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musings-of-a-rose · 4 months

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Falling Slowly - Chapter 11

Pairing: Tommy Miller x f!reader

Word Count: 5000+

Rating: Mature - 18+ ONLY!

Warnings: Just like ao3, “creator chooses not to use warnings.” If you click Keep Reading, that means you agree that you’re the age to handle mature themes. Also by clicking Keep Reading, you understand warnings may not be complete in order to avoid spoilers for the story.

Notes: What started as a simple “wanting to make Tommy an actual daddy” turned into a whole ass fic. Is anyone really surprised? I absolutely adore Tommy and Daisy and would love to revisit them!

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**Divider made by @benkeibear

**Reader is not described

Main Masterlist

Falling Slowly Masterlist

Tommy Miller Masterlist

The truck runs out of gas just inside of Teton County. We gather up our packs, keeping our guns loose in our hands but ready, as we march through the woods. Tommy had found a paper map of Wyoming, noticing that there was a small notation of a hydroelectric dam on it. He's convinced that this settlement will be near there and I admit, that's a great place to start looking.

We don't make it within 20 miles of that plant before horses and riders come from nowhere, immediately surrounding us, their faces masked. Tommy puts his arms out to shield us, knowing that there was no way he could shoot them all.

"What are you doing out here?" A man bellows at us, his horse snuffing, a swirl of air puffing out from his nose in the cool, fall breeze.

"We heard there may be a settlement around here. We're looking for a place to call home."

"You know anything about dams?" A woman speaks up from behind the first man.

"I uh, I was in construction. I know some things. I can take a look."

She stares at him from behind her mask, weighing our usefulness. "And them?"

"My wife can grow anything. And has some medical knowledge. My son..helps her."

Several long moments pass. I can't get a read on them. If they are from this settlement, I can't really blame them for being so selective. And secretive.

"You come here on foot?"

"For the last 50 or so miles. We had a truck. Still works, but no gas."

She nods. "Stash it?"

Tommy nods. "Just in case we needed it again."

"Smart man. Alright, you guys come back to town with us."

They offered us horses, which Jax hopped on immediately, his whole face lighting up with excitement. It had been years since he was able to ride. I'm still on the fence about trusting them. After a while, we see their gates in the distance, a little shotty and in need of, well, Tommy's expertise. But that's not what holds my attention.

"Is your town named Jackson?" Jax asks the woman.

She nods. "It is."

Jax laughs, a sound I hadn't heard in a very long time. "That's my name! Must be a sign, right mom?"

The gates open and I'm rendered speechless. It's a town. A whole ass town. People are milling about like everything is normal. The woman, Maria, starts to give us a tour, pointing out the town hall, the bar, clothing swap and repair, and little general stores. She takes us around and shows us the barns, slots for at least 40 horses, the herd of sheep, and the dairy cows and goats. Jax practically comes unglued from the Earth when seeing everything. Maria smiles at his excitement.

"You're 17, right?" Jax nods. "Well I think you should still attend school. At least to just get to know the other kids. But your official duty, in my opinion, should be with the animals. What do you think?"

"Yeah! Dad, is that ok?" Jax clings to Tommy's arm and he smiles patting his hand.

"Yeah, of course, bud."

Jax whoops and punches the sky, immediately apologizing to the chickens that had started frantically clucking and running around their enclosure.

But what really impressed me was our house, an actual house. Maria stopped in front of this beautiful 3 bedroom, two story house, complete with a front porch. It was like stepping into a time machine. They had cleaned all of the houses and kept them maintained, but the decor was exactly the same as it was on outbreak day 14 years ago.

Jax picked a room once belonging to a teenage boy, judging from the decor. We quickly unpacked our things and headed into town, getting a hot, fresh meal and trying not to overstuff ourselves. They gave us a small ration of food to take home, a carton of eggs, some flour, salt, yeast, honey, a carton of milk, and, much to Tommy's delight, a small container of coffee.

I was afraid that all of the time spent just growing up around us, and then on the constant move with the Fireflies would make it difficult for Jax to make friends.

I couldn't be more wrong.

Immediately, the kids from town were fascinated by Jax, asking him tons of questions about the outside, about him. He eventually takes off with them, going to movie night at the community center.

Tommy and I walk back home, his arm around my shoulder, tucking me into his side. "That kid made fast friends."

"I was so worried about that. Guess I didn't need to be."

"Nah. He's a good kid and they can see that."

We stop for a moment outside of our house, looking up at it. "This was a good move, Mr. Miller. I like it here."

I turn to look at him and he smiles, pressing his lips to mine briefly before we head inside, the early fall chill on the wind making us shiver slightly. Tommy starts to unpack the food while I take a quick shower, groaning as the hot water sends goosebumps across my skin. I hadn't had a proper hot shower since we'd left the cabin.

I lay on the bed wrapped only in my towel, finally allowing myself to relax for the first time in...years. I can't remember how many at this point. Tommy comes in and wolfwhistles at me and I try, and fail, to hide my smirk.

"Looks like they left a present for me on the bed," Tommy chuckles, attempting to sit next to me. I put my foot out to stop him.

"Nuh uh. Take a shower first, stinky."

He looks fake hurt, putting a hand to his chest. "How dare you, I smell delightful."

"Yeah to a group of flies."

He pretends to storm off in mock anger, shedding his clothes as he goes. He stays a bit longer in the shower than I thought he would, but I can't blame him. That hot water is too much of a lure. He comes out, towel wrapped around his waist, his hair wet and curling. His incision is healed by now, a small red line all that's left of the metal that nearly took his life. Tommy lays next to me on the bed and I curl into his side.

