#rum and nuka

[callmewisteria]

i am thinking way too much about the variations of nuka cola

[not-neverland06]

How About a Nuke?

Part I / Part II

Cooper Howard x fem!reader A/N: This is really a prelude to the real story. It’s who they were before the bombs dropped and not as fleshed out as it could be. Summary: Hollywood doesn’t agree with you, as much as you wished it would. Until you meet Cooper Howard and he flips your world upside down. (Image below does not represent reader, I mean I don’t even look like that)

“Quench your thirst and a little bit more,” you winked and held up the dripping bottle of Nuka-Cola. You shot your best smile at the camera in front of you, holding it until the director let out a loud “Cut!” The smile dropped instantly and you dumped the bottle back in its cooler. 

Tom walked behind the camera, a frown on his face as he replayed the clip. You’d been here two hours already for a thirty second promo, there’s no reason it should have been taking this long.

You shifted, the leather on your legs creaking uncomfortably. They had you in some odd little space suit, more sexy than functional. The backdrop behind you was of painted stars and an out of scale moon. You weren’t sure how space and Nuka-Cola connected but a check was a check. 

“Is that who I think it is?”

You turned around at the sound of gasping. Your eyes widened and your stomach dropped when you watched the Cooper Howard walk through the entrance of the studio. Your biggest celebrity crush and idol just walked through the door and you were dressed like a sexy astronaut. This is beyond embarrassing. 

You had begged your agent to let you take some more serious roles, or at least a few fun ones. You’d been stuck in the same role of sexy bombshell for too long. You couldn’t even escape it doing a few advertisements. You wanted someone like Cooper to think you were classy or distinguished at least. Not some sellout with over lined red lips. 

You whipped your head around, hoping he wouldn’t notice you, and pretended to be fascinated by the cheap set you were on. “Mr. Howard, a pleasure,” you briefly glanced over your shoulder to watch your director shakehis hand. Cooper looked up, his eyes briefly catching yours. You winced and turned back around. 

“What are you doing here?”

”Filming a new advertisement for Nuka, would you like to see?”

”Why, yes I would.”

Oh, this was wonderful. Just great. You reached up to pinch the bridge of your nose but your hands just jammed painfully against the plastic of your helmet. You listened to them replaying your clip, hating the sultry tone of your voice. You hated being typecast like this. 

You didn’t work so hard to earn your spot in Hollywood just to be forced into the role of a sex symbol. You could be more, you knew it. You just needed a chance. “You did wonderful.”

You jumped in shock at the voice near your ear, your helmet hitting something hard. You heard a groan of pain and turned around mortified to see Cooper holding his nose. “Oh, Mr. Howard, I am so, so sorry.”

He shook his head and held up a hand, smiling amicably at you. “My fault, sweetheart, shouldn’t have snuck up on ya.”

You let out an annoyed huff and finally pulled the damn thing off. “Honestly, I should pay more attention, this damn thing’s a safety hazard.” He chuckled and it made you smile without even realizing it. You could feel the heat already blooming under your skin, just barely resisting the urge to fan yourself. But you couldn’t help but be flustered. It was Cooper Howard!

He finally let go of his nose and you sighed in relief when you saw that it wasn’t too badly damaged. He seemed to understand your relief because he laughed again. You heard whispers behind the two of you and finally realized just how close you both were. A couple PA’s stood huddled together, pointing at you with accusing fingers and harsh glares. 

Probably not smart to be a sex symbol and stand so close to a married man. 

You dropped the smile and took a step back from him. As much as you disliked typecasting, you would hate losing jobs more. You didn’t need any rumors to spread because you smiled too widely at Cooper. Lord knows your career barely survived the last round of gossip, that you’d been sleeping your way into roles. Which you hadn’t. You don’t need anything more like that bothering you now. 

Cooper glanced over your shoulder and seemed to notice the same thing as you, but he didn’t seem bothered by it like you were. Of course, he was a man and he was very happily married, he didn’t have to worry about the same things as you. He was secure in both his relationship and place in the world. You’d just barely gotten a foothold on everything. 

“I thought you seemed just sweet as peaches in that clip.”

You gave him a brief smile, “Thank you.”

”Though,” he frowned and glanced over at the director. You rolled your eyes when you saw Tom point over at you and then gesture to his stomach. If they sinched your waist one more damn time your ribs were going to crack. “I don’t quite understand why you had to be seductive.” He seemed genuinely perplexed but it didn’t take a genius to understand the underlying message of his words. 

You shrugged, “Just seems to be the way my career is going right now.”

”Is that what you want?”

Your brows furrowed in confusion. You haven't been asked that before. Of course you’d spoken up about being unhappy with your roles, though you still took them. But no one had ever asked you what you wanted. An odd feeling bloomed in your chest and you took another precautionary step back. “Um,” you frowned and shook your head, “no. It’s not what I want.”

He smiled, seemingly pleased by the answer. “Look, sweetheart, I didn’t come here to drink cola or chat,” he held up his hands in apology, “as wonderful a conversationalist as you are. I’m filming a movie right now. We're looking for a lady with a strong presence to be my companion in the film. I’ve seen your movies, you’re capable of a lot more than they’re giving you to work with. I think you’d be perfect for the role.”

Your ears started to ring as you stared at him in shock. It was hard to keep your jaw closed the longer he spoke. There’s no way that everything you’ve been wanting was just being offered to you on a silver platter. Stuff like that only happened in…

Well, it only happened in movies. 

“That is if you want the role? You’re not looking particularly enthused,” he gave you a charming grin and you finally remembered you actually had to respond to him to get what you wanted. 

“Yes!”

You didn’t care how loud you were or how dirty the looks you were getting from others were. There was nothing on your mind other than the man in front of you and what he was offering you. 

Everything you wanted. 

You stared up at the poster on Cooper’s wall. “I always thought I looked ridiculous in this one.”

“Well,” Barb came up behind you and handed you a martini. You took it from her with a grateful smile and took a sip. You tried to stop your face from screwing up but alcohol had never really sat well with you. “I think you look amazing.” She smiled at you and walked back towards the living room. 

You stayed where you were at the end of the stairs, staring up at the too-large poster. You and Cooper were standing back-to-back, your gun raised to your lips and a smirk on your red lips as your hat laid tilted over your eyes. The bright red cursive title sat under your spurred boots, The Outlaw and The Sheriff. 

Well, they certainly hadn’t been creative with the name. You couldn’t really bring yourself to care, though, it had been your first real role. You had played someone of substance, someone whose entire life didn’t revolve around the man she wanted to have an affair with. Cooper had opened up more doors for you then he would ever understand. 

You turned from the poster and back to the party. For once you weren’t being surrounded by a group of groping producers or Hollywood execs. Being a part of Cooper’s family, someone he was mentoring, it carried a certain power within the den of vipers. You weren’t untouchable, but you weren’t someone to be so easily ruined. 

