wildmtthyme

[wildmtthyme]

Chapter 4: Domestication

Warnings: None, really.

Chapter Notes: Setting the scene -dramatic music- dun, dun, dun.

Synopsis: Even the good vaults weren't earthquake proof, no matter how well they were built. California herself decided the fate of Cooper's family years before he ever found what was left. With not much else, Cooper picks up a lead from Lucy on a possible new serum. What he ends up finding is a whole other can of worms. Another Vault-Tec experiment and another lease on this crazy thing called life.

<- Chapter 3 : Proper Damned Settlers

Chapter 5 -> Posting 3/27/25

Series Masterlist

RUTH

She cleaned up their dinner dishes, washed them in a sink that he’d graciously filled with one kettle of boiling water and two buckets of cool water for her. The lye soap she’d learned how to make from a ghoul in a settlement along their travels was stripped into the water and she went about scrubbing at the pots and pans he used to make dinner while Cooper stepped outside to smoke his nightly cigarette. She could hear the creaking of the rocking chair he’d found in the next ‘town’ and hauled all the way back over here, repaired, and sat in every single night. The radio on the window sill in front of her crackled but the song still came through the old speaker, low but present. She hummed along with the tunes, many she’d memorized by now since it wasn’t like the radio station had an unlimited supply of old-world songs, nor was anyone making anything new at this point in time.

She swayed and hummed with a small smile as one of her personal favorites came over the worn speaker. She sang quietly, amongst the clinking of dishes and the scrubbing of the rag on the chipped ceramic. “No, I’ll never stop loving you… of this, I’m more than just sure…” (Doris Day, I’ll Never Stop Loving You – 1955)

            THE GHOUL

Cooper took a drag off of his hand-rolled and exhaled a plume of blue smoke into the cooling night air. The temperature changes from day to night weren’t as prevalent here but they still existed. It was starting to get colder all around again. Seasons were finally starting to make a comeback, if only a little. He could hear Ruth doing the dishes, the sounds drifting out from the screen door… the window that had been left open from earlier. Her humming a low background noise that brought him a certain comfort that he’d never openly admit to. He couldn’t even say that it invoked memories… Barb had never been one for domesticity. She was a career woman, something he’d supported whole-heartedly. He was considered progressive for his time but that had never really occurred to him. He just believed that if he had the right to go off and fight for his country, then she had the right to work however she wanted. He could almost scoff at his naivety now. But he knew, even if he knew she’d ultimately start working for an evil corporation; he’d still never stop her from doing anything she wanted to. Not the man he’d been. The man he was now? He doubted he’d ever even be married in the first place.

He took another drag and let a small smile play on his lips when he heard Ruth’s singing voice join the sounds from inside. She had… a truly lovely one, but she never let it belt out of her. She was always shy about it, even when she thought no one else could hear. He tilted his head for a heartbeat at himself and his situation. He may not be the marrying kind but he damn sure was playing house, that was for certain. Between the two of them acting so fucking domestic and the fact that here in a few minutes, she’d finish up and so would he… and she’d go down the hall and wash up with the water he’d left out earlier… and he’d close up the house, making sure it was locked up as tight as it could get. And then she’d go upstairs and he’d go in the bathroom to get clean… the room would smell like her and her honey soaps that she makes… and he’d pretend it didn’t make him feel warm inside. He’d take his medicine in there and leave that room in nothing but some boxer shorts. And then he’d go upstairs after snuffing out all the lights and double checking the doors and windows… and even though there were technically three bedrooms in this house, only one had a bed. And there was only one bed, at that. There’d be a lamp on in their room and she’d already be in bed… on her side… sitting up and reading that damned book that she’d had since he’d known her. And he’d climb into bed, tuck himself under the covers and pat her on the thigh as his way of saying goodnight before turning over and letting the sandman sprinkle his magic dust over his brain.

            RUTH

And that’s just what happened. She was sitting in bed, her fingers toying with the torn edge of one of the pages. She only ever read the book of Ruth in this thing… finding the rest of it to be far too misogynistic. She moved her lips with the words that she read in her head… and felt comfort settle in her chest because of them. It quieted her mind and made her entire body just… go still. She still didn’t believe in this 'God', but she did find comfort in these words. She felt Cooper enter the room, heard him moving around… grousing over the state of something or other before there was a noticeable dip in the bed beside her. Gotta get over to Sandusk soon. She hummed noncommittally, not caring for the settlement that catered to bounty hunters and all manner of ill-tempered people. Want to make sure we’re set for the winter. She hummed again and heard him sigh. More shifting, blankets tugging before she felt his hand on her thigh.

But he didn’t pat her… he let it rest there, which mean he wanted her to look at him. She glanced down at him, he was propped up on his elbow, his brow wrinkled so many times he looked like a drawing of an old bulldog she’d seen once. Cap stash is runnin’ low, darlin’. She pressed her lips together tightly before she nodded in response. You don’t have to go. She perked a dark brow at him. He smirked at her. She felt his fingers dig into her thigh just a little and for only a second. Think you can hold down the fort while I’m gone? Now her expression went disinterested. He chuckled, a deep, rich, rolling sound that she secretly loved. She couldn’t look away from his hazel eyes… and she thought (and not for the first time) he looked soft, laying there in this bed with her. And she couldn’t help but wonder… what would he do if she leaned in and kissed him? She closed her book and took a deep breath, trying to ease the tension that was climbing in her shoulders. “I think I can handle it.” She whispered, not entirely sure why she wasn’t talking louder than she was. He gave a firm nod, patted her leg, and then rolled over like he did every night and settled down with a groan and a sigh. She took another deep breath and set her book on her bedside table before clicking the lamp off, plunging the room into total darkness.

<- Chapter 3 : Proper Damned Settlers

Chapter 5 -> Posting 3/27/25

Series Masterlist

[wildmtthyme]

Chapter 8: Spy-Ops.

Warnings: Reverse misogyny? Guys are being mean is what I'm getting at.

Chapter Note: There are going to be military inaccuracies, people. Also, since I haven't played CoD since the 1st game (ya know, when god was a boy) - I'm not going to use any missions or ops that were featured in the games. Kind of a short chapter but it sets the scene -dramatic arm spread-.

Chapter Characters: Morgan "Indiana" Turner, Simon "Ghost" Riley, John "Bravo 6" Price, Kyle "Gaz" Garrick, Johnny "Soap" MacTavish.

Story Synopsis: Ghost and Indiana have been best mates for years, partners on and off the field. And she's loved him for just as long. But she's never let on that she's felt anything more than friendly towards him. That all starts to change when Simon starts seeing someone for longer than a single night. Indie decides she's going to try and get over this annoying crush once and for all. Simon realizes that maybe he's been feeling more for his partner than he thought. Maybe a lot more. Partners to lovers with a sprinkling of smut, some fun and humor, a team that won't leave them alone, and a car that seems to weave it all together.

<- Chapter 7 - Chapter 9 (3/26/25)

Series Masterlist

Simon was the first in the room, as usual. He sat in the chair in the briefing room, arms folded over his chest, heel bouncing on the tile, punishing a piece of gum between his molars. Kyle was the first one to join him but the man was already on his phone, texting or doing something. Soap shuffled in, yawning as he carried his mug of coffee, the traitor that he was with that shit. He fell down into the chair beside Gaz and leaned back with a heavy sigh. Soap had just gotten in last night, or rather – early this morning. Finally, Indiana walked in. She looked like she always did. No nonsense, ready to go. Same green t-shirt, same camo cargo pants, same boots. Her short blonde hair a little darker from it still being damp, her cheeks a little pink probably from the shower she’d just taken. She took a half step past the start of his table before she hesitated and backed up, taking a seat at the table in front of him.

