#also wheres joshua and maxson

[helios1]

he really isn't as bad as the other characters but i still think more people should've voted for daniel. fuck that guy too.

[danses-with-dogmeat]

Fallout Characters' Lover's Embrace Quotes -- Extras

(Original ask): Hello 😊 I absolutely adore everything you do for the characters you write for! You get the interactions and such perfect every time I read something new 💕 I have a personal headcanon, not full blown request if you don't want it to be, question for you. If you could romance the companions in New Vegas like in 4, what would some of their lovers embrace quotes be? I love how you think and can't wait to hear what ideas you have for any of the characters ❤ have a good day

So I didn't actually get any requests for these specific characters that I can remember, but I had this in my WIPs folder, and had a good time looking back on them, so here they are!

As always, if you would like me to add any characters to this, please let me know, and I'll be happy to 😊

Also, here's a link to my first Lover's Embrace Quotes post with the FO3 and FNV Companions.

Just a heads up, too, a bit of nsfw below the cut (nothing explicit, but definitely some implicit stuffs).

Fallout 4:

Codsworth: 

“Prepared to face the day, sir/madam?”

“Oh my, now that was exciting!” 

“Your hair, sir/miss. Allow me to fix it for you?” 

“Good morning, sir/madam!” 

“My, you are truly amazing, my sweet.” 

Deacon:

“Whoa, when did you get here?” 

“Up for one more round? No?... Yes?”

“Just another minute. Then we can kick some ass or whatever.”

“Gooood morning! And it is a beautiful day out in the Commonwealth, the weather is looking mighty fine in this– Oh, you’re up? Okay, just making sure.” 

“Up and at ‘em, right boss?” 

“Wow. That was fun.” 

Maxson:

“Sleep well?” 

“I’ll take that over morning drills any day. No, I don’t need you to tell Kells that.” 

“Head’s still swimming…” 

“Don’t make me get up, not yet.” 

“Damn… Incredible.” 

Nick:

“Can’t take my eyes off you….” 

“Ain’t I the luckiest synth there is?” 

“Say… where’d my cuffs get off to, doll? May need ‘em for later.” 

"Well, that's one way to get the coolant pumping." (I know this is already a line of his, but I mean come on. It's too good not to use)

“What do you say, about ready to go?” 

“That sure was somethin’, sweetheart.”

Sturges:

“Mornin’ gorgeous/handsome.” 

“Ain’t nothin’ better than wakin’ up like that.” 

“You really are incredible, you know that?” 

“What a perfect way to start my day… wakin’ up next to you.”

“*whistles* That was somethin,’ baby.”

X6-88:

“Good morning, ma’am/sir.” 

“Awake quite yet?” 

“Damn.” 

“Sleep well, ma’am/sir?”

“I… Didn’t know I could feel like that…” 

Fallout 3:

Mr. Burke: 

“I suppose there are worse ways to wake up.” 

“Care for some coffee?” 

“Just a moment more, sweet one.” 

“Ahh, you vixen/scoundrel.”

“Just turn over. It can’t be time yet.” 

Harkness: 

“Starting our day off right, I see.”

“It can’t really be time to get up, can it?” 

“Mm, good morning…”

“What’re you… Oh? Well, a few more minutes, then.” 

“Babe, have you seen my handcuffs?”

Sarah Lyons: 

“Up and at ‘em. Come on.” 

“Oh, good, you’re finally up.” 

“The others better not have heard us.” 

“Quit your groaning, it’s not that early.” 

“Best to have a shower after all that.” 

Fallout New Vegas:

Benny: 

“Ring-a-ding, baby. Time to rise.” 

“Easy there, squeeze. Save some for tonight.” 

“Can’t be time yet. Stay here awhile, lemme hold ya.” 

“Geeze baby, you wear me out.” 

“24-karate, pussy cat. Just platinum...” 

Colonel Hsu:  

"Right, then... Up we get."

“Well… that was an excellent performance. Top marks from me, private.”

“Rise and shine, love.” 

“Now that was worth waking for at this hour.” 

“Wish we had a few more moments…”

Joshua Graham:

“Just… divine.” 

“Care to pray with me this morning?” 

“Wake up, dear one.” 

“Praise be to Him who lights the sky…” 

“Ahh… still, your love heals me.” 

Ulysses: 

"Be slow, beloved. We can take our time."

“Another sunrise…”

“Time to wake.” 

“So… It wasn’t a dream. Hm.” 

*huffing* “Need another rest after that.” 

Victor: 

“Shoo, didn’t know you had that in ya.” 

“Where to today, pardner?”

“You look like I dug ya outta that grave again, hehe. Only teasin’.”

“Well, how-dy.” 

“Mornin,’ pardner. How’d you sleep?” 

Vulpes:

“Awake at last? Good.” 

“Mm. Expect the same from me tonight, courier.” 

“Ave, amica mea.” 

“Ah, to hear my name sound from your lips… A fine sound this morning.” 

“Expergiscimini. The sun has risen.” 

Yes Man: 

“Wow, Six, that was the best way to start the day!”

“I sure am glad to have you by my side.” 

“Rise and shine!” 

“What a great morning it is!”

“Boy, that sure was fun! Ready to make a difference today?” 

[stoat-party]

Canon/Headcanon ages for Fallout characters (potential spoilers)

I’m standardizing the ages to 2281, which is when New Vegas begins. (Fallout 3 is 2277 and 4 is 2287 but I haven’t played it yet). These are kind of estimations because obviously everyone doesn’t have the same birthday.

ED-E: 6. Literal toddler. Darling infant child baby.

Dogmeat (from Fallout 3): 12. (Not canon.) It’s on the elderly side for his breed (fanon pretty much agrees he’s a blue heeler), but I choose to believe that Fallout dogs have mutated to live longer. My version of Dogmeat either got too old or took too many hits by this point, so he’s retired to become Three Dog’s co-host.

Arthur Maxson: 14. I think it’s also canon that he became elder at 16, which I adore. Boy is way too young to look like that.

R.J. MacCready: 16. Mungo 😔

Follows-Chalk: 19. (Not canon.) Honestly, I’d be surprised if he weren’t a teenager. He’s very much finding himself and choosing who he wants to be, which you can still do at any age, but it’s a hallmark of your teen years. And he’s adorable.

Amata Almodovar: 23. (Pretty much canon.) Younger than the Lone Wanderer because she has no Pip-Boy when LW turns 10. Can’t be too many months apart, though, because they go to play with her when they’re 12 months.

Lone Wanderer: 23. They were born on July 13 and left the Vault at 19.

(my) Courier Six: Also 23. (Not canon.) I like having them be the same age. In terms of canon information, all we know is that they were well-established as a courier in 2277, so they probably wouldn’t be younger than about 21. It’s implied in one Lady Killer dialogue that they’re at least 36 (apparently had some sort of fling in Montana 18 years ago), but the dialogue is optional, so you can have them be whatever age you want.

Butch DeLoria: 24. (Not canon.) IDK where I got the idea that he’s a year older than the Lone Wanderer, because the only canon evidence I can find is that he already had his Pip-Boy at their 10th birthday, but I like it. Either he got held back a year, or Vault 101 combines classrooms due to low population.

Craig Boone: 26. Let the man be young pls.

Veronica Santangelo: 27. Older than she seems IMO.

Sarah Lyons: 27-28. Would be 30 if she were still alive.

Christine Royce: 28. (Not canon.) Because if you grew up with someone, I feel like it would be weird to date them if there had been a substantial age gap.

Nova: 29. A successful innkeeper living life and not being exploited, bless.

Charon: 30. (Extremely not canon.) I feel like most people would cast him as way older than that, but I’ve written his whole backstory and it requires him to not have been hanging out in Underworld for the past century. There’s no concrete information on this, so go wild.

Waking Cloud: 32. (Not canon.) Her third child is six, but she still seems pretty young. I imagine marriage age is a little lower in the tribes.

Vulpes Inculta: 34-38. (Canon is a passing shadow at this point.) Try as I might, I can’t figure out why people place the destruction of the Twisted Hairs as happening 25 years prior. Not only would Vulpes have to have been an adult then, he was a decanus before that. Which would put him in his fifties. He’s described in canon as a young man, though, and I’m also attached to this interpretation of him. It’s a mess, and I’m going with my gut.

Arcade Gannon: 35. Probably on the tail end of 35 since he says he’s in his late thirties. Happy birthday, Arcade, your prize is bandaging me up on our stupid adventures.

