, Hocotatians, and Human say their good-byes, while human stays with the Pikmin this time, they being their family until the next Pikmin game/adventure.

For the split world where Olimar and human don't find all ship parts and find Moss, though...

Dandolimar and human are basically like a father and child at this point. Human helps Dandolimar and Moss, but once Dandolimar is recovered and taken away, human runs off with Moss, afraid of what the Rescue Corps will do to them, since they made Dandoli fall unconscious from too much Dandoriness(?)

Human and Moss team up with Louie later in post-game, but once they've been recovered by the Corps and Louie is defeated and abandons them, they basically act like a small Night Expedition mini game where they have to survive without Glowmin.

At the end of the entire adventure, they and Moss become the new leaders of the Pikmin, until the captains (hopefully) come back to PNF-404.

I'm still working out some of the kinks in the au, but there would be special encounters with creatures for the human, like one I came up with for an Illusionist Bulblax. It's like an Empress Bulblax, but it causes humans to slowly but surely go insane as they get near to its cave's final sublevel. Anything else is unaffected by the Bulblax.

[a-bucket-of-trash]

The Garden of Horrors- Kelvin x Female Reader – Part 3/?

Part 2

The weeks stretched out, spreading like the roots of a tree, and against all odds, despite what you had thought would happen to you on your first night there, you had survived that month. By the job of reading and re-reading those books to the point of dreaming about what you were reading, and by dint of putting things into practice, your terrible first days passed, and what you had now was much easier not to die. The forest and the entire island were no longer your staunch enemies, rather they were your companions, horrible as a toxic partner, but companions nonetheless.

You had learned to differentiate which river had relatively drinkable water, which berries and mushrooms you should avoid in order not to get intoxicated and have color hallucinations for hours, how to hunt, what to hunt, how much to hunt, how to process your prey, to make traps, to fish, to rationalize. You learned what parts of the island were used for, where the deer would graze, how the sea gave you crabs in abundance, which trees had the best wood, which stones were more resistant, which areas to avoid, which caves had enemies. You learned how not to hurt yourself in vain, how to heal yourself when you did, to use medicinal plants for some things, to make fires, shelters and weapons.

You had even learned to dodge and avoid cannibals, learning their resting places and their usual routes. You did the bare minimum to run into them, but you'd already killed a couple, and it made you feel like the coolest bitch on that side of the continent, wherever you were. The best thing to avoid them were your unexpected friends: the crows.

Over time, you'd seen how those devilishly intelligent birds would circle you when you'd hunted something, waiting, yelling loudly, waiting for the scraps you left behind, to come down to eat as soon as you walked away, going quiet or doing soft “craw craws” when you were out of sight. They were fun to watch, but it also taught you to understand their behaviors, to the point that you trusted them as if they were your friends. It was a symbiotic relationship. You gave them remains and you benefited from them, since you knew that the cannibals were close when they flew off, agitated, screaming.

But above all, you learned to trust yourself, to value yourself, to realize that you weren't as worthless as Alan had led you to believe. You alone could handle that, you alone had survived, while he had run away on the first day, escaping like a treacherous rat, despite his supposedly ample experience in the matter. You wanted to meet him, just to throw a skull at his head and see how he reacted. You were going to beat him to death if you got out of there.

One day, something rainy and cool, you were near the area of your bunker, checking the terrain, when a sound caught your attention. You remained still, listening, noticing that constant rumble that seemed to increase in volume, it was a sound that the island had never given you before. Your heart skipped a beat when you realized it was the sound of a helicopter rotor and you rushed to find a flare in your bunker. As soon as you got out, you saw both helicopters pass at a good height, and as soon as you took your flare, you heard some noise and saw, terrified, how both machines began to lose control, falling, spinning, like a couple of dead birds.

One deviated, but the other was falling dangerously in your direction, and the uneasiness of knowing that you would not be rescued mixed with the panic at the idea that that mass of metals would fall on you. But you saw it veer just a little, turning, a couple of bodies being catapulted by centrifugal force like carnival dolls on a runaway merry-go-round, and the helicopter bounce off the ground, staying still.

That was bad, terrible, you knew that this scandal was going to attract half the island of cannibals, so you hid, as still as possible, watching, studying the place, seeing the words that were barely visible on the fuselage. You doubted, if you remembered correctly, that was from the opposite company to that of stupid Alan's father. That meant they weren't looking for him, let alone you.

