#and an eavesdropping deacon

[kitkat-the-muffin]

For fun I reread Cinderella Boy and kept track of everything in the following categories:

What the boys know about Buddy and vice versa:

Buddy:

Knows Chase is 18

Knows Chase takes dance lessons (or more accurately that he’s on a dance team). Amendment: knows Chase took 4 years of dance lessons

Knows that Chase knows basically nothing about the keys and their actual power

Knows Chase has a gluten allergy

Knows Chase is sensitive to gore and violence

Knows Chase is a fan of musicians

Knows Chase loves to sing

POSSIBLY knows Chase’s full name and trademark (if he was actively listening)

Knows Chase is on good terms with Silver

Thinks Chase stole the Heroine and Helper keys

Knows Deacon chose the cat story (this will affect his perception of him)

Knows Chase dislikes boats because he is scared of the water (and that Chase is prone to seasickness)

Knows Deacon likes making plans

Is under the impression that Deacon and Chase met on the bus

POSSIBLY knows about Chase’s grandpa (depends on his eavesdropping abilities during their first meeting)

Knows that Chase found his key with the missing page from the book that supposedly belongs to the “old man” (this further supports the misconception he has that Chase stole them)

Chase:

Is aware Buddy has allies

Knows Buddy is NOT sensitive to gore and violence

Knows Buddy hates singing but likes dancing

Believes Buddy is on bad terms with Violet

Believes Buddy doesn’t know his full name

Knows Buddy is a Drama Queen

Knows Buddy hates getting wet

Knows Buddy is searching for the keys and expected someone else to have Silver

Deacon:

Is aware of Buddy and Ex Libris and pays more attention to that info than Chase does

Believes Buddy does know Chase’s full name

Thinks Buddy is very intense

Knows Buddy is a tsundere lol (or at least I think he’s capable of picking up the hints of the trope)

Knows Buddy is a Drama Queen

Knows Buddy hates him in particular

Knows Buddy hates getting wet

Suspects that Buddy is working for someone else

Additional notes:

Chase used to have a copy of the book he found Silver’s key in as a kid

Buddy says he needs to get the Heroine key back “before the old man finds out something’s missing”

The keys cannot be removed from their user’s person within the story

Chase has a friend named Simon who flakes out on dance practice

Buddy says that there are people more deserving of the keys, implying he has people in mind. He also says “our keys” implying he has allies

Gaining Narratonin takes mental fortitude

It is acknowledged that Buddy uses some kind of unknown method to end up in the same books Chase does

Buddy loves bugs and insects

Boris the horse hates Deacon

In Cinderfella (I), Buddy agrees to stop trying to bully Chase out of the books if he can complete all of the original Cinderella novel

Buddy drew a smiley face at the bottom of the chore list. I just think that’s neat

Buddy is willing to give Chase hints to progress the story

When Buddy tells Chase to water the grave of Cinderella’s mother, the task makes him feel uncomfortable and he asks to opt out of it (which he can’t). He says it hits too close to him :(

Story-relevant clothing disappears once a key-holder is wearing it

Fairytale food has no effect on the digestive system

Chase feeding and naming the birds. I just love that. One of them is named Jake

Silver’s full name is Little Silver

Silver says that entering someone else’s book without having the book on hand is impossible, meaning Buddy is breaking some kind of rule (unless he is a part of Ex Libris and is using an unknown spell)

Narratonin is the pure form of humanity’s enjoyment of stories

There are 12 keys in total

Silver and Violet are sisters. Amendment: Bronze is their brother

Narratonin can heal small wounds

Chase’s mom is named Myra and his dad was named George. George is dead and Myra has cancer

The keys don’t have parents so they likely all consider themselves siblings

Buddy hates Chase’s singing voice

Buddy knows a lot about the keys and claims that it’s helpful to be on speaking terms with them, which contradicts Ex Libris’s ideals

Keys are capable of tasting and digesting food (it is unknown if they produce waste)

The key Chase failed to buy was gold-colored, likely named Gold 🤔

Chase can’t count

Silver loves cheese

Deacon loves horses but horses hate him. Amendment: the same goes for unicorns

Chase loves sparkly things

Buddy is somehow capable of knowing the entire plot of the book he’s in, including obscure stories like the cat one

Buddy was only aware that the Heroine key was missing (likely only after running into Chase for the first time, however) and is surprised to later find out other keys were gone too

Real-world items can be taken into the books, like cellphones and jackets

Buddy knows a fair amount about cats

At the end of Toffee Break, Buddy says that Chase “will be useful after all” after acknowledging his ability to derail the stories. His plans remain a mystery 🤔 since we already know he prefers to follow a story to the letter, what use could he have of Chase who does the opposite?

Punko implied the existence of a Mary Sue key

Chase’s full name is Charlie Everett Hollow. Deacon’s full name is Deacon Everett Hollow. They share a middle name

Chase is 18, Deacon is 20, and Buddy "looks 20-ish"

According to Punko, Buddy would do ANYTHING for a chocolate bar

If Chase’s wedding vows include the phrase “timely jewelry retrieval” we are all legally allowed to make fun of him

Chase's dream husband is a "super crazy hot vampire guy" from the Mistenwood Movie franchise named Caspian Wolfsblood

“After all that… and it’s just a small… weak little thing like you.” This implies many things. After all what? What do you mean by “thing”? We need answers, Buddy! He ends their first ever conversation with “it’s your funeral” which is VERY concerning, as if using the keys incorrectly may kill Chase???? So many questions!

Boris the horse has been in the house before

Boris ate one of Deacon’s shirts

When Deacon and Chase were kids, they’d play in the attic area above Chase's room and Chase’s dad would warn them not too fall off the ladder

Chase has an Alistair shrine under his bed

Bronze is 100% content with living in an oven mitt

Chase openly hates Deacon’s mom

Chase loves coconuts

Chase tried to take photos of Buddy with both digital and film cameras but they turned up blank. He took a lot of test shots though. A lot

Chase lies when he says he tried to take the photos for Silver, because they realized Buddy was too young for her to recognize him the same day he met her

It can be assumed that book objects can be taken into the real world thanks to Bronze’s request for a seashell from the Beach Boys arc, but as the arc is currently unfinished we do not know if this is truly possible

Ex Libris lore:

They created the keys

They kept the keys in a library and rarely let them interact in their person forms

Silver last remembers being in the “Ex Libris building” which is the society’s headquarters

The Order of Ex Libris had many spells and secrets

Narratonin was discovered before the keys were created, and they were created to collect this substance

The keys were used constantly by lower members of the order and then given to senior members to make wishes

The keys were kept on key rings to keep them asleep, and the keys themselves were stored in a very safe and secure location (presumably a box)

As a StarGoth Enthusiast I will also log every time Chase and Buddy blush in response to each other:

Cinderfella (I)

Toffee Break (II)

Toffee Break (V)

Toffee Break (V)

[gageisahomeboi]

Finally maxed out afinity with maccready and deacon is over here casually eavesdropping on our heartfelt conversation.

[slocumjoe]

Hi! I love the quality of You’re work, it’s so good!

Can you do companions react to overhearing sole and someone else talking, and all sole is talking about is how freaking amazing said companion is and how much they love them and about five minutes into the rant sole just pauses and is like “oh God I actually love them”

could you do gage too if you write for him

I studied for this one, y'know, just to do Gage right for once

Anyway, this got so long, i had to use multiple paragraphs per some companions. Whoops.

Companions react to Sole talking themselves into realizing their feelings for them

We're going to assume the feelings are mutual. Featuring non-romancable companions too, because i love yall and want you to eat good 💕

Cait; the C in Cait stands for Crisis. Panics and runs away, doesn't want to hear anymore. Sole being all sweet about her platonically about ripped her in half as is, but...holy shit. She has a chance with them. Cait didn't think this far.

The A in Cait stands for Assessment. She starts doing mental gymnastics. Okay, Sole's previous partner was like this. Cait is/isn't like that. Are they viable? Does she even know how to have a relationship? She and Sole get along very well, already. They're in- ew, no. They want to smang. Yes, that is it. No one wants her for long.

The I in Cait stands for Insecure. Cait has so many goddamn issues, man. After enough thinking, she talks herself out of it. What if she's wrong, what if she hurts them, what if they hurt her? She shouldn't try it. She'll fuck it up, right?

The T in Cait stands for Take the shot, bitch. Mentally, she decides to not pursue anything. This will fly out of the window the moment Sole flirts with her or gives her any opportunity. Cait is impulsive, man. Insecurity doesn't last long around Sole.

Curie; Curie lacks tact. Might be the most likely to just...walk in and confess her feelings too. Regardless. But she might also give them more time to ponder it, seeing as they just figured it out. The weird stuff happening in her chest (joy, confusion, bashfulness, she's learned) might also nerf her for the moment.

In the time it takes for Sole to confess properly to Curie, she'll give them lots of space, so that they can think of it without her influence. Will be painfully obvious to anyone else that she's over the moon, though. Listens to love songs and stares dreamily at the sky. Draws hearts in her notebook. Gets terrifyingly excited whenever Sole talks to her, thinking it'll be the moment. If they take too long though, WILL approach them on her own.

Danse; I'm gonna be honest, second most likely to hit the legs the moment Sole starts talking about him. Danse is not built for praise. Danse isn't even built for people being neutral towards him. And he isn't the type to eavesdrop. So, we have to assume that he gets there, like, right before Sole says it. At which point, most likely to stumble and fall on his ass. Sole hears the commotion and comes to check, only to see Danse hopping a fence, or sprinting down a hallway. So, jig is already up, Sole knows he heard.

But, Danse is 1 letter away from being a different word. What is that word, class? Yes, it's "dense." Will do mental gymnastics to come to conclusion he misheard, or misunderstood, or that Sole was talking about an entirely different person.

However long it takes Sole to approach him about it, will dig himself a hole full of self-loathing, loneliness, and yearning. The longer it goes, the deeper the hole. Sole really needs to just run after him screaming "COME BACK I LOVE YOU" or this is gonna be exhausting for Person C, who had to watch this play out as an outside observer.

Deacon; Flips a coin to decide his next move; run away screaming, or walk in strutting? If he walks in, will loudly start chatting up whoever Sole is talking to about how cool Sole is, and does it in a way that gives off the vibes of "I totally feel the same way but I'm pretending I don't know you feel that way at all". Person C wants to die seeing this.

Will also talk himself out of it like Cait. Deacon doesn't even know who he is, how could Sole? And things with Barbara didn't end too well, because he was an asshole who dragged her into his shit. He's still an asshole, dragging Sole into his shit. But because of who Sole has to be to get this close with Deacon, they're likely to nip this in the bud and approach him ASAP.

Deacon has maybe ten minutes of freaking out before Sole finds him alone and confesses. And he knows this. If Sole wants to confess, they better recognize him through a disguise. He wants to be swept off his feet, and nothing turns him on like Sole seeing through his shitty wigs.

Gage; HITS THE BRICKS. He sticks around for praise because shit, who doesn't like hearing how badass they are? And from the Overboss, no less! The intelligent, tough, sexy Overboss, who makes him melt with just a look. He could listen to them brag about him all day. Hell yeah, tell them how smart he is, how strong he is, how...big his muscles are...? Uh, thanks...but talk about how good his aim is, despite the one—wait, what's this about him being...charming...? ...Handsome? Boss, what are you—WHAT? WHAT? WHAT THE FUCK?! THIS WASNT THE PLAN! RETREAT, RETREAT, RETREAT.

Gage put all of those nasty little feelings into a jar and threw them into the ocean like a civilized person the moment they reared their ugly little heads. And now, Sole just...fucking said that. Not a care in the world, no hesitatation. They—they can't. They just can't do anything there. Inappropriate workplace relationship, it wouldn't be right. And with him? Dirty, old, banged up Gage, fucked up in more ways then he has teeth? When Sole is...Sole? Nah, nah, that...nah. Best not go there. Gets a bad case of the Yearning that makes him cringe.

Talks a big game to himself about how he's not going to do anything about it, fuck that, fuck love, who needs it, but to be honest? All Sole would have to do is invite him in a shower or something and he's dropping the literal and metaphorical pants. A smart raider doesn't turn his nose up at a good thing dropping right in his lap. That...might also be literal, in this case.

Hancock; Unlike Deacon or Curie, who consider barging in, Hancock does it. He's so shocked, touched, scared, etc, that he puts on the persona and follows its lead. He walks in, chats like normal, teases, makes no indication that he knows. Everything is normal. It didn't happen. If it did, they didn't mean it.