Daniel: 36. (Not canon.) In my timeline, he’s Joshua’s nephew, and he was a toddler when Josh left. I know that’s completely unsupported by canon, but I wanted to add personal drama to their ideological drama.

Rose of Sharon Cassidy: 37. Which makes sense because her father was in Fallout 2.

Benny: 40. (Not canon.) I’m a Benny-in-his-forties truther. He’s led the tribe for seven years, and he really doesn’t strike me as young. It’s also just funny that cosplay is his literal whole personality when he’s edging into middle age.

Lucius: 43. (Not canon.) Appears to be graying, still quite capable in a very physical job. He’s considered old in the Legion, but since it’s a young nation, most men are taken from their tribes as children, and death comes early and violent, I think old is a relative term. Caesar purposefully isolates men from their families so they’ll focus any filial loyalty on him, so I feel like he must be significantly younger than Caesar.

Ulysses: 47-50. (Not canon.) I’m even comfortable with casting him a little older. He exudes knowledge and experience with everything he does. He seems to have been an adult when he entered the Legion — which, as discussed, gets placed 25 years ago but IDK why.

Gob: 51. (Not canon.) Acts very young (could just be learned helplessness), so I’ve got his age frozen at like 20. He’d been a slave for fifteen years as of 2277, so I gave him about 12 years of being happy in Underworld with Carol.

James: 51-52, depending when you got around to the main storyline. He would be 55, but… yeah.

Joshua Graham: 54. (Not canon.) He says he was “young” 35 years ago when the Legion began. 19 is the standard age for Mormon men to go on their mission trips, and it’s also an important age in my version of the Fallout universe (i.e. the age I ruin my characters’ lives). I also like the idea of Joshua being a little younger and more sheltered than Edward, it makes his path to darkness more interesting.

Edward Sallow: 55. Again, this guy was my little brother’s age when one day he just decided to take over the world.

Star Paladin Cross: 60. (Not canon.) She’s a cyborg, so I think her cybernetics kept her in fighting shape a little longer.

Lily Bowen: 203. They turned her into a nightkin at 75! :((((((

Rex: 209. Ultimate immortal doggie.

Fawkes: 227. (Not canon.) I’m basing this on the cut Sheldon Delacroix logs, which would imply he moved into Vault 87 as a married adult.

Carol: 230. There’s some debate on this because she claims to have been a little girl when the bombs fell, but from her perspective I imagine everyone is a little child.

(my) Sole Survivor: 233. (Not canon.) Nora is a lawyer, and most American lawyers are 25 or older when they pass the bar. She also probably didn’t get married or have a child during law school (if she did… queen), so she’d have to be at least 26 or 27 during the prologue. I have her at 29 to make her the same age as my other two protagonists. Besties!

Raul Tejada: 234. By his dialogue, I had assumed he was a teenager during the Great War, but it turns out he was about 30. Multigenerational households FTW. Which probably means his age is frozen somewhere in his thirties and he’s not actually elderly. (Not that ghoul lore is actually consistent. Also, I’m not going to be the one to tell him it’s all in his head.)

Robert House: 261. Bro was born in 2020. Why, why would you do that to yourself?

Some of these are completely unsubstantiated so feel free to correct me or give your own opinion. I’ll probably edit if I think of more.

[dalishkadan]

wip wednesday

it's been a hot minute since i've done one of these, so thank you @a11sha11fade for the tag! i'll tag @dumbassentity and @thedashingcaptainweird if they'd like to participate. no pressure, of course. :D

today's excerpt is from a fallout story i've been quietly working on and have yet to post, despite having 8 chapters completed and ready to go. yay me for restraint? anyway, here's arthur and joshua's first time meeting each other.

What Arthur didn’t realise was just how fortuitous his agreement would be. As soon as they stepped into the refurbished house, he was almost bowled over with the intensity of the bond. It was so strong it almost felt like it was throbbing, and no wonder. Right in front of him stood his mate, he knew it, knew it in his soul, knew it before the man even turned around and acknowledged them. For a minute or two, Arthur felt as if he was in a bit of a haze, shaken out of it only when the General introduced them. “Elder Maxson? This is Joshua Lennox, Sturges’ new assistant.”

And as he reached out and shook his hand, it felt as if the whole universe coalesced down into that one moment.

[snip]

At one point, Sturges had to step into the back room to wrestle up a few extra things he didn’t keep in the big tool boxes in the main room, and Joshua continued cataloguing what they were taking and packing it. It was then, of course, that several footsteps told him that someone had come calling, and he mentally steeled himself for the day being delayed and not getting back until nightfall. Or worse, having to wait until tomorrow, knowing it was coming and dreading it the whole time. But when he turned around, it was DeeDee and two men that Joshua almost had a simultaneous heart attack and stroke to see on her heels.

Paladin Danse - out of his power armour for once - who was just behind the descendant of Roger Maxson, himself, Elder Arthur Maxson. At least, that’s who it clearly was. He didn’t look much like his in-game model, and that was mostly because he actually looked about 20 years old and not 30 or 40-plus. But despite his lack of facial hair and the cleaner cut, he wore the coat, and more than that, he wore the confidence. No one else walked like a Maxson, no one else had that posture and that poise and that stare. A stare that looked like it cut through to your very soul and pinned you to the floor where you stood. Joshua swore it took every ounce of will in his body to tear his gaze away from Arthur and process DeeDee’s voice as she said, “Joshua! I believe you’ve met Paladin Danse, remember? From ArcJet?”

As she gestured toward him, Joshua couldn’t quite speak words yet, but he nodded and then inclined his head respectfully toward Danse as the Paladin also confirmed, “Affirmative.”

If there was any odd awkwardness, DeeDee didn’t draw any attention to it as she then introduced, “Elder Maxson? This is Joshua Lennox, Sturges’ new assistant.”

Arthur reached out to shake his hand, and Joshua mirrored his actions automatically. I mean, what else did you do when a Maxson went to shake your hand? He was glad he at least that he didn’t freeze on the spot even if he felt weirdly like he was existing outside of his own body. His heartbeat thundered in his ears as it felt like the man whispered his name … “Joshua.”

It damn near send a shiver down his spine. He immediately replied, as if on instinct, “Elder.” Was he breathless? Did he sound breathless? He couldn’t even tell and a light sheen of sweat began to break out on his forehead as the pulse of blood rang against his eardrums louder and louder and louder.

[wcrldcnfire]

Dragon Age AUs

{ Quick Run-Down on the Dragon Age AUs/Verses for my non-Dragon Age characters. Fallout Run-Down // Far Cry Run-Down // Modern Rundown }

Fandomless OCs:

Adrienne Rydell: Witch of the Wilds; Former Mortalitasi

Altair:  Altair would be an ancient elf, probably sided with Fen'Harel during his whole thing and kind of wandering since. Seems very serious at first, but has a mean sort of playful streak. Doesn't like seeing people hurt innocents

Basir: Abomination / Fully Possessed Mage

Charlotte: Apprentice Mage, not much magic

Lorelei: Lorelei is a bit of a cinnamon roll. Restores books, technically a mage, but very little magic and doesn't realize it and she mostly just loves reading and learning. [But also has this habit of wandering into danger without realizing its dangerous.] Most likely to somehow befriend a dragon.

Mairwen: [oops, she’s over @daggersandsparks ] Apostate posing as a Rogue

Rana:  Abomination / Fully Possessed Mage

Soroth:  Demon / Fully Possessed Mage

Fandom OCs:

Malcolm: Defected Templar, protects civilians and apostates

Amita: Mairwen’s elvhen half sister. Fighter

Faustus: Elf-blooded Fighter, Former Venatori, current Blacksmith ;  Faustus would be a former Venatori [not really by choice, I was debating giving him a similar sort of thing to Fenris with magical experiments but undecided if I wanted Lyrium involved or not] who managed to get out and would have joined the Inquisition as a Blacksmith. He's pretty chill and playful. Likes making stuff and also can sing.

Felicitas: Grey Warden

Iovita: Venatori agent

Naenia: Witch of the Wild. Don't have much on why they'd be involved in the Inquisition, but they're a bit secretive, keep to themselves sort, but otherwise friendly. Doesn't like killing though.

Fandom Muses

Fallout Muses:

Butch: Rogue from Redcliff that thought he was a big deal until the events of DAO, where he had to get better at, well, everything.

Charon: Former Templar [Heavily Burned], now Mercenary

Cass: Inquisition Merchant

Christine: Antivan Crow who offers services to Inquisition. She's mostly serious, but at some point during her jobs she had her tongue cut out so she can't talk and communicates in Sign and writing. Pretty badass though.

