#fo3 rl-3

[stoat-party]

Welcome to the wasteland, 19-year-old child! I guess you’ll be needing a partner in this dangerous wilderness, huh? Pick one:

Sketchy robot

Not technically a slave

Literal actual sexual predator

no this one is really a slave, yeah she’s being held against her will

Hypercompetent family friend [YOU HAVE NOT ACCRUED ENOUGH TRAUMA TO UNLOCK]

Guy you’ve known your entire life [YOU HAVE NOT ACCRUED ENOUGH TRAUMA TO UNLOCK]

Kind, helpful walking tank [YOU HAVE NOT ACCRUED ENOUGH TRAUMA TO UNLOCK]

[everydayyoulovemeless]

Fo3 Companions Favorite Past Times/Hobbies

➼ Word Count » 0.6k ➼ Warnings » None ➼ Genre » Platonic/Romantic

Charon claims to not have any hobbies, saying that he "isn't focused on himself as much as he is his employer", but if you pay close enough attention, you'll catch the (somewhat) pleasant expression on his face while he cooks. He's always offering to fix something up for you and it always comes back perfectly made. The ghoul has a real talent when it comes to working over a fire and secretly loves sharing his expertise with your less experienced self.

Clover got really good at origami while enslaved. She used to sit in her cage and fold papers and leaves till they slowly began to form something tangible. It helped her stay calm in the times that mattered the most, and you'll notice her taking out slices of cloth and other bendable material and just folding them into wasteland creatures. She'll do it while waiting on you or in the middle of the night when she can't sleep. It helps keep her mind at bay while she tries to cope with everything she'd been put through.

After her accident, Star Paladin Cross took up journaling, deciding that she wanted herself and the rest of the Brotherhood to be remembered in an honoring and respectable light. She writes as honestly and unbiasedly as she can so that the people of the future can objectively tell what went down in the Capital Wasteland. She's incredibly consistent with it and is proud to be participating in the logging of the Brotherhood's history.

As surprising as it might be, Jericho has done a lot of reading throughout his retirement and will still crack a book open as the two of you start settling down for the night. He tries to play it off saying that "it's what all the other raiders are doing these days" and that he just wants to "keep up with the younger ones", but the slight glimmer in his eye when he reaches certain pages would make anyone question his reasoning.

Butch says that spending you're time decorating anything is a waste of time, however, every time he visits your home in Megaton, he's rearranging furniture and bringing in little trinkets that make the place feel so much more welcoming than it was before. He's got a knack for interior design, although he'd never admit that he enjoys it.

While trapped in the vault, Fawkes spent a lot of his time tinkering with the terminal in his cell. He learned a great deal about hacking while messing around with the device and is quite proud of his capabilities when it comes to fixing them! He'd be over the moon if you ever asked him to take a look at your own, it makes him feel valuable and important.

RL-3 is big on cleaning. If it isn't spotless, it might as well be torched. This habit of his most likely stems from General Atomics programming him to be self-cleaning so that he can take care of himself and keep himself up to policy standards. It's useful enough when it comes to messy areas, but you have to be careful if he deems it to far gone to be saved, he'll set it on fire.

Dogmeat loves when you hide things around your home in Megaton and ask for him to find it. It makes him so excited when he can sniff around and help you retrieve your lost rocket toys. It's like a game of hide-and-seek, and he adores every second you play it with him.

[grumpymirelurkqueen]

Hi, can I request a fallout 3? Companion reaction to the LW with good karma.

Hi, you're my first Fallout 3 request. You have no idea how happy I am to write this for my favourite companions. Thank you very much for your request. I hope you enjoy it. And sorry for my English mistakes, it's not my mother tongue…

FO3 companions react to LW with good karma:

Butch :

He's not surprised, I mean, you grew up together. You always protected Amata when he was a little shit. But he's grateful you got him out of the shelter before he really went off the deep end. Although he's very embarrassed by that. He's never really been a good person, but he's never been a bad one either. He's not a monster, just an immature young adult.

