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theflowerofthecommonwealth · 1 year ago

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Power Armor Punch Part Sixty Seven

Lucille: I think I'll be fine without either-

Gardio: With the way your leg is, now, you might hurt yourself further. Is that such a wise decision?

Lucille: *looks down in consideration* I've suffered worse but if you insist, Dad...

Gardio: Then it's settled. *shuts his book with both hands more ceremoniously than he intended* I'll help you down the stairs. *to Ma with a worried look* Please help her in the bathroom especially...

Lucille: *doesn't know why either of them are fussing over her- she's had worse injuries than this... but she's not going to fight them either, especially if it's her dad*

Ma: (Reaches out and rests a hand on Gardios shoulder with a firm nod and a reassuring smile) “Of course.” (Says it with her eyes that she’ll keep Lucille safe from herself to further ease the worried father)

Gardio: *firm, understanding nod at the look she gives him*

Ma: (To Lucille) “Do you have any preference for aromatherapy scents? Or any that you don’t like?”

Lucille: *makes a disgusted face* As long as it's not anything mimicking a desert or fruit. *hates those artificial sweet scents with a passion. Unless it's honey or oatmeal, then she doesn't touch the stuff*

Ma: “Alright then my dear, I’ll go set the preparations in motion.” (Squeezes Gardios shoulder before marching off back down the stairs to prepare the bath and gather all the supplies. She starts by turning on the bath to fill it up with warm water and bubbles from a gentle soap then brings in a chair for Lucille to sit on right besides the bathtub. Then she goes to gather fresh herbs and everything else they’ll need)

Teshteal: *cleaned up the mess in the diningroom and kitchen and now running out to the farm to check on the animals*

Donovan and Joyce: (Still talking in the room)

Jasmine: (Hasn’t stopped writing- she’s literally writing down her whole dream word for word and getting each little detail down from how she felt and what she thinks her abusers thought in that moment)

Teshteal: *making sure the cows are out enjoying the day in the pasture*

Livestock: (Are lazily munching on their special fodder that’s brought in so they don’t eat too much radioactive grass)

Milly: (Curious about the strange gremlin man in the pen so she struts up to him and tries to sniff him with a little moo)

Gardio: *watches Ma leave then gets up and bends with his back to Lucille* Climb on. I'll carry you down the stairs.

Lucille: *soft huff then reluctantly wraps her arms around his shoulders*

Gardio: *makes sure she's nice and secure. Soft chuckle* This takes me back...

Lucille: *embarrassed* I'm not five anymore, Dad.

Gardio: *climbing down already* I know, sweetie. *takes her to the bathroom*

Ma: (As she reenters the bathroom with an arm full of stuff) (To Gardio) “You can set your daughter down on the chair. And if you wish, it’s a lovely day outside and you can go out on the back patio or the roof to get some fresh air.” (Bends down and add oats into the bath to make the water feel like silk along with several sprinkles of dried flowers. She then throws in a generous amount of epson salt and a natural lavender oil to add a pleasant scent)

Gardio: *nods and sets Lucille down on the chair. Smiles graciously over at Ma* I think I will go to the back patio to enjoy the weather. *doesn't want to disturb Nick or Jas*

Teshteal: Oh- Hello there... *tentatively reaches out his hand for the cow to sniff*

Milly: (Sniffs Teshteals hand with her big wet nose, giving a small lick of approval)

Teshteal: *eyes sparkle at the approving lick. Carefully reaches out and tenderly pets the bridge of her muzzle*

Ma: (Hangs up a towel and robe for Lucille to use later, smiling back) “Feel free to grab a cool drink from the fridge to take with you.” (Leans over to place a bath pillow in the tub so Lucille will be more comfortable laying back)

Gardio: Will do...! *smiles and waves as he leaves. He heads to the fridge and pours himself a nice cool glass of tarberry water*

Ma: (Smiles and waves back, closing the door behind him before turning to Lucille) “Does the water feel okay to you, love? Need any adjustments?”

Milly: (Has the biggest and cutest black eyes- kinda like a ghouls. She gives another tiny moo of appreciation of the gentle touch)

Teshteal: *quietly* Pretty girl... *pets the cow's neck and alternates between both that and the muzzle*

Milly: (Struts up closer to Teshteal so she can butt her face up against him)

Jasmine: (Finishes writing about everything that happened last night in her nightmares, but she still doesn’t set the pen down. She flips the page to a blank one and starts aggressively scribbling all over it out of frustration, still very focused)

Nick: *isn't going to stop her. It's not going to hurt her to scribble all over a notebook*

Jasmine: (Scribbling out all her frustration and anger, her pen tearing through the page on onto the next ones because of how hard she’s scribbling. She feels it boiling in her chest, all the rage that she has to release somehow. A memory comes to mind, when she was no older than ten and they had her break stuff in pure fury. Teaching her that anger is something she should weaponize, something to convert into violence)

Nick: *very carefully extends his metal hand and gently rests it on top of Jas's head, rubbing her hair ever so slightly- just to remind her that he's still there. He hasn't opened his eyes- he's relaxing still... but he wants to make sure she remembers she's not alone, right now*

Lucille: *already in the bath* It feels fine, thank you. *grabs the rag and soap and starts quickly bathing herself. Despite the tension being released she feels like she should get this over with as soon as possible so she isn't a burden on the older woman*

Ma: (Quickly walks over when she sees Lucille trying to speedrun what’s supposed to be a relaxing bath, setting a hand on Lucille’s shoulder) “Woah there, sweetie. It’s not a race to get clean.” (Reaches out and takes the rag from Lucille) “Besides, this soak is made for relaxation. Otherwise I wouldn’t have added all this.”