He knew he was being… well, him since she’d gotten back but he didn’t know how to act. She’d actually, really, kinda… hurt his feelings, if he were to ever admit to such a thing, with the way she went on that trip like that. He looked forward to it, too. And she just bailed. Not to mention that he’d heard from Kyle that Price had driven over to the coast and spent a whole week with her along her trip. Fucking Price. He mashed that gum again. He’d never felt any real anger towards the man but fuck if that didn’t send a bolt of pissed off through him. He knew it was immature but he felt like he was… being replaced or something. But when Price walked into the briefing room, his spine stiffened and his eyes narrowed. And a whole different feeling raked down his back. It wasn’t anger. And it wasn’t what he’d been trying to tell himself. Jealousy, thick like pitch and dark like tar roiled around and settled in his gut. He had half a mind to ask Price what the fuck he’d been doing in there, getting all over her like that. Even if the sliver of his saner self tried to chime in that it was just standard moves. No different than he’d ever been with any of them. Didn’t matter to that green eyed monster that was curling up and making itself a new fucking home inside of him.

Soap lifted his hand and Price nodded to him. They’d just gone over the specifics of their next op and while he was so over the whole breaking into high class shit and spying… he pointed to the projection. “Uh, you mean the four of us?” Because Price had said the five of us. And… he cut his eyes over at Indie and then back to Price. The man flared his chops for a heartbeat. No, I do not believe I misspoke, Sergeant. This op will require all of us to be boots on the ground, in a manner of speaking. “What the fuck is she gonna do then?” He quickly looked at Indie. “No offense, Indie but you aren’t exactly… I mean… that’s not to say… I uh… well—” Simon was the one to cut in. These are the kinda things where birds wear flashy dresses and clicky li’le heels. Noh’ exactly yer usual. He didn’t say it with any teasing or malice and the man wasn’t even really looking up, he was looking down at the packet that Price had handed out.

Morgan looked between Soap and shot a side-eye at Simon. “I can wear those things.” The words left her lips before she could think better of it and almost immediately, she wished she could recall them. Because Kyle snorted and Soap hid his reaction by taking a sip of his now cold coffee. Simon was straight up just staring at her. Can an’ should are two different things. She looked at Simon slowly, she could see the tease in his eyes but it died quickly. Because she didn’t think that shit was funny. And she had an overwhelming urge to shoot him the bird. Since he apparently wanted to fucking discuss ‘birds’ ugh.

Price took a deep breath. “Oi!” That got their attention, all eyes were back on him. “You muppets think you know better than the higher ups? Because they say all five of us and we do what they say. Indiana is on this op.” He flicked the switch on the projector and turned the lights back on. “We’re wheels up at zero five hundred.” He waited for Kyle and Soap to leave… and even though Simon hovered for a moment, and the man shot him an oddly scathing look before he too left. Morgan just sat there, pretending to read the briefing packet. He turned and plucked a rubber band that had been discarded on the table behind him and flicked it at her. She batted it away before it could even get close. “C’mon.” He gestured when she looked up at him. She had that distant, soldier look in her eyes. Where? “S’go shopping.” Those used to be magic words for his Lenore. But for Indie? They appeared to be made of strychnine. Oh, ew, no. He chuckled and gestured again. “C’mon. Even buy ya some fish’n chips, make a proper afternoon of it.”

Aaaaand that was how Morgan ended up going dress and shoe shopping with Price. It was equal parts sweet and mortifying. Because he kept wanting to know what she thought, what that looked like on her and how that fit and more than once he followed her into the dressing area but not the dressing room of the stores. He seemed to be an old hand at it but she didn’t say that. He also seemed to think it was hilarious. And he golf-clapped when she tried on some heels. She could walk in them, but why would anyone want to? That was what she wanted to know. Okay, so… maybe she went through a phase in high school and wore those three-inch tall stripper heels for a while in the 90's. She could even run in them if pressed. Didn’t change the fact that she’d much rather her trainers or boots any day of the week.

The next day saw them all on a plane, something none of them particularly cared for. Soap was asleep as soon as the wheels were in the air though and Indie was absorbed in her most recent book. That left Simon to ignore everyone and act like he was sleeping and for Kyle and Price to play poker with no real stakes. Getting to their hotel was eventless, even if Morgan could have gone without the way the guys kept asking if she had a tux in that garment bag of hers. Okay, so Price didn’t ask that and neither did Simon but that was beside the point. She steeled herself for one rather uncomfortable op.

<- Chapter 7 - Chapter 9 (3/26/25)

Series Masterlist

[wildmtthyme]

Character Introduction/Headcanons in "Judgement" for

Morgan "Indiana" Turner

For starters, Morgan's 6'0'', probably 185 lb? I'm not a great judge of weight. She's tall and she's built is what I'm getting at, here.

She's always been the "athletic" girl, the one who played all the sports. She's very competitive. Always has been. Has had to be the best at everything she's done but not at the expensive of others. She won't like trip someone in a race etc.

Because her body is just... the way it is - she builds muscle quickly. She's broad shouldered and has never been "slender" or very feminine. Or rather, traditionally feminine. This has resulted in a lot of teasing growing up. And a lot of assumptions about her sexual preferences.

But she's straight. And that has its own complications. Because not a lot of men out there over 6'0'' and not a lot of men are okay dating someone taller than them. There have been a few but not many.

On the team, she's the k9 handler and weapons expert. Her partner, Sam, is a security and protection specialist (highly trained infiltration k9). [There will be military inaccuracies here people, I'm not enlisted and it's been years since I've been around it.] As far as weapons go, if it shoots - she can shoot it and shoot it near flawlessly. Wherever she goes on field missions, Sam goes. Undercover ops? Not so much. Either one of the team watches him or he goes to the kennels on post.

Because of her competitiveness and her need to be the best, she excelled in the military. Where her masculine build brought its own perks and complications with hazing. But, she persevered.

She was actually born in South Africa before she was sent to Australia to live with a distant aunt who later shipped her off to England to another distant aunt. She never knew her father and her mother was the one who sent her to Australia for reasons she doesn't know (and doesn't care about now). So her accent is kind of a mix.

She has to work hard to keep her body in shape, hitting the gym regularly. She doesn't drink often but when she does, she can and will go overboard.

When she's part of a team, she's part of that team. She's in it 100%. But, when it comes to personal relationships... ehhhhh. She's kinda on the fence. She guesses it probably comes from the whole childhood thing plus the whole relationships ending because she's either too strong or too tall or too good at something etc.

She has body insecurity issues when it comes to her private life - simply because she's not a "girly-girl". Most of the time she's okay with that fact, proud of it really. But deep down, kinda like - behind that shield - it gets kinda lonely.

She's had a massive crush on Simon since day one. Has never acted on it. Has never hinted at it. And is very good at keeping it locked in a box.

Simon is also her bestie. Her person. Her partner in work and best mate off the field. They just get along, they move cohesively when working and they get shit done.

But, because Simon has a certain type of woman that he goes after, she has that thing in her head. That thing that says 'never gonna happen' so she just keeps herself at arms length.

She is very close with Sam, having raised him from a pup and trained him. The training program was extensive and intense but what came out of it was a bond that is iron-clad.

Her team, her dog, her job are such a large part of her life that she isn't sure what her life would be without them.

She does live off post. She bought a small pebbledash cottage out of town with a little land and surrounded by farmland so Sam would have enough space.

The Judge. Can't talk about Morgan without talking about her car. She loves this car. She'd sleep in it if she could stand the back-ache.

She also loves her bike. These are things she'd always dreamed of having and now, after all her hard work, she finally has them. She's proud of that.