"Hey, darlin? I know you're all clean and sexy and naked next to me, and I so want to have my way with you. But do you think it could wait until morning?"

"Oh thank God - I'm so exhausted."

We both chuckle and burrow into the blankets, talking for a bit when we hear Jax come in, closing the door to the bathroom and taking a shower.

I haven't felt this safe in years.

An electrified warmth, pulsing out from between my legs yanks me from sleep and I moan, my hands moving down and finding Tommy's head between my legs, his face pressed into me. My fingers grip his dark curls and I tug, loving the sound he makes when I do.

"Fucking hell, Tommy. Warn a girl."

He chuckles and my hips jolt. "Alright, well I'm warning you now, my beautiful wife. I'm not done with you yet."

Tommy makes good on his promise, sliding into me with practiced ease, my body taking him in greedily, responding to every touch, every kiss and nip. He digs his fingers into my hip, slowly moving me in time with his hips, angling himself to go deeper, hitting that spot that has me gasping his name, my fingernails digging into his broad back. His hips sputter, his head drops to my shoulder as be bites it, filling me with his warmth. He picks up his head, his nose lightly dragging across my face before kissing me.

"I fuckin' love you, Mrs. Miller."

"I fucking love you, Mr. Miller."

Life in Jackson is good. We're all kept busy but a natural busy, not a frantic "is this the moment when we all die" busy. Jax settles in beautifully, finishing their school and learning more about animals and their care as he works with them. About a year in, he finally asks out the girl he had been crushing on since we got here, Lara and, a year later, they're already talking about marriage. Young love.

Tommy helps to fortify the walls, manging to tinker with the dam and get it fully operational. He admits he had virtually no idea what he was doing. He just banged his wrench around and it eventually turned on. He joins patrols too, but mostly stays inside the gates, making repairs and fortifications.

I help a little old lady named Lu with the garden. I had brought some medicinal herbs with us and we were able to propagate some more from the clippings, which works out great for the clinic.

New people do show up, but it's rare. Jackson is fairly secluded, and Maria pretty much forbids anyone from giving away our location. I can't blame her. If everyone knew about this place, it would be overrun in a heartbeat, our supplies spent. Not to mention the clickers that would likely follow a crowd that large.

But today is one of those days. Maria radioed in that 3 new people were coming into Jackson, and to ready the clinic. The doctor there called me in to help, as I often did when she needed it. She told me what to prep and I realized whomever is coming, one of them must be pregnant.

"Imagine trapsing this lanscape, pregnant," The doctor said, no trace of malice to her voice. A little pity and awe though.

The clinic door opens and the doctor greets the people. I turn around and drop the tray I'm holding.

Sarah. Sarah is standing in the clinic.

A man stands next to her and on her other side-

Rose.

Rose and Sarah are alive and here.

"Sarah?" I choke out and her head snaps up, her round belly on prominent display.

"Aunt Daisy?"

"Holy fuck!" Rose gasps and I run to them, pulling them both into as tight of an embrace as I can manage, tears streaming down my face. I feel theirs as well. But when a small kick hits my stomach, I back up, apologizing to Sarah.

"Ah I'm sorry! I forgot! Come, the doctor will take a look." Sarah grips my hand, lacing our fingers together.

"Come with me?"

"Of course."

Sarah turns out fine, about 7 months along. She could do with a warm meal, some water, and a good shower. Sarah introduced me to her boyfriend, or husband, the second they can find someone who will marry them. He's a sweet boy by the name of Eli. We head over to the cafe and I point out all the places to Sarah and Rose and Eli. Once they get seated with food, I head outside, a smile on my face as I run to the stables. Tommy will be there with Jax, as he's repairing a broken stable door. I run, full on run to the stables, sliding inside the barn and coming to a stop in front of them, gasping for air.

"Mom! Mom, is everything ok?" Jax drops his hammer and puts his hand on my shoulder.

"Yeah...yes..." I take a few more deep breaths of air. "Sarah..and Rose...are here."

Once they get settled in a house, conveniently across the street from ours, we bring them over for some hot tea. Sarah sips on hers, a little moan coming from her as it warms her up.

"So...how did..where is..."

Rose and Sarah exchange a look and I don't like it. Sarah nods at Rose and takes another sip of her drink.

"We stayed another year or so after you left. They seemed to buy the story at first, that you had all gone out on some family thing and just...never came back. It happens. But Joel suspected that they were getting suspicious. So he said we needed a way out, to find the Fireflies so we could find you. They demanded Joel go on a long run with them, taking them somewhere up above Maryland."

"Maryland??"

Rose nods. "Yeah, that's what I said. Anwyay, Joel said he'd go but we had to go with and that we were off limits. Well... nothing happened but some guys were being creeps and that finally tipped Joel over the edge. He killed the guy in his sleep and we left on foot. We were heading towards Boston. There's a qz up there. We figured we could find out where you were from there. We had to cross this bridge. But they caught up with us and the bridge couldn't hold everything. Not with all the old cars on it and it not being upkept for years. The bridge went down and..." Tears poured from Rose's eyes, silent ones pouring down Sarah's cheeks as well.

"Joel?" Tommy asks, barely a whisper.

Eli speaks up. "I wasn't there, but they told me." He puts his hand on Sarah's giving it a little squeeze. "The bridge collpased. Took out the raiders and they nearly died too. But they looked for Joel for days. Couldn't find him. I'm so sorry."

I started to cry, but it was less about the loss of Joel, whom I loved like a brother, and more for Tommy, who looked like he had lost a limb. He got up and walked out the backdoor, slamming it behind him. I followed him, gently pulling him to me as he crumbled against my chest, gripping my shirt as he wailed over the loss of his big brother.