Lucille: *slumps down into the bath a little further when the rag's taken from her* I don't want to take up too much of your time, Ma... Even though I will admit this bath feels really nice on my ankle. *submerges her mouth under the water but not her nose, allowing her to blow bubbles in the bath that push the oats and flower pedals away*

Teshteal: *would fall over but he catches himself very easily. Instead, he's hugging the sweet and affectionate animal*

Milly: (A sweet little grass puppy, she’s nuzzling up to Teshteal and enjoying all the cuddles he’s giving her)

Teshteal: *keeps petting the sweet grass puppy*

Jasmine: (Makes a squeal of frustration at the journal and her awful thoughts as she angrily spears the pen down point first on her leg hard enough to pierce her skin, not noticing her Dads gentle touch. She then decides to frisbee the journal as hard as her arms will allow like Mario throwing Cappy, scooting back in the opposite direction. She goes back far enough that she nearly falls off the lounger, not because she wants to run away but more as it’s her natural reaction to something she doesn’t like)

Gardio: *was sitting on the back porch when he saw a journal go flying from the roof he sat up as it hit the side of the barn then looked up to where Jasmine and Nick are currently curiously*

Nick: *eyes snap open and he gets up* Rosalinda? *kneels to check if she's hurt from falling off the lounger* Rosie, you alright?

Jasmine: (Panting on the floor as the memories hit her. She starts screaming and trying to scramble away from Nick because she doesn’t recognize him right away) (Weakly) “No-! Get the fuck off me I did as you told me! I put it in the drink!”

Nick: Rosie, it's just me, Nick. *pulls her close and rubs circles on her back* Ssh, you're still safe. Your dad's gotcha, kiddo...

Ma: (Gently pets Lucille’s hair, sitting down the the chair) “Don’t you worry about that, I’d rather be taking care of you right now than doing something else. Rosalinda is with her father and my kids are with each other and your friends. I have all the time in the world right now for you.”

Lucille: *slowly nods, giving in to the pampering*

Ma: (Reaches behind her and grabs the bath caddy she brought, setting it up. She then turns around and lights a few candles, placing them close by the bath so Lucille can smell their sweet scent) “You want anything else set up to help you relax? A radio? A book?”

Jasmine: (Panicking at a specific memory that’s coming to mind so she keeps repeating herself to plead to be spared) “I put it in the drink! I put it in the drink! I put it in the damned drink for you! I did not want to, but I did anyways! And you are still hurting me!” (Trembles more as images flash in her head…. Memories that she can’t quite pinpoint in her own mind or even see clearly but are still there for some reason….) (Heartbrokenly) “They died! I did it, I swear it! Stop, please!”

Nick: Okay, it'll all stop in a moment, Rosie... I promise. *rubs her back, pressing his hand just a little deeper. He starts humming the lullaby her mother sang her*

Lucille: *lifts her head above the water to speak* I'd like a radio, please... In fact, could you bring my pip-boy? I have a special radio station I like to listen to...

Ma: (Nods and rises from the chair, quickly rushing off to collect the Pip-Boy before rushing back into the bathroom. She hands it to Lucille) “I have this face mask for you to try if that’s something you want, I made it myself.” (Holds up a small jar and places it on the caddy)

Jasmine: (Makes another fearful squeak at the touch, finally getting pulled back into reality. She raises her head to look at Nick with confusion and pain in her eyes. Slowly she lifts up her hand and put in on his cheek like she did earlier to make sure he’s real and the person she thinks he is. Her head has tricked her too many times- she can’t trust what’s in it)

Nick: *relieved smile at the touch* Hey, doll... *gently rests a hand over hers* I'm real. I'm here.

Jasmine: (Eyes glimmer ever so slightly as she sniffles and searches his eyes, confirming it with herself) “Daddy….” (Leans forwards to press her forehead against his without removing her hand, still trembling from what just happened and what she wrote)

Lucille: *takes the pipboy from her and tunes it to her favorite station*

The Station: *Soon a song about a red suspender man playing on a log in a swamp for just 2 cents comes in clear through the static- as clear as the pipboy's speakers can make it. The song sounds almost as if the band were right there in the room at a lower volume*

Lucille: *humming along occasionally singing the lyrics giddily* Yeah... he played the two-cent shooow...!