Standing still, you saw someone moving, scrambling to his feet, rubbing his head. He was dressed as a military man, which caught your attention and made you wonder what the military was doing there. You saw him walk around a bit, checking, especially approaching his classmates, touching them. From the way he reacted, and because he crossed himself, it was obvious to you that they were dead, all of them.

You wanted to yell at him, to tell him to get out of there, but you heard the nearby crows scream loudly, so you hid even further, clinging to your spear. You saw the soldier, immediately surrounded, when a huge group ambushed him from the nearby bushes, like a herd of wild animals. He tried to take his gun, but a cannibal hit him from behind, destabilizing him, knocking him to the ground, where the others completely surrounded him, beating him savagely, until he was still, unconscious, inert.

That was horrible, you speculated that if he wasn't dead, he would be soon. Seeing the cannibals grab him by his feet and take him away, dragging him in disgust, was an indication that he was alive, and that they would take him as prey to his camp to do who knows what, before killing and eating him. You wanted to help him, but if a trained soldier hadn't done anything, much less could you, with your wooden weapons.

You waited in silence, watching them go, and when the quiet cawing of the crows gave you an indication that you were safe, you came out of your hiding place, and hastened to check the place. You needed anything useful, whatever it was, everything would be great for you, but you found rather little, some food rations, a basic first aid kit and some cereal bars. Your search to find a weapon was in vain, there was nothing, not even a damn knife.

You sighed, respectfully checking the corpses, realizing that the man who had been caught had taken the dog tags. You thought you should bury them, at least a little bit, or cover them with rocks, something. You didn't want a couple of humans rotting so close to your bunker, plus with the crows around, that would be gross. So you used a piece of metal to make mini graves in the soft earth near the trees, leaving the bodies there, plugging and covering them with branches and stones, paying your respects.

You approached the third body, to grab the legs and carry him to the pit, but you jumped, like a frightened cat, seeing him move and shake, frantically. It took you a second to realize: that one was alive.

Part 4

[androidcharles]

Over 1000 years ago, the world fell into ruin in what is now known as The Great Wars. The Great Wars ravaged the Great Continent so much that the remainder of humanity had to take shelter in bunkers to survive. Now, about 600 years ago, the remaining humans set out to rebuild the world they so destroyed.

About 200 years ago, a man came up with a brilliant idea...

Randall Dustford, AKA Dusty, was a troublemaker from a young age. By the time he had turned 21, he was wanted in several cities across the Great Continent, but it wasn't enough. He ended up gaining such a big reputation that others wanted to partner with him. He than started a secret group, a group that would seek out people who were the best among the best, who were kicked around their whole lives, or were just looking for a new beginning. The Toppat Clan was formed than and there.

Dusty ended up taking several right hand men, Cloudface being his last one. He was in control of the clan for almost 100 years. However, after a while, he ended up being declared dead after not moving from his desk for a solid week.

Cloudface took control of the clan from there and only managed to last about 20 years before control was taken by his right hand man at the time. He became the first leader to be assassinated for the position and he certainly wouldn't be the last.

For about 50 years this trend would continue, leader after leader getting assassinated for the position. Most leaders were lucky to last at least five years before Reynaldo Bronswell, nicknamed Reynaldo the Brute would finally take control of the clan.

This is where we start getting into the current timeline or the present as it were. After Reynaldo managed to gain leadership from the last leader, he ended up being in charge for a good 30 years, a lot longer than any Toppat leader besides Dusty and of course, Cloudface. Reynaldo, like Dusty, ended up taking several right hand men, not because they retired, but because some of them outright tried to assassinate him.

However, due to his intuition, he was able to prevent his own assassination for several years. Jaques Kensington ended up being his last right hand man before he was given the death penalty at the Wall. No one knows how he managed to get there.

Jaques ended up taking control of the clan for a while, but only for about 6 years or so. He was a very eccentric leader, but he was still better than most. Before his disappearance, he ended up enlisting several magic users into the clan, some of which are still in the clan today.

After Jaques' disappearance however, the rough years would start. Randy Radman barely lasted a year before he nearly bankrupted the clan, partially due to grief from losing a close friend (Jaques) and partially because he wanted the clan to seem more open and friendly to other people, especially young people. It was than decided that if the perfect leader could not be appointed, they would just have to create one.

Nickname T.R.N.K., this leader was only in charge for 2 whole months before being completely dismantled and torn apart. Billy G. would step up to take charge for about 2 years, but due to some doubts from the senior members who appointed him, combined with all the tension from the last two leaders, he would ultimately be dethroned by Sir Wilford IV.