You flashed kind smiles and coy waves at the people who called out your name and made your quick escape to the backyard. 

Cooper’s new movie had been released and he was having a sort of celebration party. Though, you think it’s just Barb trying to integrate Vault-Tec into the movie industry. From the disgusted looks on some of your co-star’s faces you could tell it wasn’t going very well. 

You sighed in relief at the fresh air and slowly made your way over to the pool chairs. Your feet ached in your heels and you could already feel blisters starting to form. You undid the straps and slipped them off. You lowered yourself onto the edge of the pool and dipped your toes in, the relief instantaneous.

You weren’t out very long before you heard steps approaching. You let out a deep sigh, mentally preparing yourself for your peace to be ruined by whoever wanted to bother you. “You’re not skipping my party, are you?” 

You opened your eyes to find Cooper smiling down at you. You always wondered how his smiles could be so genuine when he spoke to you. You hadn’t felt like you’d given anyone a real smile in a long time. This industry had taken a lot from you and lately you’d been wondering if it had stolen your happiness too. 

You shrugged, “It was getting a little boring.”

He grinned and slipped his shoes off. You watched him roll his pants up and groan as he dipped his legs in the pool with you. His smile slipped and his eyes widened when his legs landed in the water, “Damn, it’s fucking cold!”

You barked out a laugh, rough and very unladylike while he squirmed like a girl at a little cold water. “Didn’t you fight in a war?” You teased. 

He nudged his shoulder into yours, “Watch it,” you shook your head, dismissing his faux warning. You knew he didn’t really mind when you bugged him. It’s how you two had been acting around each other since day one. Tabloids labeled you two as close as kin, brother and sister. 

As much as it bugged you every time you read a headline like that while standing in line at the grocery store, you supposed it was better than everyone thinking you were some two-timing slut. But it bothered you how much your relationship being labeled siblings in nature irritated you. He had a wife and child, you couldn’t let some pathetic crush cloud your judgment like this. 

It was real hard to remember that, though, when he looked at you the way he did. Sitting by his side, under the moonlight, his eyes warm and earnest as he sent you an easygoing smile. You’ll never figure out if it’s in your head, but you swear he doesn’t smile at anyone the way he does at you. 

You feel like the only woman in the world sitting there with him. Like there wasn’t a party going on a few yards away in his house. And you hadn’t just accepted a martini from his wife who had graciously invited you into their home. It was just you and him. 

You didn’t realize you were leaning in until your lips were brushing his. He should have pulled back. You shouldn’t have leaned in. But his hand was on your waist and the other was buried in your hair, desperately pulling you closer. 

It wasn’t gentle or slow like you’d always imagined it. His mouth was moving hungrily over yours, practically devouring you in his desperation to get as close to you as possible. His hand tugged at the roots of your styled hair, a pained moan slipped through your lips. That wasn’t enough to snap you out of your trance, but his tongue licking into your mouth was. He groaned, tasting and savoring you like you would be his last meal. Like he had wanted you just as much as you had wanted him and he wasn’t going to let this chance slip away. 

You jumped back but he didn’t let you go far with his hands on you. His eyes slowly opened while the reality of the situation dawned on you both. You let out a horrified gasp at the sight of your lipstick smeared over his lips. “Oh, god, Coop.” You whispered, voice strained as you stared at him, “What did we do?”

His eyes darted between yours, the realization coming slower to him. When it did, you could pinpoint the exact moment it hit him. His mouth drew up in disgust and he ripped his hands off you. He leapt up, water splashing your dress as he did, but you were too hurt to really care. He clamped a hand over his mouth, looking very much like he was about to throw up on you. “Fuck,” he hissed, jaw clenched and eyes squeezing shut. 

You grabbed your bag and shoes and rushed to your feet. You dug around in your purse, hands shaking so much you could barely undo its clasp. When you finally found your handkerchief you dipped it in the pool and held it out to him. 

He glanced towards your outstretched hand and then to your ashamed face in confusion. “You have my lipstick on your lips,” you whispered. He snatched it out of your hand and scrubbed at his face so hard you wouldn’t even be able to make out the lipstick with how red his skin was. 

Slowly, and without a word, you both made your way back into the house. The tension was thick, neither of you able to look at each other. You kept an unusual amount of space between you for two people who were always so close. If anyone looked out the door at you right now, well, even Bud Askins would be able to tell something was wrong. 

You made it to the glass door and Barb intercepted you. Your heart leapt to your throat. You’d never been more disgusted with yourself. Not only did you kiss this woman’s husband, you had fucking enjoyed it. 

In fact, you wished you were out there still. As small a taste you’d gotten of him, you craved more. Your body was on fire with desire, core throbbing when you thought about the way he’d kissed you. You forced yourself to stop imagining what it would be like if he had kissed somewhere else. God, the thought made you burn. 

She laughed and gave you an odd look, “You look like you saw a ghost.”

Cooper chuckled and you whipped your head towards him in shock. Not only did he look completely unaffected, but he was smiling at you. You couldn’t look at him long, afraid your face would further give you away. You were a good actress, but not nearly as good as him. 

“This one almost accidentally took a dip in our pool,” he and Barb both laughed and you forced yourself to join in. 

“Yeah, and I think that might have been enough excitement for me.” You smiled at Barb and leaned in to kiss her on the cheek, the taste of her husband still on your lips. “I’m gonna head home. Enjoy the rest of the party.”

Cooper stopped you before you could completely slip away, “I’ll walk you out to your car, honey.” You nodded, not willing to argue in the middle of his crowded home. Still, you didn’t make it easy for him to keep up with you. You were at the door before he could blink, practically flying out of the house. 

You probably would have made it all the way to your car without another word if it weren’t for him clasping a hand around your elbow. “We need to talk.”

You shook your head and he let out a disappointed sigh. You already knew what he was going to say, and you agreed wholeheartedly. What had happened tonight was a mistake. Not only were you risking your career but you could ruin his whole life if you continued down this path. As much as you wanted him, as much as you had yearned for him, you couldn’t be so selfish. 

But you also couldn’t handle hearing him say that to you. It would break your heart to have to listen to him explain all the reasons you could never be with the man you were so desperately in love with. “I know, Coop, I know.” 

His grip tightened on you when you tried to slip away. You set pleading eyes on him, praying he couldn’t see the tears already starting to build. You knew he could, though, when his gaze softened and he eased his grip on you. After another whispered “please” he finally nodded and stepped back from you. 

You slipped your arm from his hold and ran to your car. You leapt inside and peeled out of the driveway like the devil was on your tail. And maybe he was, maybe you deserved it. Because you still couldn’t help yourself, glancing in the rear view mirror to see Cooper standing at the end of his driveway, watching you go with a distraught look on his face. 

You wiped the tears off your face and turned back towards the road. You could never be with him. You could never love him the way you wanted. You’d have to be satisfied for the rest of your life with the taste you’d gotten tonight. That would be all you would ever allow yourself. 