Ma: (Doesn’t seem to care that the song is a bit out of place in this world. She’s an old lady who’s been around enough to not get surprised by much. A talking deathclaw could stroll into her home and she’d invite them to sit down for coffee)

Lucille: *never minded the song seemed out of place- she's from the long-forgotten past where even this sort of music was very much kept off the air- but that didn't stop her from hearing about it from her friends back then... She sighs a little sadly, remembering those days trading illicit holo-tapes of songs recorded on low-budget run local radio stations beyond the ranges most would scan. Somehow these bands made it work despite not having the backing of major companies. Then again, she supposes this song wasn't around during her time. She wonders who made it...*

Donovan: (Walks out of his room with a contemplative look on his face)

Joyce: (Also comes out of the room with Gilbert in hand but she rushes into her room and closes the door behind her instead of going downstairs)

Gilbert: (Can tell his emotional support services are direly needed right now as he nuzzles up to Joyce)

Teshteal: *lifts his head, sensing something off... not dangerous, just someone other than Jas having a rough time.*

Nick: *smiles at her a little and gently pets her hair* I'm here, kiddo... I'm not going anywhere.

Jasmine: (Hums sadly, moving to rest her head on Nicks shoulder with her arms tightly wound around his neck. She has a killer headache now with how far she’s just pushed herself, plus she just punctured a hole into her thigh with the pen that she had lodged in... And oh boy has she really done it this time- even her dumbass programming is telling her to take a rest to heal instead of walking it off because she’s so weak that she couldn’t hurt shit if she tried. And this is the same programming that tells her to literally walk off “those” kind of assaults when she can barely move her legs, so this really is saying something about how bad her condition is. On the bright side she doesn’t feel the need to harm herself further, just snuggle her Dad to feel comforted and safe)

Dogmeat: (Comes out the doggy door and up the stairs, whining sadly as he watches the scene)

Donovan: (Sighs sadly to himself after Joyce retreats into her room, then turns to head downstairs to see what everyone else is up to)

Pirate: (Softly barks and sniffs his hands, following him down the stairs)

Ma: (Reaches into the basket and pulls out a container of chocolate strawberries and little fudgy brownie bites) “A little indulgent snack is also well deserved.” (Smiles at Lucille as she places them on the tray in front of her so she can snack on them. She then pours her a glass of fizzy lemonade)

Lucille: *surprised they have chocolate anything in the wasteland that isn't over 200 plus years old. She looks down in surprise at the delicate and probably quite expensive treats considering how rare they must be... She shakes her head* Don't waste something as rare as recently made chocolate on me...

Ma: (Tries to not show the worry on her face about Lucille’s self doubt) “Oh, but why not my dear? Did I not say that you’re precious to us earlier?” (Pats the young woman’s hair affectionately) “Besides- you’ve helped us a lot by building up our defenses, so a small treat is well earned.”

Teshteal: *leaves the pen and closes it up behind him so the cows don't escape. He bounds toward the house like some sort of creature*

Gardio: Where are you going, Li- *catches himself and shakes his head slightly* I mean- Teshteal?

Teshteal: *as he passes by* To see Joyce. *enters the house*

Gardio: *smiles and shakes his head before going back to relaxing in the sun, soaking up that solar radiation*

Donovan: (Was heading outside when he bumps into Teshteal) “Ah- hi there.” (Gives him a friendly smile despite the worry in his eyes) “Erm, Joyce is up in her room- she’s just working through some things on her own right now. But don’t worry, she’ll pop her cute little head back down soon.”

Teshteal: *concerned look* Is she okay...?

Nick: *glances up and sees the pooch* Heya, Dogmeat... Come to check in on us? *hasn't noticed the pen lodged in Jas’s leg, yet*

Dogmeat: (Whines and lays down besides the two with big puppy eyes, trying to scoot in and sniff Jas)

Jasmine: (Raises her head to look down at Dogmeat, immediately regretting it because she’s met with the horrifying view of the degrading words carved into her skin along with the pen that’s now lodged into her thigh. She lets out a strangled, broken cry of both pain and fear, trying to pull back from Nick

Lucille: *shakes her head. She doesn't know how to describe how she's feeling... it's like suddenly being given a reward for saving one solitary beetle while letting the rest of the world burn. She feels like she hasn't earned this- that she doesn't deserve this... That she let so many people down...* Tell me again why you think that...? *closes her left eye and looks up at the older woman with her good one* When you barely know who I am...?

Ma: “Well first off, I am not the only person here who thinks that way. Your father most definitely does too, along with Detective Valentine.” (Takes a deep breath, remembering how both men reacted last night to Lucille’s break down. She reaches out and tenderly strokes Lucille’s dampened hair) “And I think their judge of character is something worth considering.”

Nick: *looks down and sees the pen* Oh- That's... *frowns and scoops her up* Let's get that patched up, Rosalinda. *sets both of them down in the lounge chair cradling her against his chest since she's not that clothed. To Dogmeat* Go get Donovan. *tears off a piece of his pants leg* Try to hold still for me, doll.

