#glory and nick become friends in this too. they should have had screentime together

[leavingautumn13]

WIP asks: 1, 2, 6, 7, 9, 11, and 14

Give a 5-word summary of this chapter/fic.

Sometimes violence is the answer.

2. Give the first line of this chapter/fic.

Once they were safely inside the security perimeter, Nick decided he couldn’t stand it anymore and pulled his matchbook and empty-but-for-the-last cigarette pack of his pocket.

6. Does this chapter/fic have any twists that you’re proud of?

Yes--it's not really a twist, necessarily? It's more an implication that never gets resolved. It's up to reader interpretation. (I'm being vague because, y'know, spoilers.)

7. What is your favorite scene you’ve written so far?

Glory pulled [Nora] forward into a tight hug, and the pressure from her metal breastplate against her chest and her strong arms around her back forced the air from her lungs. For a second, staring over Glory’s shoulder at bullet-chipped concrete of the opposite wall, Nora’s muscles ached too much to breathe. This was how she went, then—survived the most dangerous man in the Commonwealth just to be crushed to death by an overenthusiastic gesture of appreciation.

Nora’s eyes slid shut. Her head was heavy. Glory was warm and solid, and smelled like sweat and gunpowder and hot metal. Nora’s head dipped, her chin pressing against the cool leather of Glory’s coat. It was the adrenaline winding down, some part of her knew. Like the end of a race, when you’ve just passed the finish line. A temporary feeling.

And then Glory released her, leaned back, and clapped a hand on her uninjured shoulder. Her perfect teeth were bright white in the fluorescent lights as she smiled, and her eyes glinted with something feral as she cupped Nora’s face in her hands.

“You did good, sister,” she said.

9. What is your favorite dialogue you’ve written so far?

There's a lot of Glory in this fic:

“So, if this doesn’t work—”

“I swear I will avenge your swift but incredibly painful death,” Glory said solemnly.

Nora wrinkled her nose. “Gee, thanks. But I was going to say, if this doesn’t work, we don’t tell Nick about it.”

“Oh, no, agreed. My lips are sealed, sis.”

“Or Deacon.”

“Pssh. You don’t have to worry about Deeks. He knows what I’m like; he’d assume I bullied you into it. I’d just put him in a headlock if he bitched about it.” Glory pointed a finger at her. “And you should too. It’s Dez you don’t want to let catch wind of this. She’ll sideline your sorry ass faster than you can even think to apologize.”

“Are you speaking from experience?”

Glory drew an imaginary zipper over her lips, and raised her eyebrows significantly.

“No comment.” Nora nodded once, and took a deep breath. “Got it.”

Glory chuckled. “You’re quick. I knew there was a reason I liked you.”

11. What scene are you most hyped for this chapter/fic?

One of the ending scenes when all of Nora's previous decisions lead her to making one big, life-altering one. No spoilers, obviously. It feels like low-hanging fruit to say part of the climax is my favorite, but if that scene could have the same impact without all the words that come before it I'd just write it instead. Alas, I'm longwinded and like context.

14. What have you been finding frustrating with writing this chapter/fic?

Settling on a voice for Nora has been tough--not because she's underdeveloped, but because I'm indecisive. There are a couple different ways I could take her character, all of which have benefits and drawbacks. I just need to pick a lane and stick to it or find a way to mesh them.

Fortunately for me, my beloved beta reader is really good at voice and keeping it consistent, so I've got her watching out for me.