Sir Wilford IV would stay in charge of the clan for almost 10 years, changing his right hand only once. The one he appointed wanted to retire soon, so he ended up appointing Terrence. At the time, Reginald had switched from the seamstress department to the front lines due to being inspired by the Right Hand Man, who was still a new recruit at the time.

However, Terrence's ambition and thirst for power drove him to take advantage of a government raid of the Toppat Manor to kill Sir Wilford IV, the first assassination to gain leadership in a while. Terrence would end up taking control of the clan and with little to no experience on how to run it, would end up almost running it into the ground before Reginald Copperbottom ended up putting a stop to him.

Using the unrest within the clan due to Terrence's leadership and of course, the Right Hand Man, Reginald was able to successfully get rid of Terrence for good by killing him, making his death look like an accident.

As of today, in my timeline anyway, Reginald is in charge of the Toppat Clan.

[takenbythebliss]

“  why  are  you  smiling?  ”

she had been in the wolf's den when the bombs had fallen - doing her best to apply the first-aid skills she'd learned in her months with the whitetails to keep eli as comfortable as possible while wheaty had taken the other whitetails to joseph's island to help the deputy ... and then it had all gone to shit.

maybe it was the years they'd spent in bunkers, the days, weeks and months she'd spent marking time on the steel wall of the buried bunker. watching and waiting in futile hope that one or two of eli's cameras had survived the bombs, but the initial firestorms had knocked them all out.

they'd been luckier with the radios, thankfully. not that it had helped much in the first few weeks and months. for a long time, there had just been crackled static, and the deep-seated fear that maybe they were the only ones left alive? at least she'd had eli as company then - it had taken him a while to come around out of his fever, and longer to get mobile again, but that man clearly had about a dozen lives.

then the radio silence had been broken by a low tune one day - a barely there melody that they'd managed to tune in and one that she and eli had recognised immediately as huxlee's crooked tree, one of wheaty's favourite songs.

some of them had made it to other bunkers. other whitetails had survived the collapse. it had taken a long time for the radiation levels to drop to a level safe enough for them to make the trek south, taking time to catch their bearings and coordinate with other survivors, but they'd managed it in the end. they'd managed to find wheaty's and his contingent of survivors.

safely out of the northern region of hope county, linny had felt some sadness in the knowledge that they'd probably never return to what had been the whitetail national park - the radiation levels were still far too high for folks to settle up there, but at least the rest of the county had fared a bit better.

more than that, the whole place seemed brighter now. the flowers were more vibrant, the animals more colourful and plentiful than before, the water was bluer, the manicured grass pastures were now rolling dunes of dirt, sand and wild fauna.

sitting atop one of those dunes that hide a half-hidden barn their little group had commandeered as a shelter for the night, linny couldn't keep the smile from her face as she watched some of those white deer with pink antlers disappear into the shadow of the tree-line.

' i'm just - this place is pretty. that's all. i mean, maybe i just got too used to metal walls and no windows. but nature seriously hit the reset button without us here, huh? that and i guess i'm a bit excited 'bout seeing some of the others - prosperity sounds amazing. '

@whitetail-wheaty

[commonwealthoccurences]

Back To Eden - ch 4

Summary: Sole is a journalist and independent investigator who worked with the famous Detective Nick Valentine before the bombs dropped. They stumble out of Vault 111 with hazy memories of a case gone awry, a sense of desperate yearning, and the bitter experience of already having had to fight for their life to survive against the odds. What's a little nuclear wasteland to a (newly) seasoned investigator?

See masterlist for warnings.

Fic-long tags: Hurt comfort, angst, pining, flashback scenes, noir detective show meets post-apocalyptic chaos, Preston Garvey is a sweetheart, Sole is doing their best and living out of pure spite, slow burn (Nick/Sole), etc etc.

Preston Garvey was suited to be a leader, Sole thought. They had been a good judge of character before the war, to the point that it was uncanny, and despite their ongoing migraine and the poking and prodding that Sturges was doing, they could just tell. There was something warm about his eyes and the way he simply treated them as if they were any other stranger that deserved respect, not the frozen person who had stumbled into his group’s shelter, half-deluded and nearly beyond help.