Jasmine: (Wiggles to get away from Nick so she can hide somewhere far away and tend to herself, attempting to take out the pen on her own while she flairs about)

Dogmeat: (Barks in understanding and bolts down the stairs to find Donny)

Donovan: (Leans against the wall) “Yeah, she’ll be fine. She just has a harder time processing emotions and such so we give her space to work it out on her own when she wants.”

Teshteal: Okay. *still looks worried but goes and sits on the couch, flicking his tail*

Lucille: My father still thinks of me as if I'm still the same woman from before the war. And Nick...? Just ask him how high my body count is. Ask him what happened with me and Jasmine at Vault 88. *grips her synth arm bitterly at the memory*

Ma: (Doesn’t stop petting Lucille’s hair, giving her an empathetic look) “Detective Valentine did tell me a bit about what happened between you and Rosie. It sounds like a difficult position to be in…. But if you were to ask me, it seems like you were doing your best to smooth things over.”

Nick: Rosalinda! *grabs her arms and manages to pin them to her chest with one of his own, shifting how he holds her in the process. He takes his free hand and gently rubs her stomach to try and calm her down* It's going to be fine, Rosie. Just calm down...

Jasmine: (Scared whine as she panics and struggles, unsure of what else to do in this moment but to fight. Her normally quick thinking mind is drawing only blanks because of how tired and weak she is, and that’s only scaring her even more)

Dogmeat: (Comes bounding past Gardio, barking up a storm. He bolts up to Donny and puts a paw on him)

Pirate: (Also starts barking just because her doggy friend is)

Donovan: (Startled look down at the pooch) “Uh- what is it boy?”

Dogmeat: (Steps back and spins, walking a few feet before he turns back to look at Donny to see if he’s following)

Donovan: (Stands straight) “You want me to follow you?” (Starts to follow Dogmeat outside. Wonders if it’s something outside the gate or if it’s Rosie)

Gardio: *sits up in concern at all the commotion*

Lucille: *just stays quiet and stares at the food*

Ma: (Turns to the door at the sound of all the barking, frowning) “What’s going on out there…”

Nick: *holding her tight against him, her thrashing not doing anything. He keeps rubbing her belly and begins to hum the lullaby again*

Jasmine: (Throws her head back with a weak scream, trying to kick her legs at Nick to get him to let go. She wanted the voices in her head to go away- but not like this! Now her head is just a thoughtless void that’s filled with panic and primal rage. Still she tries to focus, tries to pull herself together by focusing on the lullaby and the gentle motion of her stomach being rubbed)

Donovan: (Snags the first aid kit off the wall by the side door just in case, looking at Gardio)

Dogmeat: (Runs and dashes up the stairs to the roof, still barking)

Donovan: “Yeah- it’s definitely Rosie….” (Rushes to follow the very good boi)

Gardio: *gets up and follows just in case he's needed*

Lucille: *glumly, knowing Jasmine is much more important* Go on and go. It's probably Jasmine, again... *sinks her mouth beneath the water. It's harder to relax now, knowing that even if she wanted to help the girl, she'd only make things worse for her somehow. All she can do is sit in this bath and keep her nose out of it*

Ma: (Listens as the sound of barking fades away, shaking her head with a heavier sigh) “No, I’ll stay here. Rosalinda has her father looking out for her right now, and no doubt Donny went running over.” (Would like to be in the loop about what’s going on outside but she wants to stay with Lucille) “I take it that this sort of commotion is a very normal occurrence for your group…” (Reaches out for the detachable shower head so she can wash Lucille’s hair)

Dogmeat: (Runs right up to Jas and Nick, whining sadly as he sits in front of them)

Donovan: (Rushes up the stairs after him) “What’s going on-…” (Sees the blood on Jas’s leg and the pen lodged in her thigh along with the horrid words, his heart snapping all over again) “Oh no…”

Jasmine: (Still panicking, squirming, and is now sobbing along with shrieking but she’s luckily not getting too aggressive or hostile. She looks and sounds more terrified than anything else and is currently not pinning to rip out anyone’s eyes)

Lucille: *watching Ma's movements carefully while she slowly reaches for a strawberry, partly to not get soapy water on it but also to make herself look less wary. She's grown so used to being on guard and wary of everything that she can't help but stay on her toes when someone reaches for a metal object above her head*

Ma: (Points to the basket that she brought that has small samples of different hair products) “Do you have a preferred shampoo? Should I use the one you used last time you showered if that’s your favorite one?” (She was always moving slowly, she’s aware that Lucille would feel vulnerable right now and they don’t know each other that well)

Nick: *sad but tired frown as he holds her as still as he possibly can. He looks up at Donny and nods slightly*

Teshteal: *came scampering up but stays just below the ridge in case his presence makes her hostile*

Gardio: *staying lower on the staircase for the same reason*

Donovan: (Frowns and approaches, kneeling down beside the two as he sets down the medkit) “How deep did it go in?” (Carefully reaches out to hold down Jas’s knee so he can see the wound)