Whenever he remembers it later, immediately distracts himself. Cuts back on chems because he keeps thinking about it on them. Lets his mind wander. Sole is too good for him, Sole deserves better, and Sole can do better. In this state, Hancock's walls are so high up and reinforced, Sole is gonna need a real bulldozer of a confession to knock them down. I recommend a moonlit dinner with music. Something to let him know that they mean business.

MacCready; It takes a good, long time for him to realize what he heard. In the moment, his brain (likely in a bid for self-preservation) locks up. He shrugs and wanders off, forgets about it. It'll be, like, a week later, and he and Sole will be talking, and it'll come rushing back to him. The shutdown happens again, and this repeats until MacCready thinks about it for a moment.

When he realizes what they said, screams into the nearest pillow, mostly because he's been an idiot for...way too long. Has a crisis. What about Lucy? What about Duncan? What about Shaun? What about Sole? Much like Danse, Sole needs to come get their man quickly, before he spooks himself out of getting some. He wants to, but is it time for that? He'll come around once Sole figures themselves out and goes to him.

Nick; The only one who will go out of his way to approach Sole later and confess himself. He's an adult with functional interpersonal skills. He's not going to kick the door down and drop his pants, and he's not going to run away and fake his death just to avoid talking about it.

Nick gets his thoughts in order, waits for Sole to not be busy, and goes for it. If Sole would be embarrassed, doesn't mention that he heard. Nick probably starts real traditional, gets flowers and candy or something. A little courting gift, as is gentlemanly. Nick knows the importance of skipping the tomfoolery and getting down to business, but he's a sentimental man. And besides, Sole deserves to be pampered, and treated right, if they're going to do this.

Also, Nick is Person C with the other companions. And he fucking knows they sit there and eavesdrop, wants to die when Sole confesses their feelings when the object of them is right there. But also, kinda lives for it. His name is Valentine, of course he's a romantic.

Piper; Piper has a taste for the theatrical, and right now, she's thinking of what she would want as Person C. And She, in C's position, would lose her mind if the Person B walked in and loudly proclaimed their feelings for Sole. Also, it's the first thing she thinks to do, too shocked to stop and think. So Piper does it, God bless.

Well, kind of. She charges in, only to cough and awkwardly tell Sole they should talk, red as her coat. Person C (Nick) appreciates this greatly, even if she stumbled on the landing.

Anyway, there's no wistful wondering. They get this shit figured out ASAP. Piper is also impulsive, and thank God for that. Sole is also red as her coat and they go back and forth teasing each other relentlessly. Lots of squealing and incoherent noises.

Preston; Much like Nick, goes for it...but not for a while. He takes time to think it over. After all, Sole is his general, they have a lot going on, he himself has a lot going on...he has logistics to work through. Likely to make a corkboard planning it out. Will he be able to provide the needed emotional labor? Goes to Nick/Person C and ask their opinion. Nick takes one look at the corkboard and tells him Sole is his friend, not a damn supply route.

Heeding Nick's advice, also approaches it traditionally. He invites Sole to a personal, off-the-record meeting late at night. Sole finds their favorite dish, music, and Preston in a tux that Nick would have advised against if he knew about it. But Preston talks about his feelings, confesses, wants to try if Sole is willing. Obviously they are.

X6-88; Decides No. Simply No. He vanishes and refuses to think about it. Sole is his Director. He is a synth, a courser, a machine. He shouldn't have these feelings anyway, but to act on them? To have them reciprocated? Oh no. No, no, no, that won't do. It goes against everything he believes.

He doesn't think about it at all. If Sole brings it up, he will initially reject them out of shock, because he genuinely is not ready to even consider it, let alone agree. Forget matters of compatibility, there is so much red tape around this, and if he trips over it, he risks his life, his position, even Sole, if the other Board Members take enough umbrage.

Sole has to do so much heavy lifting to get him to feel safe enough to think about the possibility. Not even if he wants to, if its possible. After that...X6-88 is not meant for such things. He's never done it before. Sole will expect and need things he can't provide. What if they want sex? He most certainly doesn't. What if they want comfort? His brain isn't built for that. What if they want him to change, better himself? He's not supposed to change, he wouldn't be a courser if he could.

This relationship would take so many baby steps. But he won't forget that Sole, for some reason he can't parse, feels the same way. For something they shouldn't see as a person, but do. And...they like the person they see. It...Sole is going to be dealing with a crisis, down the line.

[xtarmanderx]

Also because I truly can’t only ever work on one project at a time, I started another S.W.A.T. fic for my series. I had a really hard time with the scene where Rocker boxes with Deacon in season 7, so I put my own spin on it and decided to add it to my series.

-

He shouldn’t be annoyed by it. Hell, he shouldn’t be eavesdropping at all. But hearing Tan crack a joke about Luca’s morning smoothie sends a twinge through him and he can’t help but glance over as Tan and Deacon slip into the ring. When Deacon asks about hearing from Luca and Street, Rocker gives up all pretenses of minding his own business and openly states down the two men. Tan jokes about Luca enjoying the nightlife and god, it shouldn’t piss him off, but it does. He’s not a jealous guy by nature, knows without question that Luca is committed to their relationship, but he’s been on edge all week without his partner around.

His anniversary with Val always brings a rush of different emotions. Last year, he’d taken a personal day and spent most of it at the bottom of a bottle. Their divorce had been amicable, sure, but he’d been lonely and had no one to pull him from his own destructive tendencies. Today, listening to Tan and Deacon, that spark flares back to life. And Tan keeps digging his grave, oblivious to Rocker’s presence, and starts to complain about Luca.

He slowly eases up on biking, leaning back and taking a moment to catch his breath. He wants to fire back comments of his own, that Tan is a grown ass man and doesn’t have to work out with Luca if he doesn’t want to, but then Deacon opens his mouth. “Well, when you get to mine or Luca’s, even Hondo’s age, you got to push yourself to the limit every day just to maintain peak condition.”

“Peak condition?” The words are out of his mouth before he can help himself. The two 20-squad members stand down from their workout and turn wearing curious looks. And Rocker should shut his mouth now, should sit this one out, but he’s itching for a fight. “I heard they’re installing a stairlift on Black Betty to help all the old-timers on 20-squad get up inside.” He regrets the words instantly and hides them behind a cocky smile, licking behind his teeth.

“We’re not that much difference in age, you and me, Rocker.” Deacon gestures between them. He’s clearly trying to keep the peace and Rocker’s fucking grateful that neither of them mention Luca. But he’s not here to see Rocker at his worst and now it’s time to pull the gloves off.

[wassertoffatom]

<___< How...How about Prompt 18 "I dont want a baby" With the Rat man <___<?

Disrupted Legacy (RJ MacCready x F!Sole)

Main Master List || Prompt Master List

Author's Note: Thank you so much for the request! Sorry this took so long to get out but I hope you enjoy!!!

Warnings: 18+, TALKS OF INFERTILITY (ENDOMETRIOSIS), talk about fertility treatments, language, Mac gets a little upset, a hint at sexual content

Word Count: 1k

==========

You knew it was inevitable. You knew that one day MacCready would want to try for kids to give Duncan a sibling. And you thought that by beating around the bush that he would give up. In hindsight, you should’ve known that the most stubborn man in the wasteland wouldn’t give up.

“Penny for your thoughts?” Piper asks from beside you, legs stretching out by the fire. In an attempt to escape MacCready’s persistent hints and nudges, you’ve taken up bouncing between settlement help and delivering care packages to displaced synths while Mac stays at home, tending to the crops and watching Duncan.

Sighing, you pull your jacket in tighter. “He wants a baby.” 

Only a handful of people know. Nick knows because he’s highly perceptive. Deacon knows because he’s nosey and “totally wasn’t eavesdropping.” And now Piper, who seems stunned at the revelation.

“And? How do you feel about that?” Despite Piper making her whole living off of exposing stories, you know she wouldn’t tell a soul if you told her something in confidence. Still, do you want to admit what you’ve been neglecting to say? Seeming to notice your resistance to answer the question, Piper backs off. “Well, whatever you feel, MacCready should know if he doesn’t already. I know he’s a pain in most people’s ass, but everyone can tell that he loves you. He’ll understand.”

Would he though? Would he accept your reasoning or would it blow up in your face? Lying down in your sleeping bag, you turn away from her, tears welling in your eyes. “Night, Piper.”

“Night Blue.”

As Sanctuary comes into view, the more the knot in your stomach grows. You know that you’ll see MacCready almost instantly. You know that he’ll drag you off for some “personal time” and ask about trying for a kid, but you also know that it’ll just end in tension.

Swallowing down bile in your throat, you walk over the bridge, old wood creaking with each step. “(Y/N)!” Before you have the chance to set down your weapons, Duncan is launching himself into your arms.

Holding him close, you swing him around as giggles erupt from his small body, gaining the attention of a certain sniper. “Hello Duncan.”

“Where have you been? Me and daddy missed you,” the child pouts as you set him down, aware of MacCready making his way toward you. Looking down at Duncan, you smile at the way he frowns, very much like his dad.

“There you are. I was worried you forgot about me,” Mac pulls you into his arms as you wrap your own around his body, inhaling in his scent feeling safe and loved. Tell him.

“I would never forget you,” pulling away, you reach up and comb his wild hair with your hand. “We need to talk.”

A brief look of panic crosses his features but he nods regardless, taking your hand in his before looking down at his son. “Can you go play for a little, buddy? (Y/N) and I need to talk in private.” “Okie dokie!” Duncan runs off toward the other children while you and Mac move toward your house.

As the door clicks shut you’re dumping your supplies onto the floor before crashing onto the couch, MacCready joining you and patiently waiting for you to talk. Here goes nothing. “I don’t want a baby.”

The bomb creates a palpable tension and you don’t look at him, afraid of what you’ll see. “Why?” It’s a simple question and oddly leveled, causing you to look up. To your shock, he doesn’t seem mad. He doesn’t seem… anything.

“Mac?”

“Why don’t you want a baby? Do you not want a baby at all or just don’t want a baby with me?” His voice raises and stands abruptly, fists balling at his side while his jaw clenches. Ah, there’s the anger. “I’ve been asking for months. Why not just tell me then? Why would you let me continue to ask if you already made up your mind?”

Your eyes follow him as he paces in front of you, not sparing you a glance. “It’s complicated.” He pauses in his movement, blue eyes dilated with hurt and anger.

“Complicated? I thought we were a team. I thought we could trust each other?”

Guiding him to sit down, your hands squeeze his. “We can trust each other.”

Tears of frustration swell in his eyes as he bats them away. “Then what is so complicated?”

Might as well just tell him. “I can’t have children.”

Confusion crosses his eyes as his eyebrows scrunch together. “But you had Shaun.”

“I did, but I had to use a lot of drugs for the slightest chance of conceiving. Nate and I initially thought that maybe it was his sperm that wasn’t functional but after we did some tests we found out that I have something called endometriosis. The treatments helped with a chance of conceiving but it was never guaranteed. Shaun was a miracle,” tears well in your eyes as your thoughts linger on your dead son. The son that you tried so hard for. Your thoughts are interrupted by Mac pulling you onto his lap, pressing a tender kiss to your head as the floodgates open. Tears flow out as you clutch onto Mac while he rubs your back in comfort. “I’m sorry, RJ. I can’t give you what I want.”

Mac isn’t sure what to think of everything but he knows that you need him to just be there for you. Rocking you in his grasp, he continues to pepper kisses on your head, occasionally shushing you as he rubs your back. “It’s okay, (Y/n), it’s okay.”

As you calm down, you pull away, looking into his eyes. “I’m sorry, Bobby. If I had known that you would want children inevitably, I wouldn’t have pursued this,” you motion between the two of you as he chuckles, pressing a chaste kiss to your lips.

“(Y/N), if I wanted you just for babies I would’ve been asking from the get go. I mean I’m bummed out, but I still love you regardless.”

Your eyes blink away tears that his thumb catches. “You mean it?”

“Of course I do. Now how about we go and catch up?” He wiggles his eyebrows as you giggle.

“Nothing sounds better.”

-fin-

[rainbows-fanfics]

All'inzio (Chapter 14)

Summary: A soldier-in-training, Valerie hopes to join the  Valencian Army to avenge her father's death under the wing of General  Rooke. But when she happens to catch the attention of Commander Kane,  her plans take a different turn.

Human AU of the Armada from Pirate101, where Kane meets his Queen.

Pairing: Kane/Queen

--

Note:  The title translates to "at the beginning".