It was difficult to get formal introductions out of the way without feeling a little silly. Sole could confidently say that the existential dread was setting in about their situation; it’d gotten hold of them sometime between Sturges leaving the room and when he’d come back and had to explain what medicine was like for him and the group and everyone on the planet. There were no formal facilities, after all, now that it was “after the war.”

They swallowed their dread, though, and exchanged calm greetings with Preston before he propped himself up on the chair next to their bed and began speaking. “Well, I’m sure all of this is extremely confusing to say the least. Sturges let me know what’s been going on and… I’ve gotta say, we’ve seen a lot of stuff out here, but, uh– you’re definitely a first.”

Sole laughed, though it sounded a little off, even to them. “At least I’ve got that going for me.”

Preston let out a quiet, good-natured “Hah,” but looked troubled. 

“Don’t be afraid to lay out some depressing news. After everything that’s been going on, I can take it.”

“I’m simply concerned about how adjusting to the way things work now will turn out for you.”

“Oh, how bad could it be? It was just a little nuclear apocalypse, I’m sure I’ll be alright.”

This got a real laugh out of him. “Well, I’m glad you’ve kept your sense of humor. You’re gonna need it.”

Sole knew he was telling the truth. “Look, we’re perfectly happy for you to figure things out on your own time, so don’t worry too much about that. This place is relatively safe, not too much around, so you’re okay here. I’m sure you’ve realized the food situation is… a little delicate, but we’re doing our best.”

“I’d like to help.”

Preston’s eyebrows shot up in surprise. “Well, I appreciate the offer, but you really should be focusing on resting. I think jumping into the middle of things already would be against doctor’s orders.”

Sturges cut in, raising his hands in a defensive gesture from where he was rolling gauze in the corner of the room. “Hey, don’t throw me under the bus. I’m just doin’ what I was told until Curie gets back.”

“Curie…?” Sole looked between the two.

“Our resident doctor. She’s out looking for more supplies, won’t be back for a couple of days. Really bad timing of events– I woulda felt a lot better if she’d been here to take care of you.” Sturges sighed. “But, that’s the way things go ‘round here.”

“Hey. I think my doctor’s been doing pretty good, for what it’s worth.”

Sturges laughed. “Thanks. I’ll go ahead and get out of your guys' hair so y’all can figure things out.”

He stepped out of the room and Sole returned their gaze to Preston. They pressed their lips together, thinking. “Have you found the bunker?”

“What?”

“There’s a bunker behind the house to the left of us, have you found it?”

“Uh– found it, yes. It’s locked tight and unfortunately brute force hasn’t worked so far. Why, is there anything important in there?”

Sole rolled to their side to get their elbow underneath them and began struggling to sit up. “Oh, only a ridiculous amount of food and some weapons.” Their body was screaming at every movement; they weren’t exactly sure on the precise amount of time that had passed since they crawled out of the Vault, but it had been around a few days, and they’d spent 99% of it on bed rest.

“Hey, hey. Where do you think you’re going? Didn’t we have that talk about staying in bed and doctor’s orders?”

“Uh-huh,” They gasped as they pulled one of their legs forward and a sharp, stinging pain shot down the muscles. “It was very nice. Unfortunately, this is more important.”

“Listen, I do appreciate the want to help, but I don’t think you’re gonna have any better luck forcing it open than we have– no offense.”

Sole swallowed a whimper at the needling pain crashing through their ill-used muscles. Now that they thought about it, they were on bed rest for a lot longer than however long they had been out of the Vault. They had been on “bed rest” since the bombs dropped, however long that had been. Sensing he was getting nowhere with them and picking his battles wisely, Preston began to reach out carefully, “Is it okay if I help you?” He asked, resigned.

“Please.”

Sole groaned as they were hauled as gently as possible to their feet. Makeshift crutches were propped up in the corner, something Sturges had created and set aside for a future date. Whenever they were actually supposed to be getting off of bed rest. Sole reached for them quickly, ignoring the aches and pains in their arms from being moved too fast, and Preston helped them settle the crutch pads underneath their armpits. They blew out a sigh of relief as the excess weight was taken off their already-weary legs.

Preston stayed close and watchful as they crept closer and closer to the hallway. “Where are you going?”

Sole groaned as they shifted their weight to the side and took a couple of deep breaths. “I’m not gonna brute force the bunker door. I have the key.”

“Look, considering you’re gonna be watching my back for the next month or so, I think I have the right to demand some combat training.”

“Detective, I appreciate the concern, but I’ve been alright without it. I know how to handle myself.”