Jasmine: (Screams out in a different manner like how she did during their fight in the lighthouse and Donny had to hold her down with his whole body, tensing up)

Donovan: (Immediately stands and backs away with his hands raised like she just tried to hit him) “…We fought yesterday and I was forced to pin her down to keep her from-…” (Sighs bitterly) “I don’t think she likes me very much.” (Looks back over at Gardio and Teshteal. He doesn’t know they just met Jas so he’s assuming she’ll be more comfortable with them coming close)

Lucille: *nods at the selection and starts eating the chocolate-covered strawberry. She tries not to hum in delight at the two sweet and tangy flavors bursting in her mouth. Her guard chips away a little at the small treat but she stays vigilant*

Ma: (Starts prepping the stuff she’ll need to wash the younger woman’s hair, happy to see that Lucille seems to be enjoying the little treats) “Just let me know when you are ready, love.”

Gardio: *looks to Teshteal and nods for him to go ahead since she seems more comfortable with him*

Teshteal: *nods back and very tentatively approaches. Quietly* It's just me... Teshteal. *places a hand on her leg tenderly as he focuses on her face* Please hold still- I just want to help.

Jasmine: (Whimpers with fear, peeking her head up from Nick to look at Teshteal with wide childlike eyes that are filled with pain. She then turns to look up at her Dad with uncertainty, still trembling and squirming slightly)

Donovan: (Stays back, silently watching)

Teshteal: *still. Doesn't move because it might startle her*

Nick: *nods* It's okay... He's patched you up well before, remember?

Lucille: *nods and reaches for a brownie bite and pops it in her mouth before sipping on the lemonade. The combination of the rich chocolate and the sour lemon erodes her guard a little more. She tries not to let it fall, but she can't see anything wrong with a little sweets she supposes. If Ma wanted to kill her, she would have shown her hand by now... unless she's some sort of assassin. She freezes at the thought mid-chew then comes to the conclusion that that's not possible either. She could have killed her at many other points during their stay. If she didn't have her mouth full of a brownie, she'd sigh with relief*

Ma: (Sits down on the chair again, looking off to the side slightly as she thinks to herself while she patiently waits for Lucille. She doesn’t want to think about Jas as it’s out of her hands right now, but she was great friends with her mother and had watched the girl grow up from a poor discarded baby to a smart mouth 9 year old whom was affectionately called muñequita by herself and the ladies in her cafe because she was as pretty as a little dolly. She can’t help but to worry about the now teenage girl)

Jasmine: (Can’t recall that particular time right now but she doesn’t feel provoked by Teshteals presence and her Dad seems to be calm. She gently shuffles her hands to motion to be released, wrapping them around Nick instead as she shifts herself in his lap and hides away in the crook of his neck- not protesting any further because she’s too damn tired)

Nick: *let's go only a little, mostly to support her back. He nods at the other man to continue*

Teshteal: *nods back as his tail grabs the first aid kit from Donovan. He opens it and scans it over for the supplies he'll need. He applies a little pressure on the leg that's injured and quickly pulls the pen out and tosses it aside. Then, almost as if in the same motion, he picks up the gauze and applies heavy pressure to the wound in order to stop the bleeding*

Lucille: *finishes up the bites and strawberries and drinks down the lemonade, setting the tray aside* Ready.

Ma: (Snaps out of her thoughts and smiles as she puts a bin down on the floor to catch any water that may accidentally fly out) “Alrightie then, lean your head back for me, sweetheart.”

Jasmine: (Whines in pain as she claws at Nicks shirt, really trying her best not to move but her reflexes kick in and she starts kicking at Teshteal to get him to stop)

Donovan: (Sits down on the opposite lounge chair across from them, putting his head in his hands. He’d help hold down Jas if she’d let him get close)

Pirate: (Jumps on the lounger besides her dear owner, whimpering sadly as she nudges him with her nose)

Lucille: *nods and leans her head back on the edge of the tub, ignoring every instinct that tells her that Ma could easily snap her neck by pressing her head farther down than she can physically push it. She closes her eyes and runs her hand down the synth arm, mapping every ridge and raised area of the structure in her mind to take her thoughts off a very plausible death*

Ma: (Turns on the shower nozzle and starts wetting Lucille’s hair for the pre wash, gently running her fingers through her roots with one hand. Despite the radio playing music, she hums her own tune under her breath- a sweet mother’s lullaby that’s a plea to her children who are growing up too fast to slow down and enjoy the time they have together)

Lucille: *tenses at the feeling of someone else's hands in her hair other than people she's been close to. In her first run-ins with Raiders, at least one of them tried to grip what hair she had on her head to catch her off guard. She was fortunate that there wasn't much to hold onto. Helmets and gas masks were the go-to head protection from then on*

Teshteal: *his tail wraps around her legs and keeps them still as he continues to apply pressure to the wound. Sadly* I'm sorry, but I have to do this...