Sergent RL-3 :

A soldier has to be good, but also firm. My God this poor old robot is torn in two. Your dynamic is like the bad cop and the good cop. If he were human and could drink whiskey, he'd drink to every good deed.

Fawkes :

The one who is most proud of you, of all the companions. Seeing you protect those who can't, killing villains, or recovering children kidnapped by his brothers. That's what warms his mutant heart. He'll congratulate you, give you advice and, above all, say what he thinks about the situation and you. But if your karma goes lower and lower, he'll be disappointed but won't tell you. After a while he'll ask you if you're doing well mentally. He's afraid he hasn't seen any clues. He will stay with you for a while once the karma is bad, but will leave with a heavy heart.

Paladin Cross :

She's happy to be travelling with you, finally someone good in this world. But she doesn't say it openly, a pat on the back. Is the only thing to congratulate you. But if you have to lose your karma, secretly she will be disappointed (depending on your level of relationship with her.). But above all she'll go back to the citadel without a word and with a sad heart for having believed in Father Christmas.

Jericho :

The most hostile of them all. If he wasn't in Megaton, he'd accept a lot of capsules to put a bullet in your head. But somehow he understands that you're not witty enough to be mean.

Clover :

Compared to Jericho, she won't be too hostile towards you. She'll just be disappointed by your behaviour, believing she's found a new dictator with troubled tendencies. She'll just be bitter with you. But she'll still fall in love with you somehow.

Charon :

Charon doesn't give a fuck about your karma. But my God, it feels good not to kill women and innocent children or to put a bullet between the eyes of a simple drunken traveller for Ahzrukhal. But sometimes he's a bit scared of your kindness, he tends to prefer someone neutral or openly nasty. For him, kindness means hiding. And he doesn't want to discover your inclination if you're a fake.

Dogmeat :

This good dog doesn't care about your karma. He'll always be with you, as long as you don't mistreat him or betray his trust in you. A bone, a corpse, a fight plus a caress to congratulate him and he'll be fine. He'll be loyal to you with any kind of karma.

ᴵᵗ'ˢ ʳᵉᵃˡˡʸ ˢᵗʳᵃⁿᵍᵉ ᶠᵒʳ ᵐᵉ ᵗᵒ ʷʳⁱᵗᵉ ᴰᵒᵍᵐᵉᵃᵗ ʷʰᵉⁿ ᶠʳᵃⁿᶜᵉ ᵐᵉᵃⁿˢ ᶜᵃⁿⁱᵍᵒᵘ.

—————————————————————

[atomicbird101]

I'm not gonna lie, these are taking HOURS per character, maybe even DAYS depending on the character.

[spooky-donut-ghost-house]

Ngl we need more Star Paladin Cross, Clover, Fawkes and Sergeant RL-3 content

[nuclearnonsense]

My previous poll seems to be a real hit (thank you for that), so I have decided to make another one! This one focuses on Fallout 3 specifially, so don't comment characters from the other games (they'll get their turn).

[valen-dreth]

wait hehe i want a fo3 one too

[retphienix]

it still annoys me that Fawkes' "You're destiny culminates here" moment is so thoroughly memed as a sign that FO3 is terribly written, when it's honestly par for the course for the story they were telling; a very simple "Good vs Evil" RPG story that needed to end with a good or evil option because it was 2008 and we were still drooling over fable 1's 2004 depiction of those decisions.

I mean hell, Fallout 3 released only a few days after Fable 2, we were waist deep in these things, it was the style at the time.

The game was ending it's straight forward story and wanted to end with a nice big boom, and sacrificing yourself is like, still common in "good ending" stories in games right here and now- having Fawkes, the most well read companion who dwells on the deeper meaning of actions- even naming themselves based on what they deemed a thematically appropriate reference- see our story as it is written- with our father's sacrifice and the immense importance of this action- and say some bullshit artsy "Destiny" line is like- so fucking expected and normal for a video game story that it's impressive it caught anyone's attention beyond school yard "Well Akchtually, they should have done it so I could keep being a wastelander 🤓" discussions.