We eventually learned that Rose and Sarah ended up in a different qz than Boston, which is where Sarah met Eli. He was FEDRA but hated them, supporting the citizens in any way he could, even if that meant turning a blind eye to some insider trading. He and Sarah fell in love, but shortly after, the qz got violent, the people rising up against FEDRA. They managed to escape, Sarah finding out she was pregnant a few weeks later.

Eli had some Firefly connections, so they headed to their posts, eventually figuring out that we had left the Fireflies and relocated "somewhere in Teton County, Wyoming." And so they came here, hoping to find us. And being completely surprised to find Jackson City.

Sarah gives birth to a beautiful baby girl, Juniper, with her eyes, Joel's eyes. As Juniper grows, her hair becomes this beautiful carbon copy of her mother's, her curls bouncing away. Eli is a fantastic father and husband, always by his family's side.

Jax and Lara move in together and get married, Lara getting pregnant a short while after.

"I don't know if I'm ready to be a grandma," I say to Tommy while I look in the mirror. "Although I do have the greys."

"You'll be the hottest grandma I know." Tommy waggles his eyebrows as he pulls me to him, his tongue pressing against mine.

"If I'm a grandma, that means you'll be a grandpa."

Tommy looks shocked. "Holy shit. You're right. You still gonna wanna kiss this old man?"

My fingers wind in his shirt, pulling him down to me as I speak against his lips. "That's not all I'll do for this old man."

"Tree! Tree, mommy!" Juniper jumps up and down, yanking on Sarah's coat as she pushes back from our table, shoving the last bite of egg in her mouth.

"Yes baby. We're going to see the Christmas tree. You guys coming?"

Juniper looks up at Tommy with her big eyes. "Great Uncle Tommy coming?"

"Sorry, kiddo. Not today. I gotta fix the barn roof before the big snows come in." Juniper sticks out her lip. "But I'll see you tonight for hot chocolate?"

She thinks, her little finger tapping her lips. "Ok!" She yanks on Sarah's coat again, half jerking her towards the front door.

"See you tonight, Aunt Daisy?"

"Yup. I'll have cookies too."

"Yay!" Juniper yells from the doorway. Sarah and her leave, the house considerably quieter when they do.

"Crazy to think that in a few months, there will be another little one running around here."

"Yeah. I can't wait."

"Me neither."

Tommy kisses me before heading off to the barns, finishing up the last of the roof work. The last snow storm took off some of the panels and so it needs to be repaired before the next big storm or we may lose a horse or 2.

Tommy walks back in 10 minutes later. "Forgot my work gloves."

"How did you forget those, Mr. Construction?"

"I got distracted looking at your ass."

"How dare you, good sir. I am a lady."

Tommy walks up to me, pressing his body to mine. "A lady that I had bent over this table last night."

I slap his chest playfully before kissing him again. "Oh wait. I'll walk with you. I got to pick up a couple things for the cookies."

Tommy walks me a few blocks, intending on turning left to head to the barn while I continued on to the main strip. But then we hear yelling, just making out Sarah's name. Tommy and I glance at each other, immediately anticipating the worst as we run towards the wailing sound. We come out of a side ally onto the main strip, half a block away from the Christmas tree. And there, at the bottom of the tree is Sarah, crying her eyes out, her body desperately holding onto someone. No, wait.

"Joel?" Tommy says next to me in disbelief. But then their bodies shift, and there he is. Joel, with his mop of now grey hair, grasping onto the daughter he undoubtedly thought he'd lost.

Tommy runs as fast as he can over to them, Sarah pulling him down into their embrace. Juniper, who had been standing there holding her mom's other hand, immediately jumps on Tommy and hugs him, her little fists digging into his arms. I walk up, wiping tears from my eyes and, to my surprise, Joel looks up at me and pulls me down to him, hugging me as tight as he can.

"I thought you were all dead," He says it so quietly in my ear, but I can hear the wobble in his voice.

"We're here. We're all..." I turn my head, looking into the small crowd of people. "Someone get Rose. Now!"

Joel snaps back from me, his eyes boring into mine. "Rose is here?"

I smile at him. "Yeah she fucking is!"

Suddenly his eyes look over my shoulder and I see the shift in them, know he sees Rose, and I know that feeling. The one of loss and relief, the pain that causes in your heart. Joel tries to stand but it's too late - Rose is there, dropping into his lap as she clings to him, tears streaming down her cheeks. He pulls back, cupping her face, his eyes roaming over hers.

"You're real?"

Rose nods. "Are you?"

He pulls her to him, their lips meeting and I look away, giving them a moment of privacy, marveling at the fact that our family is somehow together, at the other end of the country, even all these years later.

As it turns out, Joel was not traveling alone. Ellie is spunky, full of attitude, keeping Joel on his toes. I love her already.

Tommy told me later about exactly why Joel and Ellie were here, what secret Ellie was carrying. That he has to bring her to the Fireflies so they can try and make a cure, an actual cure.

"And you think they can do that? They have the resources?"

Tommy shrugs, pulling his shirt over his head and exposing his bronzed skin, freckles spattered about, along with several scars. He starts to rummage through his dresser drawer, looking for a shirt to sleep in.

"Joel seems to think so."

"Hhhmm. I bet Rose will have something to say about it."

"She probably will."

I walk up to him, lightly brushing my fingers across his back. My arms slide around him as I press kisses into his back. He hums, his arms folding over mine. The warmth radiates out from his body and seeps into mine, relaxing me but also heating me up for very different reasons. I slowly move my hand down, dipping under the waistband of his sweatpants.