“A fallen star, Cooper Howard has become a reject within Hollywood. Fellow actors and actresses have been refusing to work with him, making it difficult for the former celebrity to find work. Recent reports say he’s been seen at birthday parties more than on set.”

The female reporter shook her head, “Such a shame. We’ve been hearing that this is all due to his former ties with Vault-Tec. Ties which were recently severed in a grisly divorce with ex-wife and Vault-Tec employee, Barb-”

You clicked the TV off, shutting the ridiculous news report up and ran a hand down your face. You hadn’t seen Coop in a few months. After that night at his house, you’d dropped the movies you’d been doing with him and put as much distance between the two of you as you could. 

That thought made you feel like the worst piece of shit. You couldn’t have known that Hollywood was going to turn its back on him. You couldn’t have known that nearly two weeks after you cut ties his entire life would go up in flames. You should have been there for him. How you feel about him shouldn’t matter when your friend needs you. 

He’d given you everything he could and you couldn’t even be there for him when he needed you. Of course, once you’d heard about the divorce, you’d called up Sebastian. But he had warned you not to try and reach out to Cooper. He seemed to think it would only make things worse. The more you heard, however, the more guilty you felt about not being there for him. Tabloids and gossip columns certaintly hadn’t been kind when the news of his divorce had come out. 

They pounced on the opportunity to further rip into his wounds and present them to the world. You glanced down at your couch cushion, the magazine you’d picked up in the store staring back at you. The front was a picture of him walking out of a house, donned in cowboy gear and clearly performing for a children’s party. 

You sighed and decided you should finally push aside your pride. You snatched your keys from the hook and headed out the door. 

Cooper didn’t seem to believe it was you when he opened the door. His eyes, cloudy and red, narrowed before he frowned and took a step back. “That really you?”

You offered a weak smile and a, “Hi, Coop.”

He scoffed and you could tell he was getting angry. His accent always got a little rougher when he was pissed off. “‘Hi, Coop’,” he mocked, a sneer on his face. “Four months without contact and that’s all you have to say. Fuck off,” he went to close the door but you blocked him with your foot. 

It stung, honestly, the cruel way in which he spoke to you. But you knew he could be a lot meaner if he wanted to and it wasn’t as if you didn’t deserve it. You had been a shitty, selfish friend. “I’m sorry, I was just nervous. I just,” you paused, struggling to find the right words to make this any better. He crossed his arms, still refusing to let you into his house. “I called the second I heard, but Sebastian had told me it would be better if I didn’t come.”

His brows furrowed before he glared at you. “So you don’t even fucking call?”

“I was wrong and selfish. Cooper,” you reached out, laying a gentle hand on his arm. “I’m sorry, I’m not asking for you to forgive me. I am genuinely so sorry I wasn’t here for you. But I’m here now, if you’ll let me be.”

The next minute was unbearable. You felt too awkward to take your hand off his arm and he refused to speak. He didn’t even blink, just glared at you, the longer the silence went on the more you could feel yourself losing your nerve. Maybe this had been a mistake. 

Finally, he sighed and your heart leapt to your throat. “Come in,” he stepped to the side and opened his door up further. You kept your mouth shut and slipped into the house. It seemed to be the only thing he’d been able to hold onto since the divorce. 

The door slammed shut behind you and he pushed past you to slip into the living room and throw himself down on the couch. You followed slowly behind him, taking oddly tentative steps, like if you made a noise he would kick you out. 

He had his arm thrown over his face, his eyes clenched like he was in pain. You perched yourself on the edge of the chair you usually sat in, feeling oddly uncomfortable. You fidgeted restlessly on the cushion, crossing and uncrossing your legs, tapping your toes against the floor. 

It had seemed like such an easy decision to come here half an hour ago. But you hadn’t had a plan and that was really biting you in the ass now. Desperate for anything other than the sound of the fabric underneath you, you blurted out the question that had bothered you for months. 

“What happened?”

He sighed, like he’d been expecting it. He sat up slowly, grabbing a glass of brown liquor off the coffee table and taking a swig. He leaned forward on his knees, glaring over at you. “What are you talking about? You’re gonna have to be specific, sweetheart, everything in my life has fallen apart.”

You winced, hating the callous way you’d asked the question. You’d meant to approach the subject more gently, but it wasn’t easy to keep your curiosity contained. “Everything, I guess. Last time I saw you, you were on top of the world. What happened?” You tried to ask your questions as gently as possible, but there really was no use sugarcoating anything. 

“Flew too close to the sun and I fell,” he shrugged and sent you a sarcastic smirk. “But I see you’ve been doing great, huh?”

“Not really, I’ve stepped back from taking on any contracts. I would have dropped Nuka-Cola too if their lawyers weren’t so damn good.”

He shrugged, like he didn’t really give a shit about your life or how it was going. This hurt, how he was acting, you’d never seen him like this. He was acting so mean and despondent. “Found out Barb was advocating for nuclear war and Vault-Tec was backing her. Finding out your wife is orchestrating war crimes really puts a wrench in your marriage.”

You wished you could be surprised, but Barb’s odd behavior since joining the company had been obvious to everyone but Cooper. He laughed when he saw the look on your face, “You say ‘I told you so’ and I’ll throw something at you.” You shook your head and sank back in the chair. “Anyway, Vault-Tec dropped me and since everyone in Hollywood hates me that was the last paying job I had. Now, I’m working kid’s parties.” He scoffed and smiled mirthfully, but the hatred in this look was directed at himself. “How the mighty have fallen, right?”

He threw back the rest of his whiskey and slammed the glass back on the table. 

“I really am sorry, Coop. I should have been here.”

He didn’t look at you, just shook his head, “No point. If you had been, I would have dragged you down with me. Probably the smartest thing you could have done.” You hated this, it made your heart hurt to see him so down on himself. 

This wasn’t the Cooper you knew. This was a man completely broken by what life had thrown at him. You hated this. You hated yourself for not helping him. Hated his wife for abandoning him. You hated the world for so easily turning their back on him like he was nothing to them. 

You slipped from the chair and kneeled in front of him. You grabbed his hands in yours, holding on tight when he tried to slip away. “I’m sorry, Coop, truly. I wasn’t here for you. But I am now, I swear. Let me help you, please.”

He glanced down at you and stared quietly, trying to decide whether he should be an asshole and tell you to fuck off or just accept the help. He had been lonely for a long while now. He needed someone to tell him he was doing okay. That he had done the right thing in getting Barb out of his life. So, he nodded and squeezed your hands back. 

“Pancakes?”

You laughed and sat up in bed, glancing over at Cooper while he got dressed. “Is that all you know how to make?” He smiled and crawled back onto bed to plant a hard kiss against your lips. 

“You want food or not, smartass?”

You laughed and pressed another quick kiss to his lips, “Please.” He shook his head and walked out of his bedroom and towards the kitchen. You sank back against the pillows and stared blankly up at his ceiling. 