Detective Valentine put his hand out to stop them from punching the elevator button. They were following a lead to a nearby office building and had to bring one of the workers in for questioning; some suspicious activity had cropped up between his credit cards and phone records, and frankly as Detective Valentine had put it, they needed to bring anybody in so the BPD would see some progress. They had appreciated his transparency and knew that there was some merit to the suspect being brought in, but they were quite surprised to hear him spell out his motivations so clearly. It was wearing on him, obviously. Balancing the fact that he had to answer to the department and actually making progress on the case. “We’re doing the training.” The Detective ripped them out of their thoughts.

Sole sighed, “Fine. Can we please take the elevator now? I would take the stairs just to be stubborn but I’m really not in the mood for it.”

The Detective removed his hand and Sole pressed the up arrow, but he hadn’t taken his eyes off them. They chanced an awkward glance at him, but the way he was studying their face made them shift and raise an eyebrow. “Maybe I should take the stairs anyway.” They meant it as a joke, but it came off harsher than intended.

Detective Valentine caught himself and stared forward at the brick walls while quiet dings signaled the descending elevator’s approach. He drew in a breath, paused, and then spoke, “I didn’t mean to insult you.”

Sole shook their head. “Don’t worry, Detective. I’m not insulted. I understand your concern. Besides, it might help us both blow off a little steam. I know things have been… tense around the office, and my presence doesn’t really help that.”

Uncharacteristically, the Detective made a sound somewhere between a scoff and a groan. “Ignore them. They want the department to handle the case without outside help, but don’t want to be on the case and receive any of the flack. They–” He cut himself off as the elevator arrived. “Anyway, don’t pay any mind to them.”

Sole spent the elevator ride fighting a smug smile. An endorsement from the Detective Valentine meant something. They took advantage of the elevator ride to twist side-to-side in an attempt to find some relief for their aching back. Spending uncountable hours into the night hunched over their desk at the station wasn’t doing their spine any favors. They were infinitely grateful for the lead they got; a chance to escape the department, to watch Detective Valentine work on something other than his notepad and packs of cigarettes, and finally and most importantly, some progress on the case.

The elevator made its easy climb to the 11th floor, the silence filled with a jaunty little tune that Sole had probably heard on the radio before somewhere. It came to a stop at their destination with a soft ding and Detective Valentien grabbed their arm as they moved to walk down the rows of cubicles, pulling them to the side. They made a bit of a face at being tugged along, but knew it must be for good reason; the Detective didn’t do things without good reason. “I’ll wait by the elevator. I don’t think this guy will react well if I show up, but you’re not part of the BPD. You think you can handle this one? You just need to get him to come back to the elevator, I can do the rest. We just want to get him out without making a scene.” He asked, tone hushed.

“Uh, yeah. I think so. If you don’t want me to advertise that I’m currently affiliated with the BPD, what do you want me to tell him?”

Detective Valentien opened his mouth to reply, then shut it. “Why don’t you wing this one.”

“What?”

“Part of this work is thinking on your feet. I can’t give you hints and tips forever– we’ll only be working together until the end of next month. That’s five weeks. You want to build your skills for pri- independent investigating, right?”

“Well, yeah, but–”

“Then figure it out.”

So Detective Valentine was the ‘throw the baby bird out of the nest, sink or swim’ sort of mentor. Great. Sole was hardly prepared, and wholly surprised that he was willing to let them wing something on such an important case. With a deep breath, they nodded, took a step back, and turned and walked down the hall.

Detective Valentine watched as they went, swallowing down the subtle taste of regret. Maybe it was too early to throw them out on their own, but he would be waiting right there, and things were escalating fast in the grand scheme of things. Their mystery killer had already claimed another victim, and that detective instinct in his gut was telling him they’d be hearing from him soon, either via a note or more nefarious means. There was no time to coddle Sole.

And though he’d never admit it aloud, he was getting used to this partner and mentor thing. He hadn’t really pictured himself partnering up again; his first and last partner had died in the line of duty years ago, and it was difficult for him to find someone that he trusted to have his back. The instinct ringing around in the back of his skull was screaming at him for not only taking on another partner, but them being an untrained rookie on top of that. There was something about Sole, though. So he bit back his own protests and watched them disappear from sight.

The suspect was a 33 year old man. Brunette, brown eyes, office worker; average in every way. Sole walked past people who looked, acted, talked, and walked like him every single day of their life and never blinked. Then again, they had also written article after article about men like him who had been discovered doing nefarious things. However, they had never interviewed men like him before they were confirmed one way or another.