(I 100% used Rhea Ripley as her face claim - but from her NXT days, not WWE.) <- The story behind this is that I went looking for an example of what I envisioned Morgan's body type was so I could really get this across. And I found this rando pic of this woman with the short blonde hair and stacked shoulders and I was like "that's it" and yeah - turned out to be Rhea Ripley. Now, I'm not a wrestling fan so I had/have no real idea who she is. But that's how I found her.

Bonus: A peek into Morgan's phone's photo album

[wildmtthyme]

Character Introduction/Headcanons in "Judgement" for

Kyle "Gaz" Garrick

Kyle's expertise on the team involves reconnaissance, surveillance, and all manner of sneaky ninja stuff without getting too technical. He's also crazy smart but in a humble way.

He's got a gentle way about him - a calmness that puts others at ease that just comes naturally to him.

He's the "style" guy of the team. He's more in touch with that stuff and likes to dress nice and coordinated whenever he's not in uniform. Even his lazy clothes are on brand.

Of all the team, he's the one that spends the most money but it's not frivolously. If he's buying a pair of shoes, those shoes are still ones he's going to wear for years etc.

He too does not have a place off base - choosing instead to live on post in the barracks with Soap.

Speaking of Johnny, that's his BFF. His bro. His hetero life mate type situation.

For the purposes of the Judgement story specifically, Kyle is gay. He doesn't flaunt it, though. Even though the team supports him, he's still from the era of don't ask, don't tell. It's hard to break that mindset in the military.

Of the whole team, of course Johnny is the most supportive and his biggest ally.

Kyle's family is still very much a part of his life. His Mom, Dad, and little brother are people he visits and talks to as regularly as he can. (For this story anyway).

Currently, at the start of the story, Kyle is single. Relationships are hard for these guys, they're away so often and sometimes for long periods of time.

Kyle is skilled and he knows it. He's not less experienced than any of the others, he's wicked good at what he does. And he's proud of that.

I also have Kyle not getting hung up on heights or flying in this story. He's fine with it. Will hang out of helicopters, jump out of planes and he loves it. Even goes sky diving for fun.

I wanted to write Kyle as this kind of easy going, fun to be around person but not rowdy. He's not shy and he's not aloof. He has a decent enough relationship with Price but it's still more of a superior/subordinate type of relationship in this story. Like what I put in Johnny's HC post, him and Soap are in constant contact and Kyle takes no small measure of comfort in that. He's not ignorant to the dangers a gay man can face in the military and though he's confident he can protect himself, he likes having that added layer of protection. And he will have experienced some measure of prejudice on a few fronts both against his race and his sexual orientation over the years. And Johnny has been at his side through it all, ready to throw down and protect him at the drop of a hat. Because nothing will piss either of them off faster than one or the other being attacked in any way.

Bonus: A peek into Kyle's phone's photo album

[wildmtthyme]

Timeline

So, it occurred to me that maybe I should make a post about the timeline since I'm putting the years in the story and using them as pretty significant markers. With that in mind, here's a small timeline to get ya goin':

2077 - This is the universal fallout year when the bombs dropped. Cooper is said to be "in his 40's" when this happens so I just gave him the age of 44. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

2296 - The events with Lucy happen (the show). Cooper is 263 years old at this point and has been a ghoul for 219 of those years.

2300 - Cooper finds what's left of his family and finds out what happened. (HC/story stuff)

2320 - Cooper and Ruth meet. (obv. HC/story stuff) Cooper is 287 years old. Ruth is theoretically in her 30's with no exact age known (since she was an experiment and all that, they never told her).

[wildmtthyme]

Chapter 3: Proper Damned Settlers

Warnings: Very slight mention of very old death of a child. Also, also 18+ elements by the way. So the standard warning there. MDNI for sexually explicit material.

Chapter Notes: This is where some of the weird stuff that Vault 14 did gets revealed and of course sets up some obvious stuff for the future. Plus, it gets a little... anatomy-ey?

Synopsis: Even the good vaults weren't earthquake proof, no matter how well they were built. California herself decided the fate of Cooper's family years before he ever found what was left. With not much else, Cooper picks up a lead from Lucy on a possible new serum. What he ends up finding is a whole other can of worms. Another Vault-Tec experiment and another lease on this crazy thing called life.

<- Chapter 2 : Concerning Ghouls

Chapter 4 : Domestication ->

Series Masterlist

Year 2322

            RUTH

She straightened up, a hand going to the small of her back to rub at the sore muscle as she squinted into the setting sun, looking down the row of corn stalks that were fluttering in the breeze. She’d been out here all day, meticulously tending their precious crop of special corn; though what made it special was still up for debate. Cooper’s friend, Lucy, had given them the seeds, swearing that they’d be resistant to blight and over-exposure to rads but… well, the jury was still out. Even though Cooper insisted that Lucy knew her stuff, especially when it came to corn. Ruth had always been a skeptical person; she couldn’t help it. It was one of the things she’d always gotten chastised for down in her own vault. She heard a sharp whistle break the silence, she glanced over her shoulder and saw Cooper standing on the porch. Come and get it while it’s hot, vaultie! She narrowed her eyes at him and he just chuckled, wiping his hands on a towel on his shoulder before disappearing back inside the house.

They had found this place a few years ago. It had been a decision made around the fire one night. He had been rather melancholic and she had posed the question ‘was there anything you had wanted to do that you never got around to? Anything at all?’ At first he’d joked, as he tended to do. Usually trying to be crude to fend her off serious topics. Two chicks and a fine sum’bitch all at the same time. She’d given him a disinterested look and he had chuckled before sighing and shaking his head. I’d had a dream once, shit, forever ago. To have a ranch down in Bakersfield, but seein' as how there ain't much for livestock these days... he'd kind of drifted off after that. She was used to him saying the names of places that she’d never heard of. So, she’d just said; ‘let’s do that then.’ And he’d stared at her in that quiet, considering way of his for more than a few moments and she’d stared right back. Alright, vaultie… you got yourself a deal. She’d not made any deals but he was always using old world slang. And that’s what they did. He led them down to where he swore was a place that had once been called Bakersfield. They scouted out places, he was so damned particular. Until they found this one. This is it. He’d said quietly as he’d looked upon what he’d called an old farmhouse. It was barely holding itself together but it had good bones, according to him.

They’d worked hard and long and after a couple of years, it was mostly done. It kept the elements mostly out of the house, kept the rain and the dirt off of them, had pipes to drain water out and a well that pumped mostly rad-free water. Had fields that they grew corn, tomatoes (or as he called them ‘tomaters’), razorgrain, and tatos. They even grew melons one year but they took up too much space for too little in return – that was her thought and her words on them. He called them ‘proper damned settlers’; whatever that meant. They worked hard from dawn until dusk most days and slept like the dead most nights. They ate well and generally got along. Except when her ‘courses’ were running, then he’d hide most of the time from her. She never understood what he was talking about when it came to that but she didn’t seek him out either; she let him be weird with a shrug and went about her day. They’d been around each other long enough to know when to leave each other alone and when not to push too far. She wiped the sweat from her brow as she stomped up the steps, her boots scuffing the floorboards as she made for the door, the low light already casting a warm glow that welcomed her in.