"And here I thought you said you were a lady." Tommy sucks in a breath after that last word, my fingers encircling him, slowly pumping him as he hardens in my grip.

"I want you to do un-ladylike things to me."

"Yes, ma'am."

He pulls my hand from his pants with a groan, from which of us I'm not sure. I turn to walk towards the bed and yelp, Tommy's hand lightly slapping my ass. He chuckles as I look fake shocked. I turn to him, my hand on my chest.

"How dare you sir! Ah!" He somehow reaches around me, slapping me on the other cheek, the shit eating grin on his face lighting up the room. He presses his lips to mine, but I'm not making it that easy. I pull back, turning to walk or run away, I'm not sure. But I know I'm not fast enough, Tommy's arms pulling me to him, caging me against his broad chest. One arm wraps around my chest, the other sliding into my panties. He moans as his fingers sink into me.

"Fuck, is this for me?"

"It's always for you, Tommy."

He continues to touch me, using his other hand to turn my head up, swallowing my moans with his kiss. The air electrifies and the mood shifts, both of us suddenly very desperate for the other. He pulls his hand from me and pushes me onto the bed, helping me to yank my panties down. They never make it off, just shoved down somewhere around my knees as he hikes my shirt over my hips. I'm already angling my body, my chest against the bed, Tommy's fingers digging into my hips as he gets into position. He pushes forward and I can't help the gutteral whine that erupts from somewhere within me, louder and more primal as his hips rut against me.

"My wife, the lady, begging me to fuck her."

I'm seeing colors now, my fingers twisting into the sheets to get some sort of purchase so I can push my hips back, driving him deeper.

"T-Tommy," It comes out more like a plea, a whimper of his name. But he knows me well, knows my body sometimes better than I do.

"I got you, darlin'."

He pulls me up, holding me against his chest again, one arm wrapped around me and one hand between my legs, touching me where it makes my legs shake.

"Come for me, baby," his voice rasps in my ear, low and sultry. And I do, I come hard, pulsing around him, his name chanting from my lips as I watch the colors dance around my vision. His hand stalls for a moment before pushing me back down, laying his body over mine as he continues to fuck into me a few more times before he comes, groaning and biting my back. He takes several breaths before pulling out, cleaning us both up before plopping back down on the bed. I scoot in next to him a minute later and he pulls me to his side, lifting my jaw with his finger to gently kiss me.

"You definitely know how to treat a lady."

Joel and Ellie leave the next morning, much to our dislike. Tommy knew they were leaving, of course he did. I guess it makes sense. Less people out in winter time, less chance of a confrontation. Still, it made me uneasy and I wish they'd stay at least until spring.

What surprised me most was that Rose stayed behind. She was not happy by the looks of it, but she still showed her love to Joel, Ellie clearing her throat and looking anywhere but them.

"Listen, Ellie. I know we don't really know each other, but I want you to know, you'll always have a home here. Ok? No hesitation." I may have only met her yesterday, but I really liked this kid. She gave Joel the crap he needed and that won her all the points she needed in my book.

"Thanks. I'll probably just stay there in case they need more blood. But it's good to know." She gives me a quick, slightly awkward hug before nodding to Tommy and Sarah, who had just come walking up to the stables where we all stood.

"I can come with you, you know?" Sarah asked her dad when he pulled back from Rose.

"No, you can't. You have my granddaughter to take care of."

Sarah hugs him tight, and I swear I can see a tiny glint of a tear in Joel's eyes, his head slightly turned as he breathes her in, having thought he'd never be able to hold his daughter again.

"But I just got you back."

"I know, baby girl. I know. But this is important. You know I wouldn't go if it wasn't."

Sarah nods against his chest before pulling back, wiping tears from her eyes. She stands between Rose and me, watching Joel pull Ellie up into the saddle. Rose moves forward, brushing away some stray dirt on his pant leg and he leans down, kissing her once more.

"Remember what I told you, Joel."

"I will. I love you, baby."

"I love you too."

Winter progresses, Lara getting further along in her pregnancy leaving Jax looking utterly lost as to how to help her.

"Just get her whatever she asks for and make sure to rub her feet. Oh! And when her belly gets big, stand behind her and lift it up. Your mom loved that."

"I just hated it when you had to stop."

Jax's smile fades and he turns serious. "I'm just afraid this one won't stick, too."

I cup his face. "Oh baby, sometimes these things happen. It just wasn't meant to be. But I'm sure this one will be running around and calling me grandma in no time."

Thank God I was right. Lara has her baby just as the winter snows start to melt, a beautiful little girl they name Emma, after Lara's sister who died saving her on outbreak day. She immediately has Jax wrapped around her little finger.

Our house is loud again, baby sounds echoing off the wood boards. I couldn't be happier. Tommy feels the same, his face lighting up whenever he gets to see Emma.

"I always feel like we're imposing," Lara confesses as she rocks Emma to sleep.

"Never. You are never imposing. Even if you just need a moment for yourself, you bring her right over," I assure her.

"Thanks, Mrs. Mil-I mean, Daisy. Sorry, that's still weird to say."

The false spring ends, the final snows melting away as flowers and trees bloom. Tommy and I walk arm in arm down main street, intending on having a quick bite to eat at the restaurant before heading back to work. There's a small commotion at the main gate before it opens slightly. Tommy stops, pressing his hand above his eyes to shield them from the bright sun.

"Holy shit. It's Joel and Ellie."

We jog up to them, embracing them both. Something is different. Off, a little. I can tell something happened, but they're both back and safe and that's what we focus on. We head right into the clinic, Rose running and jumping into Joel's arms. He kisses her hard before setting her down, where she promptly breaks the kiss and punches his arm as hard as she can.