Nick: *holds her tighter upon hearing that, keeping her from leaping up and trying to flee or worse... attack*

Teshteal: *holds it there until the bleeding stops and removes the gauze. He then takes the alcohol from the kit and washes out the wound with it while constantly apologizing*

Jasmine: (Yelps and hisses as she tries to twist to break free when she’s tied up by Teshteal, ramping up her whatever energy she has left)

Donovan: (Rubs his face with his hands, trying not to cry out as well whenever Jas screams in pain. He doesn’t know if he can take it as his heart feels like it might just snap, especially after the fight he had with Jas yesterday to prevent her from committing suicide. But she and Ma are the only prewar family he’s got left, the only ties he has to when things were better. So he won’t leave to do something else…)

Jasmine: (Is about to scream bloody murder at the pain and the blaring images in her head but stops short when the words of the guard leader come to her mind. “Give him a little more time with your exasperating nonsense, he’ll soon see that Charlotte and your aunt made the right call and follow suit.” Her breathing suddenly cuts short as she goes deathly still and quiet despite the intense pain, her entire body slumping limply against Nick as her eyes stare off at nothing with only slow tears dribbling down her cheeks)

Nick: *a little taken aback by the sudden stillness of his adopted daughter but can tell she's still very much alive so he doesn't panic*

Teshteal: *quietly apologizes again as he applies antibiotic ointment to the wound, his salve down in the med room. He then wraps a bandage around the injury and lets her go, retreating to and cowering in a corner of the balcony on all fours, keeping his eyes on her*

Gardio: *Still watching from a distance*

Jasmine: (Stays completely still and unmoving after Teshteal finishes with her wound, just continuing to look off at nothing blankly with tears on her face. She’s being ridiculous right now with these fears, but she can’t get his horrid words out of her head. She wants to cry and beg to everyone that she didn’t mean to stab herself with the pen! It was just done in a fit of anger and not in a attempt to harm herself)

Dogmeat: (Whimpers and nudges Nicks legs in concern for him and the small girl in his arms)

Donovan: (Sits up when he hears that Jas has gone silent, looking her over sadly then at Nick. He wonders what set her off to make her do such a thing with a pen in the first place)

Pirate: (Whines and drapes himself over her masters legs, licking his hands to comfort him)

Nick: *rubbing her shoulders as he cradles her in his arms. He looks to Donovan. Reassuringly* It looked like she stabbed herself accidentally- like she meant to stab the journal and not herself.

Ma: (Is very gentle yet firm with her fingers as she starts to massage Lucille’s scalp with the shampoo, still humming as she works. She’s now singing the opening notes to a new one)

Lucille: *trying to relax after being so on edge all the time. She tries to think of all the robots she's built and what they were built for instead of survival... anything to calm her nerves in this otherwise serene moment*

Donovan: (Looks between Jas and Nick for a few seconds- then nods while sighing and lowering his head)

Jasmine: (Says nothing to confirm this and doesn’t move, feeling really sleepy from the rush of sudden emotions that overwhelmed her. She wants to close her eyes and snuggle up to Nick to take a nice loooooong nap, but she’s afraid of what she will see if she does, what’ll happen to her if she rests)

Dogmeat: (Now trying to comfort Jas but nudging his wet puppy nose against her arm to let her now he’s there with all his puppy cuteness and comfort)

Ma: (Much like Donny she has kept her voice during her ghoulification so her voice is very smooth and sweet) “If you were a boat, my darling. A boat, my darling. I'd be the wind at your back. If you were afraid, my darling. Afraid, my darling. I'd be the courage you lack…”

Lucille: *humming along as the older woman works on her hair*

Nick: *pulls her back onto the lounge chair with him and goes right back to cradling and comforting her so she can try and get some sleep*

Teshteal: *to Gardio* I think we can go... *starts slinking back down the stairs*

Gardio: *Nods solemnly and walks down the stairs*

Donovan: (Watches the others leave, not wanting to go himself unless Nick asks him to)

Dogmeat: (Jumps up on the lounge chair as soon as Nick settles in with Jas and curls up around them with another sad whine)

Jasmine: (Decides to close her eyes tightly, hoping that if she just sleeps this’ll all go away and everyone will shut the fuck up in her head. Bonus points if she gets freed of some of her pain because of the sun helping her heal, but that just feels like asking for too much)

Nick: *Isn't going to because he's not causing any trouble. Just keeps rubbing Jas’s shoulder and back reassuringly*

Ma: (Smiles warmly at Lucille when she starts humming along with her. She gets a brief flash of memories of singing the same song to her other little ones that have grown up and gone off to start their own lives, but they always find comfort in this song) “If you were a bird, then I'd be a tree. And you would come home, my darling, to me. If you were asleep, then I'd be a dream. Oh, do you know we belong together? Oh, do you know my heart is yours?”

Lucille: *focusing more on the song than anything since it's better than letting paranoia get the better of her*

Ma: (Working on rinsing Lucille’s hair while still massaging her head) “If you were the ocean, I'd be the sand. If you were a song, I'd be the band. If you were the stars, then I'd be the moon. A light in the dark, my darling, for you.”