--

Kane gave a patient wave of the hand to Valerie as he stepped outside to speak with this 'visitor'. On the surface, he appeared calm. He promised the woman he'd be back in a few minutes. Deep down, however, he felt impatient, as he already anticipated what this 'talk' was going to be about. And he didn't want to have it so soon.

Ensuring their conversation couldn't be eavesdropped, they went out of earshot from the door. They walked into the hallway and steered clear of the staircase as Deacon led them out of sight. Kane sighed with little patience as he rested on the wall, shifting his weight as his gaze went to the other man. He gave him a skeptical look behind his mask - one he knew would portray his frustration on being disturbed at such a personal time.

"I thought we were going to talk tomorrow..?"

"Yes, but I needed to speak with you. To no avail..."

He motioned to his broken communicator. He figured this would be the best time to take care of such a problem and held his hand out. Deacon got the message and untied it from his wrist, allowing him to inspect it. He took the pair of pliers from his pocket and began to mess with the wiring. As he worked, he could feel the other pair of blue eyes intently watching him.

"I spoke with Rooke before I came here. Both of ours are broken."

"I'd inform Bishop about it, but I have no means right now." He watched as it sprung to life. He handed it back to him. "What was so urgent that you needed to see me?"

"This....whole thing." He gestured around. "Your absence from Cadiz is starting to have an effect on our resources. Pulling Rooke already caused setbacks, but with your disappearance-"

He held up a hand and Deacon quieted down. Calmly, he replied, "I assured you I would return by the end of this month, and I intend--"

"-It's already been a month, Kane." He dropped his arms to his sides. "Without you or Rooke's command, our soldiers aren't prepared at all for the war. We're behind on our resources, and Bishop can contain everything for only so long. I am starting to worry that you postponing your return will end unfavorably."

"I understand this is a vulnerable time for our military. I'll fix everything when I return."

A long sigh sounded from behind the bauta mask. Before he could say anything, they heard a door opening and closing nearby. They found another occupant standing in the vicinity. They decided to move their conversation elsewhere, climbing down the staircase and finding their way outside. They stayed near the walls and bushes of the garden. No one else happened to be out at this hour, which was fortunate for them.

Deacon reached into one of his pockets and surfaced a pack of cigarettes. Kane watched with unimpressed eyes as he lit the end of one and inhaled from under his mask. As he exhaled, he noticed the judgemental gaze and brought his eyes away.

"This is the first I've had in weeks. It's a stressful time."

"If Phule quit, then I expect you will, too."

He brought his head down and nodded vaguely. Now wasn't the time to be pestered about his habits. The thought of even touching his pack hadn't occurred to him until now. He was anxious. Kane could be difficult when it came to his decisions - Deacon seldom had the luck to appeal to his senses, especially when he insisted on being stubborn about it. Rarely came such cases...but it was obvious this talk wasn't going to be easy.

"This....woman, you've been around." He flicked the ashes off his glove. "Who is she, exactly?"

"I suspect you already know?"

"I've done the research. But I don't know who she is."

Kane was quiet for a second. "Tell me what you have."

He took a moment to recall his half hour of background checking. "-Valerie Toscani, 36, born in Tuscany; a cadet under the temporary command of Rooke. The latest change in her file was to recommend navy training."

"You found her residence."

"I had intuition you'd be here." He shrugged his shoulders. "That, and Rooke told me you were still in Florenza."

"He mentioned her name?"

"No. But since I heard you were entrusting a previous client with a personal business, and left on the same day as the cadets' graduation, I assumed you were with someone." He discarded the cigarette, using the sole of his shoe to extinguish its end. "That was when I asked Rooke, and he mentioned her."

"..."

"When I looked at what has been reported from our base here, there were mentions of the Supreme Commander overseeing the work. And I know they aren't in as dire need of your assistance as, say, Cadiz would."

"Where are you getting at..?"

"You're wasting your time here. And I want to know why it's with this woman."

Kane rubbed his temples. He never underestimated Deacon - he was good at his job, this just being one example. Even though he expected this to happen, he still didn't have his answer as prepared as he'd like to. There were things he was still unsure about. His silence was noted as the other figure stared at him. Eventually, it was broken with a question.

"-Are you two in a relationship..?"

"No. Not...." He looked away. "Not yet."

This obviously caught his interest. "So you like her, then?"

"Dio santo, how else do you want me to put it..?"

Deacon went quiet for a few seconds, absorbing this information. He rubbed his chin under his mask. He speculated as such when he learned a woman was involved, but he didn't expect to hear such an answer. The Court have gone several years without seeing Kane involved with anyone. The thought hadn't occurred to any of them - at least, not until now...

"I suggest you wrap this up as soon as you can. His majesty is starting to get concerned with not having you around. He asked me to have you back tomorrow."

The Supreme Commander shook his head. "Not possible."

"It is, if I arrange a ship to come by for you."

"Deacon-" He held a hand over his mouth. "-That is not necessary. I need until the end of this week, at least. Then, I assure you, I will have everything back in my hands."

His posture deflated. "A week is all I can ask for. I worry this is going to distract you any longer. You've spent too long over here as it is."

"You think I don't know that?"

Things grew silent. There was some tension growing between them - he could tell Kane was getting stressed. He expected nothing else from delivering this news. He had a feeling his return wouldn't be so soon. And after learning why, Deacon couldn't exactly blame him. The least he could do was ask King Casimir to grant a few days more and ask if Rooke can continue overseeing things in the meantime.

He waited for the right time to ask. "What makes her so special..?"

"That's what I don't know." He crossed his arms. "She shares a distaste in pirates, has the same interests I do, and she's determined with her ambitions..."

"Sounds like your type."

Kane chuckled, then hummed thoughtfully. "Maybe you're right."

"I should leave now if I want to make it back by morning." He flicked open his pocket watch to check the time. "I trust you'll be spending these few days wisely..?"

"I will. Thank you, for this."

"I owe it to you," He slid the watch back in its rightful place. "Glad to hear you're seeing someone."

"A risentirci presto."

The other man departed, leaving Kane to reflect on their conversation. He did this for a brief time, taking a small stroll and staring at the bushes in thought. He mused on many things - the most being how he will leave Florenza without feeling like he has left Valerie. Such an idea left him conflicted, and even more disturbed at the fact he'd feel dreadful otherwise...

----

Valerie pressed her head against the door after they left. She intended on listening in to their conversation - wanting to know more about this strange man and what business he had with Kane. She sighed in defeat when she heard their footsteps disappear down the hallway. She removed her head and retreated to the couch, where she resorted to sitting and waiting for their return.

The longer she sat there, the more her thoughts wandered. It felt nearly like a dream, holding the Supreme Commander and listening to the noises of the night together. Just when the they got comfortable, they had to get interrupted...what would've happened if Deacon hadn't come around, she wondered? Had they been going somewhere, or was she just imagining things..? He gripped her hand back, she could've sworn...

After several minutes passed, she sighed. She went outside to collect their cups and began washing them in the kitchen. The moment was long gone, so there would be no need to continue talking out there. As she dried her hands, the sound of knocking came from the front door. She practically skipped to it and peered through the peep hole. She was delighted to find Kane waiting on the other side.

She swung it open to find his surprised face. She noticed he was alone. "Where did Deacon go?"

"He had to leave."

He dipped his head and she got the message to let him in. He plopped down on one of the cushions and sat his hat on the table. Something about his posture seemed fatigued. Her eyes curiously stared at his hair as she sat next to him. She was curious to know what was said - there was something different about him now...

"What did you two talk about?"

"Personal matters."

'So he's going to play this game?' "Was it something important?"

He shuffled in his seat. Judging by the way he lowered his head, he caved in to her curiosities. "I return to Cadiz in a week. How long I will remain there is unsure, but I will have a great absence from Florenza when the time comes."

"You're going to leave, just like that..?" She widened her eyes. Then she narrowed them suspiciously. "I thought you had things to attend to here..."

"I've attended to them long enough. My stay here is starting to affect things, and I must return as soon as possible." He looked away for a moment. "I think it's important to tell you."

Her look turned troubled. How else could she take this news? If he left, she'd be alone here. She hadn't made many friends since it was difficult blending in without him. She wasn't sure if she looked forward to any of that. "Couldn't you do something to stay..?"

This entire time he appeared serious, but now she saw a look of emotion cross his face. His next words came out weary. "How many times I have...I'm afraid the King has grown impatient, and requests my assistance again. I cannot reject his majesty."

She leaned towards him slowly, bringing a hand to fiddle with his badge. "Not even for me..?"

A noise escaped his throat. "I've already been here a month for you."

"Can't you make it a little longer, then..? I'm simply not ready to say goodbye to you so soon-"

Before she could finish, he sharply inhaled through his nose. Just imagining what would happen in his absence unsettled him. He'd seen how close she got with Aristide....and after learning his intentions, it was inevitable she'd be asked by him soon. He only had less than a week to make his move. There was no use avoiding this anymore. He understood what he wanted with her. He just needed to get through it as soon as possible if he truly wanted this.

"When I first inspected you back at your post, I did not believe I would find anything special about you. Nothing past what I wanted to know, of course." He got more comfortable in his seat, resting his elbows at his knees and intertwining his fingers together. "But there was something about you...something that caused me to believe we had more in common than I thought."

Her eyes were inquisitive as they went about his mask. He turned to look her in the eye. "-It has been a long time since I wasn't so busy with my career. I haven't had the time to form a connection with anyone beyond my coworkers and family."

"That makes sense. You are a busy man..."

"Which was why I got lucky with you. Spending time with a woman...I forgot what this was all like."

She smiled, dipping her head slightly. "I cannot tell you the last time I really had...a man to talk to. I got so swept up with my military career that it never occurred to me. Wanting to meet and get to know someone..."

As her words trailed off, she realized exactly where this conversation was heading. That was when she lost the words she was going to say. She looked up and found a smile on his lips. It was relieving to know she was on the same boat - Kane hadn't realized how much he distanced himself from others until he met her.

"Where were you going with this..?"

Her voice snapped him from his thoughts. Now was the time to finally address the elephant in the room. "-I think you can tell I enjoy your company. I assure you, I wouldn't have gone through all this trouble just for anyone."

She felt her ears burning. "I thought you would for ANY 'promising soldier'..."

"I found more to admire about you. Your taste in the arts and fashion, it's...congenial. You're passionate, you're beautiful, and I see lots of potential in you. You remind me of myself, the more I think about it." He rubbed his chin in thought. "Knowing I have to leave Florenza - I think I am going to miss you."

Her heart began to pound in her chest. After all this time waiting, the tension they've endured - this was finally happening. Clenching her hands, she decided this would be the best time to spill her true feelings about the Commander. With so little time until he had to leave, why waste it?

"I started having feelings for you the moment I saw you." She moved her eyes so she wouldn't have to see his reaction. "I heard so many things about you; I just thought you were a celebrity all those young girls fawned over. But actually meeting and getting to know you....I realized there were things I didn't know."

She closed her eyes, feeling too nervous to look at his face. "I know it is unprofessional - I'm your subordinate, but everyone was talking about you and saying these things....I'm not sure how right it is to feel anymore..."

He laughed, startling her. "You do know I am the highest in my position? I can do whatever I want."

She became flustered. "Still! Isn't it...wrong, to feel this way for your superiors..?"

"Should it be immoral for me to feel this way about one of my soldiers?"

"...Well-" She slumped in defeat. He had a point. "What I am trying to say is...you're famous. You're the sort of man I would only have in my dreams."

His eyes glowed in delight at this information. "Is that so?"

"Moving into my own place, thinking about you all the time...it leaves me feeling lonely. There are so many things I want to share with someone else, and you have been the only one here with me."

She became touch-starved and found her way to his shoulder, where she caressed his epaulets. Confessing this left her hot inside, but the conversation was anything but tense. "You don't know much I am going to miss you...I'm not sure what it'll be like to live here without you around."

His hand came to her face, where he rubbed her cheek using the side of his thumb. She leaned into the touch and frowned. Something about this situation made her heart sink. Confessing to a man she only has a week left with...

"I'm glad you feel the same way," He told her.

"I feel more strongly for you than you think..."

Her body experienced that familiar yearning again. Kane made no move of protest when she got a few inches away from his face. She could feel herself trembling. Just now she noticed he lingered of the smell of smoke, but even then, it wasn't a bother to her. She was close enough that her shoulder brushed against his insignia. He brought his arm around to press the back of the couch, allowing her to fill the gap between them and rest her hand on his chest.