You wished there was a title to describe what you were to each other, but you weren’t completely sure yourself. A few weeks after you’d stopped by his house you’d slept together for the first time. And then again and again, and you’d taken to staying at his house more than your own apartment. 

You’d worried that you were letting yourself be a rebound after his divorce. Afraid that he was simply going to sleep with you and move on once he’d found something better. But he didn’t treat you like you were something to throw away. 

But that doesn’t mean anything when he’s never explicitly stated that he wants something serious with you. You sit up when you hear him padding back down the hall, a tray in his hands. You smile at him and help him settle back in bed. 

When you’re done eating you both lay back in bed and you figure you don’t need something definitive for now. You’ll just enjoy what you have while you have him. The shrill ring of the phone jolts you both out of your comfortable state. 

He sighs and reaches over to grab it from its place on the nightstand. The cord stretches over you while he leans back and talks to whoever is on the other line. “Hello?” His brow furrows in confusion when the other person began to speak. You can make out their muffled voice but not what they’re saying. You give him a questioning look but he just shrugs and hands you the phone. “It’s for you, sweetheart.”

“Hello?” 

Cooper watches you with growing confusion as your face lights up and you shoot out of bed. He sighs, knowing his morning is probably over. He figures he should go ahead and get dressed while you finish up the call. 

When he comes out of the bathroom you’re still talking. Your finger is coiled through the cord and you’re pacing a track into his rug. You’ve got a serious expression on your face, listening intently, before you light up once more and let out an eager, “Oh, thank you so much!” You slam the phone back down on the dial and turn to him with an eager smile. 

“That was Tom, he’s got a role for me.” Cooper shoots you a happy smile but he can’t help the twinge of jealously in his gut. A few weeks ago some pictures of you two together had been leaked. While your career and offered had considerably slowed, you hadn’t been completely stonewalled by all of Hollywood like he had. 

He couldn’t help but resent that at moments, that you still got to live your dream while he was punished for doing what he thought had been right. He wouldn’t let that ruin your mood right now, though. “That’s great, what is it?”

You shrugged, going through the room and quickly changing into a long skirt and blouse. “He couldn’t give me many details over the phone. He wants me to head over to his house to pick up the script real quick.” You ran up to him, planted a quick kiss on his cheek and darted towards the hall. “I’ll be back for lunch,” you called over your shoulder. 

Cooper sighed, overwhelmed slightly by your whirlwind of energy. He called out a quick goodbye he wasn’t sure you heard and tried to ignore the nauseating feeling settling in his stomach. 

You stared up at Tom’s door, knocking quickly. You were the perfect picture of naïveté, wide-eyed and eager as you waited for him to open the door. When Tom wasn’t directing Nuka-Cola ads he directed only serious movies. The type that only critics liked. 

Getting another serious role could really help in getting you back on track. Maybe you could even start helping Coop out, he was going to have to sell the house soon if he didn’t make real money. 

The smile on your lips was hard to dismiss as you impatiently waited for the door to open. It didn’t take much longer, you could hear Tom approaching through it and then it was swinging open. He had a wide smile and seemed oddly breathless as he stared at you. “There you are! Come on in, I’ll grab the script.”

Not thinking much of the odd invitation you took a step inside and glanced around. You heard voices in the next room and your smile dropped just a little. “Come on,” he waved you forward when he noticed you had stopped, “I’ll get you something to drink.”

“Oh,” you took a hesitant step forward. “I’m fine, really, I need to get back home pretty quick.” Tom stopped in his tracks and turned around. The look on his face had your hairs standing on end, both of your smiles completely gone now. 

“I said come in.” You tried to back up but your back hit something soft. Jumping forward, you turned to find one of the tallest men you’d ever seen towering over you. He pushed forward and you stumbled back, starting to feel real panic settle in. 

He kept pushing until you found yourself standing in the middle of a crowded living room. Execs you recognized from meetings with your agent and premieres circled around you like a pack of hyenas. Each of them tittering and laughing, pointing at you with a dangerous gleam in their eyes. 

You felt tears pricking your eyes, your gaze darting up to Tom. But he refused to look at you, accepting a large wad of cash from one man and shaking his hand. He spared you one brief glance, a distant regret in his eyes as he walked out the room. 

You spun in a quick circle, breaths coming short and fast when the men started to close in on you. One of them grabbed you and you threw your elbow back into his face, it didn’t matter. They were all reaching for you now. Hands snagged on your blouse and the buttons popped open. 

You opened your mouth, to scream or bite one of them, you don’t know, it didn’t matter. A large hand clamped around your mouth, forcing you to breathe in the cloth on their palm. You sucked in a sharp breath, something sweet tickling your nose before your eyes were rolling back in your head. 

end. — I do not own the characters or the game/show Fallout, but this writing is my own all rights reserved © not-neverland06 2024. do not copy, repost, translate & recommend elsewhere.

[dazed-and-confused23]

Dear Heart and Gentle People 3

Summary: It's been a couple of months since you've seen your ghoul. Neither of you expects to cross paths in the Mojave.

Pairings: The Ghoul | Cooper Howard x Female Reader

Warnings. Some heavy putting and kissing here. Alcohol as well, i guess exhibitionist behavior?

Part 4 -> HERE

Freeside is one of the largest and relatively safest cities that Cooper has been to in his two hundred years on this cursed Earth. People still try to kill him, what's new, but this place has tall stone walls and well-meaning gangs that patrol the broken streets. The Kings make him huff and twist his lips as nostalgia hits him like a deathclaw.

The only bar in town is called The Atomic Wrangler, and Cooper castes his gazes across the bar and stage before he turns to the twins who own the establishment. They introduce themselves as Francsine and James Garrett, and Cooper tilts his hat in a greeting and orders a stiff drink.

Several hours later, he sits at a table, legs extended and pleasantly drunk as he laughs with the other patrons of the bar at the comedian on stage. He makes a sound of confusion when a shadow suddenly falls upon him, and then there is a smoothskin blocking his view. The curse that bubbles falls to the wayside when he looks up and realizes that it's not just any smoothskin. It was his.

You smile down at the Ghoul, that familiar amused quirk of your lips that Cooper hadn't realized he'd missed so much. So much had changed since the last time he had seen you, that this almost felt like meeting you for the first time all over again. Coop blinked up at you, jaw dropping as you step between his open legs, and proceeded to sit in his lap.

"Fancy meeting you here, cowpoke," you say, and despite his brain being soaked in alcohol, Cooper wasn't a complete fucking idiot. His hands find your hips and drag you close, manhandling you until you sit pressed flush to his front, your core already hot and pulsing with need. His cock throbs in his pants, and Coop bucks forward, a quiet sigh of pleasure escaping him at the friction.

"I'm too drunk for pillow talk, baby," the ghoul rumbles and his hands find your ass, massaging the globes harshly, and ruts up in a slow grind against your covered cunt. He finds your eyes, licks his teeth, and dives in to bite along the collom of your throat. He trails up your jaw and then your cheeks, lingering there as he hisses in your ear.