Deacon: Deacon is a former Templar who got dissillusioned after some intense violence and started helping mages escape even before the mage templar war began, and now he mostly spends his time protecting the rebel mages. He's playful, constantly cracking joes, but also lies a lot [and has a VERY DEEP guilt complex]

ED-E: Mabari.

Joshua Graham: Grey Warden who rejected the Calling [no one knows how]

Vulpes Inculta: Venatori Assassin/spy

Veronica:  Veronica was a Chantry Sister but wanted to do more good in the world more directly and wasn't good at healing, but she was a scrappy lil' shit and decided to start helping by protecting people instead. She's generally optimistic and friendly, but has some conflicted feelings on the Chantry.

Yes Man: Brow beaten Orlesian government official.

Cait: Former Templar Mercenary from Kirkwall [addicted to Lyrium]

Curie: Dalish Healer. Very very isolated until joining to help, so she's super niave. But a GREAT healer. Both magically and with mundane methods.

Maxson: Templar Leader [Very Anti-Mage]

Other Fandom Muses:

Aziraphale:  Ancient elf who sort of... Wanders and owns a book store in Orlais? He has a human counterpart who “officially” owns the store, but strangely you never see them in the same place.

Bishop: Mercenary. Did work for Tevinter. Can be recruited

Neeskha: Thief from Rivain

Qara: Volatile apostate, a bit mad with her freedom [never underwent her harrowing]

Solomon: Mage of Unknown Age/Origin. Exclusively works with spirits and demons.

[chaosintheavenue]

Fallout Survey Results!

There were 69 responses this time around, aaand the results are in. This was a really random survey mostly based on pure curiosity, so make what you will of the results!

Without further ado, let’s get into it...

Which Fallout games have you played? 

Which did you play first? 

Which game is your favourite in terms of gameplay? 

Which game is your favourite in terms of lore?

By the way, that one ‘other’ vote was my own, for Van Buren. If I had to stick to the canon games, I’d have gone with New Vegas, 100%.

Are they canon?

Tactics:

BOS:

Van Buren:

Where would you LIKE the next Fallout game to be set? 

Here’s a map of how many times each state was specifically mentioned, because I'm a map nerd.

Top answer: Florida

It’s pretty clear that, as one respondent said, the people want swamp Fallout!

Other countries mentioned: Canada, Mexico, China, Australia, Cuba, UK

A few people just said the US in general for this and the next question, usually when their answer to the other question was a different country. I wasn’t really sure how to categorise that in terms of the way I chose to display the results, so I’ve left them out.

Where do you THINK the next Fallout game will be set? 

Top Answer: New York

Other countries mentioned: Canada

A lot of people mentioned that they expect previous locations to be re-used, but didn’t specify which.

Favourite character

Arcade Gannon: 17 (a lot of my Fallout mutuals are Arcade stans, so there was probably a bit of bias here, but still, an impressive victory for Arcade!) Nick Valentine: 5 Craig Boone: 4 Rose of Sharon Cassidy: 4 Joshua Graham: 3 Raul Tejada: 3 Veronica Santangelo: 3 Fawkes: 3 Deacon: 2 John Hancock: 2 Courier Six: 2 Benny: 2 Lily Bowen: 2 Folks who got one vote: Goris (aside: THANK YOU for making me look up who this is, I have been blessed), Charon, John Henry Eden, Butch Deloria, Irving Gallows, X6-88, Harold, ED-E, Preston Garvey, Ronald Curtis/Picus, Cait, Gob, Ulysses and RJ MacCready

Least favourite character

Vulpes Inculta: 10 Shaun/Father: 8 Caesar: 7 Strong: 5 Paladin Danse: 4 Piper Wright: 3 Craig Boone: 2 Legate Lanius: 2 Parker Quinn: 2 Daniel (from Honest Hearts): 2 Jericho: 2 And the list with one vote: Antony, Mortimer, Three Dog, Princess, Dean Domino, Myron, Cait, Roger Maxson, Arthur Maxson, Justin Ayo, Colonel Autumn, Joshua Graham, Colin Moriarty, Aaron Kimball, Alistair Tenpenny, Ulysses and Robert Edwin House

Favourite faction

Followers of the Apocalypse: 30 (holy moly lol) New California Republic: 7 Minutemen: 6 Railroad: 5 The Kings: 4 Yes Man: 4 Brotherhood of Steel: 4 Caesar's Legion: 2 Enclave: 2 The Institute: 1 Great Khans: 1 Westside: 1 Megaton: 1 Ghoul settlements in general: 1

Favourite DLC

Old World Blues: 14 Dead Money: 12 Nuka World: 9 Far Harbor: 7 Lonesome Road: 6 Honest Hearts: 6 Point Lookout: 5 Broken Steel: 3 Operation Anchorage: 1 Mothership Zeta: 1 The Pitt: 1

When you think of a chem that removes addictions, which comes to mind first? 

When you think of Harold, which version of him do you picture? 

The fate of cats

New Plague symptoms

Does Duncan MacCready have the New Plague?

Are any characters secretly synths?

The synth-accused: Sole Survivor, Ulysses, Easy Pete, most birds, Travis Miles, Courier Six, Colter, Deacon, Mr House (’just for fun’), Piper, and many settlers in general

Also, @ respondent that I’m pretty sure was @hiscotti-biscotti​... 👀👀👀

Which New Vegas ending would you pick to be canon?

And finally, a handpicked selection of the gushing comments (got a bit long because there were so many I liked too much!)...

I wish they made the main quest harder to acces and finish, or to have more step to it... because once I played it one the experience wouldn't be the same. It so amazing discovering new location and being like 'I'm gonna explore that' so damn good.

The fallout franchise has one of the most beautiful heavy lore ridden world I've ever seen

I love the theme of change in the west coast trilogy and how strongly it contrasts the game's moto of "war never changes". I love how you can look at the changes to the NCR from shady sands to the republic but I also love how you can look at the Khans. People and factions do change, but waging war over petty dramas never does, you can escape it, but only if you admit you were wrong and change for the better.

I love the world and the characters. There is always some fucked up shit in the past that has a chance of snowballing into worse shit in the current time, like the  cazadores and the new plague. And when characters are written well, they have a chance of being the coolest part of the games, like with Nick Valentine/Hancock or any of the characters of New Vegas.

When things get creepy it's wonderful. More in the vein of Dead Money or the Glowing Sea please!

I love how in NV the apocalypse isn’t just the end of everything. There’s still culture! There’s towns! There’s just people vibing! It feels less like the apocalypse and more like a developed area that is experiencing a war. People moved on after 200 years. Because that’s what people do.

The hopefulness of rebuilding.

Hhhh LORE!!! Apocalypse aesthetic!!!!! HOPE AND LIGHT AND HEALING AND GOODNESS AND ALSO COOL WASTELAND SHIT AND DEATHCLAWS... fallout good.....

oh my god i love arcade gannon so much i dont know why but i am literally about to start studying latin at uni because of him.

Can I just say I love how fnv gave us LGBT characters without making the fact that they're lgbt their entire personality.

I can go through abandoned buildings without getting arrested.

I love that it's helped me make so many new friends and has reignited my creative drive.

Say what you will about robot fetishists but Fisto was the greatest thing to happen to the series. A true icon and reminder of wonderful writing and character design. They may say you can't make a flawless character, but I say "look at Fisto". Don't boo me, I'm right.

[edaworks]

@theartofblossoming Thank you! I’ve gotten hours of joy out of reading the adventures of your Vincent, Robert Mac and company so of course you can have a transcript, here it is below the cut - the letters are in chronological order.

FYI - Ben J. is my Lone Wanderer. He currently has Duncan (I’m very unoriginal, I’m afraid), and unbeknownst to RJ is also a mucky-muck Railroad agent who has gone dark on the rest of the organization with about zero warning because he’s got Duncan. He’s also an ass who has maxed Luck and Charisma and knowingly over-relies on both to BS his way through just about everything and dodge the consequences.

The painting is circa early February of 2088. The letters span a couple of months prior to this point but most are from the month before (I messed up a couple and they say “12-‘88″ in the drawing when they’re supposed to say “12-‘87″). It’s a while still - probably a few more months - before RJ does take Ben’s advice.

Letter Text:

[undated]              

[unreasonably large handwriting denoting displeasure]

RJ??