She let her touch linger, waiting to see what would happen. Her breathing pounded in her ears. She grew the courage look up and found a curious look in his eyes. There was some sort of spark in them. The same one as before. Her hand found its way to his face, which she caressed as she licked her lips. His stare didn't break, and in a moment of awe, she attempted to finger her way under his mask.

This caught his attention. He guided her hand away with his, making her whine in disappointment. "Much too early." Was all he said.

Her hand felt cold. She warmed it with a slight huff. "-Must you always wear that mask?"

His hand came to her back, where he pressed her against him. She made a surprised noise as the side of her cheek touched his. "You'll see my face eventually. No need to get impatient."

"But you're leaving..."

"-Florenza. Not you." Butterflies emerged in her stomach. "I'll ensure we have contact. And even then, I have every intention on returning to you."

Her eyelids drooped. She brought both her hands to the sides of his face. She was shaking. "Kane..."

His voice became a whisper. "Yes?"

"..."

She didn't know what came over her. How long she waited for this, and now that the situation was unfolding before her, she wanted to seal the deal. She leaned forward, closing her eyes as the space between them grew smaller. Goosebumps grew along her arms the moment his breath came onto her skin. They didn't have long to go before their lips interlocked. She practically melted on him as he brought her closer. She was urged into his lap as their kiss deepened, wrapping her arms around his neck to gain better leverage.

Oh, good god...

Their position was making her hot. The way they passionately pressed their lips together created a small burning sensation in her stomach. She readjusted herself, more or less straddling his lap. They made strong eye contact as they pulled away. She recognized the look of desire in his irises - the way he spread his legs as he leaned back on the cushions. His gloved hands made their way to her hips, where they lightly fingered the golden trim of her dress.

"I guess now would be a good time to ask nicely..." She rested her forehead on his mask. Her grip felt weak as she grabbed at his uniform. She was so close to losing her composure, though she desperately tried not to show it. "-Would you stay the night with me..?"

Kane was quiet. She wondered why he wasn't saying anything until she realized he hooked his arms under her thighs. She was brought into the air as he stood from the couch, supporting her with an arm under her rear and the other on her back. Her legs squeezed around his form as he held her. The air felt cold against her skin as he walked them out of her living room. The heat between her legs grew immensely when she realized they were heading towards her bedroom.

"I can make an exception," He finally told her, digging his fingers into the bare flesh of her thigh. She shivered.

The last tender thing she recalled was him opening her door using the sole of his boot. What happened the rest of the night was anything but gentle. It would permanently settle in her mind. Not once during their evening did Kane take off his mask - but it wasn't necessary. Everything they shared; their closeness, the contact of their skin, and the conjoined experience neither of them had in years...She shivered in delight recalling the places he touched her and the things he whispered into her ear...His body under that military uniform was so clean, lined with abs and muscles...she never fell more in love. His strength came to an advantage pleasing her - she had experiences she instantly obsessed over.

. . .

. . .

The air felt hot as she laid back on the sheets. Her blankets and pillows were a mess - a result of their heated session that lasted longer than she expected. She was still writhing from the release she had only moments ago. The smile was wide on her face, humming in delight as Kane rested beside her. He was sweaty from the experience. Watching it drip from his neck and onto his collarbone made her bite her lip. His eyes looked tired as they met with hers, but the pleasure was apparent on his face. He stood from her bed and went through the trouble of picking up his clothes and folding them.

During this silence, his voice broke the ice. "You have a beautiful figure."

Her cheeks darkened when she realized she was still nude. Her eyes hungrily trailed down his own stature. "And you have such an attractive build..."

He chuckled, then added sincerely, "Every part of you is gorgeous."

She remembered the way he squeezed and touched her frame merely minutes ago. She busied herself with making the bed and noticed he set his belongings on her nightstand. The one thing he neglected to take off was his mask. By this point, she didn't really care. He shared enough of himself with her. Though, she was curious if he'd end up sleeping in the thing...she imagined it'd be uncomfortable - and all to keep his face a secret...

"Would you mind if I used your shower?" He asked.

She motioned for him to go on, grabbing his hat and setting it on her lap. "Go ahead. I'll hold onto your things so you won't think of leaving."

"Sounds fair to me."

As he cleaned himself up in her restroom, she held his hat close to her chest and sighed in bliss. She set it back with his other things and brought herself into the covers, hoping for him to join. Several minutes passed as she got comfortable, and that was when she heard the door open. She didn't dare open her eyes and check for him - not wanting to appear too desperate. She suppressed a squeal when he came from behind and spooned her figure. His arms wrapped around her stomach to hold her close, and she relished the contact.

That was the first night she didn't spend alone. And she loved every minute of it.

[its-sixxers]

OC Interview Meme - Eleanora/Charmer

Tagged by @falloutglow​ thank u sm

Tagging: I think everyone I know has done this, but if you’ve got another OC you’d like to do it for or haven’t go nuts and blame me! :D

“Piper’s got exclusive rights for any of the Institute nonsense, so if anything has to do with that, I’m going to cut you off right there. She’s already going to kill me for this, but best we don’t make it a painful death.”

name ➔ “Oh, I have a few.” She laughs. “If you want my Christian name-” Her eyes sparkle playfully. “- Eleanora Starling.”

are you single ➔ “There’s this guy I’ve been trying to shake, but he just won’t go away.” The way she beams suggests otherwise, but she doesn’t elaborate.

are you happy ➔ “I’ve got a lot of reasons to be happy.” Eleanora clasps her hands together neatly in her lap. “So - yes.”

are you angry ➔ A dark chuckle. “Oh, you’ve no idea.”  Her smile seems oddly unsettling.

are your parents still married ➔ “They had their forty year anniversary, before...”  She clears her throat and her casual demeanor returns. The air seems to relax with her.

NINE FACTS

birthplace ➔ “Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Most alcohol consumption per capita, you know. I don’t know if it even exists anymore, and honestly I think I’d prefer not to know. Ignorance is bliss, and all that.”

hair color ➔ “Brown, and greying more than I’d like. Not as if there’s box dye lying around, though - so I’m trying to age gracefully.” She seems to think of herself as older than she appears to be.

eye color ➔ “Green. Dad always said I was half ginger. I sunburn like one.”

birthday ➔ “March 5, 2053. Which makes me thirty-five, minus a couple centuries unconscious.”

mood ➔ A short intake of breath. “Content. We’ll go with that.”

summer or winter ➔ “Summer.” Her answer comes too quickly, and the intensity of her gaze suggests follow up questions are a bad idea.

morning or afternoon ➔ This question is given more thought. “Mornings, if it’s quiet. Only bit of peace I seem to get these days. If I ever get a chance for a lazy afternoon, though...”

EIGHT THINGS ABOUT YOUR LOVE LIFE

are you in love ➔ Eleanora’s grin turns cheshire. “Aren’t we all?” It’s as good as a yes, and she makes a point of winking.

do you believe in love at first sight ➔ “Depends on the circumstance. In times of war? Absolutely. War tends to...” She makes a vague gesture with her hands. “... expedite things. Makes you focus on what matters. Sometimes love hits you like a bat to the face.”

who ended your last relationship ➔ The question catches her off guard, and there’s a momentary flash of pain on her features before she schools them back to something casual and aloof. “A man with a gun. The same story as too many people out here.”

have you ever broken someone’s heart ➔ She leans back in her chair, canting her head to the side. “When I was younger, probably. Used to be a looker, you know. Hard to believe with all of this -” A gesture to the burns on the right side of her face. “- but I did alright.”

are you afraid of commitments ➔ “If you want the actual answer, you’re better off asking someone who knows your subject instead of the subject themselves.” Her smile’s cheeky. “Lucky for you, they’d tell you the same thing I’ll tell you. No.”

have you hugged someone within the last week? ➔ “I’d be a shit mother if I hadn’t, wouldn’t I? Yes, of course.”

have you ever had a secret admirer ➔ The question causes her to burst out laughing. She composes herself after a few moments, wiping tears from her eyes. “I think so, yes.”

have you ever broken your own heart? ➔ “Thought I did. It worked out in the end.” A thoughtful hum. “Should give that a little more weight, honestly. Maybe my luck’s not so terrible.”

SIX CHOICES

love or lust ➔ “This a puff piece?” She quirks a brow. “Love. I’d say lust if you asked me ten years ago, but time makes fools of us all.”

lemonade or iced tea ➔ “Oh, god. You used to be able to get fresh lemons at the grocery store - none of the packets of powder you’re used to. You’d get the fresh juice from them, add some sugar...” A long sigh. “At least you can still make some good iced tea. Leaf water never changes, I guess. If you haven’t already interviewed General Garvey, I recommend you get him to brew you a pitcher. The man has a gift.”

cats or dogs ➔ “I’m biased thanks to a very good dog.”

a few best friends or many regular friends ➔ “I’m lucky enough to have both.” She grins. “Life is bearable as long as you have one person you can rely on, so we’ll go with the first one.”

wild night out or romantic night in ➔ “You know, I thought I was too old for wild nights out. Actually, I didn’t even know if it was really possible to capture the spirit of them with the... state of things, but I’ve been proven wrong on both counts. Wild night out.” She beams from ear to ear.

day or night ➔ “Night. Everything’s quiet, the darkness covers up the parts of the world you don’t want to see. Not to mention the stars. You could never see so many stars, before.”

FIVE HAVE YOU EVERS

been caught sneaking out ➔ “Yes, but it wasn’t my fault. My friend ran her car into our mailbox just as I was climbing out of my window, and let me tell you, she’d been smoking something. Grounded for the rest of the summer.” She chuckles. “Suppose I’ll be worrying about Shaun pulling the same stunts soon enough.”

fallen down/up the stairs ➔ She glances around, as if trying to ascertain if anyone else is listening. “Never.”

wanted something/someone so badly it hurt? ➔ This time she looks a mix of impressed and annoyed. “It’s a good technique, switching between the fluffy questions and the serious ones. It’s worked well for you, hasn’t it?” A huff. “Yeah. A lot of things. Think we’ve all been there.”

wanted to disappear ➔ “Think we’ve all been there, too. Can we get back to the fluffy stuff?”

FOUR PREFERENCES

smile or eyes ➔ The change of pace is welcome. “I’ve learned to fall in love with a smile. That one.”

shorter or taller ➔ “Couldn’t care less.”

intelligence or attraction ➔ “Brain first. Beauty fades.”

hook-up or relationship ➔ “Too old for hook-ups.”

FAMILY

do you and your family get along ➔ “We did.” A thoughtful pause. “Do.”

would you say you have a “messed up life” ➔ She barks a bitter laugh. “You’ve heard the stories. My life’s a joke even by the Commonwealth’s standards. The Publick has an NDA on that, so I won’t elaborate.”

have you ever ran away from home ➔ “Course not. I had things pretty good, and knew it.”

have you ever gotten kicked out ➔ “I was a good kid. Mostly. Mailboxes getting run over and sneaking out aside. Never got kicked out.”

FRIENDS

do you secretly hate one of your friends ➔ “Hah! Piper drives me batty sometimes, but she’s got a good heart. We just have... different definitions of ‘need to know’. Make sure you write that down. Maybe she’ll listen if it’s in someone else’s paper.”

do you consider all of your friends good friends ➔ “Remember that need to know thing? Not everyone needs to know everything. So - not everyone’s a ‘good’ friend, by the definition most people use.”

who is your best friend ➔ “There was a song about how diamonds are a girl’s best friend-” One of the floorboards creak, and she breaks into the widest smile yet.

who knows everything about you ➔ She points in the direction the creaking floorboards came from - the next room, close to the door. “That’d be him.”

[gaysofzaun]

Doodled the wasteland wives!!

I had a whole post ready and then tumblr crashed and i lose it... but bro when i let go of Tod Howards heteronormative expectations and let myself replace husband with wife my whole world opened up. So now we have my sole survivors Amara and Abigail. They miss each other dearly and are desperate to find their son.

))I have a whole au for Abigail´s playthrough where Father makes a synth Amara before he makes synth Shaun but she becomes self aware so he shuts her down and hides her in Advanced Systems. Synth Shaun finds her when he goes poking around the institute at night and turns her on and when X6 finds them he keeps their secret and eventually helps them both escape via the emergency relay and they go find the Railroad and eventually run into Abigail and there’s so much angst Jesus Christ))

[goodneighborxfallout]

Companions react to Sole being stuck in a Pulowski Preservation shelter

Found this idea on this prompts list, and I wanted to give it a go. I ended up having so much fun writing this! However, in my reaction Dogmeat doesn’t lead the Companion to Sole, how they find her is a mystery (purely because otherwise Hancock’s and Longfellow’s reactions don’t work).