"Better get me outta here before I fuck you in front of all thae people. Give 'em a real show."

Your thighs quake at the dark promise, and you have to really think to yourself. Would anyone notice? Would anyone care?

Cooper watches your reaction, and a slow, evil grin creeps along his face. One hand leaves your ass and slides around, his thumb slipping between the apex of your legs and rubbing against your clothed clit. The pressure has you cursing quietly and falling forward, your face resting in the crook of the ghoul's neck. He laughs, rough and deep in your ear.

"You'd like that, wouldn't you, Darlin'. You'd want to show everyone in here just who you fuckin belong to."

You hiss through your teeth, already feeling like you're at the end of the rope. You hump against his hand, wanting to come so badly it hurts. Cooper goes back to sucking dark marks into your flesh, teeth nipping harshly, and it takes an embarrassingly quick time for you to tip over the edge.

Cooper swallows your whine with a kiss, shoving his tongue past your lips and tasting the nuka and rum you'd had earlier. He keeps you close as you come down from your high, kissing you until you have to push yourself away from him.

You already look fucked out, but Coop isn't nearly done with you, and tucks his arms under your ass and stands from his seat. He marches to the bar, where James hands him a key to the corner room upstairs without a word.

[thicc-ray-of-sunshine]

Of course he had to be there, why wouldn't he? The very object of your frustration right in the very spot you came to cool off. You'd recognize that stupid busted up stetson anywhere. He was lounging back, long legs posted up on the table in front of him while his chair was tipped back. Part of you itched to swipe your foot under it and knock his chair down, taking the smug grin he was giving you with it. You turned back to the bar with a huff and ordered two fingers of whiskey from James. Typically you were a nuka cola and rum kinda girl but tonight you were here to get drunk and needed something with some bite to it, especially since you knew there was no way you were going to avoid Cooper.

Realistically you didn't really have anything to be mad about, it was the wasteland after all so of course nobodys gonna be upfront or honest so you really shouldn't have been surprised when he jilted you and skipped town with three quarters of your radaway. He at least had the decency to leave you some caps but overall your profits took a hit because of the whole debacle. Well that and your pride. But that wasn't really what you were mad about, no not at all, you were upset because you wanted him, pure and simple. It was all encompassing and ate at you every time you even thought about his weathered face and dangerous demeanor. Sure he was mean but you always liked it when men had some bite, it was more of a snark anyway.

James offering you your drink pulled you out of yourself. You took your whiskey in hand and knocked it back, willing your face to not scrunch up at the harsh feeling it left in your throat. Speaking of keeping cool, you were having an increasingly hard time ignoring the stare Cooper was burning into the back of your head. Taking a deep breath and sliding your caps onto the countertop you slowly turned in your seat. As suspected he was just staring at you, his body relaxed and languid in his chair, drink held loosely in our and and a smoke in the other while his eyes pinned you with a stare that made you feel like you were on fire. You watched him as he clicked his teeth together and tilted his head to the side, motioning you over. Again you felt anger welling up underneath your skin at his smug attitude, yet that wasn't the only thing that was itching at you.

It didn't help that he downright grinned when you stood up and wandered over to him. You chose to stand in front of him, a little to the left of his legs but enough to be directly in his line of sight, hands crossed over your chest, displaying your displeasure.

"Aw it ain't gotta be like that sweetheart. It ain't like I did nothing untoward."

He said playfully as he leaned forward and set his glass on the table.

"Yeah nothing but stealing my shit. Totally normal friendly behavior."

You retorted, cocking your hip, knocking against his crossed legs at the thigh.

"You still owe me for that by the way. Not too pleased to have been robbed, especially after giving you some of my supplies on the house."

His eyes followed the line of your body down to where your hip touched him, giving you a brazen up and down that had you barely suppressing a shiver.

He took a long drag from his cigarette before he spoke again, eyes never leaving yours.

"You and I both know that ain't what this is 'bout darlin. You're mad because I left you high and dry."

You didn't know what to say, the way he said it was so matter-o-factly, like he was making fun of you. Yet the look on his face was damn near salacious. You felt naked, uncomfortable and unbearably angry that he had the absolute gall to even say something like that. Before you could even think about raising your hand to slap him you felt pressure on the small of your back your whole body suddenly tipping forward. Just as quick as you fell, you were hauled up into Coopers lap. Some part of your brain registered that he had kicked you but the rest of it was focused on the sudden close proximity and the gloved hand that had made its way to your hip. You watched him through your lashes as he worked his cigarette in his mouth before he exhaled, leaving you in a haze that burned your nostrils.

"So how 'bout we cut the shit and you let me show you what you've been missing out on?"

[magnuspeccatori]

Nuka Dark

The classic taste of Nuka Cola, with the bold taste of rum!

This one's essentially a canned Cuba Libre lol

It's one of my favorite redesigns. It's simple, but elegant, it has a pretty Noir aesthetic to it :D

Just make sure not to drink and operate a power armor, lest you get a KUI (Killing Under the Influence) lol

[nukacourier]

More random shit about James because I'm sick and not feeling well enough to post anything thought provoking or funny

- Hates most shortened versions of James. If you call him Jim/Jimmy he will ignore you. Only exception to this was when Butch (and only him) would call him J.J. (James Junior)

- His favorite flower is lilac

- Never got any piercings but does have some tattoos. he has a snake and also a sun tattoo, on his back and shoulder respectively (Both are easy to miss because they're kind of small. I'll draw the designs for em eventually)

- Was always told he looks like his mother when growing up, especially concerning his eyes (his father often told him they had the same thoughtful yet gentle look to them)

- Constantly craves physical touch from his loved ones and can be a bit clingy because of it

- Loves to doodle even if he's not really any kind of groundbreaking artist. Wants to make comics but knows publishing and printing is super difficult in the Wasteland so he just doesn't do it

- Favorite flavor of Nuka Cola is Nuka-Cherry

- His alcoholic drink of choice is whiskey or rum mixed with something sweet like soda

- Has an on and off smoking habit, was probably the worst when he was in his mid 20s (when he was in the Mojave)

- He's largely an atheist who leans towards being agnostic. Deals with some religious guilt anyways though due to being raised catholic

- Obsessively keeps himself and his items clean. This didn't start in the Wasteland and was actually often mocked for his germaphobia when he was in the Vault

- His favorite animal is probably cats

[lesvegas]

I need a compilation of literally every Bethesda controversy no matter how small I feel like I've already forgotten most of them. Remember the Nuka Rum one.