            THE GHOUL

Cooper didn’t have to look but he did anyway, watching as she stepped inside and still wiped her damned feet. He smirked at that and shook his head. He returned his attention to getting the rest of their dinner onto the table. The domesticity of the whole thing wasn’t lost on him and he just tried to ignore it most of the time. And he tried to ignore how much comfort it actually brought him. How much comfort she brought him. True, he had come a long way in letting very specific people into his life (namely her and Lucy) but he still wasn’t an open fucking book. But… he knew he was more at ease around Ruth than he’d ever been around Lucy and he knew why. Ruth was a ghoul. Yeah, she didn’t look like one but his radiation could never hurt her. He’d be hard pressed to ever accidently hurt her. She’d have a fighting chance should he ever start to go. Even though the idea was… somehow less appealing now than it had been in the years since he’d found Janey’s bones.

They sat at the table and ate quietly; she thanked him for the meal and he waved it off, as he always did. Ruth could cook just fine and she did, but he’d take cooking over weeding any fucking day of the week and she knew it. So, they traded jobs every now and again. Plus, she’d called him too old to be out in the fields. A statement that he’d glared at her for and one that she’d chortled at. Life with Ruth… was so damned easy. At first, it had made him bristle like an old porcupine. But… he’d come to thrive in the comfort a solid friendship could bring.

Even if he had to deal with her god damned courses. She was always baffled when he mentioned it and he never explained it because if she didn’t know what the fuck he was talking about, he wasn’t about to give her a fucking anatomy lesson. The first time he scented it on her, it had shocked the shit out of him. Because he knew she was a ghoul. And ghouls didn’t fucking do that shit no more. But no. She still had her god damned monthly flow like any other smooth-skinned woman. Which meant she had that brief window during the month where her scent would sweeten… not that week where old blood would weep from between her legs, no – not that. Though… that wasn’t exactly off putting, it wasn’t something that like, drove him crazy or anything. No… when he meant courses, he meant that window where her body dropped a fucking microscopic egg. And released pheromones so damned thick that he could almost chew on ‘em in the air. So, he’d do the only thing he could. He’d make himself scarce. He’d stay the fuck away from her.

It was that first time, they’d just started traveling together… hell, she wasn’t even awake. She was laying on an old couch in a derelict house that they were holed up in for the night when he caught wind of something… so damned… enticing. It took him about two seconds to zero in on where it was coming from… and another two to realize what it was when his cock started aching. He’d even gotten right up close to her, running his nasal cavity right over her crotch, careful not to even graze her or the couch as he took in a deep breath just to be sure. The way his cock started weeping, how the saliva ran in his mouth… he had gone straight outside and fucked his fist for the first time in decades. The orgasm he’d had nearly put him on his knees. And it had barely taken the edge off. From then on, whenever he’d gotten just a whiff of that sweetness, he’d make them stop for a few days… and he’d stay the fuck away from her, giving her any excuse that he thought wouldn’t hurt her feelings. Not that she was overly sensitive anyway. Another thing he liked about her. Her feelings were damned hard to hurt. Thank everything that there ever was for that - because he knew his attitude was straight outta hell most of the time. Still... they got along and that was all that mattered.

<- Chapter 2 : Concerning Ghouls

Chapter 4 : Domestication ->

Series Masterlist

[wildmtthyme]

The OTW is Recruiting for PAC, Translation, TWC Copyeditor and Strategic Planning Volunteers

Would you like to assist AO3 users by resolving complaints? Are you fluent in a language other than English and passionate about making OTW more accessible? Do you have experience copyediting or proofreading academic journals? Or do you have experience with research methods, problem solving or nonprofit governance? The Organization for Transformative Works is recruiting! Read more at: https://otw-news.org/8p6fjmwj

[wildmtthyme]

Character Introduction/Headcanons in "Judgement" for

Johnny "Soap" MacTavish

Johnny himself can be silly but he also knows when it's time to pack it in and be serious.

He's smart. Very smart. He's a demolitions expert, after all. Dude can build any number of bombs, disarm them, and take them apart. He can turn things into bombs.

And yes, he has a marginally unhealthy obsession with explosions. He's the guy who's always suggesting they blow something up. Nothing big and dangerous just... a wee bit? c'mon...

Not as observant as the others but his hearing is insanely good. He was never happier than when they finally took out all the analog clocks in the barracks.

Kyle is his best friend, his bud, his bro, bestie, ride-or-die in this story. They're almost always in constant contact via text. Gif/Meme sharing about everything, even if they're only two feet away from each other.

Because of the aforementioned - they have a million inside jokes that only they understand. Random one words spoken over coms will result in Price having to reprimand both Kyle and Johnny over their man-giggles.

As far as his private life goes? He's a one night / one weekend kind of guy. But not in a womanizer kind of way.

Still has a good relationship with his family. Still calls his Mom every Sunday if he's not on an op.

Has three sisters and routinely dodges calls from all three.

Is the baby of his family, and acts that way whenever he's home. Ie: getting away with just about everything.

Always seems to find himself as the youngest in everything. Youngest of his family, youngest SAS operative, etc. Doesn't mind it.

Is confident without being cocky. He's got a bit of an ego but he's also humble. If he's making statements to the contrary, he's probably joking.

Loves teasing. It's a Scottish thing. Teasing is a way of life, like breathing. If he's teasing someone, it means he's accepted them into his life.

Can go from laughing and having fun to dead serious in the blink of an eye. Instead of his attention span being short, I wrote him as being able to switch rapidly between things but he can hold his attention there as long as required. Remember, bomb-guy.

Again, bomb-guy - he has insanely steady hands. Surgeon steady.

Hates haggis. Hates it. Thinks its disgusting. Doesn't care if it makes him some kind of food-traitor. It's gross and he isn't shy about it.

Will routinely call the rest of the guys out on being English. Thinks its hilarious to bring it up. The whole England vs. Scotland thing.

Doesn't have a place off base - doesn't see the point. Him and Kyle both live on post. Why would he want to live anywhere else? Pay rent on a flat he's never at? Pfft. Nope.

Is actually very frugal with his money. Doesn't spend needlessly.

I wanted to write Johnny as being this kind of fun, teasing guy who likes to smile but who has earned his place on the team. He's an expert in his field, he's smart, he's not a screw up - he doesn't fuck around. Yeah, he'll joke and yeah, he'll laugh but at the end of the day? He's rock steady. He's not interested in any form of relationship and he makes that clear to the women he hooks up with. And with Kyle being his best friend - since Ghost's BFF spot was taken in this story - he's got enough fulfillment in the area of companionship that he doesn't feel like he's missing much. When I say that Kyle and him are in constant contact, I do mean constantly. Wake up? Phone in hand. Unless they're on an op, either separately or together. Because it's game time. I don't have any plans for Soap to partner up in this story but that might change because honestly, who knows at this point.

Bonus: A peek into Johnny's phone's photo album

(again, I've been making these mood board things to try and keep the motivation going for me to keep writing and keep the creative juices going and all that)

[wildmtthyme]

Chapter 7: Training Day.

Warnings: None really?

Chapter Note: This is a short one. I'm trying to get back into writing this one and it's slow going but hey, it's going. 🖤 Updated the masterlist too to reflect the new chapter names and the ones I've got written up so far.

Chapter Characters: Morgan "Indiana" Turner, Simon "Ghost" Riley, John "Bravo 6" Price, Kyle "Gaz" Garrick.

Story Synopsis: Ghost and Indiana have been best mates for years, partners on and off the field. And she's loved him for just as long. But she's never let on that she's felt anything more than friendly towards him. That all starts to change when Simon starts seeing someone for longer than a single night. Indie decides she's going to try and get over this annoying crush once and for all. Simon realizes that maybe he's been feeling more for his partner than he thought. Maybe a lot more. Partners to lovers with a sprinkling of smut, some fun and humor, a team that won't leave them alone, and a car that seems to weave it all together.