Cait:

“You’ve gotta be shitting me right now!” you hear Cait’s angry voice from outside the chamber. “How’d you manage to get yourself stuck in there?! Better not be because you were running away from a fight!”

“Help…”

“Just give it a few good kicks!”

Codsworth:

“Sir/Mum!” Codsworth calls out oh so worriedly. “Are you okay in there?! Hold on! I’ll call the firebrigade right away! One of the many virtues of having a mr. Handy around!” he says, laughing with fake cheer. His denial once again of the current state of the world immediately tells you he’s in panic mode.

 Curie:

“Madam/Monsieur? Are you in there?”

“Yes, Curie and I’m stuck! Help.”

“Oh no! This is most unfortunate! How do you suggest I start this rescue mission?”

 Danse:

Speechless because he’s so disappointed in you.

“Soldier… just….” He sighs and decides it’s not worth it, so instead of wasting more time on words, he silently helps them out and then give them judgmental looks for the rest of the day.

 Deacon:

“Hey, I ain’t judging you. These things are great eavesdropping spots, you just gotta pick the right locations. And this one: not so good. Too close to Trinity Tower, unless you can decipher some intelligent code in the Super Mutants grunting. Never was able to myself.”

“That’s great, Deacon. Can you get me out?”

“What? Oh yeah, pull the lever on your left.”

 Gage:

“Boss,” he starts but then stops for a second and breathes in deeply before he’d lash out in annoyance and disappointment. How was he supposed to put his faith in you as Overboss if you can’t even figure out how to open the door of a Pulowski Shelter. “How the hell did you get yourself stuck in there? You know what, no, I don’t even wanna know. Just get out before one of the gangs finds out.”

 Hancock:

Thinks the drugs are making him hallucinate when he hears your voice but doesn’t see you anywhere.

“The jet will make you jittery,” he mumbles to himself and moves on. Only realizing later that day that you are nowhere to be found and he might not have been hallucinating after all.

 Longfellow:

Longfellow is too preoccupied with his drunken sailor songs to even hear your cries. And by the time he gets back to his cabin, he has probably forgotten he was with you at all, so chances are there’d be no rescue for you.

 MacCready:

Mac is laughing his ass off. “Oh man! I am never letting this one go.”

“Please laugh after helping-.”

“I mean, how’d you even manage to get stuck in there in the first place?”

“Mac-“

You’ll have to wait a few minutes before he gets serious about helping you get out of there. And even then, he’ll probably get some laughter fits in between every now and then.

 Nick:

“Kid, the situations you manage to get yourself into…” he sighs.

“Help me, please.”

“And how do you expect me to do that? I don’t see what you see! I’m sure there’s a lever or a button somewhere.”

 Piper:

“Hm, interesting spot to crawl into, Blue. Tell me, what kind of secrets does it hold?” she says teasingly.

“You tell me, I thought I’d seen you hide in one of these once.”

Instantly her teasing tone changes as she feels caught. “Well, y-yeah, but that’s for my job!”

“Yeah, that makes it better, Piper.”

 Preston:

“General, why were you in there in the first place?”

“…Recon.”

“Hm. So what did you discover?” Preston says, sounding amused.

 Strong:

“Human should not hide!! Human weak!”

“Just get me out already, big guy.”

And he will, by ripping the shelter in two.

 X6-88:

“Sir/Ma’am, what were you looking for in there?”

“That’s not important, X6! Just help me get out.”

“I would recommend teleporting back to the Institute, that should solve the issue.”

[returnn-of-the-mac]

I've been a lurker to your page for a few months but I was wondering if you can do companions reacting to sole somehow shrinking themselves to 1/10 their height. Love your page btw :3

Thank you!! Here yah go! Sorry this took so long! Please enjoy! 🖤

FO4 Companions React: Sole Shrinking to 1/10th Their Height

Preston: General, what happened?? How did you make yourself so…so tiny?

Longfellow: [unamused] Hey little buddy, how’s the weather down there?

MacCready: I was gonna make a short joke, but I decided to be the bigger person! Haha…sorry.

Piper: So uh…was this planned or…? How long are you gonna stay like that?

Deacon: Hey! How do I make myself microscopic like that!? I’m just imagining all the ways I could mess with people at that height. Damn, you’re lucky!

Danse: Now I don’t want you to assume that I am exploiting this situation, soldier, but if you would hear me out, I would appreciate it. At that height, you would be a perfect candidate to infiltrate the enemies’ cantonment. If you could eavesdrop on them and report back with any information, the Brotherhood would be greatly indebted to you. In the meantime, we’ll look for a way to restore your height.

Cait: Ahh yer so short n small, I could just eatchya right up! Ha!…Why do yeh look so scared!? Yeh know I’m just messin with yeh!

Hancock: Ahh shit, did I give you a bad batch of jet? I’ve never seen this happen before. Sorry, friend.

Curie: Zis ees truly fascinating! I am zorry you are in zees difficult situation, [sir/ma’am], but I ‘ave never zeen anyzing like zis ‘appen before! Eet ees truly remarkable!

Codsworth: Oh dear. Oh me. What are we going to do? You can’t be stuck like this forever!

Nick: Now how did you manage to get yourself into this predicament? You are truly the embodiment of chaos, my friend.

X6-88: Nothing phases me with you anymore, [sir/ma’am].

Strong: [alarmed] Strong hear human but Strong no see human!!

Gage: Heh. Mags always said ain’t no one would ever look up to me. Have I got news for her!

Ada: [going Sole some deviled eggs] A deviled eggs in this trying time, [sir/ma’am]?

[floraflow]

Fuerza, pt.2

We were kneeling side by side on the floor of the chapel. The deacon (who we checked in with for credit) and a couple other students were scattered throughout the room, sitting in pews and praying. I had never been in the chapel with so few people before and it was a little eerie. The giant crucifix at the front was looking especially foreboding, as was the giant painting of the Virgin Mary.

I glanced at James who was pretending to pray. I was admiring the warm flicker of the votive candles on his face. But then remembered I also had to look like I was pretending to pray. And also I’M MAD AT HIM.

I was sweating and my heart was pounding and my hands were shaking. “James,” I whispered, hoping it would come out hard and serious, but actually came out more breathless and quivering, “We need to talk.”

Out of the corner of my eye, I could see his head bow down slightly. He whispered back, “I know.”

My face was getting hot. “What do you mean you know?”

“I know I need to apologize. Again.”

I didn’t respond. I hadn’t expected him to say that.

“I’ve been distant. I ran away again. And that isn’t fair to you.”

My eyes were getting wet but I willed myself not to cry. Why was I crying? Relief, probably. Because I didn’t have to force an apology out of him.

But I did still deserve an explanation.

“Why do you do that, James?” I asked.

He was quiet. Then said, “I think because it’s easier to run away than to be left? If that makes sense...” I could tell he was really nervous. “That sounds pretty messed up now that I say it out loud.”

I sighed. “So you’re afraid I’ll leave you?”

He shook his head slightly. “I don’t know, I-- I know what people say about me. And I know it sounds weird. And maybe I am kinda weird, ya know?”

“James, I don’t care if you’re weird,” I said with a small smile. “I actually like weird. I don’t like being shut out. And I don’t like dishonesty.”

“I know this sounds stupid but... I’m afraid to be honest sometimes.”

“Is this about your ‘friends?’ The way they treat you?”

He was silent. “...Yeah. Probably.”

I sighed. “You don’t have to be ashamed about what your family does, James. I don’t care about the crap your so-called friends say about you. I’m sure they gossip about me too.”

“They’re not all bad. Christa is a good friend. She’s always looked out for me, since we were kids. But yeah, some of the others can be... unkind.”

I know I needed to ask him the question, the question this whole conversation hinges on. I took a deep breath in and asked: “James... what ARE we?”

He hesitated “I’m sorry, I’m-- I’m not very good at this stuff...”

My heart was beating, my stomach fluttering. Why can’t he just answer the question? “James,” I said slowly and seriously, staring at my clasped hands, “if this is you trying to let me down easy, it’s actually making it a lot worse.”

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw his head quick-turn in my direction. “What? No. No, no, no. That’s not what I meant at all.”

I slumped onto my butt, surrendering all pretenses of prayer. “Then what did you mean?”

James surrendered too. “I mean, I...  I know how lame this sounds, but... this stuff is NEW to me. I’m so used to keeping my feelings to myself and stuff. I’m not used to sharing my feelings--especially, you know, these kinds of feelings.” He looked at me desperately. “I really, really like you, Flora.” He glanced up to see if anyone was eavesdropping on our exchange, but I just gazed at him breathlessly. He looked at me again, the coast apparently clear, and flashed a nervous half-smile at me, which made my stomach even more aflutter. “So... do you want to be my girlfriend?”

My face involuntarily broke into a big smile and I nodded vigorously like a big dork. He grinned back at me. Then his eyes quickly scanned the room again as he scooched closer to me. Suddenly, everything was in slow motion. I didn’t care if the deacon was watching. I didn’t care if I got expelled. All I felt was electricity in my skin as I leaned in and our lips touched.

WE KISSED.

ON THE FLOOR OF A CHURCH. ONLY PARTIALLY OBSCURED BY THE PEWS.

WITH A DEACON PRESENT.