His dialogue in that scene is just a nudge to stay on track for the big sacrifice scene that tugs on the strings of immersion /slightly/. (not even harshly). And it was probably done to avoid adding like 15 more ending slides (3 companions are immune, good and evil variants, FEV and non FEV variants etc)- the same justification done for plenty of FO3 and NV things.

It kind of isn't a matter of "Well it doesn't make sense", and it's much more of just a narrative plot pushing video game moment- it's nowhere near high literature- it's just "what it is". Similar to how you can't actually take over the strip with your interesting charisma, speech skill, and powerful ballistic fist in NV- you have to doom the world to an upcoming robot uprising because they railroaded you into that instead.

It's legitimately so bog standard that if hating FO3 wasn't a meme in and of itself then it wouldn't come up. If anything people'd have fun little conversations about which of the 3 radiation immune companions do a worst job of maintaining immersion for that story moment.

(It's RL-3. Charon is a dickass with a vague "contract" of loyalty- the vagueness leaves plenty enough room for him to say no because we don't actually know what the limits are- it's all hearsay. Fawkes is an artsy fuck who definitely thinks they are providing a meaningful end to a meaningful life. RL-3 is a robot programmed to obey us- no amount of military lingo alters that he's given an order and says "No Sir!")

it would be a fun tidbit people bring up every handful of years and go "Hey, isn't it funny how Fawkes could have done it? Ha!'' but that isn't how the fallout community handled it.

It being the style doesn't excuse bad writing, but that's the thing, it's just "neutral/popcorn narrative" writing, with some fun ideas written here and there.

Fallout 3's writing overall isn't half bad- the worst it does is "be written by a different team than Fallout 1+2" and "Be written in the exhaustively hot epicenter of good/evil video game narratives" which is like... yeah, obviously it's that.

But even within that "sin" they take the time to explain the lore as to why factions depicted in 3 are different than 1-2 (such as the BoS we witness in 3 being an offshoot that abandoned the BoS way), and they try to explore what you can do within the standardized "good/evil" formula in a /few/ quests, about as much as you'd expect for a 2008 release still trying to fit within the current fad design.

Anyways, Fawkes' moment at the "end of the game" is thoroughly memed as a sign that the game is devoid of good writing logic or reason and is just stupid railroading- and it's not even how the game operates for 99% of players because of broken steel, a DLC that extended the end of the game into an infinite sandbox (because players wanted it) and allowed you to use Fawkes, RL-3, or Charon in the "sacrifice" scene instead, since all 3 are immune to radiation.

You know, the version of the game everyone plays today, the one where instead of the ""iconic"" immersion breaking line Fawkes says this:

Yeah.

I think in reality it bothers me mostly because what is effectively a removed voice line is treated as the smoking gun- when the exact event people "demanded" be possible and continue to claim couldn't happen- literally happens.

Fawkes goes in for you.

That's how the game has worked ever since 2009.

His fucking removed voice line is still the first thing you see on his fandom wiki page, as well as being the final "noteworthy quote" instead of including his revised lines anywhere in those areas.

Cute, I guess.

Anways, Fawkes is a neat super mutant concept- I often forget like 99% of their character (since FO3 isn't companion writing focused) but revisiting it in Tale of Two Wastelands is reminding me that as a "concept" I like them a lot. I think they do a good job of presenting it when you meet them too- it's just a shame that Fallout 3 didn't do companion quests to further explore them because I like what's presented and how it's voice acted- but then they just become the gatling laser companion who screams in combat a bunch.

[stoat-party]

Every Fallout 3 Companion’s Approximate Birth Year (Part 1/3)

Fawkes — 2054

There are cut terminal files that imply he moved into Vault 87 as a married adult, so I’m going by that.

deadwifeguy fawkesssss

RL-3 — 2075

Mr. Gutsies were first deployed sometime during the Liberation of Anchorage, which lasted ten years and ended on January 10, 2077.

But they aren’t treated as novel or expensive in the Anchorage simulation, which was developed before the end of the war.

But a loading screen also says they were developed “shortly before” the Great War.

Jericho — 2212

He’s 65 according to the game guide.