Jim Grayson.

Sole repeated the name to themself in their head over and over again, trying to make sure they would get their introduction and cover story right. They resisted the urge to scrap their nails across the inside of their palm, a nervous habit Detective Valentine had been quick to call out just days after they met. They had a feeling he’d noticed even sooner, but had been being polite.

Putting on their best cheerful grin, they stopped at Jim Grayson’s cubicle and leaned against it casually. He had his back to them, one headphone in (as per company policy, most likely) typing away at his terminal. Sole chanced a quick glance at the screen, double-checking to make sure it was simply boring business stuff. Though, if their bad guy was really writing out serial killer letters to the BPD in the middle of his work day with his back to the cubicle entrance, they would seriously be questioning their own and the BPD’s skills.

Grayson shifted in his chair and tilted his head at his monitor. It was then that Sole realized that they were casting a very subtle reflection on the screen, and he turned to face them. “Hello.”

Confrontational. Okay, Sole could adapt. “Uhm– hi. My name is Sole. I work for the Boston Bugle and we’re doing an article on the effects of– well, we’re trying to put something together about the effects of political tension on office worker productivity. Y’know, cause of all the stress.” They faked a nervous laugh and watched him lean forward. That made them genuinely a little unnerved.

“Oh, interesting,” Yeah, this guy didn’t care at all. “How can I help?”

“Well, I know it isn’t great to interrupt your work day and everything, and my boss does, too, so we set aside a budget so I could take my interviewees out to lunch. To compensate for your time and stuff. So, I was hoping I could–”

Jim Grayson stood up to his full height, stepping into Sole’s space slightly with how small the cubicle was. They resisted the urge to back out of the box. “I can take my lunch right now. Let me grab my coat.”

Grayson leaned forward and pulled his coat off the hanger behind them, intentionally leaning even further into them. They grit their teeth with tension so great it felt like they may crack them just so they wouldn’t duck out of his way; they knew that’s what he wanted. “Great. Thank you so much for doing this.” Sole gushed, immediately dropping their expression into one of disdain once they turned and began walking towards the elevator.

Panic welled in their throat when they saw Detective Valentine was nowhere to be found as the elevators came into sight. He for sure said he was going to wait by the elevators, right? That was their one job, to get Grayson to the elevators. Maybe he meant downstairs, in the lobby? Maybe they were supposed to get into the elevator with their murder suspect by themself after he’d already taken a liking to trying to make them uncomfortable. God, they really should’ve gotten clarification.

They took a quiet, deep breath and came to a stop in front of the elevators, steadying their slightly shaky hand as they reached out to push the down button. The wait was just as uncomfortable as they thought it would be; he was staring directly at them. They could feel it. They gently clasped their hands in front of them and pushed to let themself show they were nervous. It only made sense for this makeshift persona they had built in less than a minute. But there was something more uncomfortable about allowing him to know they were nervous than there was about trying to stamp it down.

Unfortunately, the elevator doors opened and Sole realized they were going to have to step inside the space with Grayson. Alone. They put on a hesitant smile and began to take a step when they heard, “Just step into the elevator and say nothing.”

Thank God, it was that familiar gravelly voice. Sole could’ve screamed out of relief; they certainly wanted to scream and maybe shake the Detective up a bit, but instead, they settled for glancing at him. He had come around the corner, up behind Grayson with practiced, quiet footsteps, and had carefully placed a hand on Grayson’s bicep. Firm, unyielding. It was quite clear the situation Grayson was now in, but he simply kept his gaze on Sole and let a smile cross his face.

The trio stepped into the elevator together and the doors slid to a shut behind them, sealing them in. Sole had never really liked elevator music before, but they weren’t sure if the tune or utter silence would be worst in that moment. Once the elevator started moving, Detective Valentine began, “Jim Grayson you are under arrest under suspicion of murder. Everything you say can and will be held against you in a court of law. If…”

There was something so stupidly comforting about hearing Detective Valentine read out Grayson’s Miranda rights. Like the placing of a seal. There was finality. The potential bad guy was in custody and Detective Nick Valentine of the BPD had ahold of him. It was okay again. Later, they would be a little annoyed with themself for finding comfort in his arrest.