[justafoxhound]

wip wednesday

tagged by @tallmatcha

As it happens i just started playing around with a lil scene idea. Not much atm

Talia tittered again at Roman’s words, smothering a smile in her drink as they tumbled from his tongue in an easy interplay between fun and flattery, just as they had five minutes ago, and the five before that. Just a little too much, too often, to be entirely innocent. Way too much to be sensible, considering. Considering Burke. She gulped down the Nuka and rum. She did consider Burke. More than he seemed to consider her. If he had a problem, he knew where to find her. Roman's next words fell off a cliff as the door burst open with a bang. The sparse Tuesday crowd parted as Burke billowed in from the stairs, across the mezzanine, toward the balcony on which Talia was drinking… with Roman. The guy who was smoking a few feet away considered his options a moment, then vaulted over the railing to the safety of a dumpster below.

@jentucker I am curious what Herman is up to :3

[chaosintheavenue]

It's finally time for the long-anticipated most important result of the 2023 Fallout OC Census... the Nuka-Cola flavour championship!

(including some competing soft drinks due to popular demand)

-

Cherry: 119 Regular Nuka-Cola: 102 Quantum: 69 Dark: 60 Victory: 42 Grape: 35 Sunset Sarsaparilla: 34 Quartz: 32 Orange: 30 Wild: 6 Cranberry: 3 Drinks all flavours combined together: 3 ^ Vim: 3 Rum and Nuka: 2 Vaccinated/Scorched/My Blood's In It: 2 Bombdrop: 1 Clear: 1

^ A special shoutout to the person who decided to communicate this concept via Vine link

-

And so, according to everyone's OCs, the results are in:

[thealmightyemprex]

Genies Place :A Disney Gay Bar AU .Disney villains head canons

Specifically looking at the villains places in this AU

Evil Queen felt embarassed that she had a massive crush on her friend Maleficent .Ursula and Jafar actually convinced her to ask the Mistress of Evil out on a date .Engaged currently

Honest John and Gideon mostly hang out with the Hyena Throuple (Shenzi,Banzai and ED )

Chernabog and the Horned King are lovers and kind of keep to themselves outside of Horned King coming to meetings and both hanging out at Genies place .

Captain Hook is Jafars best friend .Jafar was his best man at his marriage to Smee and Captain Hook was Jafars best man at his marriage to Hades

Maleficent being a fey and Hades being a god are amused by mortals views on sexuality and gender ,or as Hades puts it "Geez you mortals have weird hangups "

Cruella has grown a bit of a crush on Ursula ,but is to proud to admit it

Shere Khan,Scar and Zira are in a policuil .Nuka and Vitani (SCar and Ziras kids ) are split about it ,Nuka being rather grumpy about it but Vitani is more accepting

PRince John and Sir Hiss are "Friends" with Scar,Zira,Shere Khan,Ratigan ,and Tamatoa .....And really are the friends no one likes ,but hey he pays for the drinks "

Captain Hook once decided to actually talk to Horned King to be friendly and ask about his relationship with Chernabog .....He returned 20 minutes later pale as a ghost and ordered a lot of rum .Horned King is convinced they are friends now,Hook avoids him when possible

Ratigan likes to act like he is a carfree bachelor but REALLY isnt over his breakup with Basil

Gaston is a staunch queer ally ,he hangs out at Genies place sometime to support Lefou .EVeryone is surprised by this

Hades and Jafar are married ,Hades did the proposing though it took Jafar to realize the diety was proposing

Scar and Zira while disliking the fact their daughter Vitani is dating a hero in Fuli,try to be supportive cause they like everything else about the cheetah

Radcliffe and Wiggins are banned from Genies Place

Frollo is super against Genies place.....No one likes Frollo anyway so they just ignore him

Hades and Jafar both dated Maleficent ,yes they are aware of the irony

@ariel-seagull-wings @grctw @softlytowardthesun @goodanswerfoxmonster @the-blue-fairie @themousefromfantasyland @filmcityworld1

[aardrian]

Makoto rolled on the random poutine generation tables and we ended up with poutine made up of chickpea fries, feta cheese, chicken gravy (served on the side with GF mushroom gravy for me), Impossible Burger meat, and picked cabbage.

There were many drinks.

Miskatonic Gin (1.5oz): Quench your eldritch thirst with this experimental new beverage! A test tube of royal blue Empress 1908 Gin is combined with lemon-infused tonic water and Lavender Citrus Bitters, to create a crisp yet soul-chilling cocktail.

Skin of a Killer (2oz): You better hold on tight, Spider Monkey. If you drink enough of this glittering diamond-like cocktail, you too can have the same skin as Edward Cullen! Not applicable to werewolves. Pisco, lemon juice, simple syrup, edible glitter, foaming bitters, Cabernet Sauvignon float.

Nuka Cola (2oz): No need to travel to the wastelands to taste this Fallout classic! Captain Morgan Spiced Rum, Cassis, lime juice, coke. Careful - too many of these and you may forget you’ve been dwelling in an undeground nuclear shelter. Take home your own keepsake Nuka Cola bottle cap while supplies last +$2.

Sides for the table…

Legendary Chickpea Fries: A Storm Crow classic! Like regular fries, but bigger, made from chickpea batter and stacked in a weird non-Euclidean geometry. Served with vegan sriracha aioli. *This dish is gluten-friendly.

Ty Lee’s Wafu Tofu Bites: A fiery hit to your taste buds that’s just as sweet and savory as the Fire Nation Circus’ most beloved acrobat. Crispy tofu bites, house-made vegan Wafu dressing, crispy tortillas; garnished with green onions and sliced red finger chilis. *This dish is gluten-friendly.

And one entree pictured…

Tofu Pad Thai Fighter: Grand Moff Tarkin’s favourite dish on the Death Star, this spicy noodle bowl will crush the rebellion of your hunger in one delicious stroke! House-made coconut sauce, tofu, carrots and red peppers conquer a bed of rice noodles. Garnished with lime, cilantro, and crushed peanuts. Vegan **We use chili flakes to spice up our sauce. This dish is almost as hot Mustafar! *This dish is gluten-friendly.

@ Storm Crow Manor with Sarah(s), Eric, Makoto. Junko, Izumi

[renuked]

Changelog - 21/06/2024

And here we have the next update! We've mostly got data stuff again, but that's because I'm gearing up for next month to be significant story-based updates! For now, here's what we got this week:

Systems

For Systems, this week, I've reorganized the structure of the GDrive. Now each section is in its own folder. So, it's a bit easier to look up exactly what you want to see. This also helps me when I want to find something specific, since I just need to folow the trail rather than try to remember where I put it.

Map

This also received an update to structure. That is to say, there is now sub-folders for various specific maps. Interior, Quest, Regional, and Settlement maps. And I have added the first new map into this structure;

Quest Maps

Added new: MQ01 - War Never Changes [Pre-War Concord]

Aid

There was some... hefty work done on this. Why did I focus so much on the Aid section? Because I started it and now I have to finish it. It will not beat me.