"Ow."

"Joel Miller, if you ever leave me again, I will find you and kill you myself. Do you understand me?"

A small smile tugs at the corners of his lips. "Yes, ma'am."

We take Ellie for a meal, allowing Joel and Rose some time to themselves. She's a little quieter than normal, shoving food around her plate for a bit before eating.

"Hey. Everything ok?" I ask, trying to put no pressure on the question.

She shrugs. "Yeah. I guess I'm just disappointed things didn't work out."

I hesitate for a moment before grabbing her hand and squeezing it. "You are fucking brave for even trying it. You're a bad ass."

She chuckles. "A bad ass?"

"Hell yeah!"

She shifts a little in her chair before resuming eating, a little more eager than before. I'm not sure what what on between here and Salt Lake, but I hope they can both come to terms with it. I'm sure they will.

Emma sits on her father's lap, happily chewing on some food we'd cut for her from the absolute feast we've put together. Everyone is here, Jax and Lara and Emma, Eli and Juniper and Sarah, who is rounder than ever with their second child. Joel and Rose and Ellie, who asked to bring her new friend Dina along. We all sit at a big table out back, the late summer air warm but cooling as the sun sets whispering through the trees. The laughter is loud and smiles are all around as we all sit and chat long into the night. I push my chair against Tommy's, leaning my head on his chest as he wraps his arms around me. As I look out at everyone I can't help but be amazed and grateful that we're all here together, after all this life has thrown us, in this little corner of the world.

And how different my life would've been if some random drunk didn't hit on me at that bar, so many years ago.

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crowtrobotx · 2 years

Text

Okay I really do promise that I have an actual cohesive story I want to tell via a multi chapter fic but I was seized by this idea last night and I needed to get it out lest it drive me mad. This one’s for all my fellow Heisendad/Dadsenberg maniacs.

🦋⚙️

This is Not a Drill

Character: Karl Heisenberg, original character (daughter)

Warnings: None, unless you are uncomfortable with swearing.

Word count: 1974

Summary: Karl loses track of his kid and finds her up to something very near and dear to his heart.

Karl was in a rare mood.

Rare, meaning that he wasn’t stalking around the dark corridors of his factory, shouting obscenities at the reanimated corpses going about their assigned duties and simmering over all of this week’s “family” nonsense.

The sunshine and for once not abysmally cold weather had him working with the factory doors wide open, enjoying the warm breeze and natural light that cast the entry room in a warm, amber glow. Of course, nothing about his activities beneath the surface was apparent to any prying eyes. As far as anyone would think, he was working on repairing a tractor for one of the farmers in the village - not out of the goodness of his heart, of course, but because Mommy dearest periodically made him perform these acts of charity to encourage the peons to keep the faith. Annoying, pointless, but he’d grown used to the humiliation as the decades slipped by.

Used to it, but not at peace with it.

The radio on his workbench emitted a staticky jazz ballad, one that had him swaying subconsciously while he toiled. He never sang along, having been reminded loudly and frequently that he was completely tone deaf, but here in the relative privacy of his home he could at least dance a little. His hat and coat discarded and his hair pulled into a sloppy ponytail, Heisenberg tried not to think about how in another life he might have been just like this - tightening the same bolt, listening to the same tune.

Only in that world, he wouldn’t have had so much - his dignity, his pride, his love - taken from him.

Karl stepped back from the machine, wiping his brow on the back of his hand. The music began to fade out, leaving him briefly alone with his precarious thoughts. In the moments between the end of the song and the next, he caught a rather suspicious noise coming from the junkyard out front.

A loud clang followed by a dull thud, like two metallic objects colliding and falling to the ground.

“Lottie?”

No response. He glanced over his shoulder, looking for any sign of the tiny human he was supposed to be keeping alive. Heisenberg knit his brows and gently rolled the cigar between his lips. She knew she was supposed to stay where he could keep an eye on her, but there was no one and nothing to be seen. Of course, it wasn’t like he hadn’t been completely preoccupied with this job for the last hour - so much so that a certain someone could have easily slipped away.

Dammit.

He straightened himself with a groan before haphazardly tossing down his wrench and striding outside, squinting in discomfort against the bright sunlight that he was by no means used to enduring. Maybe living like a hermit underground wasn’t the healthiest thing in the world, but that was a bridge he would cross another time. Right now he had to find his feral offspring.

It was possible that she was still inside somewhere, but doubtful. Unless a varcolac had dug a hole under the fence again, he couldn’t think of who might be causing the ruckus aside from Lottie. No one got in or out of his domain without him noticing, and there were select few individuals capable of forcing their way through his gates against his will - but, God, he did not want to deal with that today.

Karl scanned his property, hands akimbo. Everything looked normal - or, as normal as it could possibly be in an isolated cult town. He could hear the rush of water from the nearby river over the cacophony of noises coming from inside, and nothing looked out of place—

Except for the conspicuously placed pile of scrap sitting separate from the rest of his collection.

A thin sheet of metal levitated shakily from nearby in the yard, only to be tossed by an unseen force in the general direction of the rest of the items. Karl snorted, relaxing his shoulders. Thank goodness. This had to have a good explanation.

“Hard at work, Butterfly?” he called into the mayhem.

The very top of Lottie’s head popped up from behind the rusted out corpse of a motorcycle. He could just see her surprised little eyes underneath her dusty goggles. Her presumably guilty expression quickly gave way to one of smug determination, even managing to throw in an audible little huff of annoyance at having been interrupted.

“Yes.” She did not elaborate.

“Uh huh,” Karl walked casually closer, the smoke from the end of his cigar obscuring his already less than perfect vision. “Anything I can help with?”