Ana’s going to LOSE HER SHIT.

~~~~~

Erm yeahhh x) That’s what happened today.  ᵉʰᵉʰᵉ(*/∇＼⭒)

Oh! And I also brought up the whole Cecil thing. I told him that he didn’t need to be ashamed of his first name and that I actually like it. It’s unique! But he said James sounds more mysterious LOL. He was also like, “I’m sticking with James because that means our couple name is Flames” xD xDDD

I tried my best to play it cool around my mom, because if she found out I had KISSED A BOY?? She’d probably have me burned at the stake. 

Ohhh my goodness, I can’t stop thinking about the kiss. I don’t think I’ll be able to get any sleep tonight. His sweet smell, his warmth, his LIPS -- AHHHHHHHHHHH ❤

It wasn’t exactly how I pictured my first kiss happening...

But I loved it   *♡*｡∞(〃 ω 〃)ﾟ∞｡*♡*

Well, I’ve been writing for literal hours now so I better wrap this up LOL. I’m so behind on homework. But,

EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE ❤❤

I can’t wait to see him again ‧⁺( ᵒ̴̶̷̥́ ◡ ᵒ̴̶̷̣̥̀ )⁺‧ ♡

[commonwealthoccurences]

Companions Overhear Sole Singing

Cait:

Tries to act nonchalant and unimpressed, as if she doesn’t even notice

Really wants them to sing more, though

She finds it soothing

If she and Sole are quite close she may ask Sole to sing while she tries to sleep; nightmares are a bitch and knowing Sole’s near helps reassure her she’s safe

Sometimes she just eavesdrops on them singing and smiles to herself so she doesn’t interrupt them

Curie:

Very open and upbeat about their singing and doesn’t think they might get embarrassed if she gets enthusiastic about it; why should they? It’s wonderful

Compliments them right away and openly listens

Every time they start singing within earshot she stops and turns her attention to them, smiling

“Oh, Mx. You have such a lovely voice!”

Danse:

Doesn’t comment on it and continues what he’s doing, but he’s definitely listening

Enjoys it when they sing while Danse is cleaning his weapon and may specifically move within earshot so he can listen to them sing to themself while he cleans

If they’re closer Danse may request they sing while he cleans, but he flushes red right after, unsure if he’s overstepped a boundary

If they get flustered he reassures them that they don’t have to and also gets flustered

Can be accidentally smooth about it

“It’s rare to find people who can sing so well nowadays, but I guess that’s more of a reason you’re one of a kind, Soldier.”

Deacon:

Very dramatic about it, but is also appreciative once you get past the sarcasm and exaggerations that come to him without a thought

“Damn Sole! Your voice comes directly from the heavens! It’s healed my soul, I shall repent for my ways!” Yes he’s leaning back dramatically in his chair with a hand over his forehead while saying this

Enjoys teasing them about it if they get flustered, but doesn’t push it too far

Does have some moments where he just closes his eyes peacefully and listens to them sing instead of teasing them; often when he’s tired emotionally or physically (or both)

Them singing provides him a moment where he can shut everything else out and relax

Very rarely genuinely compliments them on it; he loves their voice but he has an image to keep up

(he also doesn’t do great with emotions)

Has a good voice himself but will join in out of tune to make them laugh

When they do he feels accomplished

Gage:

“You’ve got one hell of a voice, Boss.”

Gage gives kudos where it’s due, but it won’t be a super in depth compliment

It’s a passing comment that’s rare and he acts like it’s not a big deal

Doesn’t have it in him to request they sing, no need for them to get an ego about it, but he does enjoy it when they do

Moreso enjoys when they hum to themself as they do a menial task

Just feels very calm and almost domestic

Haylen:

Also openly gives credit where it’s due

Will wait for them to finish to speak up, though

She’s not afraid to openly listen to them

To her it’s not an ego thing, it’s a talent they have, and she’s gonna enjoy it

Hancock:

Gets a grin on his face

“Hey, Sunshine. Why didn’t you tell me you could sing like that? You could put Diamond City radio outta business.”

Requests they sing often

Sometimes after a shit day he lounges on the couch and asks them to sit with him and sing

Openly just watches them and listens

Sometimes falls asleep

If Sole gets flustered he just piles on more compliments

They’ve gotta work on their confidence

MacCready:

Turns red

Why? No one knows

Reminds him of home but he doesn’t know why

Probably his #1 most comforting thing

Doesn’t have the courage to ask them to sing for him but he makes sure to stop and appreciate it when they do

Eventually gets out a shy compliment after a while of them singing

“You’ve got a great voice, Sole.”

That’s it, otherwise he might overthink things

Nick:

Ellie also sings to herself when doing paperwork or filing things, so it’s very familiar to him

Honestly reminds him of peace at the office, so if they’re away from Diamond City, it can make him a little homesick

Doesn’t stop him from appreciating it, though

Will compliment them a couple times, but doesn’t lay it on too thick, especially if they get flustered

Doesn’t want them to stop because they’re embarrassed

Piper:

Will join in sometimes

Otherwise she just enjoys it

Finds it comforting but doesn’t think too much about it

Her mother used to sing to her when she was young so she definitely appreciates it

Sometimes she may ask Sole to sing if Nat has a nightmare or something

If Sole’s already singing she’ll request songs but doesn’t do it out of the blue

Preston:

Part of the flustered club

He’s never really been around someone who sings absentmindedly so he feels like he’s intruding on a private moment

Apologizes if they turn around and see him listening, especially if they get startled, flustered, or stop

Will give them a quiet compliment to let them know he appreciates their voice

His favorite moments are when they sing quietly to themself while they’re on patrol or watch with Preston

They have to be careful not to accidentally sing him to sleep while he’s on duty, though

X6-88:

Listen: He may be a courser, but he can appreciate art

Won’t give outward compliments, won’t make a comment, but will secretly appreciate it

Doesn’t stop what he’s doing to keep up appearances but will mentally be listening in

Unconsciously may turn his head towards Sole a little to hear better

It takes him and Sole being extremely, extremely close for him to make a comment, though

“You have a beautiful voice, Sole.”

If they’re together and have been for a while, he’ll hug them from behind, his arms wrapped loosely around their waist, and tuck his face into their shoulder and listen for as long as they’ll let him

[electricshoebox]

wip wednesday

Hello! I was tagged by @just-another-wasteland-merc and I’m behind on a couple tags from @adventuresofmeghatron as well, thanks guys! 

Tagging: @maxdragonnb, @mercurymiscellany, and anyone else that might like to share.

I had hoped I’d have some progress on Ch. 13 to share, but I’ve been a little too worn out to get it off the ground. So here’s another small preview from Ch. 12, back with Deacon eavesdropping on Glory and MacCready:

Deacon thinks he hears Glory sigh, but it’s hard to tell. “I’m not gonna say I didn’t have my doubts after you ran your mouth at the bar—”

“You don’t have to sugarcoat it,” MacCready says. 

“Fine. You acted like a shithead and I thought maybe you had Deacon snowed. Which would have been terrifying, he’s god damn hard to fool, and if you were good enough to get him to believe you—”

“I’m not, I don’t—I wouldn’t do that to him.”

“Maybe not to him. Didn’t mean you wouldn’t do it to any of the rest of us.” 

“I��come on, you’re all like—you’re basically his family. That’s not any different than doing it to him, and it still puts him at risk. And anyway I wouldn’t fu—I wouldn’t do it, okay?” 

Deacon shuts his eyes under his shades. Something in his chest squeezes so hard he can’t breathe for a moment. He grips the railing tight enough to blanch his knuckles as he rides it out. 

[letterboxd]

Best of Sundance 2021.

From pandemic-era stories, via portraits of grief, to the serendipitous 1969 trilogy, the Letterboxd crew recaps our favorite films from the first major festival of the year.

Sundance heralds a new season of storytelling, with insights into what’s concerning filmmakers at present, and what artistic innovations may be on the horizon. As with every film festival, there were spooky coincidences and intersecting themes, whether it was a proliferation of pandemic-era stories, or extraordinary portraits of women working through grief (Land, Hive, The World to Come), or the incredible serendipity of the festival’s ‘1969 trilogy’, covering pivotal moments in Black American history: Summer of Soul (...Or When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised), Judas and the Black Messiah and the joyful Street Gang: How We Got to Sesame Street.

The hybrid model of this year’s Sundance meant more film lovers across the United States—a record number of you, in fact—‘attended’ the prestigious indie showcase. Our Festiville team (Gemma Gracewood, Aaron Yap, Ella Kemp, Selome Hailu, Jack Moulton and Dominic Corry) scanned your Letterboxd reviews and compared them with our notes to arrive at these seventeen feature-length documentary and narrative picks from Sundance 2021. There are plenty more we enjoyed, but these are the films we can’t stop thinking about.

Documentary features

Summer of Soul (...Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised) Directed by Ahmir-Khalib Thompson (AKA Questlove)

One hot summer five decades ago, there was a free concert series at a park in Harlem. It was huge, and it was lovely, and then it was forgotten. The Harlem Cultural Festival of 1969 brought together some of the world’s most beloved Black artists to connect with Black audiences. The star power and the size of the crowds alone should have been enough to immortalize the event à la Woodstock—which happened the same summer, the film emphasizes. But no one cared to buy up the footage until Ahmir-Khalib Thompson, better known as Questlove, came along.

It would have been easy to oversimplify such a rich archive by stringing together the performances, seeking out some talking heads, and calling it a day. But Questlove was both careful and ebullient in his approach. “Summer of Soul is a monumental concert documentary and a fantastic piece of reclaimed archived footage. There is perhaps no one better suited to curate this essential footage than Questlove, whose expertise and passion for the music shines through,” writes Matthew on Letterboxd. The film is inventive with its use of present interviews, bringing in both artists and attendees not just to speak on their experiences, but to react to and relive the footage. The director reaches past the festival itself, providing thorough social context that takes in the moon landing, the assassinations of Black political figures, and more. By overlapping different styles of documentary filmmaking, Questlove’s directorial debut embraces the breadth and simultaneity of Black resilience and joy. A deserving winner of both the Grand Jury and Audience awards (and many of our unofficial Letterboxd awards). —SH

Flee Directed by Jonas Poher Rasmussen

Flee is the type of discovery Sundance is designed for. Danish documentarian Jonas Poher Rasmussen tells the poignant story of his close friend and former classmate (using the pseudonym ‘Amin Nawabi’) and his daring escape from persecution in 1990s Afghanistan. Rasmussen always approaches tender topics with sensitivity and takes further steps to protect his friend’s identity by illustrating the film almost entirely in immersive animation, following in the footsteps of Waltz With Bashir and Tower. It’s a film aware of its subjectivity, allowing the animated scenes to alternate between the playful joy of nostalgia and the mournful pain of an unforgettable memory. However, these are intercepted by dramatic archive footage that oppressively brings the reality home.

“Remarkably singular, yet that is what makes it so universal,” writes Paul. “So many ugly truths about the immigration experience—the impossible choices forced upon people, and the inability to really be able to explain all of it to people in your new life… You can hear the longing in his voice, the fear in his whisper. Some don’t get the easy path.” Winner of the World Cinema (Documentary) Grand Jury Prize and quickly acquired by Neon, Flee is guaranteed to be a film you’ll hear a lot about for the rest of 2021. —JM

Taming the Garden Directed by Salomé Jashi

There’s always a moment at a film festival when fatigue sets in, when the empathy machine overwhelms, and when I hit that moment in 2021, I took the advice of filmmaker and Sundance veteran Jim Cummings, who told us: “If you’re ever stressed or tired, watch a documentary to reset yourself.” Taming the Garden wasn’t initially on my hit-list, but it’s one of those moments when the ‘close your eyes and point at a random title’ trick paid off. Documentary director Salomé Jashi does the Lorax’s work, documenting the impact and grief caused by billionaire former Georgian PM Bidzina Ivanishvili’s obsession with collecting ancient trees for his private arboretum.

“A movie that is strangely both infuriating and relaxing” writes Todd, of the long, locked-off wide shots showing the intense process of removing large, old trees from their village homes. There’s no narration, instead Jashi eavesdrops on locals as they gossip about Ivanishvili, argue about whether the money is worth it, and a feisty, irritated 90-year-old warns of the impending environmental fallout. “What you get out of it is absolutely proportional to what you put into it,” writes David, who recommends this film get the IMAX treatment. It’s arboriculture as ASMR, the timeline cleanse my Sundance needed. The extraordinary images of treasured trees being barged across the sea will become iconic. —GG

The Most Beautiful Boy in the World Directed by Kristian Petri and Kristina Lindström

Where Taming the Garden succeeds through pure observation, The Most Beautiful Boy in the World relies on the complete participation of its title subject, actor Björn Andrésen, who was thrust into the spotlight as a teenager. Cast by Italian director Lucino Visconti in Death in Venice, a 1971 adaptation of Thomas Mann’s novella about obsession and fatal longing, Andrésen spent the 1970s as an object of lust, with a side-gig as a blonde pop star in Japan, inspiring many manga artists along the way.

As we know by now (Alex Winter’s Showbiz Kids is a handy companion to this film), young stardom comes at a price, one that Andrésen was not well-placed to pay even before his fateful audition for Visconti. But he’s still alive, still acting (he’s Dan in Midsommar), and ready to face the mysteries of his past. Like Benjamin Ree’s excellent The Painter and the Thief from last year, this documentary is a constantly unfolding detective story, notable for great archive footage, and a deep kindness towards its reticent yet wide-open subject. —GG

All Light, Everywhere Directed by Theo Anthony