Aid

Added recoverable ingredients to: Antibiotics Antivenom Blood Pack RadAway Stimpak

Alcohol

Added new: Ice-Cold Nuka-Cola Dark Nuka-Cola Dark

Added recoverable ingredients to: Absinthe Atomic Cocktail Beer Bourbon Dirty Wastelander Ice-Cold Beer Ice-Cold Nuka-Cola Dark Moonshine Nuka-Cola Dark Nukashine Rum Vodka Whiskey Wine

Chem

Added recoverable ingredients to: Berry Mentats Buffout Calmex Cateye Daddy-O Day Tripper Grape Mentats Hydra Jet Med-X Mentats Overdrive Psycho Rocket Tick Blood

Ingredient

Adjusted recipes: Razorgrain Flour

Added recoverable ingredients to: Cream

Soda

Added new: Ice-Cold Nuka-Dream Nuka-Dream

Added recoverable ingredients to: Ice-Cold Nuka-Cherry Ice-Cold Nuka-Cola Ice-Cold Nuka-Dream Ice-Cold Nuka-Grape Ice-Cold Nuka-Orange Nuka-Cherry Nuka-Cola Nuka-Dream Nuka-Grape Nuka-Orange

Vegetable

Added new: Lettuce

Water

Added recipes: Black Coffee Fruit Juice (All) Purified Water Tea (All)

Added recoverable ingredients to: Dirty Water Fruit Juice (All) Purified Water Tea (All)

Cooked Food

Added new: Baked Beaver Beavertail Beggar’s Sweetbread Chew Sticks Deathclaw Wellington Fiery Ant Fricassee Frogs Legs Grilled Chicken Grilled Mirelurk Highway Special Hop Pops Longpig Jerky Nuka-Glazed Ham Possum Shanks Pound Chili Rabbit Bites Radhog Ribs Roadkill Fry Roast Stingwing Rust Slurry Stalker Stew Strange Meat Pie

Changed names: Bloatfly Loaf to; BloatLoaf Crispy Cave Cricket to; Crunchy Cave Cricket Roasted Ant to; Roast Ant

Completed: Baked Bloatfly Brahmin Steak Caravan Lunch Crunchy Cave Cricket Crispy Squirrel Bits Dog Steak Squirrel on a Stick Squirrel Stew Strange Meat Pie Trail Mix Vegetable Medley Wasteland Omelette

Added recipes: Bloodbug Steak Burrower Chunks Cat Steak Cramburger Deathclaw Steak Fowl Nuggets Fox Jerky Fried Radtoad Legs Grilled Hermitlurk Grilled Radroach Grilled Radstag Mutt Chops Opossum Bacon Rat Steak Roasted Ant Stalker Stew Sweet Roll Wolf Ribs Yao Guai Ribs

Crafting

I finally got some major progress done on the crafting area. Which is something that will receive a... pretty decent overhaul. Primarily in terms of the Workshop system, player settlements, weapon/armor modding, and item crafting. Which is pretty much all of it-

Either way, we have a slew of changes in the Crafting Data:

Added: INFO tab; Explanation for 'Rarity'. Explanation for 'Scrapping'. TABLES tab; Table for Recovery. Crafting tab; Created. Scrapping tab; Recovery value.

Updated layout: Components Casings Junk

Completed: Component Casing Junk

Character Creation

Just a minor change here, but I'll list it none-the-less.

Traits/Perks

Updated: Scrapper effect changed slightly.

Conclusion

And that brings us to the end of another changelog. Fairly simple, but decently sized. The next update will be the last of the month, plus I'll be revealing the plans for next month as well!

Until then, thanks for your time, let me know what ya' think, and I'll see ya'll next time~

[esmeralda-juniper]

wait... mira's drink of choice would be a rum and (nuka) cola lol

[bearcina]

A Few Drinks With Butch

A Fallout 3 Fanfiction

Butch DeLoria/F! Lone Wanderer

Tags:

Alcohol / Drinking / Underage Drinking / Enemies to Friends to Lovers / and they weren't actually enemies /

Summary:

Butch and the Lone Wanderer (Evie) share a few drinks. Once in the Vault, once in Rivet City, and once in the wastes.

Each time, they grow a little closer than before.

((AO3))

She yawned, waiting in the deepest part of Vault 101 for Butch. She had taken a bottle of rum from the storage room- nothing would keep her out of the locks- and had been patiently waiting for hours in the pitch dark for her opportunity to drink for the first time.

She leaned against the metal wall of the vault and held in a yawn, hearing security marching just beyond the door. She would have to wait a little longer.

Evie checked her Pip-Boy and rolled her eyes at the time. Just past 11 PM. It was just like Butch to stand her up, must've been too busy with his "gang" to have a quick drink. Oh well. She'd just drink it alone.

She waited until she couldn't hear security any longer, and uncorked her bottle of alcohol. Just her, some rum, and a bottle of Nuka in the dark. She deftly popped the cap off, tucked it in her pocket for her collection. She then took a long drink of her soda. She leaned against the metal wall, stretching her legs out in front of her and crossed her ankles. She lifted the bottle to her lips.

Before she could take a shot from the bottle, the door slid open and a figure walked in.

Evie jumped and retreated farther into the darkness, unable to identify the man blocking the door. Her back met the cold wall after quite a few scoots, and her heart stopped. There was nowhere to retreat to. Hopefully it wasn't the guards and she could return to her drink before she had to sleep for the GOAT tomorrow.

"Nosebleed?" Came the voice quietly, the door sliding shut and blanketing them in darkness.

Just Butch, late.

Evie snorted and rolled her eyes, the noise giving away her location in the dark room. She heard him walk across the room, boots almost squeaking against the tile. She felt his warm body brush her shoulder, then him sitting down flush against her side. She took a swig from the bottle of rum and passed it to him in while suppressing a cough, unsure of what to say. If she should say anything at all.

Warm fingers brushed hers, and the bottle was taken away from her hand, shockingly gently.

She heard an unusual sound, more than just the usual creak and noise of the vault suits they both wore. Something different, another kind of material. He was wearing something new.

She stopped for a second, faltering when she passed her open Nuka-Cola. She didn't say anything yet, unsure of the words to use.

Butch passed the liquor again, and she took another drink.

It was silent and dark in the hidden room, the two Vault dwellers sharing a tender moment.

"... Butch." she said after a moment, almost coughing on the alcohol she swallowed. It burned her all the way down. She almost didn’t hate it. She took another swig and passed it to him.

"...Evie." he replied simply.

Evie hummed and sipped their open soda.

"What's that you got on?" She asked after a moment. No need for light. Butch shifted beside her, his new article of clothing brushing against her clothed arm. It felt warm.

He shrugged, nudging her a little, not giving her an answer. She rolled her eyes. She'll see it tomorrow, anyway.

Silence settled over the couple, but the drinking continued. The GOAT was in the morning. They would have to go back to their normal roles in the morning.

When morning comes, she'd be back to being an aloof outcast, and Butch back to being her bully.

But... As they sat in the darkness, she felt a different kind of feeling blooming in her chest. They didn't need to speak, the quiet passing of soda and alcohol all the conversation they needed.