Teshteal: *back in the livingroom, curled up on the couch*

Gardio: *tired sigh as he sits in the large, nearby chair*

Jasmine: (Curls up as close as she can to Nick, falling asleep much easier than she had expected thanks to his reassuring rubs and soothing words)

Donovan: (Looks like he wants to say something to Nick but he doesn’t as he pets his dog who’s draped in his lap)

Nick: *notices but says nothing in case he wakes Jasmine by accident*

Jasmine: (Sniffles in her sleep, both of her hands clutched near her face as if she’s protecting herself)

Donovan: (Glances at Jazzy, then down at his dog who’s gazing up at him with her tongue partly stuck out) “Silly girl…..” (Gently scratches between her ears, his eyes turning up to look out to the ocean. He then abruptly stands when he sees something far off in the distance, grabbing his binoculars from his bag as he walks towards the edge to get a better look)

Pirate: (Perks up with Donny and trots alongside him, her tail wagging happily in anticipation because she knows what’s happening)

Lucille: *occasionally makes a soft hum outside of the melody in response to the massaging, her body finally fully relaxing*

Ma: (Hums the melody to the song as it comes to the final chorus that consists of the same verse being repeated) “Oh, do you know we belong together? Oh, do you know my heart is yours….?”

The thing: *A sentry bot with a Gatling gun and a laser cannon flying over the water with thrusters attached just outside the wheels. It has four smokestacks and a large, human-sized container on the back of it. There's a person kind of resting their head on top of the sentry bot lazily despite the risk of getting burned by the sentry bot's engine*

Donovan: (Quietly as to not disturb Jas) “Well that’s not something you see every day…” (Leans down to turn Pirate away from facing the boat she’s excited for so she can look through the binoculars and see the weird robot person floating in the water)

Pirate: (Whines curiously as her tail slows down, pulling back from the binoculars to look at Donny)

Donovan: (Pats her head as he shakes his head in confusion) “Dunno, I’m too old for this shit.” (Points out to the water in the opposite direction) “But we’ve got company too, and it’s more of the pleasant kind.”

Lucille: *relaxed sigh as the song comes to a close*

Ma: (Softly, happy to see Lucille is relaxed) “I can also rub your shoulders for you, love. To help ease any tension you might’ve built up over time.”

Lucille: *nods* That would be fine...

The weird person on the water: *already flying off somewhere where Donny can't see but definitely not towards them*

Pirate: (Turns her attention back to where her beloved owner is pointing, her tail wagging faster again in excitement. She barks softly as she starts spinning in circles, heading towards the stairs)

Donovan: (Looks back at Nick with a small smile to explain) “We have some friends coming in, they bring us supplies every once in awhile so we can maintain this place.”

Nick: They won't be coming in the house, will they? *glances down at his now sleeping daughter* Don't want her getting on edge.

Ma: (Takes some soothing massage oil and gently rests the tip of her fingers on Lucille’s shoulders) “I am touching you now to start, is that alright?”

Lucille: *flinches then relaxes again, suppressing the urge to turn around and fight back on instinct* It's fine. Don't worry-

Jasmine: (Has gone back to looking like a sweet sleeping kitten as she breathes in a slow and steady rhythm)

Donovan: (Shakes his head) “Probably not- I’ll ask them to leave the stuff on the dock and I can take it all in on my own. And even if they do come in it’ll just be in the basement to store the food. They have other deliveries to make so they can’t stay that long anyways.” (Appears to be trying to contain his excitement)

Pirate: (Not even attempting to hide her joy and happiness as she spins in circles like a furry tornado)

Ma: (Starts gently rubbing the younger woman’s shoulders so she can get a feel for things) “Okay, let me know if you want more or less pressure or want me to stop.”

Lucille: *nods but doesn't say anything. She just lets the older woman continue working the knots out of her back, only wincing when she hits a particularly rough patch*

Nick: *nods* Good. See if you can get Gardio or Teshteal to help you with the goods if you need to.

Donovan: (Nods back almost eagerly at Nick and looks down at Pirate whom he addresses in a half whisper/ half shout) “Hey girl! Go get Joyce!”

Pirate: (Immediately bolts down the stairs, waiting until she’s in the house to start barking up an excited storm as she rushes to Joyce’s room and paws at the door)

Donovan: (Rushes up to the stair railing and jumps on it so he can slide down quickly with a small whoop of joy, running down to the docks to wait for the incoming boat)

Ma: (Begins humming another lullaby as she expertly works out all the tension of the poor overworked younger woman) “Heartbeats only happen one at a time. You can't rush a moment so don't even try. There's a symphony you're missing, if you only listen, you'll find….”

Lucille: *breathes heavily through her nose at times from the tension that's being released from her shoulders and back*

Teshteal: *springs up from the couch* Wait, what's going on?! Where's he going?!

Gardio: *reading a book he found next to the chair*

Joyce: (Pokes her head out of her room to look at Pirate, her eyes slightly red and puffy) “Hm? What’s the matter?”