Star Paladin Cross — 2216

Because she’s a cyborg, she can be as old as I want her to be, and I want her to be in her sixties because that’s awesome.

Charon — 2251

I will not elaborate.

Talk to Ahzrukhal.

Clover — 2254

She’s only been a slave for a few months, so no Cait Math for her, but I figure 23 is reasonable enough.

Butch — 2257

He has a Pip-Boy in the birthday scene, so he’s older than the Lone Wanderer, who was born in July 2258.

The vault didn’t randomly have eight kids in one year, right? They’ve got to be spread out a little bit.

Dogmeat III — 2274

Four is a normal age for a dog to be, I guess. He can’t be too old if we accept that Dogmeat IV is his son.

Part 2

Part 3

[everydayyoulovemeless]

Fo3 Companions (+Gob and Sarah) With A Sick!Reader

➼ Word Count » 0.5k ➼ Warnings » None ➼ Genre » Platonic/Romantic, Hurt/Comfort, Fluff

Charon has pretty basic medical experience and can keep you alive, but he's not too excited about it. He'd rather just take you to a clinic and have you actually checked out to make sure it's not anything worse, but he's on your schedule and you're claiming it's just a cold. You'll manage, but it might not be comfortable.

Clover is so gentle toward you. She'll run her hands down your back and give you a handful of chems to ease the sickly feeling. She's no medic, so her main focus is just giving you things that'll keep you stable till you can find a doctor or start feeling better.

Star Paladin Cross has experience when it comes to soldiers falling ill on the battlefield and is probably one of the better ones on this list to have to help nurse you back to health. She'll go and grab a few herbs and plants, ground it up real quick, and all of a sudden you're feeling better than how you did when you left the vault.

Jericho just shrugs his shoulders and continues on his way. He's got no clue what you're expecting of him when you tell him you're not feeling well. Go to the clinic in Megaton? Just be sure you're using YOUR money, not his.

Butch panics a bit when you tell him you're sick, I mean, what's he supposed to do? All he's ever done was rough people up and cut people's hair, he doesn't know the first thing about medicine. He'll rush to find you a place to lie down, doing his best to cook something edible with the Mirelurk meat he pocketed on the way, but that's the most you'll be getting out of him.

Fawkes is so quick to find a doctor for you, or if he can't, gather all the medical supplies he has on him. He'll look you over and ask all sorts of questions about how you're feeling. He's no expert but he did read a lot of books while in the vault, so he's somewhat confident in his abilities. You'll be better in no time with Fawkes constantly doting on you.

RL-3 will tell you to toughen up and do 20 push-ups or something. There's no room for illness when you're fighting for your country.

Gob gets so nervous when you walk into the bar all washed out and pale, looking like you were going to pass out at any second. He rushes to get you sat down at one of the tables while he goes to grab you a wet rag to put on your forehead. He'll ask you a bunch of questions about how you got sick, or how long you've been like this before asking Nova to take you down to Doc Church's to get you looked at. (he's scared Moriarty will hit him for abandoning his post at the bar)

Sarah, like Cross, is well-equipped to handle issues like this, pretty much doing the same thing as her just with a little more charm. She'll try to make a few jokes and do her best to not make it feel like a boot camp while you're flushed and burning. She takes your health seriously and won't stop pressing until you start feeling better.

[grumpymirelurkqueen]

Another request for fo3. How do companions show jealousy of LW, even if they say/pretend that they are not jealous?

Hi ! I hope I understood your request correctly and didn't misinterpret it as something stupid…

I removed Sergeant RL-3, Paladin Cross and Jericho because I didn't know how to make them into a certain jealousy dynamic. I never played with them.

(sorry it took me longer, I hope you like it).

How do the fo3 companions show their jealousy of LW, and then claim that they are not :

Butch :

I like to think Butch was always jealous of you. You have a good father, even if he left you in the lurch. But you had a father who loved you, compared to him who had a mother who was physically there, but not quite with him. So yes, Butch is more envious than jealous.