Threading the blind spots between Étienne-Jules Marey’s 19th-century “photographic rifle”, camera-carrying war pigeons and Axon’s body-cam tech, Theo Anthony’s inquisitive, mind-expanding doc about the false promise of the all-seeing eye is absorbing, scary, urgent. It’s the greatest Minority Report origin story you didn’t know you needed.

Augmented by Dan Deacon’s electronic soundscapes and Keaver Brenai’s lullingly robotic narration, All Light, Everywhere proves to be a captivating, intricately balanced experience that Harris describes as “one part Adam Curtis-esque cine-essay”, “one part structural experiment in the vein of Koyaanisqatsi” and “one part accidental character study of two of the most familiar yet strikingly unique evil, conservative capitalists…”. Yes, there’s a tremendous amount to download, but Anthony’s expert weaving, as AC writes, “make its numerous subjects burst with clarity and profundity.” For curious cinephiles, the oldest movie on Letterboxd, Jules Jenssen’s Passage de Vénus (1874), makes a cameo. —AY

The Sparks Brothers Directed by Edgar Wright

Conceived at a Sparks gig in 2017 upon the encouragement of fellow writer-director Phil Lord, Edgar Wright broke his streak of riotous comedies with his first (of many, we hope) rockumentary. While somewhat overstuffed—this is, after all, his longest film by nearly fifteen minutes—The Sparks Brothers speaks only to Wright’s unrestrained passion for his art-pop Gods, exploring all the nooks and crannies of Sparks’ sprawling career, with unprecedented access to brothers and bandmates Ron and Russell Mael.

Nobody else can quite pin them down, so Wright dedicates his time to put every pin in them while he can, building a mythology and breaking it down, while coloring the film with irresistible dives into film history, whimsically animated anecdotes and cheeky captions. “Sparks rules. Edgar Wright rules. There’s no way this wasn’t going to rule”, proclaims Nick, “every Sparks song is its own world, with characters, rules, jokes and layers of narrative irony. What a lovely ode to a creative partnership that was founded on sticking to one’s artistic guns, no matter what may have been fashionable at the time.” —JM

Narrative features

The Pink Cloud Written and directed by Iuli Gerbase

The Pink Cloud is disorienting and full of déjà vu. Brazilian writer-director Iuli Gerbase constructs characters that are damned to have to settle when it comes to human connection. Giovana and Yago’s pleasant one-night stand lasts longer than expected when the titular pink cloud emerges from the sky, full of a mysterious and deadly gas that forces everyone to stay locked where they stand. Sound familiar? Reserve your groans—The Pink Cloud wasn’t churned out to figure out “what it all means” before the pandemic is even over. Gerbase wrote and shot the film prior to the discovery of Covid-19.

It’s “striking in its ability to prophesize a pandemic and a feeling unknown at the time of its conception. What was once science fiction hits so close now,” writes Sam. As uncanny as the quarantine narrative feels, what’s truly harrowing is how well the film predicts and understands interiorities that the pandemic later exacerbated. Above all, Giovana is a woman with unmet needs. She is a good partner, good mother and good person even when she doesn’t want to be. Even those who love her cannot see how their expectations strip her of her personhood, and the film dares to ask what escape there might be when love itself leaves you lonely. —SH

Together Together Written and directed by Nikole Beckwith

Every festival needs at least one indie relationship dramedy, and Together Together filled that role at Sundance 2021 with a healthy degree of subversion. It follows rom-com structure while ostensibly avoiding romance, instead focusing on how cultivating adult friendships can be just hard, if not harder.

Writer-director Nikole Beckwith warmly examines the limits of the platonic, and Patti Harrison and Ed Helms are brilliantly cast as the not-couple: a single soon-to-be father and the surrogate carrying his child. They poke at each other’s boundaries with a subtle desperation to know what makes a friendship appropriate or real. As Jacob writes: “It’s cute and serious, charming without being quirky. It’s a movie that deals with the struggle of being alone in this world, but offers a shimmer of hope that even if you don’t fall in fantastical, romantic, Hollywood love… there are people out there for you.” —SH

Hive Written and directed by Blerta Basholli

Hive, for some, may fall into the “nothing much happens” slice-of-life genre, but Blerta Basholli’s directorial debut holds an ocean of pain in its small tale, asking us to consider the heavy lifting that women must always do in the aftermath of war. As Liz writes, “Hive is not just a story about grief and trauma in a patriarchy-dominated culture, but of perseverance and the bonds created by the survivors who must begin to consider the future without their husbands.”

Yllka Gashi is an understated hero as Fahrjie, a mother-of-two who sets about organizing work for the women of her village, while awaiting news of her missing husband—one of thousands unaccounted for, years after the Kosovo War has ended. The townsmen have many opinions about how women should and shouldn’t mourn, work, socialize, parent, drive cars and, basically, get on with living, but Fahrjie persists, and Basholli sticks close with an unfussy, tender eye. “It felt like I was a fly on the wall, witnessing something that was actually happening,” writes Arthur. Just as in Robin Wright’s Land and Mona Fastvold’s The World to Come, Hive pays off in the rare, beaming smile of its protagonist. —GG

On the Count of Three Directed by Jerrod Carmichael, written by Ari Katcher and Ryan Welch

It starts with an image: two best friends pointing guns at each other’s heads. There’s no anger, there’s no hatred—this is an act of merciful brotherly love. How do you have a bleak, gun-totin’ buddy-comedy in 2021 and be critically embraced without contradicting your gun-control retweets or appearing as though your film is the dying embers of Tarantino-tinged student films?

Comedian Jerrod Carmichael’s acerbic directorial debut On the Count of Three achieves this by calling it out every step of the way. Guns are a tool to give insecure men the illusion of power. They are indeed a tool too terrifying to trust in the hands of untrained citizens. Carmichael also stars, alongside Christopher Abbott, who has never been more hilarious or more tragic, bringing pathos to a cathartic rendition of Papa Roach’s ‘Last Resort’. Above all, Carmichael and Abbott’s shared struggle and bond communicates the millennial malaise: how can you save others if you can’t save yourself? “Here’s what it boils down to: life is fucking hard”, Laura sums up, “and sometimes the most we can hope for is to have a best friend who loves you [and] to be a best friend who loves. It doesn’t make life any easier, but it sure helps.” Sundance 2021 is one for the books when it comes to documentaries, but On the Count of Three stands out in the fiction lineup this year. —JM

Censor Directed by Prano Bailey-Bond, written by Bailey-Bond and Anthony Fletcher

The first of several upcoming films inspired by the ‘video nasty’ moral panic over gory horror in mid-’80s Britain, Prano Bailey-Bond leans heavily into both the period and the genre in telling the story of a film censor (a phenomenal Niamh Algar—vulnerable and steely at the same time) who begins to suspect a banned movie may hold the key to her sister’s childhood disappearance. Often dreamlike, occasionally phantasmagorical and repeatedly traumatic, even if the worst gore presented (as seen in the impressively authentic fictional horrors being appraised) appears via a screen, providing a welcome degree of separation.

Nevertheless, Censor is definitely not for the faint of heart, but old-school horror aficionados will squeal with delight at the aesthetic commitment. “I’m so ecstatic that horror is in the hands of immensely talented women going absolutely batshit in front of and behind the camera.” writes Erik. (Same here!) “A great ode to the video-nasty era and paying tribute to the great horror auteurs of the ’80s such as Argento, De Palma and Cronenberg while also doing something new with the genre. Loved this!” writes John, effectively encapsulating Censor’s unfettered film-nerd appeal. —DC

CODA Written and directed by Siân Heder

A film so earnest it shouldn’t work, with a heart so big it should surely not fit the size of the screen, CODA broke records (the first US dramatic film in Sundance history to win all three top prizes; the 25-million-dollar sale to Apple Studios), and won the world over like no other film. “A unique take on something we’ve seen so much,” writes Amanda, nailing the special appeal of Siân Heder’s coming-of-ager and family portrait. Emilia Jones plays Ruby, the only hearing person in her deaf family, at war between the family business and her passion for singing. While Heder is technically remaking the French film La Famille Bélier, the decision to cast brilliant deaf actors—Troy Kotsur, Marlee Matlin and Daniel Durant—makes this feel brand new.

But it’s not just about representation for the sake of it. A sense of authenticity, in humor as much as affection, shines through. With a script that’s 40 per cent ASL, so many of the jokes are visual gags, poking fun at Tinder and rap music, but a lot of the film’s most poignant moments are silent as well. And in Ruby’s own world, too, choir kids will feel seen. “I approve of this very specific alto representation and the brilliant casting of the entire choir,” Laura confirms in her review. Come for the fearless, empathetic family portrait, stay for the High School Musical vibes that actually ring true. —EK

We’re All Going to the World’s Fair Written and directed by Jane Schoenbrun

Perhaps the most singular addition to the recent flurry of Extremely Online cinema—Searching, Spree, Host, et al—Jane Schoenbrun’s feature debut ushers the viewer into a haunted, hypno-drone miasma of delirium-inducing YouTube time-suck, tenebrous creepypasta lore and painfully intimate webcam confessionals. Featuring an extraordinarily unaffected, fearless performance by newcomer Anna Cobb, the film “unpacks the mythology of adolescence in a way that’s so harrowingly familiar and also so otherworldly”, writes Kristen. Not since Kiyoshi Kurosawa’s Pulse has there been such an eerily lonely, and at times strangely beautiful, evocation of the liminal spaces between virtual and real worlds.

For members of the trans community, it’s also a work that translates that experience to screen with uncommon authenticity. “What Schoenbrun has accomplished with the form of We’re All Going to the World’s Fair is akin to catching a wisp of smoke,” writes Willow, “because the images, mood and aesthetic that they have brought to life is one that is understood completely by trans people as one of familiarity, without also plunging into the obvious melodrama, or liberal back-patting that is usually associated with ‘good’ direct representation.” One of the most original, compelling new voices to emerge from Sundance this year. —AY

Judas and the Black Messiah Directed by Shaka King, written by King, Will Berson, Kenneth Lucas and Keith Lucas

It was always going to take a visionary, uncompromising filmmaker to bring the story of Fred Hampton, the deputy chairman of the national Black Panther Party, to life. Shaka King casts Daniel Kaluuya as Hampton, and LaKeith Stanfield as William “Wild Bill” O’Neal, the FBI informant whose betrayal leads to Hampton’s assassination. Both actors have never been better, particularly Kaluuya who Fran Hoepfner calls “entrancing, magnetic, fizzling, romantic, riveting, endlessly watchable.”

Judas and the Black Messiah is an electric, involving watch: not just replaying history by following a certain biopic template. Instead, it’s a film with something to say—on power, on fear, on war and on freedom. “Shaka King’s name better reverberate through the halls of every studio after this,” writes Demi. A talent like this, capable of framing such a revolution, doesn’t come around so often. We’d better listen up. —EK

Pleasure Directed by Ninja Thyberg, written by Thyberg and Peter Modestij

A24’s first purchase of 2021. Ironically titled on multiple levels, Pleasure is a brutal film that you endure more than enjoy. But one thing you can’t do is forget it. Ninja Thyberg’s debut feature follows a young Swedish woman (Sofia Kappel) who arrives in Los Angeles with dreams of porn stardom under the name ‘Bella Cherry’. Although Bella is clear-eyed about the business she’s getting into, Thyberg doesn’t shy away from any of the awfulness she faces in order to succeed in an industry rife with exploitation and abuse. Bella does make allies, and the film isn’t suggesting that porn is only stocked with villains, but the ultimate cost is clear, even if it ends on an ever-so-slightly ambiguous note.

Touching as it does on ambition, friendship and betrayal in the sex business, Pleasure is often oddly reminiscent of Paul Verhoeven’s Showgirls. Or rather, the gritty film Showgirls was claiming to be, as opposed to the camp classic it became. There’s nothing campy here. Kappel is raw and fearless in the lead, but never lets the viewer lose touch with her humanity. Emma puts it well: “Kappel gives the hardest, most provocative and transfixing performance I’ve seen all festival.” “My whole body was physically tense during this,” writes Gillian, while Keegan perhaps speaks for most when she says “Great film, never want to see it again.” —DC

Coming Home in the Dark Directed by James Ashcroft, written by Ashcroft and Eli Kent

A family camping trip amidst some typically stunnin—and casually foreboding— New Zealand scenery is upended by a shocking rug-pull of violence that gives way to sustained terror represented by Daniel Gillies’ disturbingly calm psychopath. The set-up of this thriller initially suggests a spin on the backwoods brutality thriller, but as Coming Home in the Dark progresses and hope dissipates, the motivations reveal themselves to be much more personal in nature, and informed on a thematic level by New Zealand’s colonial crimes against its Indigenous population. It’s a stark and haunting film that remains disorientating and unpredictable throughout, repeatedly daring the viewer to anticipate what will happen next, only to casually stomp on each glimmer of a positive outcome.

It’s so captivatingly bleak that a viewing of it, as Collins Ezeanyim’s eloquent reaction points out, does not lend itself to completing domestic tasks. The film marks an auspicious debut for director and co-writer James Ashcroft. Jacob writes that he “will probably follow James Ashcroft’s career to the gates of Hell after this one”. Justin hits the nail on the head with his description: “Lean and exceptionally brutal road/revenge film … that trades in genre tropes, especially those of Ozploitation and ’70s Italian exploitation, but contextualizes them in the dark history of its country of origin.” —DC

The World to Come Directed by Mona Fastvold, written by Ron Hansen and Jim Shepard