<- Chapter 6 - Chapter 8 ->

Series Masterlist

Indie had been back for a month and to say shit was awkward was a gross understatement. Simon was still jilted, if ever there was a thing. And she guessed her plan worked? Hell, she had no idea at this point. All she knew was that it was easier to stomach the whole Simon-has-a-girlfriend thing without feeling like someone was trying to hollow out her chest with a blunt spoon. So… half dozen in one hand, six in the other? Soap’d had to go on a solo op for a few days and that made it even more awkward as now Simon didn’t have anyone else to train with. Gaz refused to go the mat with him after what happened last time and Kyle wasn’t taking the ‘it wasn’t my fault’ excuse again. Indie found out that Gaz had offered to spar with Simon while she was gone and had ended up with a dislocated shoulder. Not from Simon’s aggression, no. But from him not paying attention. Simon was a big guy with a lot of strength, not that Kyle was small but it didn’t change the fact that Simon could hurt any one of them if he wasn’t paying attention. And he was decidedly distracted when they had spared.

And in a strange sort of olive branch, she had offered to spar with Simon. Annnnd that was how she knew he was still mad at her. He’d just scoffed and walked away. She’d felt the uncharacteristic urge to throw something at the back of his head (nothing hard… but still… maybe something like a lemon or a wet teabag). So… more often than not, Price would find her wailing on a heavy bag after work. And because Kyle saw how hard she was hitting the thing, even he wouldn’t get into the ring with her. To which she just called him a pussy over.

If you want to spar that bad, I’ll do it. Price said as they came to a slow walk one morning. PT wasn’t her favorite part of the day but it was required. She could hear Gaz’s steady but still deep breaths nearby and Simon’s quieter ones just a little further away. She shot Price a look and chuckled. “Uh… na. I mean…” She took a few lengthy… strategic… strides away from her Captain. “Ya know… because yer old.” She heard Gaz almost choke… even Simon let out a huff that might or might not have been a sign of amusement (it was). But the look Price leveled her with was only… marginally playful? She hoped. Price took a step towards her and she took a step away, just… being careful. The man’s mustache shifted in that way it did when he was pursing his lips before he spoke. Report to the mat in ten minutes, Turner. She swallowed thickly because she wasn’t entirely sure of the tone. “Yes sir.” She figured better safe than sorry. Price walked off and she felt Kyle’s hand settle on her shoulder. Well, was nice knowin’ ya, Indiana. She snorted and shook her head at his dramatics. “C’mon, you can help him hobble back to his office.” Kyle just chuckled again and they walked towards the training room, a quick glance over her shoulder and she saw Simon following. He did little more than flick his eyes towards her before looking away. Fine, he could keep sulking.

They went straight there and Price was already waiting in the middle of the ring. She stepped inside the taped line and made a show of crossing herself. Price just gave her a droll stare. She gave him a snarky grin. No officiant required. No bell. No count-down. A deep breath, some bent knees, some raised hands… and like a whip crack in the air, it was game on. Price had something to prove and Indie had a lot of tension to get out of her system. Whenever one would block a hit or kick, the other would already be moving into another move. Whenever one would knock the other down, they were already snapping back up onto their feet. And whenever one of them would pin the other one, they were quickly dethroned. Price had weight and brute strength but Indie was quicker, more flexible and agile. Not to say that Price wasn’t all of those things, just that she was more. But he wasn’t the Captain for no reason.

The mat jumped up and met her chest, a thick boa of an arm wrapped around her neck and a fucking truck parked itself on her back, boots digging into the back of her thighs. “Fuck.” She growled out, the toes of her boots digging into the mat as she tried to stair-climb and get him off. C’mon, Sergeant. Price panted out, not in a tease and not in making fun – it was his ‘teaching’ voice. Think through the moves. Locate the weakness. You’ve got seconds! She tried to swing her arm and roll but he barely budged, she tried to turn her head and do the same but nothing… she tried to kick her leg up and over and nothing! She was quickly growing frustrated. She almost jumped when she heard his voice right by her ear. Too late. Yer dead, Sergeant. She felt the jab of his index and middle finger in her ribs just under her arm. One shot, one kill. Price and her both jerked their heads up and attention towards the training room’s metal door, the sound of it bouncing off the cinder block wall still reverberating through the room. He climbed back to his feet and offered a hand down to her; she took it but was looking around. It took him half a second to notice who was missing. “Briefing in thirty.” He said simply and gave her a nod before he started for the locker room.

Simon kept telling himself that it was the idea, the thought, of an enemy getting the jump on Indie. That that’s what had made his blood pressure spike. That that’s what made him storm out of that room. He figured, if he said it enough – maybe he’d start believing it. He thought that maybe he’d calm down once Indie was back. It’d be water under the proverbial bridge. It was anything but. He couldn’t help but get hung up on it and he’d gone through enough therapy to know unresolved anger when he was experiencing it. Problem was… shit just kept piling on top of it. And seeing Price with his hands all over her (sparing like normal) didn’t help matters at all. He chained two smokes behind the officer’s mess before he felt like his heart rate had calmed enough that he could be shut up in a tiny room with everyone again. He knocked his head back on the cinder block wall just hard enough to jar his teeth, willing himself to get . a . fucking . grip. He was a fucking soldier. One of the best. And he did not act like this.

<- Chapter 6 - Chapter 8 ->

Series Masterlist

[wildmtthyme]

Chapter 2: Concerning Ghouls

Warnings: Canon typical violence, ghoul on ghoul violence? Ferals. And cussing - there's always cussing.

Chapter Notes: I've posted a few things so far about the world-building for this fic so they might be of use. <- That's probably going to just be a given from here on out so here are the links to the posts on radiation sickness and headcanons for this fic. Also, also - I'm using FO4 as the basis for the bulk of my ghoul knowledge because that's the game I've played the most.

Synopsis: Even the good vaults weren't earthquake proof, no matter how well they were built. California herself decided the fate of Cooper's family years before he ever found what was left. With not much else, Cooper picks up a lead from Lucy on a possible new serum. What he ends up finding is a whole other can of worms. Another Vault-Tec experiment and another lease on this crazy thing called life.

<- Chapter 1 : Vault 14

Chapter 3 : Proper Damned Settlers ->

Series Masterlist

RUTH

Ruth cringed as she pressed her shoulders into the cement wall as far as she could, turning her face away as the sound of clacking teeth snapped right next to her ear. Sniffling sounded next. She was trembling, shaking… but the creature… what… used to be a person… just shuffled by her. Its eyes had been glowing! She was… terrified the first time it happened; scared the next… and hell, it still scared her. But at least she didn’t scream now. It still made her heart slam around in her chest. She didn’t know why they didn’t hurt her… she just knew that it made scavenging for supplies in these old ruined buildings a lot easier. The ones she really hated were the ones that glowed all over, or who were swollen abnormally… or the ones that only appeared to be sleeping but would pop up whenever she got too close. The ones that jump scared her still made her cry out… she nearly hit one once… and would have had it not growled so darkly at her. Usually, they… looked through her. But that one was looking at her, as if it had read her thoughts or her intention… she quickly thought better of striking it.

But that was then and now, she was picking through what she guessed had once been a store? Rows and rows of collapsing shelves were all over the place. Paint was chipping, peeling off the walls… light fixtures barely hanging from the ceiling. She swiped a bottle of something called “Rad-X” and stuffed it into her pack. She wasn’t completely stupid… new to the world, maybe… but not stupid. Anything whole and intact would be worth something to someone, surely. And sooner or later, she’d come across a settlement of some kind, someone she could barter with for things she might need. “Right?” She glanced at one of the creatures that was laying on a nearby counter, it’s eyes barely open. It didn’t respond other than to twitch one of its bare boned fingers. She shook her head at herself, muttering under her breath that she was officially crazy for talking to them.