What in the actual loving FUCK???!!!!! were you thinking signing up with them?? DON’T MAKE ME COME UP THERE - BEN

12-‘87

[no greeting]

RJ, where the hell are you! We heard that Maxson was headed North – watch your back – you still working for that General? If so you might want to give her a heads up!

Stay safe out there, and good luck –

Moira

[undated, included with Moira’s letter above]

 I Love you Daddy! <3

<3 Duncan

P.S. I Met Mr. Fawkes!

(a/n: all the fun people hang out at Moira’s house)

12-’87 says 12-’88 in the drawing whoops

Dear Dad,

[shaky drawing of stick figure with giant dog]

I miss you!

XOXO

[undated, included with Duncan’s letter above]

My Most Esteemed Mayor MacPottymouth –

Yeah, we saw their ri-fucking-diculous dirigible when they headed out of Andrews. Thus far by all intel they’re gunning for the Institute but you know just as well as I do that they will run over every- [line break] thing/one in their path.

God, I miss Sarah so much.

Anyway keep your ass out of (more) trouble. Your last letter was funny as hell – I owe Three Dog a visit anyway – I’ll see what I can do.

- Ben J., your fave Mungo

(a/n: herp derp I live near the actual base where they got scrap to construct the Prydwen so my brain supplied Joint Base Andrews/Andrews AFB instead of the in-universe name Adams AFB)

[undated]

[Page 1 missing]

P. 2

[…] cannot believe the radio could possibly be so bad that you wrote Ben Jamison asking him to send word to Three Dog , just to see if he had any spare holos he could send North. That’s the funniest thing I’ve heard in the past three weeks. I have no idea how it could be bad enough to be worth THAT much effort, but just for that story we’ll send one of our spare Chuck Berry albums along with this letter.

Hang in there,

Joshua

P.S. – For shit’s sake, Mac, keep your current boss. The Gunners?! You’re damn lucky you got out of that alive. Like you that way for a while longer.

1-‘88

[shaky letters] Hi Daddy I drew you this [sic] Grognok!

[kid’s drawing that vaguely looks like it has long hair, loincloth & club in one…hand? Attached to arm? Unclear]

Love duncan XOXO

[undated, included with Duncan’s letter above]

[missing page 1]

[…] Next time you see our mutual acquaintance, please tell him that our buddy in Rivet City got a kick out of his new squad name – the Death Bunnies, really?...

- Ben J

[ally railsign has been doodled]

(a/n: headcanon warning

-        Ben is REALLY not being subtle at this point about Railroad business - he needs to get Nora’s attention and can only do so safely via these letters atm because of Headcanon Reasons

-        RJ met Deacon years ago in the Wasteland before he went by that name (also unoriginal, but it’s a small world, right?). Ben’s trying to get him to put the pieces together without outright saying “dude you already knew Deacon before you went North, wise up” in writing, but I headcanon all these people are HORRIBLE communicators

-        “our buddy in Rivet City” – either Butch DeLoria (who is well aware of Ben’s RR involvement), Harkness, or Father Clifford if he’s still alive

-        Missed message syndrome: RJ didn’t really read this letter closely and also doesn’t recognize the railsign at this point in time. Nora hasn’t taken him on any RR business yet because he’s made some asinine comments about synths and she’s like “ehhhhh I bet I can fix him” but she hasn’t pressed the issue yet. The issue gets pressed VERY shortly after this point

/end headcanon)

[undated letter fragment]

[…] nothing new to report that I can tell re: BoS after my last letter. We will keep “looking up” up here as well.

TALK TO NORA!

- Ben J.

1-‘88

LoVe You daddy! <3 (a/n: Duncan has learned to draw hearts)

[undated, included with Duncan’s letter above]

[parts missing]

…to ASK NORA, RJ!! Seriously!

- Ben J., your favorite Mungo (besides Nora)

1-‘88

[no greeting]

MAC JUST FREAKING ASK NORA FOR CRAP’S SAKE THE LADY IS CLEARLY A FORCE OF NATURE AND CARES ABOUT YOU!

For the love of radroach surprise. (a/n: shameless reference to Tyrrlin’s Fallout 4 fanfics)

- Ben J., Best Mungo

[undated, included with Ben’s letter above]

Daddy I love you will you be home soon? I love you! (a/n we are still too young to have grasped that a closing to a letter shouldn’t be exactly what you said in the letter)

1-‘88

P. 1

RJ –

[enormous letters] ASK NORA, DAMMIT!

 - Ben J

P. 2

Please.

 - Ben J.

Envelope:

[no return address, as per usual, not that it’s needed]

MacCready, in Goodneighbor, The Commonwealth

[undated, included with Ben’s letter above]

Hi Daddy I drew you a picture of us <3

[two vague stick figures, one large & one small, the larger of which has a green blob on its head]

[various undated letter scraps]

[…] to see you sometime soon. [this is from Princess and Knick-Knack]

[…] also Nick says hi. Stay safe, Princess] [also from Princess and Knick-Knack]

Still doing my new/VR playthrough of Fallout 4 so we are drawing #SadDads with letters from home this evening. There is, like, nothing my SoSu would not do for this kiddo and his precious child, GANGWAY Y’ALL

I’m going to assume his duster is in the laundry. Sorry Mac 😂

[quinzelade]

By No Constraint (chpt 71)

SS x Danse

Chapter List

Thanks to my amazing beta, @waiting4morning, for her wonderful work!

Tumblr has apparently changed its linking rules, meaning I can no longer externally link my FFnet or Ao3 accounts if I want my story to show up in the tag search on tumblr. If you want update alerts, please search ‘quinzelade’ on either of these sites and follow me there.

Apologies for the huge unplanned almost two month gap for this fic. The Manchester bombing happened, which was in my general part of the country, which meant work and other related stuff got busy for me, as everything got affected in that area tbh. Then I went to Normandy to take part in the memorial D-Day services over there. Now I’m in Texas, where I’ve finally had time to write.

I decided to finish up the last few chapters of BNC. They are all written out and beta’d, so with any luck I’ll be releasing them each week without any disruptions. I will be announcing what I intend to do in regards to other writing plans closer to the final chapter.

It's good to be back! I missed you all, and I hope you enjoy the ending of my long ass story. :)

Major Brotherhood/Danse spoilers.

–

Reparations

–

The holotags were to remain with Quinn.

Danse knew this—hated it—but he also understood the necessity. They had to be handed in to strike Marguerie off the Brotherhood’s list. Official closure, as well as supporting the story Quinn would give to anyone that asked.

Official closure.

Danse snorted to himself, his hands gripping at his gun. Official closure existed for one reason: to pass on the deceased holotags to their families. The malicious irony brought a sour taste to Danse’s mouth, and he felt his face twist with disgust. No one knew Marguerie’s daughter still lived. The tags would never reach their rightful owner.

Every step he took—every inch he moved from those tags—felt like a betrayal to Sarah. He was going to tell the girl her mother was dead, that he murdered Marguerie, and had nothing to show for it.

Well, not nothing. The sketchbook rested against his heart like a shield, pressing uncomfortably into his ribcage. Small price to pay for a child’s mother.

Would she remember him? It had been months since he’d seen her. Danse recalled how cheerful she’d been, even knowing her father was likely dead. And brave, too. Chasing after super mutants with rocks.

Danse grinned to himself, but the smile slipped away almost immediately. He told Marguerie this on her grave. And just like then, Danse knew she would have been proud of Sarah. A shame Sarah would have no memory of Marguerie at all...or maybe a blessing. Marguerie’s absence must have hurt on some level.

He wondered if Sarah would ever grow to be as tall as her mother. Now he thought about it, the idea of MacCready and Marguerie being an item wasn’t so strange. She’d always liked men shorter than her. George had only come up to her chin.

Danse chuckled to himself, the day she’d brought George to the base as clear as day. There had been some teasing from the other grunts, but for once, Marguerie didn’t rise to it. The smile on her face as she’d sat with George, ignoring the taunts, was clear for everyone to see: love.

Danse stopped in his tracks, staring across the dead landscape. In the distance, he could just make out the Slog, the sun gleaming off the surface of its tarberry filled pools. He focused on the shifting shimmers, trying to push Marguerie out of his mind, and then immediately found himself distracted as a brahmin ambled into view. For a panic-stricken second, he thought it was Weathers, before remembering Weathers was dead.

The discomfort that gripped him when they found the doctor’s body returned in full force. Although Danse wasn’t entirely certain of Weathers’ fate, he still had a pretty good idea, and it involved a certain ghoul pressing money into the outstretched hands of Weathers’ guards.