When Butch started travelling with you, his envy turned to jealousy. You seemed so smart, so good at fighting and everyone talked about you. When he was in the dugout, he loved to brag about being the best shot in his group. When the supervisor asked them to get rid of the bugs. (to run away, because he was scared).

He pretended not to be. But one day you argue, as usual. A dynamic you never forget.

“ So you can't understand. You've always had what I've always dreamed of having, and yet you complain so much! ”

“ Wait… are you jealous of me ? ”

“ Yes !... No... ”

Fawkes :

Fawkes was the happiest mutant man when he met you. You shared a love of literature, poetry and science. At first he admired you for all the knowledge your father had given you. But once he felt his heart pinch. He didn't know why, but deep down he was sad to feel that way again.

Once you discussed your shared knowledge. That same twinge came back, but you were looking at him. The sad look on his disfigured face brought back memories of your shelter.

“ Fawkes all right? ”

“ What's ? Yes, yes, I'm fine. I…. I'm happy to share my research with you. It just brings back bad memories.. ”

Which is not exactly a lie…

Clover :

You're a bit of a charm for the raiders. To displease you and to displease poor Clover. She's jealous of your beauty and the lights the Raiders put on you.

She'll admit straight away that she's jealous of you. So to appease her and to take advantage of it, you tell her the truth. That you hate being at the centre of raiders.

Now clover is a trap for herself. A beautiful slave crying in the middle of a supply route. So she can plunder the local merchants.

(Poor Quinn, you have no shame in attacking this ghoul ?)

Charon :

In all his ghoulish life, he never thought he'd be jealous of a teenager who was barely a young adult. But your talent for discretion has made him more jealous. His large body doesn't allow him to be discreet; a wall of sand can barely hide him.

For some days now, Charon has been looking at you in a different way. Knowing that he speaks with his eyes, but not yet knowing how to decode them. You ask him to, so you get a simple "nothing".

Dogmeat :

That dog can't be jealous of you, can he? Oh, you took the bone he wanted. Now he's lying on the floor watching you strut around with that bone. He's drooling over that bone, don't you see? You look at him once, twice and the third time you shake the bone at him. Just a waggle of his head and tail in response. Oh, how sweet of you to give it to him.

—————————————————————

Thanks for reading !

[atomicbird101]

FO3 Companions Reactions to Dukov Being Gross to the Lone Wanderer.

Content warning ⚠️ themes of sexual assault!

This guy slaps your gf ass, wyd?

Butch

Butch sees red and immediately punches him square in the jaw.

"Get the hell away from them, you sick bastard!"

He doesn't go further than that — although he gladly would — but he leaves it up to Lone to decide what they want to do about this.

Charon

Charon deftly slips behind the pig, and before he can say, "You must have sat in some sugar, because you've got a sweet ass," there's a shotgun barrel against the back of his head.

"Your hand or your head. Your choice."

"Alright, alright, big man," Dukov says as he raises his hands in surrender.

If Lone gives the order, Charon will eliminate the problem with neither hesitation nor remorse.

Clover

In one fluid motion, Clover slices his hand clean off with her sword, and will decapitate the fucker if Lone chooses not to stop her.

Cross

She practically crushes his arm in a grip of steel, fingers leaving dark bruises on his wrist.

"Nineteen years ago, I swore to protect this child by whatever means necessary. Do I make myself clear, Mr. Dukov?"

"Fuck! Yes, now let go, you crazy bitch!"

"That's Star Paladin Cross to you, civilian."

She wrenches his arm away before turning back to Lone and asking if they're alright while using her power armor-clad body to shield them from Dukov's wandering eyes and hands.

Dogmeat

Dogmeat growls and bites the hand that grabbed them before Dukov kicks him away. If Lone does not step in in defense of their dog, Dogmeat will go for his throat and it's anyone's guess who wins that fight. Dogmeat is quick and tough, but Dukov is a renowned gunslinger, booze be damned.

Fawkes

"My friend... I would advise against that if I were you."

His hand wraps around Dukov's entire head and he lifts him off the ground as he speaks. Firm pressure is applied; not enough to crush his skull, but enough to get the point across that he so easily could.

