#these tags are basically a blurb of their own at this point tho whoops

[fallout4reactsblog]

hello yes i am here to enable your further reinhart blurb writings

Anon has enabled me further it’s over for y’all

also I got a little long-winded so this isn’t so much a blurb as it is a whole-ass short story I guess

He’s pacing. A habit of his whenever he gets flustered, or irritated, or generally put off by something, and this was definitely putting him off.

There's no chance in hell Pearl will actually manage to not only find a detective but also get them here alive, is there? The Island is inhospitable to anything but the most experienced, and there’s no way she finds someone to fit the bill. No, he’d be fine, they’d all be fine, no one was coming.

But if they were, it would be from Far Harbor. That would be the worst. He doesn’t know if Chase even told them about him, or if they remember if she did, but if they do and find him here, that’s going to be a mess. 

To think this was going well, too. Sure, all these robots are snotty and polished and living a couple centuries behind, but to tell the truth, they’re not much worse than the Institute scientists were, just dumber. He can live with them.

But Pearl isn’t going to bring anyone back. No one in their right mind is going to trek all the way out here on the premise of being a detective to solve a mystery. There are no detectives on the Island, and nobody’s coming to visit, of course. Who would make the trip over here unless they were forced to? No one. He’d be fine, they’d all be fine-

The equivalent of the vault’s doorbell echoes through the halls, and he breathes a sigh of relief. If Pearl’s back so quickly, she’s given up on finding anyone. Everyone in Far Harbor probably told her to fuck off, if they didn’t shoot at her first. He dusts his hands off on his pants and goes to greet her at the door, already thinking up his words of sympathy.

She comes into view around the corner, and his heart sinks. Because there they are, ghoul guts splattered up their arms, standing in the foyer like they should actually be here. Under their armor, he sees glimpses of a familiar blue: a vault suit. God, the irony of an actual vault-dweller showing up as a detective.

“Reinhart. I was about to go looking for you. I have found a detective.”

The human sticks out a hand. “Sole. Nice to meet you.”

“Reinhart.” He tries not to let his voice betray his nerves. “Pleasure to have you here.”

He notices, when they shake, their hands are calloused strangely. Their skin is too smooth in general; it should be rougher if they were from Far Harbor. The salt of the sea isn’t kind to the complexion, and neither is the fog. They can’t be from around here.

“I’m sure you’ll want to see the crime scene, detective. First, though, perhaps we could have a word?”

They nod. “Alright.”

He leads them into the security office and closes the door, still eyeing them. They don’t look particularly nervous, just the expected amount, which probably means they don’t know who he is. Probably.

“Listen,” he says, turning around to lean against the door. “Cut the shit. Who are you really? And don’t tell me you’re a detective; there’s no detective in Far Harbor, or anywhere else on this mess of an island.”

“I’m not from Far Harbor.” They eye his jacket. “Are you going to try to kill me?”

He blinks. “Are you going to try to kill me?”

“No? Why would I?”

“Let’s just say I’m not exactly Far Harbor’s golden boy. But since you’re not from there, that’s fine. Did you hear anything about me? I think they’re supposed to shoot me on sight over there, or something.”

Sole shakes their head. “You’re in the clear. Only courser I’ve heard of on the Island is Chase.”

Chase. God, it’s been a long time since he even thought about Chase. Briefly, he considers asking how she’s doing, but decides against it. It doesn’t matter, after all. He might as well be dead for all she cares.

“You know her or something?” they ask.

“Not anymore.” He shakes his head to clear it. “Enough about me. Who are you?”

“Like I said, I’m sole. I’m a detective from the Commonwealth.”

“And your affiliations there are...?”

“I’m not going to call up the Institute and report you, if that’s what you’re asking. I came from Diamond City, probably the second-least friendly city toward the Institute. But what were you saying before, about Chase?”

He snorts. “With all due respect, we don’t know each other well enough for that. Buy me a drink, maybe.”

They roll their eyes, but he can tell they’re amused by the way their mouth twitches. “Alright. I guess if we’re done interrogating each other, I’ll need to see the crime scene.”

“Of course. It’s in the ballroom, right this way...”

He keeps a close eye on them as they check the crime scene and talk to the residents. It’s a mess of a case; he can’t imagine why this would happen so suddenly. It’s not out of fondness for any of the others that he finds this so worrying, but they might get the wrong idea and start blaming him for their troubles. That would be sub-par.

“Reinhart, right?” sole asks. “Mind giving me a tour of the rest of the place?”

“I can spare a moment.” He pushes off the wall he was leaning against to stand beside them. “Is there anything in particular you’d like to see first?”

“I’d like to get a look at the residents’ rooms, if that’s alright.”

He shrugs. “Be my guest. We have two residential halls here, if you’ll follow me.”

They’re politely quiet as he shows them through the vault. It’s only when they’re climbing the stairs to the Overseer’s office that they speak up.

“So, why are you here? Isn’t it safer in Acadia?”

The very notion brings the taste of old bitterness to his mouth. “Absolutely not. In fact, I’d say Acadia was one of the least safe places on the Island if the Children of Atom weren't literally sitting on a nuke.”

“Seems like more of a threat to everyone else than to them.”

“Not if they’re not the ones with the key.”

They narrow their eyes as he opens up the door. “How do you know about that?”

“Well, I didn’t come to this god-forsaken island to live in a vault with these rich pricks.” He leans against the desk. “I know a thing or two about Acadia.”

“So why aren’t you there? Because it’s not safe?”

He eyes them uncertainly. “I’m not very popular with them, either.”

They snort as they rifle through the desk. “Is there anyone on the Island you are popular with?”

“Well, the vault residents haven’t complained too much. And I don’t think the Children of Atom actively hate me, but they might. I don’t know what they know about me, really.”

“Man, your life’s just a mess, huh? Guess that’s why you’re holed up in here.”

“Guess so.”

“So why doesn’t Acadia like you?”

He chuckles. “Like I said, I’ll have to get to know you a bit better before we can have that conversation. It’s a touchy subject and, no offense, I’m not sure I can trust you.”

They glance up at him, gaze oddly intense. “Reinhart, are you happy here?”

He pauses. “I’m sorry, what?”

“Are you happy? I only ask because it seems to me like you’re only here to hide from all the enemies you’ve made. You don’t exactly fit in. So, if you had no enemies and didn’t have to hide, would you have chosen this life?”

“Of course not,” he huffs. “Who would?”

“Well, maybe when all of this is settled, you could take a break for a while. Stretch your legs. Breathe that irradiated, foggy Island air.”

“You seem to misunderstand me. It isn’t safe.”

They shrug. “I’ll vouch for you. Far Harbor kinda owes me a few favors at this point, and we can stay away from Acadia.”

He takes a moment to think about it. They seem genuine, and while it’s an odd proposal, he can’t deny it’s tempting. It would be nice to get away for a while, and he’s missed a degree of companionship while here.

“I guess if you can manage to solve this case, things would return to normal enough that I could get away.”

“It’s a deal.”

They turn to the terminal to begin tapping away, and he takes his leave to let them get to work.

Could he do this? Could he really step beyond those doors to face everything he’s been hiding from? The odds of being caught are slim, but not zero, and he’s not even sure what’s waiting for him. He’s been hiding for so long...

Forget that. He’s better than hiding, and he’s tired of letting Chase’s words decide his life. If he wants to step outside and go for an island adventure, there isn’t anything that can stop him.

He’s a courser, after all.