Danse wasn’t an idiot, and neither was Quinn. She would never buy his flippancy over Weathers’ death. He’d lied to her anyway.

Lied.

Danse felt slightly sick, even if he’d deceived her for the best of reasons. But he’d live with it. Danse knew Quinn, and he knew she’d feel responsible if he shared his suspicions. After all, she was the one to tell Hancock that Weathers took bribes from the Institute. And while Quinn was more than capable of doing what was necessary, she also clung to her outdated morals.

Danse loved her for them. Letting Weathers leave on the proviso he never came back, despite his Institute leanings. Honouring a man’s word and upholding hers in turn. It was so...pre-war.

Danse supposed that’s why deciding Carson’s fate took so long. But Quinn had deemed Carson a potential threat. Weathers, she had not, now the Institute was gone. And to have him killed when he posed no immediate risk…

No, Quinn would not approve. So Danse lied. She had enough on her plate at the moment without the added guilt of a worthless corpse.

Danse shook his head and strode on. He was fixating on something he only suspected, even though the evidence was pointing to the same person. But what Hancock may or may not have done was none of Danse's business. He had Quinn and Charlie to think about.

Slowly, he drew near to the Slog. Even from a distance, Danse could see the ghoul residents tense at his arrival. His face was still covered. Hoping they wouldn’t be too alarmed when found out who he was, Danse made his way over to Wiseman. “I don’t know you remember me, but…”

A chorus of “Paladin Danse!” hit the air, the residents moving to crowd around him. Danse winced, casting a sharp glance over his shoulder as if the Brotherhood were right at his heels, and he heard Wiseman hiss, “Shh! You know he’s supposed to be dead!”

“Thanks,” Danse replied, turning back to face Wiseman and holding out his hand.

Wiseman stared at him, and Danse inwardly cursed. The first time he’d been here, he’d been nothing short of awful. Of course they wouldn’t forget that in a hurry. The only reason they’d tolerated him was because of Quinn, and she wasn’t here now.

“Sorry,” Danse said quickly, attempting to withdraw. But Wiseman seized his hand and shook vigorously.

“I don’t remember the last time a smoothskin offered to shake hands,” the ghoul rasped, beaming.

“It’s not a big deal,” muttered Danse, his cheeks hot.

“Oh, but it is.” Wiseman fixed Danse with a piercing stare. “It really is. You’ve come a long way, Paladin.” He gave a friendly squeeze and let go.

“I’m not a paladin anymore,” Danse replied, meeting Wiseman’s eye. “And that’s probably for the best.”

Wiseman laughed, stepping forward and clapping Danse on the shoulder. “Come on. Let’s get you a drink. What’s your poison? And where’s Quinn?”

“Non-alcoholic,” Danse said as the two of them walked inside the building in the centre of the settlement. “Quinn had business with the Brotherhood. She’ll be joining me here later. But—”

“Nuka-Cherry?” Wiseman said, opening a cupboard and pulling out a dusty, magenta bottle.

“Uh.” Danse blinked. He’d never tried anything other than normal Nuka-Cola. “Sure.”

Wiseman produced a rusted bottle opener from his pocket, prised off the cap, and then slipped both back into his pocket. He passed the drink to Danse, who cautiously sipped. It was far sweeter than normal cola, but nice in its own way.

Danse had a little more to be polite, then said, “I’m not on a social visit unfortunately.”

“Oh?” Wiseman poured himself vodka, neat, and sipped it from a chipped coffee mug.

Danse stared at the alcohol, momentarily distracted, before shaking his head. Focus. “I’m here to see Sarah. The little girl?”

“Sarah?” Wiseman repeated, and Danse heard something in the ghoul’s tone he didn’t like. “Why do you want to see her?”

“I...I think I found her mother. Her name was Marguerie. Ra—”

“Was?” There was a clatter as Wiseman knocked over his mug, sending vodka everywhere. But he didn’t seem to notice, staring hard at Danse. “Is Rachel…?”

Danse nodded. “Yes.” Wiseman knew Marguerie’s first name, without being told. Danse’s doubts melted away, though his stomach still felt tight. He forged on. “I need to speak to Sarah. Need to...pass on some items, as well as the bad news.”

Wiseman pressed his lips together, his ravaged face paling. Danse waited, dread starting to creep over him as the ghoul struggling to speak. Finally, Wiseman’s brow knotted together and he bit his lip. “I’m...I’m sorry, Danse. Sarah’s gone.”

--

Quinn's breaths beat to the rhythm of her footsteps, sharp and painful. She didn't know where else to go, what to do. Maxson's attitude enraged her. After everything she told him, the first thing he could comment on was her relationship with Danse. Why was it so important to him? Why was he so fixated on condemning Danse and keeping her here?

She shook her head and stomped on, ignoring the initiates that scurried out of her way to avoid her wrath. No doubt some of her altercation with Maxson had carried to the rest of the ship. She only hoped the finer details had been lost in the scuffle. As she reached the middle of the walkways, though, Quinn stopped. There was one place on this stupid ship she was guaranteed privacy. Maxson wouldn't follow her there now—not after the way she'd spoken to him.

Smiling bitterly to herself, she turned on her heel and marched back the way she came, before turning right to the officers' dorms. At the end of this new corridor was her own room. Her sanctuary away from so many staring, questioning eyes.

She opened the door, and halted in the doorway, staring. There was someone sitting on her bed, someone she hadn't expected to find.

"Josh?"

Joshua Cooper sprang to his feet at once, scarlet in the face. He practically punched himself in the chest as he saluted and said, "Ma'am! Sorry for the intrusion, ma'am!"

Quinn smiled at him. "Relax, Josh. I said you could come here, remember?"

Josh's faced deepened to maroon, his fist still digging into his chest. "I know, but...I didn't want you to find me here."

"Why not?"

"Because...it's a private place."

Quinn frowned. Private for who? She gestured for him to sit down, and after a few seconds, Josh relented, letting his arm fall to his side. Quinn grabbed the chair from next to the old desk, and set it down opposite him. Then she went to the lockers lining the walls and rummaged through them. The last time she had done this, it was Bantios who needed her comfort. Quinn felt a pang in her chest as she located her stash of Nuka-Colas, and wondered how good of a job she did after all. He'd still gone to fight the Institute. He'd still died. Saved everyone in the process. Quinn hadn't even stayed for his funeral.

"Ma'am?" came Josh's high voice from behind her. "Ma'am, are you alright?"

"Yeah, fine," Quinn lied, stepping back from the lockers, a bottle clutched in each hand.

"Oh, wow! Nuka-Cola!" he said at once, sounding thrilled. "My mom only ever let me try it once!"

There was a pause, and Josh made a noise like he was being strangled. Then he pulled his knees to his chest and buried his face in them.

Quinn decided not to comment and instead prised the caps off the edge of her desk, grinning slightly at the thought of Danse's expression if he could see her now. He'd be horrified at her using his old workspace for such a purpose. She wiped the smile away as she approached Josh, though, and nudged him gently with his bottle as she sat down in her chair. It wasn't as comfy as Mrs. Bossanova's old armchair, but it would do.

Eventually, after a few dogged nudges, Josh took the bottle and sipped reluctantly. Quinn saw his eyes widen slightly before taking a longer swig, like a broken man drowning his sorrows with booze.

"How have you been, Josh?" Quinn said, drinking from her own bottle.

"Shit," he muttered.

"Hey," Quinn said sharply, making Josh flinch. "No swearing."

God, I sound like my mother used to.

"You swear! I've heard you!" Josh replied indignantly. God, he sounds like I used to.

"Yeah, well," Quinn mumbled, hiding her hypocrisy behind another sip of the cola, "it's a bad habit. Don't do it. I won't be letting my son swear."

"He will if you carry on swearing," Josh said bluntly, glaring at her. "Kids look up to their parents." He paused, looking upset. Josh hid his face behind his knees again, holding the bottle lazily between his fingers. It was at great risk of falling. Quinn leaned forward and plucked it from his hand, setting it down on the floor next to her.

She was reminded of Nate's annoyance whenever she’d sworn in front of Shaun, telling her she was setting a bad example to their son. Quinn had promised she'd put a lid on it, and managed for a while. Then the apocalypse happened. Small promises fell by the wayside after that.

"They'll be proud of you," Quinn said gently, setting her own drink down. "Because you're right. Charlie will copy me."

Josh lifted his fingers slightly to show he heard her but didn't look up.

"How are things with Michelle?"

"Bad," Josh said, his voice muffled by his knees. "All she does is cry. She's stopped teaching, too. They had to get a scribe called Haylen to take over.” He finally raised his head again. "I like Haylen. She's nice."