Jericho

Although Dukov is a quick shot, Jericho is quicker and sober. A speedy and precise bullet to the wrist is all it takes to make Dukov regret his life choices.

"Damn, and to think I was starting to like this place."

Before Dukov can even think of using his other hand to pull out his gun, Jericho shoots a second round through his head and steps past the body as if he were stepping past a fresh pile of centaur dung.

"You okay, kid?" Jericho asks, holstering his weapon.

RL-3

RL-3 turns towards Dukov with a whirling buzz blade and three red eyes. An astute eye would notice a brighter flame as he peers at the despicable sack of flesh before him and asks his owner:

"What are your orders, Commander?"

[radioactive-reactions]

Fo3 companions react to the lone wanderer being bad at aiming because of a (really bad) hand tremor? I'm interested to see Butch's part because of how they went to school together.

First (Bethesda) Fallout 3 reaction! What a milestone! I hope this is to your liking...

Cross is a wellspring of patience. She's seen - and personally trained - dozens of far more dire cases in her long time with the Brotherhood, and is always there with a tip to help the Wanderer stabilize their aim. "Rest the barrel on your forearm, Knight. There you go. Don't be discouraged- with a Paladin by your side, you've little need for a weapon of your own."

Butch is more than familiar with the Wanderer's tremor, having quite literally grown up next to them. As such, when they reunite in Rivet City, he wordlessly begins to take the lead in combat situations, chalking it up to being 'the boss of the gang' when questioned. "Hey, don't you worry 'bout a thing, got it? Leave the shooting to Butch... and maybe you can use knives or something, yeah? Get right up in their face!"

RL-3 is... less understanding. Every fight is followed by a round of shooting drills- the military robot's strict programming is apparently unwilling or unable to comprehend the Wanderer's condition. "FIVE MORE, SOLDIER! THIS ROBOT'S ARMY ONLY HAS ROOM FOR STRAIGHT SHOOTERS!"

Jericho is exasperated at first, cursing his luck at being saddled with the only kid in the Capital Wasteland that can't shoot for shit. As time goes on, he warms up to them by degrees, even insisting on delivering a few raider-style lessons. "Jesus, kid, you've got just as much of a chance of clipping me as anyone fuckin' else out here. I'm about five seconds away from taping your hands to the goddamn gun to make sure you aren't spraying everywhere- maybe stick to the up-close-and-personal shit, huh?"

Fawkes barely even notices, burying every foe under a barrage of gatling laser fire before the Wanderer can get a shot off. Even when it's brought up, he scarcely seems to care, giving them a shrug and the usual long-winded life lesson. "YES, YOUR HANDS SHAKE. AND I AM AN EIGHT-FOOT-TALL MASS OF MUTATED FLESH. IT IS NOT OUR CIRCUMSTANCES THAT DETERMINE WHO WE ARE, FRIEND, IT IS WHAT WE MAKE OF THEM. I THINK NO LESS OF YOU."

Charon, on the other hand, does notice. He doesn't comment, judging that it's not his place to do so- slowly but surely, however, he goes from passive to protective, quite literally inserting himself between the Wanderer and their enemies to reduce the risk to them at all costs. "My contract entitles you to protection. Protection is what you're going to get."

[nightingaelic]

Fallout 3 companions react to the Lone Wanderer getting in contact with the Followers of the Apocalypse and asking to join them. (Possibly resulting in the creation of a Capital Wasteland chapter of the Followers?)

With the Enclave in full retreat and the Brotherhood of Steel officially installed at the Jefferson Memorial and Adams Air Force Base, the kid from Vault 101 seemed to be adrift. They wandered from Megaton to Underworld, Canterbury Commons to Rivet City, helping those they met along the way as they always had but growing more and more despondent with each passing day. "It's just me out here," they would mutter to themselves occasionally, after particularly tough run-ins with raiders or wasteland vermin. "What am I supposed to do?"