            THE GHOUL

Cooper blinked rapidly, not entirely sure what the fuck he was looking at as he watched the woman… and it was a woman. A smooth-skinned woman… just… strolling around amongst these ferals… shopping like it was a regular wasteland-Sunday. What the fuck… was going on? He tilted his head when she fucking asked one of them a question? His expression going bewildered for a moment… before he decided he could not pass this up. “I reckon so.” The scream this woman let out was enough to wake every fucking feral in the god damned Mojave! He held a hand up and hissed at her but she was busy backing up and tripping over every god damned thing! “Jesus fucking Christ, lady, shut the fuck up!” He hissed out.

She was clutching her bag in front of her like it could protect her with one hand and throwing whatever she could grab at him with the other. He batted the first few things away from him before he said “Fuck this.” And bum-rushed her, clapping his hand over her mouth and shoving her against the wall to shut her the fuck up. “Shut. Up.” He growled out just as he felt the tickle of rads rain down on his back. Her eyes grew wide and he saw the wall and her both get cast in a green glow. God… dammit… he didn’t move an inch… hearing that thing starting to growl behind him.

            RUTH

Her heart was still pounding, hard enough that all she heard was her own pulse. She couldn’t smell anything now, not with that glowing one so close. It’s burning eyes were locked on the back of this… this… well, he was a man but he wasn’t?! She didn’t know! She’d never seen one that could talk?! He wore clothes and a hat and… his eyes… she glanced at them and now she couldn’t look away. But he wasn’t looking at her… his attention was to the corner of his eyes, as if he could see out the back of his own head. But… he had hazel eyes. They looked so… human. She couldn’t suppress the tremble that ran through her though. She heard a subtle click down below her face… her eyes flicked down and widened again… her hand shifted… landed on top of the very large gun he was slowly lifting. His eyes shot to hers, his brow lowered in anger… which had the glowing one growling again. She shook her head as much as she could, her eyes turned pleading. If he shot this thing… that’d rile all of them up.

            THE GHOUL

He had no idea what the fuck she thought she was doing but he eased his elbow away from his body, tucked the barrel of the mare beneath his arm… kept his eyes on hers, gave her a cocky, shit-eating smirk… and pulled the trigger anyway. What followed was one hell of a fight that got his blood pumping and his nerves singing. But… it also had the side effect of his lungs trying to quit on him once it was over. And as he straightened from taking a puff… his eyes found the woman… she was leaning against a different wall… having had to use a torn off piece of shelving as a make-shift melee weapon. She’d taken a few hits, claws to the face… and a bite on her arm. But he stared openly… watched as it all healed in real time, faster than his own few wounds. Now, it made since. She was a fucking ghoul. That’s why they didn’t go after her. They wouldn’t go after ghouls, feral or otherwise; as long as you stayed calm around them. But he’d been itching for a good fight for a while now.

“Let’s try this again.” He drawled out, stepping over to her, giving her a tip of his hat. “Cooper.” She eyed him warily. R-Ruth. She gestured to herself. But she said the name as if she were still practicing. He squinted at her. It’s better than three-ninety-four. He gave a single shouldered shrug at that. “Suppose y’er right on that one.” He gestured for her to walk ahead of him. “Let’s get outta here.” She, surprisingly, took him up on his offer. Wouldn’t Lucy be proud of his manners. They camped in the manager’s office and he was gentle with his questions. He found out all about the experiments and about the raid. He was staring at what would have been vault tec’s big ticket. But the wasteland had a way of always taking down the mighty. He couldn’t help but smirk over that. Still… he had no way of knowing that this particular vaultie would change his life way more than Lucy ever did.

<- Chapter 1 : Vault 14

Chapter 3 : Proper Damned Settlers ->

Series Masterlist

[wildmtthyme]

My Baby Shot Me Down Masterlist

Main Characters: Cooper Howard, Ruth (OC)

Supporting Characters: Daisy (FO4), Joshua (OC), brief mentions of Lucy Maclean, Barb & Janey Howard, and a few other rando npcs.

Synopsis: Even the good vaults weren't earthquake proof, no matter how well they were built. California herself decided the fate of Cooper's family years before he ever found what was left. With not much else, Cooper picks up a lead from Lucy on a possible new serum. What he ends up finding is a whole other can of worms. Another Vault-Tec experiment and another lease on this crazy thing called life.

Warnings: Ghouls (duh). Canon typical violence, minor/major character death, angst, abandonment, pregnancy, single-parenting.

Special Warning: This fic contains suicidal/assisted suicidal elements in a terminal illness lens. Keeping in mind the Fallout universe. If this is disturbing to you, do not read.

Ending: Sad? Could be seen as peaceful? Not canned peaches and marmalade.

⫛Contains 18+ Explicit Content. ⨷Contains special warning content. ⫙Contains brief mention of sexual content.

Vault 14 <- posted

Concerning Ghouls <- posted

Proper Damned Settlers ⫙ <- posted

Domestication <- posted

The Still of the Night Pt. 1 ⫛ <- 3/27/25

The Still of the Night Pt. 2 ⫛ <- 3/27/25 *split so the post isn't so long but I'm not going to make y'all wait three days for a 'to be continued'.

The Spring of '25 <- 3/30/25

Old and New <- 4/4/25

A Man and his Dog <- 4/7/25

Tail Tucked <- 4/10/25

The Couch <- 4/14/25

Breakfast <- 4/17/25

This is Now, That was Then <- 4/21/25

Vows ⫛/⫙ <- 4/24/25

What Remains <- 4/28/25

The Cowboy Rides Away ⨷ <- 5/1/25

Last Wishes ⨷ <- 5/5/25

Supporting Posts

Small Timeline of Events leading up to the story with information on Cooper's age etc.

Radiation - ARS (acute radiation sickness), ghouls, and their affect on people.

Headcanons on Ghoulification, ghoul-chems, and non-canon Vault 14.

Alright folks, I've been meaning to write an angsty one for a while and when I watched the show, this idea kept running circles around my head. This whole idea of what happens at the end. I wanted to get this out before season 2 drops because this is all just based on season 1 and info from the games.

[wildmtthyme]

Chapter 1: Vault 14

Warnings: Canon typical violence, mentions of experimentation, extremely old death of a child, Christianity (is that a warning?) There's bible reading in this is what I'm getting at.

Chapter Notes: I've posted a few things so far about the world-building for this fic so they might be of use.

Synopsis: Even the good vaults weren't earthquake proof, no matter how well they were built. California herself decided the fate of Cooper's family years before he ever found what was left. With not much else, Cooper picks up a lead from Lucy on a possible new serum. What he ends up finding is a whole other can of worms. Another Vault-Tec experiment and another lease on this crazy thing called life.

Chapter 2 : Concerning Ghouls ->

Series Masterlist

2320.

            TEST SUBJECT 394.

Disoriented couldn’t even begin to cover the breadth of her feelings as she ran through the forest, the trees were so tall that she could hardly see the tops of them unless she looked straight up. And though there were many, that did nothing to quell her fear or slow her spook. She was running for her life. The raiders that had somehow gotten inside of their vault… God, there were so many and so much blood, everywhere. She still wasn’t entirely sure how she made it out. Had no rightful idea how she even survived the trip to the surface. It was a ramp; she knew that much. No elevator, no stairs. A damn ramp. She’d seen what had remained of the vault door… had barely managed to dodge the bullets and the attacks from the few raiders that had remained outside before she bolted into the dense undergrowth of the forest. Their hoots and hollers chased her into the shadows and she hadn’t stopped running since.