Grayson leaned over, paying no mind to Detective Valentine, who honestly looked a little annoyed by Grayson’s nonchalance. “You’re not as clever as you think.” He murmured, before straightening up.

The steps Sole took down the hall were excruciating. Something about the crutches readily reawoke their once resting shoulder injury, and the throbbing ache felt like something was pushing at their skin. They grunted with every step, but refused to stop. Though they’d passed the days on bed rest mostly asleep, there was something so relieving about the idea of finally being useful again.

Finally, they reached their old bedroom. “Preston, do you think I could get a bit of help? I need to get to the floor.”

Preston was kind enough to oblige and warned them softly before he pressed gentle hands to the underside of their forearms and allowed them to grip his in return. Carefully and slowly, they eased themself to the grimy floor, and breathed a soft sigh of relief. Sitting up was hardly more comfortable, but they were grateful to not have to worry about collapsing.

Carefully, their shaky hands felt along the rickety floor tiles. On the way through their old house, they’d worried that the years that’d gone by and however many bombs had dropped would’ve loosened or removed the panels completely, but they’d had a stroke of luck. They were loose, but they were in place. Finally, they found the little, minute notch they’d once pressed into one of the panels and with a small, triumphant sound, peeled it back. 

At first, they thought their luck had run out. The wood below the panels had rotted significantly through the years. They knew it wasn’t just wood though, it was some sort of plastic-wood amalgamation that Vault Tec had created for longevity's sake, and they were astonished to find themself grateful for it. In a small, carved nook of one of the supports, was a small key.

Fingertips protesting, Sole dug in and pried the key out. They shifted backwards, nearly tumbling as their center of balance shifted dramatically; Sturges said something in their ears was still a little messed up and their balance would be off for a week or more. Preston let out a quiet exclamation and was quick to prepare to catch them, but they let out a breathless laugh and looked up at him, eyes a little unfocused from the disorientation. They held up the key, “I hope this helps.”

“Damn. I– this means a lot, you have no idea. Was it your bunker? I know you’ve… been gone a while, but I wouldn’t feel right, taking your food.”

Sole shook their head and immediately regretted it as the room began to spin. They closed their eyes and pushed down the nausea. “Mm, no, not mine. A neighbor’s. He was an older man, didn’t have any kids or grandkids. No family at all, really, but we got along, and he didn’t believe in getting in on the vaults even though they offered him a place. But he was big on his bunker, and wanted me to have a spare key, just in case. Always said he knew something big was coming.” Sole paused and opened their eyes, staring at the floor. “If only he knew how right he was. I wonder what happened to him.”

Preston knelt down. “I’m sorry for your loss. And thank you. We owe you, big time.”

He offered a hand and Sole allowed him to haul them to their feet, forgoing the crutches that were causing them so much once-buried pain. They made it two steps out the door with Preston’s assistance before Sturges popped his head out of what was left of their guest room. “Hey! What happened to ‘doctor’s orders?’”

“Oh, just saving our lives a little,” Preston answered for them.

“Oh. Well, in that case.” Sturges made a sweeping gesture for them to continue down the hall, expression confused.

As they made their way back to their bed and were kindly assisted with settling in, Preston spoke. “I know adjusting is gonna be hard. But I want you to know you have a place with us, at least until you get on your feet and figure everything out, however long that may be. And if you decide you want to stick around after that, you’ll still have a place. I don’t know all the details about what you’ve been through, and I don’t need to, unless you wanna talk about it, but we’ve all got stuff like that. I think you’re gonna do just fine here. There’s a bit of a learning curve, that’s all.”

“Thanks, Preston. Really.”

“Anytime.” He gave a warm smile and began to get ready to leave.

“Uh, real quick. Could you- could you tell me how long it’s been. Since the bombs dropped.”

He paused, hand brushing the door frame. His hesitation unnerved them and they almost wanted to shrink back against their pillows. “I don’t know the exact time frame, not sure who does.”

“Well, can you give me your best estimate?”

“Uh. Yeah. We think it’s been about two hundred years.”

The shock that went through Sole’s system felt like it was killing them. There had been more than a few things over the time they’d been awake that made them feel as if they were dying, but Sole thought this was it. If they were older, they were sure they would’ve had a heart attack right there and died. Despite themself, they felt tears begin to slip down their cheeks. They didn’t feel grief or sorrow or even anger, it was just shock. There was no way, and yet they knew Preston was telling the truth. “Oh.” They said, voice wobbly with tears despite the small smile on their face. “Okay.”