“No!”

He paused. Oh, she was definitely up to something. His thoughts fractured into a million possible schemes of how to pry it out of her, before deciding that a good old fashioned guilt trip should do the trick.

“Aww, don’t be like that. I thought we were pals! We have a secret handshake and everything,” he did his best to play up the sorrow in his voice. “You wouldn’t keep a secret from your best buddy Papa, would you?”

This time there was a loud sigh. For a moment, he thought she was going to leave him in the dark - something she had never done but a fear that gnawed on his brain stem on some particularly lonely nights nonetheless. He didn’t notice himself holding his breath, bracing for a blow that never came.

“I’m making a hammer,” she explained at last, reappearing closer to his position at the side of an old tank. “You know… like yours. I’m trying to find stuff to use for it. I was gonna surprise you.”

A hammer? The bristles at the edge of Karl’s mustache twitched. A by now familiar warmth bloomed somewhere deep in his chest, although it was tempered by the fact that he knew he should be dissuading her from crawling around in the tetanus garden that was the outside of their home. Not because of the tetanus, of course - because despite what anyone said there was order in the chaos of the factory grounds and she was probably going to move something out of place. And then, when he got around to using it - which he would, totally, he did not have a problem - he would have to waste precious time trying to figure out where a six year old might stash something.

“A hammer, huh.” Karl scratched his beard, feigning disinterest. “I’m flattered, kid, but don’t you think you’re a little small to be carrying something that heavy?”

Lottie threw an old horseshoe toward her stockpile. It landed with a thump in the grass next to the other objects - most of which were unidentifiable, probably bits torn from bigger pieces. She was wearing a comically too large pair of his old gloves and her curls had begun to escape from their confinement in the buns atop her little head, making her look not unlike the world’s smallest mad scientist.

“I don’t have to carry it for real! I’ll just cheat, like you,” she said frankly.

Karl scoffed. “Cheat?”

“I know you use your powers to lift yours, Papa. Don’t be embarrassed. You’re old and tired, it happens.” Lottie disappeared again into the heaps of metal.

The cigar nearly fell out from between Karl’s lips. He gaped in her direction, unsure if he was feeling shame or offense or pride. It made sense that she’d have noticed - she could probably detect the disruptions in his magnetic field well enough, now. But that didn’t mean she had to call him out like this!

“Young lady,” he began, panicked, unsure of his next move. Chastise her for her bluntness? Point out that he had aged like a fine wine, thank you very much? Ground her for — wait, how did you ground a kid who didn’t leave the house anyway?

“D-don’t… don’t go spreading that around, okay? Okay?” He craned his neck, trying to figure out where she’d scurried off to. “Not because it’s true, but because it’s most certainly not true! Hey! Are you even listening to me?”

“Papa!” His daughter burst out from yet another location, making Karl wonder if he’d fathered a human or a little rat, weaving her way through the tight, sharp spaces with apparent ease.

She bolted up to him, looking up into his face with manic excitement. It was a contagious energy that made most of Karl’s angst over her prior observation dissipate instantly, finding it impossible to not be dragged along behind her enthusiastic pull. Lottie’s eyes were sparkling with mischief as she held up a tiny blowtorch, long since out of commission. “Do we have one of these but bigger?”

“Bigger? Like a damn flamethrower? Who do you think I am, of course I’ve got a few of those.” ‘Do I have a flamethrower,’ psh.

“Good. I want my hammer to shoot fire.” It was said as calmly as if she were simply pointing out the weather.

“Whoa! Hold your horses, Butterfly!” Karl snatched the tool from her hands and held it just out of reach. “Not only does that sound pretty unsafe for a little runt like you, but why would I help you out when you just insulted your dear old dad? This sounds like a you problem, sweetheart.”

Lottie pouted. She really pouted, her lower lip trembling and posture shrinking into that of a kicked kitten. Her chubby cheeks were dirtied with oil stains, no doubt from her rummaging, making her look not unlike some stereotypical street urchin from one of the old movies he kept locked away in his personal quarters.

“Because,” she whined, “if we both have hammers, then we can annoy your brother and sisters double!”

Karl let himself smile in earnest this time, unable to let himself keep acting like he wasn’t absolutely going to help her on her little project.

Damn, why didn’t I think of that? Kid’s going places. Still probably shouldn’t let her have something she could immolate herself with… then again, she’s a smart cookie. I got into worse at her age. Hmm. But would the flames come from the top or the sides…?

His head was suddenly swimming with visions of himself and Lottie sneaking out during one of Alcina’s god awful opera performances, using their makeshift weapons to smash those gaudy vases, torching the hideous curtains and stealing one of her unfathomably expensive lipsticks to put some real art on the walls.

“Okay. Deal. But we’re not putting fuel in it until you’re at least eight.” Heisenberg was a responsible parent, after all.

“Ugh, fine,” Lottie grumbled, apparently unhappy with the arrangement but able to recognize that it was the best she was going to get. “Help me carry this stuff inside, would ya?”

With a smirk and a flick of his hand, all of the junk levitated and obediently hovered gracefully around Karl like a metal cloud. He gestured her to follow him, unsurprised to watch her instead go tearing off faster than her short legs could carry her. The tractor could wait. It would be easy to throw the Duke under the bus if Miranda asked, claim he was waiting on a special part. Building a hilariously oversized murder device was much more important than being the bitch’s workhorse.

“Hurry up, Papa!”

Karl chuckled and made his way toward Lottie, the cogs in his brain already overheating with ideas of what else they could do with her hammer. Chainsaw? No, that might make it too unwieldy. A drill? Absolutely not, he needed those for the army.