Quinn smiled. "I like Haylen too. She's a friend of mine."

Josh seemed to uncoil himself, sitting up straighter. "I like coming to talk with you, ma'am. Can I...am I allowed to talk to you more often?"

Quinn bit her lip. "Josh..."

His face fell. "Oh. Sorry." He started to get up from the bed, looking embarrassed.

“No, it's not like that," Quinn said quickly, holding out a hand to stop him. "I'd be more than happy to talk with you if...if I was staying."

Josh fell back onto the bed with a soft flump. "You're leaving?"

Quinn nodded. "I have a new mission, elsewhere in the Commonwealth. It's going to take a long time to do. I might never be coming back." At the look on Josh's face she hastily added, "I'm sorry! I know it's not the best news but—"

"Take me with you," Josh said at once, grabbing her hand. "Please, take me with you. Don't leave me here. Please!"

Quinn's words caught in her throat. More than anything, she wanted him away from the Brotherhood. She could see the misery this place inflicted on him. The loneliness. An Elder Maxson in the making. But with the plans she had for Sanctuary, and the ideals the Brotherhood put into their children, it wouldn't be safe to bring him. He would hate what he saw. May even try to escape back to the Prydwen if it became too much. And not only would he risk his life in the attempt, but if he made it, then Charlie and Danse's lives would be at risk, too.

She cared for Josh. But he wasn't her son.

Quinn shook her head. "I'm sorry, Josh. I can't. It's too dangerous. No mission for a child. Besides, if you went with me. You'd never see Michelle again. Or any of your friends. Or—"

"I don't want to see her again," Josh said, his face burning scarlet. "I don't care about this place anymore. My mom and dad are dead, and for what? You couldn't even tell me why they died! Because they died for nothing! I'm on my own, and it was for nothing!"

He screamed the last sentence in her face. Quinn didn't stop him. Didn't even challenge him. He was right. But it changed nothing. Even if Josh adapted to life at Sanctuary, to Danse's survival, to all her plans, Maxson would never agree to let him go. And if she took him, the Brotherhood would turn the wasteland upside-down to find him. Missing soldiers were one thing, but children? She knew enough of Maxson's history to understand he would stop at nothing to make sure the boy was safe.

“No,” Quinn said, making her tone cold and final. “You have to stay here.”

Josh glared up at her. “Fuck. You.”

He wrenched his hands away and ran from the room before she could so much as move. Quinn sat in her uncomfortable chair, shocked, letting what had just happened sink in. She could have taken him away from all of this. Taken him somewhere he could be a normal kid.

Quinn stayed sitting in the empty room a little while longer, staring at the wall, before forcing herself to get up. There were things to do. No time to mope. She had to say goodbye to Carson.

--

Maxson was already in the sick bay when Quinn walked through the door. He turned around to see who had entered, and then promptly put his back to her. When he began to speak again, it was as if she wasn’t in the room.

“I need people I can trust with the operations ahead of me. The Sentinel speaks most highly of you, and given the circumstances we discussed, I think you have shown you stand for what is right above all else. Do you agree?”

“I...yes sir.” Carson was pale and wide-eyed, staring up at Maxson. Aside from when he’d been questioned over Danse’s synth status alongside Rachel, Quinn was sure Carson had never held an actual conversation with Maxson.

“Good.” Maxson saluted. “Ad victoriam, Knight-Sergeant.”

“Ad victoriam, sir.” Carson tried to salute, but his arm trembled and dropped lamely back to his side. If Maxson cared, he didn’t show it, striding from the room without another word and deliberately avoiding Quinn’s eye.

They waited until Maxson’s footsteps died away. Quinn cleared her throat. “What was all that about?”

“I’ve been promoted,” Carson said weakly, staring at the foot of his bed.

“Congratulations.” The word sounded insincere, and Quinn felt her cheeks burn. However, Carson shrugged.

“He said he had a conversation with you about the future of the Brotherhood. He wants my input when I’m better. Said as a survivor of what happened with Rachel, I’m in the best position to advise him so that it doesn’t happen again. Highlight the failings that caused her to slip so far.” Carson looked up at Quinn, and she saw an empty sorrow in his gaze. But then something shifted, and anger blossomed from the depths. “You—”

An irregular clunking made him stop, and seconds later, Kapraski burst into the room, leaning heavily on his crutch. “Christ, am I allowed back now? What the hell was he playing at, sending me out? You’re my partner, for christsakes!”

“Tom—” Carson began, but Kapraski ignored him, propping himself precariously on the crutch while he started fussing over the state of Carson’s pillows, which were not sufficiently fluffed to Kapraski’s satisfaction.

“Tom,” Carson said louder. “I need to speak to Quinn.”

Kapraski paused, his brow furrowing. “So? Whatever it is, you can say it in front of me. I already had to wait somewhere else while Maxson was here. I’m not doing it again.”

“Yes, you are.” Carson locked eyes with Kapraski and frowned. “Please leave.”

Kapraski was as stunned as Quinn felt. Carson had never been so firm with his boyfriend before, usually letting Kapraski take the lead. Now he was putting his foot down. The effect was quite unnerving.

“I…” Kapraski glanced at Quinn, clearly hurt. Then he nodded. “Alright. I’ll just be down the hall.” His eyes flicked back to Quinn as he said, “Come find me when you’re done.” With that, he managed to get himself upright and hobbled out from the sick bay.

Carson sighed as Kapraski left. “He’s pissed. I’ll be in for it later.”

Quinn sat herself down on Cade’s desk and studied him. “What do you want to talk about?”

“You know what.” Carson nodded towards the open door, menace cracking his features. “You told Maxson? Did you even stop to consider what kind of shit you might be dropping me in?”

Quinn hesitated. Carson had been honest with her over Rachel. She owed it to him to be honest over Maxson. “I did.”

“And you told him anyway?” When Quinn nodded, he let out a sharp, bitter laugh. “Oh, I see. Fish me out of the frying pan and throw me into the fire, right?”

“It’s not like that—” she began.

“I know it’s not,” Carson snapped, glaring at her. “Lucky for you, Maxson didn’t flip the fuck out and have me executed on the spot to hide his secret. But you didn’t know that. Anything could have happened. Tom could have been dragged into it as well.” He was almost snarling at her, his hands balled into fists.

“The Brotherhood is going to run itself into the ground,” Quinn said, too tired to dance around the matter anymore. “It’s unsustainable. I told him about Rachel to prove a point. Maxson needs to change. The Brotherhood needs to change. If it doesn’t, it will die.”

Carson didn’t answer, taking in quick, ragged breaths that made his chest appear to spasm. Quinn bit her lip and then sighed.

“I’m leaving, Carson. And I won’t be coming back.”

Carson looked up at her, blinking slowly, his mouth open. “You’re…leaving?”

Quinn nodded. “But...if you’re scared…” She fidgeted. “I can wait until you’re better, and then you can leave with me. You and Kapraski. Sanctuary isn’t like the place where you were born. No one will judge you for who you are.”

There was a stab of guilt within her as she offered out the one thing she’d denied Josh. But she knew Carson, at least, was safe. And Kapraski hadn’t shown animosity to Nick when they’d met. He was safe too.

Carson blinked again, and turned his head from her to stare around Cade’s office. Quinn knew his only love for the place was the community he felt. The acceptance. He could get that just as much in Sanctuary. Quinn thought he might jump at the chance. She was wrong.

“No,” he said, blinking quickly now, his eyes shining bright. “No. I can’t do that to Tom.”

“But he can come with you,” Quinn replied, feeling confused now.

“It’s not that, he…” Carson’s face scrunched in despair. “Tom needs to fly, to pilot a vertibird again one day. It’s the only thing keeping him going. If we leave, he loses that for good. I won’t take it from him.”

“But you said you were worried that—”

“I’m angry you didn’t think things through.” His face hardened again. “You took a big risk telling the Elder what happened. But that wouldn’t push me enough to leave.”

“Even if it got you killed?”

“Dying isn’t too much of a burden.” He raised an eyebrow at the look on her face. “I’m not suicidal or anything. I want to live, but...well, I wouldn’t know I was dead either. Tom would be upset, but he’d get over it. Move on.” Carson’s brow creased. “Tom is happiest in the sky. I want him to be happy. And I want you to be safe. I don’t really care what happens to me past that.”