That question didn't have an easy answer, or so they thought. Then, like a lighthouse cutting through fog, a summons on Galaxy News Radio brought them to Three Dog, who parked the Lone Wanderer in an office chair and jammed a set of headphones over their ears. The kid talked for days, tuned to different frequencies, scribbled notes on every piece of paper within reach, and their missing smile gradually returned. When they finally stood up and gathered their thoughts together, a new dream came from their lips like a sermon: "There's a group on the West Coast that heard about me. They're called the Followers of the Apocalypse, and they help people. They like what I've done so far, and they want me to start a chapter here in the Capital Wasteland. I want to do this."

Butch DeLoria: Butch stared at them, flabbergasted. "You... haven't we... what more do you think you owe to these people?"

The kid he used to bully sighed. "What do I owe to anybody, Butch? This isn't about settling a debt. I think it's pretty clear now that I can make changes around here, big changes, and this is just another opportunity to do that."

"But why?" Butch pulled out a comb and ran it through his hair, visibly anxious. "So you purified the water, ran those Enclave upstarts out of town. Leave it there. Kill anyone who tries to jump you on the road, and stop worrying about everyone else."

"I..." The Lone Wanderer clenched their fist, unclenched it. "I can't. If I can make things better for everyone, I have to."

"Well that's not what Tunnel Snakes are about," Butch replied angrily. He seized his traveling pack, shook out his leather jacket and headed for the radio station's door. "You change your mind, you can find me at the Muddy Rudder."

The door slammed behind him. Three Dog, who'd been eavesdropping from the next room, poked his head in. "Is your friend coming back?"

"Ugh." The Lone Wanderer sank into their chair again. "Give it an hour or two. He'll come around. Probably when he runs into the super mutants in Georgetown."

Charon: Charon nodded. "As you wish."

The Lone Wanderer pressed a hand to their forehead in exasperation. "Okay, I tried to phrase that as openly as I could so I could get your thoughts, but I realize now that I should've just said... Charon, what do you actually think about this idea?"

The ghoul shrugged. "I don't."

"Come on Charon, there has to be something-"

"Fine." Charon rolled his eyes. "It's more of the same. More time on the road, more time building up and securing settlements, more time spent fending off attacks from those who want your stuff. I'd say you're also more likely to die, but you've defied my expectations before."

"And..." the Lone Wander pressed. "Are you okay with that?"

Charon, who was still unused to this kid's attempts to include him in decision-making, glared at them. "I am."

They studied each other silently. The Lone Wanderer broke first. They always did. "I'm not going to order you to do this with me."

"You don't have to," Charon reassured them. Half-facetious, half-sincere. "That's not how this works."

Clover: Clover examined her nails, clearly not that interested. "So what's the angle, lover?"

"Clover..." the Lone Wanderer hesitated. "What if it's not an angle? What if we just... did this?"

Clover stuck her tongue out playfully. "Whatever, honey. You probably have some scam cooked up already. Lure them out here, take their stuff, feed them to a deathclaw... you're such a tease."

"Uh-huh." Her companion crossed their arms. "A real scam. Like that time I used a GECK to purify the DC basin. Or that time I led a giant robot to fight the Enclave and eventually took over their crawler. Or that time I rescued a bunch of slaves from Paradise Falls. Clover, we've been on the road together a while. You know I'm not like that."

"I know, I know..." Clover trailed off and looked away. "S'just that I need a good story to tell when you take me back to Eulogy. Otherwise..."

The Lone Wanderer dropped their headset and took her hand. "You're not going back there. Ever. You hear me? You don't belong to that motherfucker anymore. You don't belong to anyone."

Clover still couldn't meet their gaze, but her eyes filled up with tears. "Mmm-hmm. Sure, lover."

Star Paladin Cross: The Star Paladin smiled. "I've encountered the Followers. They bring a noble cause to the wasteland, even if they stretch themselves too thin."

"Well, the Capital Wasteland Brotherhood is stretched too thin right now." The chapter's newest Knight sank back against the desk they'd been tethered to for the better part of the last 48 hours. "Scribe Bigsley is tearing his hair out about water caravans, the Enclave still has holdouts in the area, and Elder Lyons..."