“Hey!” he called suddenly, “what would you think about putting a propeller on it? Like—”

“Like what you did with Sturm?” Lottie finished his sentence before pausing in the doorway and looking back at him with a hint of exasperation.

“Please, Papa - I’m not crazy.”

#is the title a hammer pun? of course I would be a bad bi if it wasn’t #once again I am sorry for formatting nonsense bc I’m almost always on mobile #resident evil village #karl heisenberg

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trainsinanime · 1 year

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I'm starting to warm up to Train Sim World 3, a game I got via Microsoft's game subscription model. A huge part of that is because it has a lot of good tutorials for all the very non-obvious parts of it. Those non-obvious parts are there for realism, to be clear; most trains aren't designed to be obvious, they're designed to be run by trained personnel who got special training for all the details of each train they're on.

Anyway, the basic tutorials are all set in a fantasy location, the Training Center. It's a magic place where you will find German, British and American trains all next to each other on decidedly German infrastructure.

The setting is all over the place, with some alpine stuff, a lake, several station platforms, and the whole thing is notably not an A-to-B line. Instead it's a combination of different loops and sidings for shunting around that feels more like a model railroad than a real thing.

Clearly this is completely made up, right?

Well, no. While all the scenery is purely fantasy and quite a bit of the details are wrong, the track layout is in fact a real piece of railroad infrastructure. Specifically, this is the track layout of the Siemens Test Centre in Wegberg-Wildenrath, Germany, near… well, not really anything, but Mönchengladbach is the closest city.

This facility, built on the site of a former British airfield, is where Siemens (and to a small extent other manufacturers) tests new trains, both prototypes and sometimes individual ones. All the tracks are for testing trains at different speeds and in different conditions, and a lot also for storing trains. There are also big workshops, used for finishing touches, indoor tests, but also as an independent repair and maintenance facility, and to assemble trains built in other places.

According to its own description, it's the most modern of such test centres. I have no way of checking that. It is definitely not the biggest, that is VUZ in Velim in the Czech Republic, which has a much bigger outer loop allowing for higher speeds, but less other equipment and tracks as far as satellite images say. VUZ is still seeing a lot of use, though. Maybe they'll use that one as the training centre for Train Sim World 4.

Access to the Wegberg facility is difficult for rail fans. It isn't hidden by any means, it's about an hour's drive from where I live, but all the really fun parts are hidden behind gates and fences, and security patrols the area. They held I think like two open days for the public, in total, and the last one as far as I can tell was in 2012.

And of course I was there.

Hey, remember those days when the Vectron was fresh and new, and Siemens was still actively selling the class 189 (ES64F4) and that in-between generation they only ever sold to Portugal, Belgium and Lithuania? That sure was a while ago, now they've sold well over a thousand Vectrons and those beasts are everywhere.

First big difference between video game and reality: In reality, the outer loop is only single track, while the video game has it double-tracked.

The video game also gives me a top speed of 300 km/h for this outer loop. In reality, as far as I know the limit ist 160 km/h. Apparently the track gets checked and realigned weekly, to be sure that the measurement results are all accurate.

Yes, that is an Uerdinger Schienenbus. Yes, that did retroactively become a Siemens product, because the Uerdinger Waggonfabrik that built this dinky little rail bus ended up becoming Siemens's Krefeld plant (specifically the Uerdingen part of Krefeld, no longer an independent town), where they build all their high speed trains among others. Surprised the hell out of me too.

In the game, all lines are electrified and have British style third rail power. In reality, that is actually fairly close. Many tracks are not electrified, though (they have diesel shunters to deal with that, including some hilariously old ones). Even fewer have the British style third rail, although that is in use because Siemens does sell a lot of trains to Britain. Instead, some tracks, such as the inner loop, feature Berlin style third rail, raised, with a plastic cover and designed for bottom contact.

And in fact there's a fourth rail here, which the video game doesn't have. This is to test meter gauge trains; generally speaking that means trams. However, for the opening ceremony 25 years ago, they apparently did have a steam train from nearby historic steam railroad Selfkantbahn. Definitely the second-greatest historic steam railroad around Aachen.

Anyway, the point of this is… none whatsoever. I just thought it's funny. The makers of the game aren't hiding that they just took the Wildenberg-Wegrath track layout, you can find a number of news articles referencing this. But if you just downloaded the game because you got Game Pass and it says "train something", as you do, then you may never notice unless you're already aware of this test centre.

#train sim world 3 #railroads #railways #siemens #prüfcenter #wegberg #siemens pcw

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bellevuefencing · 2 years

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3 Ways You Can Reinvent MAPLE VALLEY FENCE

According to the most recent Census, there are a total of 2,587 people living in Maple Valley. It is hard to imagine that there is not a single fence company in town. In fact, according to the city's website, "Maple Valley does not have a municipal cemetery."

It would seem that it would be nearly impossible for Maple Valley Fence Company Ltd. to find a niche in this suburban community. The company is owned and operated by Bill and Martha Spence. Mr. Spence is a first generation family business owner, who came from an entrepreneurial background. As a result, Maple Valley Fence Company Ltd. can provide the best service in their industry.

Maple Valley Fence Company Ltd. was officially incorporated in Seattle on July 4, 1982 as Maple Valley Fence Company Ltd., doing business as Maple Valley Fence Company Ltd..

#fencing #gate repair bellevue #best fence company near me

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sfbay123 · 2 months

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Elevate Your Property with Expert Fence Contractor Services from SF Bay Automatic Gates

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San Jose,CA

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#san jose #california #gate repair #fence contractor #driveway gates #fencing service #ca #driveway gates near me

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anchanted-one · 2 years

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Legend of Lightning Chapter 56. Survivor’s Nightmare

https://archiveofourown.org/works/43208574/chapters/113641888

TW: This Chapter, and the next few, will deal with severe depression

????