Quinn wondered how she could have ever doubted his sincerity. She slid from the desk as he stretched his hand out to her and locked her fingers through his. The weight of her decision was finally taking its toll. She would never see Carson again. Never laugh or joke with him, cry on his shoulder, or console him in turn. Never…

The two of them were suddenly hugging, though Quinn had no recollection of who started it. She arched her back up, trying to avoid pressing on his wounded chest, only for Carson to drag her close. He grunted with pain, but dug his fingers into her arms as she tried to pull away. Quinn understood. The last one should mean something, no matter how much it hurt.

Eventually, they broke apart, both wiping at their eyes.

“Don’t get yourself skewered,” Quinn said, trying to smile.

“And don’t let yourself get shot,” Carson countered, struggling to keep his tone playful. “I won’t be able to drag you out again.”

“I know.”

There seemed nothing else to say that wouldn’t prolong the parting. Quinn took his hand, gave his fingers a final squeeze, and left.

--

It was almost dusk by the time Quinn arrived at the Slog. Danse heard her before he saw her, exiting her power armour with a grating clunk and cheerfully greeting Wiseman. Danse drained his Nuka-Cola, setting it down next to the pile of empty bottles, and slowly got to his feet. He had been sitting outside on the ground, back to the wall, basking in the sun. Numb.

Quinn wrapped her arms around him, planting a kiss on his lips, and Danse tried to force some enthusiasm into the embrace. When they broke apart, she frowned at him.

“Everything okay?” Quinn asked, touching his cheek. “How did the talk with Sarah go?”

“It...it didn’t.” Danse dropped his gaze. “She left the Slog months ago.”

“Left?” Her worry was clear. “But she’s only a kid!” Quinn looked over her shoulder to where Wiseman lingered. “You let her go?”

“No, we—” Wiseman began.

“She went with Arlen Glass in the middle of the night,” Danse interrupted, and Quinn turned sharply to face him again. “Or that’s what everyone suspects. No one actually saw them.”

“Arlen was always close with Sarah,” Wiseman said with a shrug. “And after Sarah’s dad got dragged away by the mutants…” He heaved a great sigh. “Arlen became like a father to her. Almost inseparable. But then he started playing this tape, over and over again, with a young girl talking on it. A week later, he was gone. And Sarah with him.”

Quinn didn’t seem to be listening, staring instead at Danse. Danse could barely look at her, barely think. The one thing he’d promised to Marguerie—to speak to Sarah, to protect her—and he’d failed almost immediately. He had broken his word.

Quinn apparently read his mind. She put her arms around his neck pulled him down so that his chin rested where her neck met her shoulder. Danse closed his eyes. She didn’t need to speak to tell him it wasn’t his fault. He could feel it in how tight she held him.

They didn’t stay long after that. Wiseman tried to convince them otherwise, but the place felt like a bitter reminder of how fruitless Danse’s actions had been. Marguerie would be sneering if she could see him now.

At Quinn’s insistence, they made their way to the old bunker to collect the last of Danse’s things. Surprisingly enough, the place hadn’t been looted, but he found himself somewhat detached from the items that had been so dear to him not that long ago. He glared at the Brotherhood flag hung on the wall, and then walked past it, calmly picking up the chipped shot glass and the book Quinn had given him.

His Brotherhood armour stood not too far away, side by side with the set Quinn and the others helped him acquire. He studied it, a pang in his chest. Despite everything that had happened, Danse still felt drawn to it, to the memories lingering in the steel. Now he knew what he was, this armour had been his longest, most faithful companion.

He jumped as Quinn touched his arm.

“Take it all with you,” she said quietly, nodding from his armour to the tattered flag. “Even if you’re feeling bitter. You can decide later whether you want to keep them.”

“I can only choose one set,” Danse said, his eyes still fixed on the Brotherhood armour.

“We’ll come back for the other later.”

Her words made sense, but he didn’t want to return to this bunker ever again. Not unless he had to. It was a dank, gloomy place that stunk of decay, and woven deep into his now distant grief of being a synth. Being back here was making him ache with despair. Danse twitched his nose, wrestling for another topic. “What happened on the Prydwen?”

Quinn suddenly looked anguished herself. In a monotone, she told him of Carson and Maxson, and everything in-between. Danse wasn’t surprised she was truthful with Maxson—he even felt a twinge of pride at her honesty, but it was quickly wiped away as she described the struggle that ensued. “He grabbed you?”

Quinn shrugged, reaching up to unpin the flag from the wall. “It’s no big deal. I tried to punch him first.”

But the sleeve of her jacket slipped down, revealing darkening bruises in the shape of fingers on her wrist. Danse snarled and strode over to Quinn, ignoring her look of alarm as he took hold of her as firmly as he dared and tugged the sleeve down more. He stared at the marks for a second, blood pounding through his ears, and then said, “Maxson did this?”

The tremor in Danse’s voice was all too clear. Quinn bit her lip as their eyes met, and then gave a small nod. “Please, don’t do anything. He was only restraining me.”

Danse let go of her, breathing hard. He didn’t know why it made him so angry. Quinn was right—she had hit first, and in any other situation, Maxson’s response would be justified.

But he’d hurt Quinn.

Danse turned to the flag on the wall, still pinned in place. In one sharp movement, he tore it down, throwing it to the floor.

“Danse!” Quinn moved in front of him, her eyes wide. “There’s no point getting upset over something so small! Maxson’s an asshole. Just let it be.”

“You’re one to talk,” Danse retorted, clenching and unclenching his fists. He needed to regain his composure, and he was trying, but… “You tried to hit the man because he insulted me!”

Quinn smiled and caressed his cheek. “Then we’re as bad as each other.”

Her touch was like a sedative. The rage drained away at once, replaced by a dull warmth. She wanted him to be calm. He would be calm. Danse exhaled heavily and nodded, placing his hand over hers. Then he gently tugged her arm away and kissed each of the bruises, with slow, careful deliberateness. “Are you sure you’re alright?”

“Of course I’m alright.” She stood on her tiptoes and kissed his nose. “It’s just Maxson. He doesn’t matter.”

“No. He doesn’t.” The words felt foreign in Danse’s mouth, but he meant them.

They stood in silence for a few moments, and then resumed packing Danse’s things, stacking them in a little pile to put in the power armour of his choosing. Danse didn’t bother to pick the Brotherhood flag off the floor.

“Oh, by the way,” Quinn said as they worked, “I spoke to Joshua Cooper earlier: Vivian and Stephen’s son.”

Danse looked up at her. Her tone suggested she had been sitting on this information for a while, waiting for the right time to tell him. She busied herself around the workbench, avoiding his eye, though apparently without really moving anything.

“He...he wanted to come with me,” she said. “Hates being on the ship. Hates being with his aunt. Begged me to take him away from the Brotherhood.”

Danse frowned. “Why isn’t he here then?”

Quinn glanced at him. “I thought it was obvious. He knows you’re a synth. What if he reacts badly to it? Tries to leave?”

“Has he ever shown any anti-synth sentiment?”

“No,” Quinn said quickly, an odd expression her face. She straightened up, her brow furrowed. “And his parents never did, either. Vivian said you didn’t deserve what you got. That you were a good man.”

Danse blinked. Viv, on his side? But that was neither here nor there. They were talking about Josh. He shook his head and said, “Then I repeat my question. Why isn’t he here?”

“Well...I’m worried about how Charlie might react to it. He’s already feeling neglected.”

“Charlie might not like it at first,” Danse admitted, “or he might find Josh good company. We don’t know. I don’t think such a small uncertainty is worth leaving Josh behind.”

“Charlie’s happiness isn’t a small uncertainty,” she snapped.

“You know what I meant,” Danse replied, not rising to her ire. What she was saying made sense, but this was Viv and Stephen’s son. If Danse had the opportunity to make a difference...

“I just…” Quinn hesitated. “Even without the issue of Charlie, is bringing Josh home too risky?”

Danse considered this. Sarah surfaced in his mind, far beyond his reach. Maxson, and what he had become right under Danse’s nose. Stephen and Vivian, his old friends, abandoned by him after Cutler’s death. Each indirect failure an old, painful scar. He wouldn’t add another one.

“No,” Danse said truthfully. “It’s not too risky.”

It was as if Quinn had been waiting on a signal. She tore across the room without a second thought, clambering into her armour.

“Wait, where are you going?” Danse asked, bewildered.

“To get Josh, if I can.” The armour sealed itself, and Quinn jogged across the room, picking her rifle off the table. “I’ll need Maxson’s help.”