Gilbert: (Is wrapped around his Joyce’s neck like a fancy warm scarf, very displeased by the loud disturbance and he shoots the pooch the stink eye)

Pirate: (Woofs and pants, spinning in a small circle as she takes a few steps to the stairs, looking back to see if Joyce will follow her)

Joyce: (Eyes light up when she realizes what the dog is trying to communicate) “Are they here??? Really???” (Quickly plops Gilbert down in her room with the yapping puppies and rushes down the stairs to follow the dog outside. She’s so excited that she runs right past the two men in the living room with a gleeful squeal) “EEEEEEEEEEEEK~!”

Dogmeat: (Didn’t rise from the lounge chair to follow Donny or Pirate, he’s dedicated to protecting and keeping Nick and Jas company. He curls himself up even tighter against the girl and her father, whining sadly)

Jasmine: (Snuffs and whimpers in her sleep, kicking her feet slightly in discomfort as she shuffles to be even closer to her Dad because he’s very warm and she’s starting to get truly chilly for once)

Teshteal: *scampers after her* What's happening? It's good, right?

Gardio: *stands up and puts the book down when the smaller man flees the building* Lin- I mean- Teshteal! *gives chase, wondering what's gotten into the gremlin*

Joyce: (Excitedly over her shoulder) “Yes!!!! I’ve been waiting months for this day to finally come!!!” (Runs across the yard and down to the docks where Donny is waiting for the boat to arrive)

Donovan: (Turns and wave at the three coming down, chuckling at his younger sisters enthusiasm)

Pirate: (Barks and spins in circles like a little tornado of puppy happiness in front of Donovan when she reaches him)

Ma: (Continues her sweet song and gentle massage, trying her best to make sure Lucille is as relaxed as physically possible) “Big magic in the mundane. The big picture in a small frame Everything is sacred when you take time to notice. Big love happens in the small moments. Big love happens in the small moments. There's no use in chasing nickels and dimes. Riches all around you, open your eyes. You can't buy the piece you're after so don't even try. 'Cause you'll find….”

Lucille: *tries to hum along to the tune, the kinks in her back and shoulders loosening in small bursts*

Teshteal: *Still confused but follows along on all fours like the dog before them*

Joyce: (Stops next to Donny, almost vibrating with all her excitement) “It’s today, right? It’s this shipment that she’s coming in?”

Donovan: (Nods his head) “Yes Joyce, they said they would bring her this time.”

Joyce: (Look on the anticipation that the approaching small cargo boat)

Ma: (Repeats the chorus of the song) “Big magic in the mundane. The big picture in a small frame. Everything is sacred when you take time to notice. Big love happens in the small moments. Big love happens in the small moments.” (Gently reaches down to take Lucille’s hand in hers, putting more emphasis on this part) “Feel the rain on your skin, feel my hand in your hand. You can't do it all, so just do what you can. Feel the rain on your skin, feel my hand in your hand. You can't do it all, so just do what you can….”

Lucille: *jumps at the unexpected handhold but relaxes shortly after*

Teshteal: She? Is it another dog? Livestock? Chickens? *gasps in anticipation* A tame DEATHCLAW?! *bouncing on his feet excitedly*

Gardio: *comes panting down the way, a little scratched up cause he tripped over a root* Why'd you run off like that??? What's going on, here???

Teshteal: They're expecting something or someone!

Gardio: How do you know?

Teshteal: They said "shipment," "she," and "her!"

Gardio: I see...

Donovan: (Begins to explain) “We get sent shipments of supplies from some of our friends everyone once in awhile but Joyce had requested that this time they bring her-…”

Joyce: (Interrupts) “My baby!!!! My little friend!!!”

Donovan: (Smiles and shakes his head, walking further down the dock to wave at the people on board) “Yeah, what she said.”

Ma: (Leans down to place a kiss on top of Lucille’s head, smiling with kind motherly eyes) “Feel the sun on your face. Bare feet on the ground. I know you'll see beautiful things if you look around. Just look around, and you'll find….” (Hums the rest of the chorus to finish up the song, rubbing the back of Lucille’s hand with her thumb)

Lucille: *looks up in slight surprise with her mismatched eyes*

Ma: (Continues to smile warmly down at the young woman, squeezing her hand slightly as she pets Lucille's damp purple hair with her other hand)

Teshteal: A baby-?! *blushes a bit* Like a human baby-?!

Gardio: I would hope not... That would be akin to human trafficking. *raises an eyebrow at Donovan*

Joyce: (Blinks at her boyfriend in confusion) “What? No, of course not. Do I look like I could take care of a human baby?” (Checks herself over to see if she looks motherly)

Donovan: (Looks back over his shoulder) “If it was another baby, they would be given to Ma to adopt.” (Turns back to the now docked boat to talk with one of the crew members who hops off)

@lucilleandherrobots

#Oh geez this one feels so long #fallout #fo4 #fallout 4 #fallout oc #fallout rp #fallout roleplay #fallout original character #nick valentine

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