They trailed off and sighed. "We need help. I don't know if I can be a Follower and a Knight, but I know they're more open to working with me because of Elder Lyons' decision to break with the High Elders. We have the same mission: To help the people of the wasteland."

"Our missions are similar, but there are a few fundamental differences," Cross corrected them. "The Followers emphasize the sharing of knowledge and learning, while the Brotherhood seeks to protect it. That said, your assessment of the Elder's decision for our chapter is apt. Perhaps we have opened ourselves up to common ground, in our desertion of our primary mission."

"Right." The Lone Wanderer nodded. "We're deserters. Let's use it. I'll start making plans and a list of potential recruits. I'll start with Reilly's Rangers and the Temple of the Union and get some leads."

Dogmeat: The mutt that accompanied the Lone Wanderer wherever they went barked, excited by his owner's excitement. The noise drew Three Dog's attention from the other room.

"Kid, I'm trying to run a radio station here," he said, leaning on the door frame with a mug of steaming tea in his hand. "Don't get your little buddy too riled up. Fight the good fight and all that, but do it outside."

"Sorry, Three Dog." The Lone Wanderer dropped to their knee and scratched the mutt's back and neck. "Just thinking out loud."

"You take their deal?" the DJ asked, before taking a sip from the mug.

The kid grinned. "You bet your ass I did."

Fawkes: The super mutant that had shadowed the kid since Vault 87 nodded sagely. "These Followers. Would there be room within their organization for an individual such as myself?"

The Lone Wanderer shrugged. "I didn't ask. The woman on the radio made a point of saying they were okay with ghouls, but she didn't say anything about mutants in general. I've heard that the mutants out west are more like you though, so probably?"

"Then I would like to be the first to sign up for your new chapter," Fawkes replied.

"Okay." The kid from Vault 101 grinned. "Great. Even if they aren't good with mutants, it's my chapter, and I say it's okay. It's not like they're going to be peering over my shoulder."

"And what do you intend to christen your first project?" Fawkes asked.

"Hmmm." The Lone Wanderer scratched their head. "Well, after recruitment and finding a base of operations, I think we should help stabilize the water caravan system. From there we can move on to tackling the slave trade."

Fawkes chuckled. "'From a small seed a mighty trunk may grow.' Then let us begin."

Jericho: The retired raider, who had been taking a nap in one of the office chairs, snapped awake with a snort and grabbed his assault rifle. "Who-whatsit?"

"Chop-chop." The Lone Wanderer tossed him his pack and punched him playfully on the shoulder. "We're going to shake up the Capital Wasteland hierarchy a bit."

"Well, that sounds like something worth getting up for," Jericho replied, somewhat more agreeable. "Where are we going?"

"Seward Square," they answered, throwing their own pack over their shoulder. "I know a crew over there that might be interested in helping."

"Reilly's gang?" Jericho stopped them. "Wait a minute. This isn't more of your usual goody two-shoes shit, is it? I told you, I was done after the business with the Enclave. Can't we just roll into a settlement and take their chems like the good old days?"

"Thought you were awake, Jericho." The Lone Wanderer smacked him on the cheek a couple of times. "You want to sit on top of the Capital Wasteland, you have to make yourself indispensable. Capisce?"

"Oh, fuck you," Jericho grumbled. "Should've kicked you off my steps back in Megaton, kid."

Sergeant RL-3: "Sir, yes sir!" the Mister Gutsy agreed. "Anything for our good old Uncle Sam!"

"Right then, soldier," the Lone Wanderer replied at the same level of enthusiasm. "Pack our gear and have this place spotless, on the double!"

"All recruits will be responsible for their own bunks!" Sergeant RL-3 shot back, before moving to retrieve the traveling packs from where they'd been stashed away.

Three Dog, who was watching from the door, shook his head with a grin. "I need to get me one of those models."

"Well, I know a guy out by Tenpenny Tower that might have a bot with your name on it," the Lone Wanderer offered. "Or at least the parts to build one."

"No time to dilly-dally, sir!" Sergeant RL-3 commented from across the room.