Evie wrinkled her nose as she walked into the bar of Rivet City. It stank of stale beer and unwashed bodies. Her gut twisted as she wandered to the bar, her heart almost stopping when she saw Vault-Tec blue and embroidered leather. Her throat closed up, and she quietly walked up to the vault dweller. Tears almost formed in her eyes, the worn Tunnel Snakes leather jacket and vault suit he wore was almost an exact copy of what she was wearing..

She was wearing her own vault suit. His Tunnel Snakes jacket. And there Butch was... Sipping a beer, playing with his switchblade.

Undetected, she sat down on the stool beside him, and gently reached out to touch his Pip-Boy to catch his attention. She forced up a small smile for him, his attention immediately on her once he realized who she was.

She quickly ordered their usual, a bottle of rum, and two Nukas.

"...Butch." she said quietly, hardly heard above the noise of the bar.

One side of his mouth quirked up into a smirk, and her heart started melting. It really was him.

He responded kindly, their usual greeting, "Lone."

Evie smiled a little, noticing his slightly tipsy demeanor a mile away. His cheeks were a little flushed, and that soft look was creeping into his beautiful blue eyes.

"How about we go drink somewhere a little more comfortable? I'll pay for it." Evie offered, Butch nodded. Evie flagged the bartender down and ordered a bottle and some sodas. The bartender slid over her requested beverages and took her offered caps. Butch seemed a little intrigued at her offer, they hadn't seen each other in many, many months at this point.

Leaving the vault only felt like yesterday to Evie, but it had been months, almost a year. She hadn't seen Butch since her escape.

Their last moments together were strained, words left unsaid.

During her escape from the vault, she saved his alcoholic mother from radroaches. Butch had taken the leather Tunnel Snakes jacket off his back and put it on her, and she had to leave. No time for any word then.

No time for words when she returned, either.

Butch agreed to go with her after a tense moment, but followed her near-silently as she guided them out of the bar and to a quiet spot elsewhere.

She sat against the metal structure of Rivet City, and Butch followed her after a moment, sitting against the wall, leaving a few feet of space between them. Something hurt within Evie at his simple action, and she held in a sigh. She uncorked the bottle of alcohol and put it between them, then quickly popped both Nukas open… then she slid the metal tops over to Butch without hesitation. Not like she was hurting for caps.

The silence was awkward, neither of them knowing what to say. Evie, never having been one for words, didn't try. There was so much she could say. Nothing she wanted to say. Butch usually did enough talking for the both of them.

“Say, you still a, eh-hem…” she held in a snicker, “barber?”

Butch rolled his eyes, answering her question with his own, “you still a vault loyalty inspector?”

This made her crack, and Evie started giggling. The GOAT felt like ages ago.

She nodded at his question, still giggling, “well… let's just say my talents would've been wasted in that career. Many, many, more locks out here.” Evie took a few shots from the bottle and quickly chased it with lukewarm Nuka-Cola. She passed the liquor.

“At least we're not stuck in that tin can anymore.” Butch said after a moment, greedily drinking from the liquor bottle.

Evie couldn't help but agree.

“We’re free to roam the wastes as we please now.” She said, clicking her radio to GNR to fill the silence.

Butch couldn't help but agree with her.

It had been a long, long day of traveling the wasteland.

Evie was squatting in front of a door to an abandoned house, working a few picks on the lock, his gaze burning holes in the back of her jumpsuit.

“Turn around and stop staring.” Evie said, getting annoyed. She slipped the picks from the lock and turned around to stare at Butch.

“Babydoll, that Vault Suit makes your ass look a-mazing.” He said casually, shooting her a wink to punctuate his flirtatious sentence. “I'd be the happiest man alive if you'd let me touch it.”

Of course he made a quick quip about her ass looking great in her vault suit. Evie rolled her eyes and went back to work, trying to make the best of the last of the daylight.

After another few minutes, she popped the lock open, and she eased the door open, hoping there wasn't a trap.

Nothing happened, and she opened the door completely.

Evie looked around the home, there were surprisingly no bodies inside, and it wasn't completely falling apart. It would be suitable for a few nights rest.

“We'll make camp here, it's getting late and we both need rest.” Evie stated, ushering Butch into the home. She turned up the radio on her Pip-Boy and started unpacking. A can of cram, a loaf of bread, and her Vault 101 flask. Butch pulled out his own contributions to dinner, clean water and some snack cakes.

Good enough.

Cheri smiled a little as she heated the cram up, almost feeling like she was safe in the vault again.

When she came back, she found Butch drinking from her flask and the bread cut up.

“Hey now, that's mine.” She chuckled, setting the warmed can down between them. She took the flask from his hands with a wink and took a drink from it, finding it to be lighter than she wanted.

Butch laughed, and procured his own flask, a matching Vault 101 flask. Likely filled with something different than she was drinking.

They quietly ate dinner, finding it to be pretty satisfying after such a long day of walking and shooting raiders.

[300iqprower]

Going back to FGO for Summer Helena is like breaking a sobriety streak to try Nuka Dark Rum

Oh no no no. Get out of here, demon. I already exorcized you once.

[steelcirclecosplay]

Nuka-Bombdrop/Long Island from the Fallout Cookbook

I am going to observe that this is very much a Long Island but also very much not actually a Nuka-Bombdrop. The Long Island was mentioned in Fallout 2. “A Long Island Ice Tea was a relatively popular drink pre-War and remained so after. Comprised of vodka, rum, tequila, triple sec, lime, and a splash of Nuka-Cola.”

How we made it: Mostly according to the recipe, but 1) used Tuaca instead of Triple Sec, 2) used blue Empress Gin, 3) used pecan rum, 4) omitted the vodka.

Reactions: It’s a Long Island. It tastes strangely like tea for something that doesn’t actually contain tea. It’s pretty good. I feel like there should be some Long Island/Three Mile Island joke going on.

Would we make this again: Maybe.

Nuka-Bombdrop

This is actually a Nuka-Bombdrop.

How we made it: 1 oz bourbon, 1 oz Nuka-Cola Dark, 1 oz rum (pecan), 8 oz Nuka-Cola. Should have also contained 1 oz vodka, but I omitted the vodka.

Reactions: Delicious!

Would we make this again: Maybe.

Nuka-Power

How we made it: 1 oz Nuka-Cola Dark, 8 oz Nuka-Cola.

Reactions: Pretty good.

Would we make this again: The main problem is that we’re running out of Nuka-Cola Dark, and I have not yet crafted a suitable substitute. I feel like 2 parts coconut rum:1 part vanilla rum:1 part caramel rum might do the job?

Rum & Nuka

A Fallout New Vegas classic.

How we made it: 1 oz rum (pecan) 8 oz Nuka-Cola.

Reactions: It was pretty good. It’s a best-seller at the Atomic Wrangler for a reason!

Would we make this again: Sure.