Mona Fastvold has not made the first, nor probably the last, period romance about forbidden lesbian love. But The World to Come focuses on a specific pocket in time, a world contained in Jim Shepard’s short story ‘Love & Hydrogen’ from within the collection giving the film its name. Katherine Waterston and Vanessa Kirby are Abigail and Tallie, farming neighbors, stifled by their husbands, who find brief moments of solace, of astonishment and joy, together. What shines here is the script, a verbose, delicate narration that emanates beauty more than pretence. “So beautifully restrained and yet I felt everything,” Iana writes.

And you can feel the fluidity and elegance in the way the film sounds, too: composer Daniel Blumberg’s clarinet theme converses with the dialogue and tells you when your heart can break, when you must pause, when the end is near. “So much heartache. So much hunger. So much longing. Waves of love and grief and love and grief,” writes Claira, capturing the ebb and flow of emotion that keeps The World to Come in your mind long after the screen has gone silent. —EK

Related content

The 2021 Sundance Film Festival lineup by Letterboxd rating

Letterboxd’s ‘Official’ Top 50 of 2021

Awards Season 2020-2021: our awards-tracker list

Letterboxd’s Festiville HQ: our home for up-to-the-minute festival coverage

[museswithinx]

✎ + Deacon being a dad { bc you know I gotta }

send me ✎ + prompt & i’ll write you a 3-5 sentence (lol imagine) drabble.

This whole meeting was complete bullshit. Deacon could not believe after everything that they were seriously considering letting Crystal’s daughter into the fold. Child or not, the girl would be a beacon for the devil to return. Why was this even a thing they were considering, let alone acting on. He knew Crystal the best out of everyone here. Alice had taken her daughter and she WOULD be back for her.

“Great. So we’re just opening the gates to hell then? Why not just fucking personally invite Crystal inside ourselves.” He comments when the final verdict on the matter was decided. He was livid and he made no attempt to hide the fact. “Did any of you even consider my son and his peace of mind in any of this? We’ve never hidden our pasts from him. He knows exactly who Crystal is and what she’s done and he’s stated that he’s not comfortable with any of this. We’re just going to ignore that though, huh? To hell with his safety because Will already made a friend and Alice wants to play good fucking samaritan to a couple of strays!”

“It’s not our goddamn responsibility to play guardian, just an FYI since you’ve all seem to have lost your fucking minds. Might as well hang a bright flashing neon outside the border stating ‘Come on in, Crystal’ because that’s exactly what you’re doing by letting them in. You’re opening our door and risking the well being of my son. This is fucking stupid and you know it!”

Ignoring the looks and snappy comments that followed his outburst, Deacon started toward the door before he completely blew his temper. “You know what? Do what the hell you want since you’re going to regardless of what I say and what that means. It’s not like I don’t know that woman better than any of you or anything. When Crystal comes back into our lives like a fucking tornado destroying everything we’ve built, don’t come crying to me!”

Slamming the door shut behind him, Deacon softened when he found his son was outside eavesdropping. Connor was good at hiding it but he could tell he was bothered by what he’d heard from that room.

“Hey, bud,” he says kneeling down to his level. “I know this isn’t the news we wanted, but everything is going to be fine, okay? She’ll be in Mystic Falls, not McKinley, so she’s their problem and not ours. If it ever comes down to a fight though, I’ll handle it. Crystal isn’t going to hurt my family. I’m not going to let anything happen to you, alright?”

It was all he could really do to make Connor feel better. Unfortunately, it wasn’t enough but no one had really stopped to ask him how he felt about the whole thing before just agreeing they’d house his psycho ex-girlfriend’s spawn. They hadn’t cared about Connor’s comfort in all this, so why would his matter. 

“Do you want to spend the night over at Haley and Aubrey’s?” He asks. That seemed to make his son brighten a bit. “Your mother and I will talk to Bonnie and take you over there. How does that sound?”

[siribear]

a high pitched whistle precedes the explosion. it rocks the ground underfoot, rubble bursting from the ground, crashing into the lake nearby and raining along the pavement. their own isolated storm, booming thunder and all.

the general of the minutemen watches the proceedings idly, face impassive while the others cheer around her. she smiles appropriately when preston looks to her, nods when penny does the same. but inside, she’s railing. something about it rankles, the explosions, the weapons. artillery. her, being at the head of it.

the explosion on the horizon, the shockwave rushing up to meet them at the top of that elevator.

whisper, on the other hand, sees that giant blimp floating across the river and figures a hand she can play. she allows herself one clap on sturges’s shoulder as congratulations. who does it, she isn’t sure. all she knows is she’s got somewhere else to be: the prydwen.

preston isn’t happy about it, with her working with the brotherhood, but aside from the one broken power armor she liberated from the museum of freedom, they have no way of crossing the sea as it is. he relents, though it takes some convincing for him to stay and let her go by herself. deacon was right; he can’t be seen on the prydwen again. and neither can both heads of the minutemen be up there - just in case.

he balks at that, but can’t argue her logic, as much as he wants to.

‘i don’t like you being up there by yourself, general. it isn’t safe.’

‘we have the goodwill of the majority of the commonwealth. they won’t do anything to me unless they want to piss everyone off,’ she reasons. ‘or they capture me anyway.’ she shrugs.

preston sighs and hands over her new hat, scrubbed clean and smelling of abraxo. ‘if we don’t hear from you, we’re going out there.’

she smiles at him, adjusts her ponytail and places the hat on her head. ‘i’ll send word. the artillery is still too new, and we need to keep it a secret.’ she thinks back to the explosion and the new craters along the road. ‘as much as possible.’

preston squares his shoulders and takes a deep breath. ‘be safe, general.’

he tenses, even now, when she lightly places her hand on his arm. ‘i’ll be fine. don’t let them blow up our neighborhood before we even have a chance to settle it, okay?’ the buildings are falling apart as it is. if they test any more artillery they may as well raze the buildings themselves and start from scratch.

‘i’ll keep them in line, ma’am.’

‘then i’ll be back, soon. oh, and see if you can find some paint. i have a feeling my new power armor is going to need a few touch ups.’

-

it takes days for her to travel east alone. with the growing minuteman presence deeper in the city, raider groups have moved out to the bay. whisper nearly walks in dead view of one, barely avoiding detection by ducking behind a building. that interruption alone takes her hours to move beyond, and she doesn’t sleep that night, moving instead under cover of darkness. a blown out diner becomes her shelter for a few hours of restless sleep come morning.

she misses deacon. not just so she has someone to watch her back as she sleeps or the safety they have in numbers, but because she-she just misses him. him and the comfort of having someone she trusts at her back. and in resting she remembers this, too: deacon kissed her back. enthusiastically. before he knew she knew about the institute spy.

her heart races, and whether it’s from the memory resurfacing or the prydwen looming overhead, she doesn’t give herself time to dwell. a knight spots her and calls down a vertibird after confirming her identity. more than once, wandering brotherhood soldiers eye her hat with not-so-subtle shakes of their heads. of course, danse is the only one that looks her in the eye and gives her a respectful nod, offering to lead her the rest of the way to meet elder maxson.

he pulls her aside, into an empty examination room. ‘why do you need to see the elder?’

‘don’t trust me?’

he closes his eyes, sighs. ‘i want to. but there were reports of explosions near the castle, and now you’re here.’

it’s her turn to sigh. she adjusts her hat, pulling the brim away from her eyes. she can almost hear deacon in her head, calling out howdy, partner. ‘my being here has nothing to do with the explosions. seriously. we found a sentry bot in the armory.’

he’s silent as he stares at her, then, ‘okay.’

‘okay?’

‘i’m trusting you. elder maxson is in the mess hall.’

she’s touched. danse leads her further down the hall, to a larger room with a short bar separating a small kitchen from rows of cafeteria tables. at the bar sits elder maxson, alone despite the other brotherhood members in the room, nursing a drink between his hands. he greets danse curtly when they approach, and gives her an equally quick nod.

‘general.’

whisper slides onto the stool next to him, legs crossed, one arm hanging off the bar. ‘elder,’ she says sweetly. ‘how are you?’

‘this isn’t a social call, general. what is it?’

she huffs. fine. ‘i want a suit of power armor.’

out of the corner of her eye, she sees danse, somehow, stand up straighter, eyes widening as he looks to elder maxson. the mess hall quiets, the others not even pretending they aren’t eavesdropping. maxson grunts heavily and stands.

‘follow me,’ he commands gruffly. whisper looks to danse and shrugs with a grin.

‘you didn’t tell me that’s why you were here,’ he near-hisses in her ear.

she shoves her hands in her pockets and moves to go after maxson. ‘you didn’t ask.’

behind her, he sighs again before falling into step with her. ‘you can’t be serious.’

maxson leads them to the front of the prydwen’s second level, unlocks a door, and waits for them to approach. ‘i can be,’ she whispers over her shoulder, and steps through.

what looks to be maxson’s quarters is barely decorated. no sense of personal touch in the room aside from the brotherhood flag hanging over his bed and a personal desk and terminal. there’s a side door that leads to a personal bathroom, but otherwise she wouldn’t be able to tell his room from, say, danse’s quarters. the latter who trudges in, ducking through the door and takes up residence in the corner of the room before maxson shuts the door behind them. unlocked - at least that’s unthreatening.

whisper stands with her thumbs hooked in her pockets and watches maxson settle in front of her, standing as tall as he can, hands laced behind his back. ‘if you think you can just come aboard this ship and demand a suit of power armor,’ he starts, ‘you’re sorely mistaken.’

she barely stops herself from rolling her eyes, looking instead to danse who looks like he has regrets bringing her here. ‘it wasn’t a demand. you asked me why i came here, i told you.’

now, maxson looks back to his paladin, who bows his head. ‘i’m sorry, sir. i didn’t know - ‘

‘can i finish?’ she interrupts, earning herself a pair of glares in her direction. ‘if you’re going to shoot me, just know that plenty of people know i came here. if i don’t report in soon, they’re going to figure out something happened.’ she raises a hand to stifle further comments, and, surprisingly, they stay silent. ‘i have my own suit i could probably repair in a few months, but i simply don’t have the time. i have information i simply need to act on, and i’m willing to trade for it.’

‘what could you possibly have for us that’s worth losing a suit?’ maxson asks, voice tight, admirably restrained. she pulls a pair of dog tags from her pocket and holds it out to him. after he scans the name on the tag, ‘is this a threat?’

‘i don’t murder people for the fun of it. i found these.’

‘where?’

‘that’s what i’m willing to trade.’

the elder grips the tags in his fist and walks over to the door, jerks it open. ‘we’ll find out ourselves. go.’

this time, she does roll her eyes, but only danse can see. ‘i took the distress pulser. the dog tags aren’t the only thing i found,’ she says, looking directly at danse, imploring. months, if she loses this. and out in the glowing sea? who’s to say their renegade institute scientist isn’t dead already. she can’t waste any more time than necessary. she turns to maxson, her voice softer. lays out her case in this courtroom. ‘there was another squad here before danse’s, wasn’t there? i can find them. whoever’s left. we’re both on borrowed time here.’

‘elder,’ danse starts and fails.

maxson shuts the door. ‘what do you need the power armor for, exactly?’

she grimaces. no telling what the brotherhood would do if they found the scientist first, either. ‘it’ll bring me closer to my son.’ he doesn’t look convinced. ‘whatever i learn, you learn, but i honestly can’t risk losing this information for anything.’

his head jerks to danse. ‘you brought her up here. i’m making her your problem.’ whisper startles. ‘paladin danse will go with you. bring back what you can, and i’ll determine if you’ve earned the power armor.’

she lets out a breath, genuinely smiling. ‘thank you, elder maxson.’

‘you have access to our armory for any supplies you may need. bear in mind, you will pay for them. if you have to rest before you leave, i can radio down and have a bed set up for you.’

‘i’m ready if you’re ready,’ she says to danse.

‘i can be in ten minutes,’ he informs her.

perhaps it should be insulting how reluctant he seems to go with her, but it doesn’t matter. what matters is, she’s one step closer to the glowing sea than she was before.

maxson escorts them back down the hall, and the three split off. danse to his quarters; maxson to the control center; and she to the quartermaster. proctor teagan has little to say to her as she rattles off a list of supplies. the caps aren’t a problem, neither is the space, and she meets danse on the flight deck in exactly ten minutes. he boards the vertibird first, the machine swaying slightly under the power armor’s weight. she hops on next, buckling into the bench next to danse.

‘do you still trust me?’ she asks over the headset, voice tinny in her ears over the roaring of vertibird blades. vertigo kicks in when the mechanical arm drops the vertibird and as it stabilizes in the air. they’re to be dropped off near med-tek research near where she found the first bodies. if the patrol fell back, they’d go somewhere close, so it seems a good place to start.

‘i don’t know if i agree with how you approach things,’ danse says, eventually. she can’t fault him that, either. ‘but i'm trusting you. for now. don’t make me regret it.’ she wonders just how much trouble he gets into for being associated with her, even vaguely.

he doesn’t ask if she trusts him, and she doesn’t offer. she doesn’t know if she believes him entirely, or if he believes himself. maybe he’s just saying it to appease her, and it works just fine. as long as he doesn’t kill her in her sleep, but that doesn’t seem his style. unless -

‘you don’t sleep in your power armor, do you? i’d hate for you to roll over and squish me in the middle of the night.’

he closes his eyes, and she imagines him counting to ten. ‘no, i don’t.’

‘okay,’ she says, and swears she hears the pilot trying to hold back laughter. ‘just checking.’