But she couldn’t run forever and her body let her know that just as the sun was going down. She took refuge under a log in what looked like an odd sort of dirt cave. It was empty and smelled musty. She didn’t care much; she was beyond exhausted. She was asleep before she even laid down. Her dreams were twisted and warped, memories both old and new stitched together with imagined horrors to form all new terrors that chased her throughout the night until she awoke with a start just before dawn.

She found the half boarded up, half falling down building later that same day. She found clothing that was only a little too small or a little too big and left the vault suit behind. She found the remnants of some unlucky explorer; she guessed and took what they’d left behind. Though, judging by the skeleton on the floor… they didn’t actually leave. An old canvas pack, a canteen that might still hold water should she find some… and a book. The book was strange with thin pages and tiny print. But it was better than no book at all, she surmised. The boots she found were a welcomed edition since, up until that point, she had only been wearing the blank numbered vault suit and not much else.

That night, by the light of miniscule fire that she was very proud of lighting, she read from the book she had found. She wasn’t a stranger to the ancient concept of religion but there was one section she found that she couldn’t help but whisper out loud. “Entreat me… not to leave thee.” She licked her lips and squinted at the words. “Or to… return from following after thee… for whither thou goest… I will go.” She nibbled on her lower lip as she considered the words before continuing. “And where thou lodgest… I will lodge… thy people shall be my people… and thy God my God.” Her brow furrowed as she tried to figure out what lodgest meant… but she gave up and moved on. “Where thou diest… will I die… and there will I be buried… the Lord do so to me… and more also… if aught but… death part thee and me.” She almost went cross eyed over that last part but she figured she got the gist of it. And she had to admit… though she didn’t believe in any sort of God… those were some pretty words. Her eyes flicked up to the top of the page. The Book of Ruth stared back at her in slightly bolder print. “Ruth.” She hummed as she closed the book and snuffed the fire. Seemed like as good of a name as any.

            THE GHOUL

Cooper took a puff off of his atomizer and let out a ragged breath, eyes squinting out over the sunlit wasteland. He swore, the more things changed, the more they stayed the same. If it wasn’t the NCR or Caesar’s Legion, it was the fucking Brotherhood. Different names, same prerogative. Power. Always about fucking power. He glanced over his shoulder and considered his direction again. Northward. It had been some years since he’d gone that way and he wasn’t entirely sure he should go that way again. But… if the word Lucy had sent held any water, and it usually did, there was a vault up that way that might be of interest to a ghoul like himself. A vault that had been location zero to his precious serum, which he knew how to make himself now, thank ya very fuckin’ much.

He couldn’t help but think about the vaultie as he walked towards what she was probably hoping was some kind of corporate sponsored miracle. He hadn’t clapped actual eyes on her in over fifteen years, not that she went back down into a vault herself. She lived above her old vault, set up a pretty nice place from what he’d heard. But he knew she’d started herself a family, was tryin’ to move on. And he just wasn’t that man anymore, hell, he wasn’t a man at all. And he was a ticking time bomb, whether Lucy wanted to admit it or not. So, after they’d tracked down the vault that Barb had stashed herself and Janey in… only to find out that even those supposed good vaults… weren’t that fucking good… and that they had defects too… and that after so many fucking years and with California’s unsteady ground… they too could just fucking fall apart… he shook his head sharply. He had been… unkind to Lucy that day, to put it fucking mildly. But seeing that all was left of his precious baby girl was bones had twisted something inside of him that couldn’t be untwisted. And Lucy had just been in the line of fire.

So, in quick order, they’d left that vault… his daughter’s precious bones in his satchel… where he took her to where he was fairly certain their old house had once been… and he buried her right and proper. Then, he walked Lucy back to her vault… and left Dogmeat with her… and walked off into the wasteland with a promise to always respond on the stupid radio she gave him. And that was that. But over the past nineteen years, she’d learned that he only turned it on once a month. And she’d leave any message she had for him on an automatic loop until he checked back in. It wasn’t a perfect system, but it worked well enough. That’s how he knew about her settlement. That’s how he knew she’d finally gotten married to that tin can and that she popped out a couple of kids. He always knew she would be a good momma, even though she’d tossed the idea around. He’d finally told her to just let that shit go, women had been wanting kids long before vault tec started a breeding program. That that instinct wasn’t brainwashed into her, it was just the way some women were. Hell, some men were, too. He’d been the one to ask Barb over and over if they could start a family. Now, though, he was heading north. North to Vault 14. North to where Lucy hoped there might be either a stronger serum for him to use or a cure. He had laughed cruelly at the idea of a cure. Ain’t no fuckin’ cure, he knew that. But he couldn’t argue with a recording. So, he just left a message that said he got it and he was heading north. That was that. He expected to find a vault with a sealed door… not one with a door blown clean open. He didn’t even bother going down there, he knew better.

Chapter 2 : Concerning Ghouls ->

Series Masterlist

[wildmtthyme]

Finishing up the Fallout fic and then I *will* work on Judgement, I will! I hope…

[wildmtthyme]

☣Radiation☣

Concerning “Acute Radiation Sickness” (ARS) – apparently, the body’s cells – if not destroyed – are very efficient at getting rid of radiation and repairing the damage if the radiation is received from an outside source (external exposure). If the radiation is introduced into the body via an internal source (ingested or through an open wound) – the body is efficient at either collecting the radiation particles into the blood where it is then moved through the system and gotten rid of or through the digestive system where it is then removed as waste. The process can take weeks, months, or years depending on the level of exposure and the symptoms are basically what we see in the show and the games. Vomiting, general ill health, skin lesions etc. But – the general gist is this: if they’re alive, their body has negated the radiation within them. That’s how the body works. If the cells were destroyed by the radiation (which is what going feral sounds like – the brain cells being destroyed and no longer able to repair themselves from the radiation damage) then they’d be dead, even with the mutations.

It’s because ghouls still require sustenance of some kind – either in the form of additional radiation or food itself that I’m going to lean more into the belief that if their cells didn’t process/filter out the radiation, they’d be dead. Thus, though they have the appearance that they do and the radiation may have given them long lives/increased strength (which makes sense when you consider the regenerative capabilities of their cells – including the cells that make up their muscle tissue, allowing them to use all of their strength as opposed to being limited like regular humans are by not tearing their muscles etc.) And while they may keep getting doses of radiation, their symptoms may be less severe (vomiting etc.) they are no less detrimental to their overall health (the day when their brain cells have finally deteriorated beyond repair causing them to go feral). It could be argued that that too would result in their death, but we’ll stay with the feral notion and just say that perhaps certain parts of the brain deteriorate faster than others and the parts of the brain that control cognitive function/memory/what makes a person civilized/etc. are the first to go. But, eventually, even a feral ghoul will succumb to ARS.

That being said, if a ghoul doesn’t subject themselves to continued high exposures to radiation – their risk of going feral is greatly reduced. But if they do (and the Mojave has parts that are very irradiated, and the food and water is irradiated etc.) – that would be another check in the column of the generally agreed upon hypothesis that the main ingredient in the ghoul’s chems on the show is Rad Away.

While one can receive radiation damage from feral ghouls in the fallout games, I think it’s because they unknowingly subject themselves to more radiation – drawn to ingest or seek out high doses of radiation as a food source, raising their levels as the time goes on. Because, if you disarm a ghoul (non-feral) in the game, you don’t receive radiation damage from their unarmed attacks.

Also, on the “romance” side of things – in Fallout 4, the sole survivor can have a relationship with Hancock, a chem-created ghoul (but a ghoul nevertheless) and there are no adverse effects nor any spike in radiation damage though it is made very clear that Hancock and the sole survivor are intimate on a regular basis.