Vajra Devarath knew the house that rose from the fog. He had come here many times, both to meet his best friend Gabril Kees, and to—as subtly as possible—spend as much time as he could near his sister, Sonni.

She could play seven instruments, and had one of the best singing voices he’d heard, rivalling even those he would later hear on Coruscant and Alderaan. In fact, they had entered a competition in the city, where he had danced while she played.

They had been the talk of the district for ages afterwards.

He could hear her pristine voice emerging from the house, full of her usual zest for life. He could not make out what she was saying, even as he entered through the front door. She was sitting on a lawn chair in the backyard. There was a small crowd around her; her brother Gabril, with whom she shared a house, and their mother Sorayi. On her right was Barnie Smithers, one of the young half-Zabrak men whose tractor Vajra repaired from time to time. The family dogs, Huilil and Mantil were excitedly panting as they circled the people.

He almost stumbled when he saw the bundle in Sonni’s arms. She was holding a newborn child, who was fast asleep as everyone watched it with utter fascination.

Sonni looked up at Vajra as he approached.

She said something, but Vajra frowned in confusion. “What?”

“I said, you let us die.” Her expression turned to cold hate. Everyone’s did, as they turned to face him. The dogs started to growl and bark. The sky turned an infernal red, and Vajra fell under the assault of a burning heat. Every single blade of grass in the garden sizzled as the moisture was burned out of them. “The last thing I ever saw in this world, was my Natshya dying in my arms.”

“I thought you were my friend,” Gabril said through gritted teeth. His voice was hoarse. “I thought you were a Jedi! How could you let us die like that!?”

“Don’t be mean, children,” Sorayi said, looking at Vajra with disgust. “I suppose it’s our own fault for expecting anything from him.”

“If you couldn’t save us, at least you should’ve had the decency to die with us,” Barnie spat on the floor beside Vajra’s left foot, but it evaporated before it even reached the floor.

“I-I-I-I—”

He jumped as the door behind him burst into splinters. “You what?” Ila Joril shrieked. “You’re ‘sorry’? Sorry doesn’t cut it!” Other villagers began pouring into the once-idyllic garden, clambering over the fence or bursting in through gates.

Their skin grew dry before charring as he watched in horror. Cracks appeared, and blood peeked out before the bodies were cooked alive. The smell invaded his nose.

He couldn’t move. “I didn’t know!” The heat was a thousand times worse than Tatooine for those around him—those he cared for—but he was, cruelly, the only one spared from the agony. It was his cocktail of overwhelming emotions that made his voice tiny, rather than having his throat burned to a crisp. He swallowed and tried again. “I didn’t know!”

His teachers grasped his hands, trying to pull him into the ground with them. The other townsfolk jumped on top of him, climbing onto his back, clawing at his face and hair, trying to turn him in a hillock of burnt corpses. Their hands squeezed around his shoulders, neck, waist, and wrists so tightly that he couldn’t move, couldn’t fight back… and didn’t even want to. He deserved this.

As a scrabbling young child he couldn’t identify covered his head, its fingers formed a slit that, to his vision, turned the red sky above into a Sith Lightsaber.

It descended upon them, killing all the condemned. Vajra was, of course, left unharmed.

“No!” he whimpered. “Why did you do that! Take me too!”

The fog around him shifted to reveal a totally different landscape.

He was in a wooded valley between several large mountains. The skies were a dull, steel grey. There were many wrecked wagons in front of him, and many dead people and animals. Most bodies were separated from their hands and heads. They all had the same bluish-grey skin as him, and some whose bodies were more intact had four arms. A head close to his feet looked up at him with three dead, black eyes. Its mouth hung open, the final moments of fear etched onto its face. Columns of smoke rose from the ground, as if attempting to form a bridge between the heavens and land. Strangely, it created the illusion that he was in some macabre cathedral built to worship destruction.

A giant loomed before them, laughing so hard he might have just heard the funniest joke in the world. A man with blood-colored skin, and eyes of molten red. His elbow-length hair was black as dirty oil, and his pointy teeth caked with plaque. His Lightsaber covered the whole sky.

An old man knelt before him, bent, broken.

Lightning fell from the sky, and the giant was gone in the second it took Vajra to blink. The old man fell to the floor, his body turning into ash.

As Vajra cowered, the eyes of all the dead moved in their skulls to lock onto him. They said nothing, but he felt the cold rage, the contempt.

A man and several women walked upto him, carrying their heads in their hands.

They deposited their burdens in front of him before collapsing. The black eyes were fixed on him, and they bespoke agony, despair, and distaste.

Vajra was shocked to find that he didn’t feel anything looking at the severed heads of his family.

“Traitor,” they whispered with unmoving lips. They spoke in Raudra, as they had in life. “Coward.” “You abandoned your family, and fled your home.” “There is no place for you among us anymore.” “You will die as you have lived. Alone and afraid.” “It would have been better if you’d died with us!” “Why did you have to leave, my child? Weren’t you happy with us?”

That question threw him off. Hadn’t he been happy? Hadn’t he loved his family with all his heart? Then why could he feel nothing for them? Was it because… yes. It had to be.

He really was garbage.

The ground under him split, and the dead of Uphrades returned with their grasping dead fingers. They bit his legs with mouths that emitted more smoke than an industrial chimney.

He woke up with a howl.

#star wars #the old republic #star wars the old republic #swtor #hero of tython #jedi knight

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