The idea of her going back to Maxson filled him with dread. Maxson wasn’t known for his patience over blatant insubordination, and Quinn was the posterchild for defiance. To go back now could provoke him into something rash. Danse had the fleeting urge to stop her, until she turned, her helmet under her arm, and he saw the expression on her face.

Permission, Danse realised. She was asking for permission.

Intentionally or not, he’d just given it her. Now only a second apocalypse would stop Quinn returning to the Prydwen. Danse stayed silent as she put her helmet on and checked over her rifle. His heart was racing. They’d escaped, and now she was going back.

But before she headed towards the elevator, she turned to him, and Danse’s breath caught in his throat.

“Thank you,” she said, tapping her fingers on her rifle. “For not telling me to play it safe and leave him behind.”

Danse nodded, biting his tongue. He didn’t trust himself to speak.

Quinn made a noise as if she was going to say something else, but then thought better of it. She marched over to the elevator, stepped inside, and disappeared from sight. The sound of grinding metal slowly faded, leaving Danse alone. He turned on the spot, the cold biting him, the dim lighting making his headache. He felt as lost as the day he’d learned he was a synth, alone and unsure what to do.

Like an old friend, the bunker enveloped him. It was as if he’d never left.

--

“Sir!”

Quinn nearly fell at Maxson’s feet as she skidded to a halt, her boots slipping on the metal floor. Her armour had been left on the outer decks. Maxson looked slowly over his shoulder, feet rooted to the spot, and glared at her.

“Sir now, is it?” Maxson said coldly. He looked back out of the office window, a drink in his hand. “Get out.”

“Please.” Quinn paused, trying to catch her breath. “It’s important. You know I wouldn’t be here otherwise.”

Maxson raised his glass, sipped from it, and then spoke to the window. “True.”

Silence.

“I watched you return,” he said eventually, his voice flat. “And wondered what would drag you back before you’d ever truly left.”

Quinn didn’t reply, her ragged breaths heavy in the quiet. She began breathing through her nose instead, trying not to disturb the tension in the air.

Maxson turned sharply around, nodding to his guards. “Knight-Sergeants. Dismissed.”

The guards saluted and obeyed without question, their clanging, armoured footsteps quickly fading away. Maxson waited until the suffocating silence returned before speaking. He looked at her in disgust. “What do you want?”

His tone was curt and crisp, sharpened with dislike and pointed at her throat.

Quinn did not break eye contact. “Do you remember Field Scribe Cooper and Knight-Sergeant Cooper?”

“Yes.”

“Their son, Joshua...he asked to go with me. I wondered if...”

“No.”

The word hit her like a bullet. “But, sir, if he wants to go with me —”

“No.” As Maxson whipped around to face her, he set down his glass so carelessly it spun straight off the edge of the table. Dregs of spirit splashed all over his boots as the glass shattered on the floor, but Maxson ignored it. “You will not take a single child off this ship. He belongs with his family.”

“His family is dead,” Quinn shot back, tensing up herself. “He can’t stand his aunt, and from what I can gather, she’s in no fit state to be looking after the boy in the first place.”

“We are a brotherhood in more than name. We will look after him.”

“The same way Rachel was looked after?”

“By the tone of Knight-Captain Cade’s report, Knight-Sergeant Marguerie had a penchant for bending others to her will.” Maxson gave a slight shake of his head. “Even if Cade wrongly blames himself.”

All at once, the tension left Quinn. There was something in the way he spoke, the way he held himself—like a yao guai defending its cubs. She knew he cared about the people on the Prydwen, but it struck her she’d never grasped just how much.

She stared at Maxson, and he stared back, until slowly, almost reluctantly, he began to relax too.

“The boy stays here,” Maxson said firmly. “He’s lost too much already. To take him away from all he’s known, after losing his parents so soon—it will...he…” Maxson broke eye contact as his voice wavered, and his lips parted around an unspoken word. Then he closed his mouth again and fixed his gaze at the broken glass on the floor.

“It’s not the same as you,” Quinn said gently, and Maxson’s head jerked up in her direction. “He’s miserable here. He wants to go with me. All he’s ever experienced is military procedures and war. He’s lost both of his parents to something he doesn’t understand—something I can’t explain. Not to a ten year old boy. I doubt you understood much of what was happening at his age either.”

Maxson swallowed, pale now. Slowly, he shook his head.

Quinn took a deep breath. “Josh deserves a chance of a normal childhood. Let me take him.”

Maxson’s brow furrowed, but this time he didn’t look away. “He’s been raised by our ideals. If he sees Danse—”

Quinn bit back a grin. “His mother wasn’t as strict on synths as she was supposed to be. She said as much to me when she thought Danse had been executed. I think Josh will be the same. But I’ll talk to him. And if I think he’s...” She bit her lip. “...too Brotherhood, then I’ll leave him in your care.”

Maxson shut his eyes, as if in pain. When he opened them again, though, they were sharp and piercing—his usual glare. “You risked a great deal today to place your trust in me. It’s time I returned the favour. You have my permission to take Squire Cooper, on the condition he is willing to go, and that you believe he will be happy and...and safe.”

Quinn smiled, relief flooding through her. “Thank you, sir.”

Maxson turned back to the window.

“Go.”

[chaosintheavenue]

Fallout OC Survey Canon Relationship Results

The most common responses to the two questions focusing on relationships with canon characters were family members that the game forces onto the player (James and Catherine for Lone Wanderers, Shaun and Nate or Nora for Sole Survivors, the Vault Dweller for Chosen Ones, the Chosen One for Vault Dwellers, Pat and the Arroyo Elder for both of those...), but I'm going to exclude them for now to see which other characters people have chosen to associate their OCs with (I did, however, include instances where it was specified that a Sole Survivor had adopted synth Shaun). I also left out implied relations (e.g. someone related to the Chosen One is also implied to be related to the Arroyo Elder and the Vault Dweller), sticking just to the answers that were directly given.

A few people did accidentally enter responses for the wrong questions, which I only became aware of through specification in the answers or the respondent getting in touch with me, so bear in mind there's a chance some more are the wrong way round!

Family members (including adoption and in-laws)

Chosen One: 6 Synth Shaun: 5 Vault Dweller: 5 Courier Six: 5 Arcade Gannon: 5 Boone: 4 Raul: 4 Lone Wanderer: 4 Sole Survivor: 3 Caesar: 3 Joshua Graham: 2 Synth Nick Valentine: 2 Regis: 2 Butch: 2 Mr House: 2 And the list of solo responses: Doc Mitchell, Nat, Oscar Velasco, Jessup, McMurphy, Papa Khan, Charon, Veronica, human Nick Valentine, Mama Murphy, Colonel Hsu, Obadiah Blackhall, Nate (with 'Nora' as the Sole Survivor), Madison Li, Colonel Autumn, the Arroyo Elder, Herman Gomez, Pepper Gomez, DiMA, Faraday, Danse, Hancock, Dead Sea, Preston Garvey, MacCready, an unspecified Kings member, the Great Khans in general, and the Cabot family

(by the way, the high instances of player characters in this list was influenced by one person who has all of their player characters related to each other, which I thought was a really cool concept!)

Partners

Hancock: 21 MacCready: 18 Arcade Gannon: 16 Nick Valentine: 14 Butch: 14 Deacon: 13 Charon: 11 Boone: 11 Danse: 10 Piper: 8 Cait: 7 Porter Gage: 7 Benny Gecko: 6 Cass: 6 Vulpes Inculta: 5 Amata: 5 Preston Garvey: 4 Ulysses: 4 Joshua Graham: 4 Curie: 4 Sarah Lyons: 4 Raul: 2 Sturges: 2 Legate Lanius: 2 Arthur Maxson: 2 Magnolia: 2 Freddie Gomez: 2 Harkness: 2 Aaand the 'one list': Sydney, Star Paladin Cross, Scribe Neriah, Ringo, Gob, Mr House, Red Lucy, Miria, Sarah Weintraub, Gloria Van Graff, Maria Chavez, John Cassidy, Clover, Captain Curtis, Ranger Ghost, Kent Connolly, Sunny Smiles, Sonya, Timebomb, Christine Royce, Marjorie, the Lone Wanderer, Caesar, Manny Vargas, X6-88, Veronica, Glory, and Paul Hannon Jr

A few characters appeared in the results that I'm almost certain were OCs (as Google searches yielded nothing relevant) or mistakes (e.g. one response listed Roger Maxson as a partner alongside Fallout 4 characters- including Arthur Maxson- and I wasn't sure who they actually meant), so I left them out. But if you put down a character who isn't shown here and they are in fact a canon NPC, please let me know!