[wildmtthyme]

Head-canons regarding Ghoulification, "the ghoul chems", and non-canon Vault 14 (created for the purpose of this fic specifically).

In the east, the Institute may have been the big baddie but in the west, it's Vault-Tec. Anything on the surface that has any amount of science behind it, more than likely has ether the Enclave or Vault-Tec roots. We know about the different vaults and the different experiments. So, these are just some of my personal head-canons based upon years of playing the games and will be used in my upcoming fic.

Vault-Tec has been experimenting with "Ghoulification" for generations. They want all of the strengths and none of the weaknesses, including the physical appearances. Leave it to Vault-Tec to want only the sweets and none of the sours.

The "chicken fucker" dude? Yeah, he knew exactly what he was doing and what that chem was going to do to Thaddeus. Maybe he ran away from one of the vaults doing the experimenting, like Virgil did in the Commonwealth, who knows. Point being, we know ghouls can be created via chems. Thaddeus and Hancock both prove that. But the "formula" he uses is flawed or outdated, allowing for ghoulification with the eventual negative side-effects.

The radiation experimentation takes place in many vaults, some resulting in straight up ghouls (vault 12) but the core experiments on ghoulification is in Vault 14, located in an undisclosed location in Northern California. Their original research was to simply allow for a return to the surface, to be able to survive the radioactive fallout, ingest the radioactive food/water, etc. But they quickly changed their directive upon learning of the side-effects of rapid healing and extended life. Their new directive was nothing short of immortality.

Vault 14 is also responsible for the "Ghoul Chems"; the chems the ghouls take to stop their descent into madness, aka becoming "feral". It was one of the many failed serums and was abandoned. The "chicken fucker" guy absconded with this and his outdated ghoulification formula when he fled, he later sold the formula for the ghoul chems.

Some 20 years after Thaddeus becomes a ghoul, Vault 14 produces their final and perfected formula. A serum that creates a ghoul in all but appearances while still maintaining all higher brain function indefinitely. They never attempt to find a "cure".

The serum is successfully administered to three test subjects before Vault 14 is ultimately raided, all test subjects escape and all research is destroyed- the raiders having no use for it and only looking for what they deem valuable. The test subjects that managed to escape took with them various things from finished serums and experimental chems to formulas.

[wildmtthyme]

WIP header preview. Yes, I know I still have other stories to finish/post. But... but... this one... (⌐■_■)

[wildmtthyme]

What is Love? Baby, don't hurt me.

Simon doesn't believe in love. He thinks it's the greatest lie ever told, experience has taught him that. Not personal experience, but experience nonetheless. Never mind the fact that he's in a long-term relationship. Never mind the fact that him and his girlfriend live together. Never mind the fact that they have a dog. All of this doesn't matter until he's confronted with that very topic he hates so much. And then his world is tipped upside down when his best mate is KIA. Simon is forced to take a hard look at his life afterwards.

Master List can be found here.

Chapter 5: The Alternative.

Warnings: Emotionally distant Simon. Arguing? Angst. Plan-B talk/use. Simon being Simon.

<- Chapter 4. Bad Coping Mechanisms.

The next morning, he woke before her and eased himself away from her… his mind already racing as he went into the bathroom and cleaned up his clothing and gear. He took it to the laundry room and started the washer before he went into the kitchen to start the kettle. His own voice echoed in his head… [I love you… Marry me…]he shook his head sharply and scrubbed at his face with a heavy sigh. He made his tea with a frown marring his brow… he’d been in… a bad, bad place when he’d come to the flat last night. Morning.

His spine immediately stiffened when her sleepy voice filled the silence. He pulled one of her smaller mugs down and set it on the counter, dropping one of her tea bags in it before pouring the water in and backing off, turning to lean against the opposing counter. “Mornin’.” His voice came out rough sounding, more so than usual. He sipped at his Earl Grey quietly. His eyes flicked up to her but immediately darted away. He saw her drift over to monitor her tea… but the silence that fell over them was… different.

Her voice came out… so small. You didn’t mean any of it. She didn’t say it like a question. He paused mid-sip… lowering the mug and taking a shallow breath before he looked over at her. But she wasn’t looking at him… her hands were resting on the counter on either side of her mug, her shoulders sagged. He swallowed thickly as he twisted and set his mug down on the counter, folding his arms over his chest before he spoke.

“No.” He could almost hear it… like a rolling metal door slamming down for the way her eyes slammed shut, her chin tilting towards her shoulder away from him. The silence felt… like a thousand knives. And the lie tasted like vinegar on his tongue. He expected her to walk out of the room, to remain quiet, like she did whenever he hurt her with his callousness.

What he didn’t expect was for her to turn on him, her eyes flashing with anger. She took a step towards him and had she not been so small, he would have readied himself… he’d seen that look in the face of many others before… it was a threat of violence. But she stopped herself, instead. She flashed her teeth when she nearly growled at him.

His throat clicked when he swallowed, his arms tensing. You want to pull back on the whole marry me bullshit, fine. That’s fine, don’t expect you to ever make that kind of commitment to me. But don’t you ever fucking say you love me again if you don’t fucking mean it. You may think you’re a mean son-of-a-bitch Simon but I know you, as much as you like to think I don’t. But I do. And one thing you aren’t is a fucking liar. I know you were out of your mind last night, I get that, I do. But you didn’t have to fucking lie to me. His brow lowered over eyes that had gone glassy with trapped emotion as she railed against him, her voice rising and falling with conviction and her own emotion.

A muscle jumped in his jaw and though he didn’t speak, her brows shot up and she gestured outwards in a ‘what’ motion. Either you lied last night or you’re lying now, either way! Fucking hell, Simon! She wiped her face with a certain air of frustration as a tear skipped down her face. She turned away from him and finished making her tea, throwing the tea bag away with sharp, jerky movements before she picked up her mug and took it with her, moving out of the kitchen and heading back towards the bedroom. “Where are you going?” He couldn’t help the question. She never took anything other than water back there, her own weird rule!

The only thing that answered him was a slammed door. He cursed under his breath and scrubbed at his face again before he took a punishingly large swallow of his own hot tea.

Twenty minutes later, he was sitting at the dinning room table when the bedroom door reopened. He looked up to see her walk into the kitchen, dressed for the day, freshly showered, and setting her apparently empty mug into the sink. She walked quickly to the door, pulling her coat off the hook and tugging it on. “Where are you going?” He felt like a broken record at this point. She sighed and shook her head. To the pharmacy.

“Why?” He looked slightly confused as she pulled her purse off the hook and gathered her keys off the small entry way table, putting them in her pocket before she sat down on the bench just there and started working her shoes on… but upon his follow up question, she jerked upright and pinned him with an exasperated look. To get the fucking morning after pill, Simon! His spine straightened and he swallowed thickly again.

He felt a strange pit open up in his stomach and before he knew what he was doing, he was on his feet, crossing the small space between them and pushing his hand against the door just as she tried to open it. “What?! Hang on.” She looked up at him with a certain amount of surprise before she sighed. Ya know, plan b or whatever. She gestured off to the side. You didn’t wear a—he held a hand up. “No, no… I know all of that but why are you going to go get one?”

Her expression shifted as she just stared at him for a moment. Disbelief of the bad kind was plastered on her face. Are you fucking serious right now? He pressed his lips together and gave a curt nod. She gestured towards the kitchen. You can’t even decide if you love me or not and you want me to fucking just let the dice roll on having a kid with you?

The corner of his mouth twitched. A tell of his and one she clearly picked up on. He took a deeper breath and another step closer to her, watching as she gave him a warning look. Just… move. She pushed at his wrist… and then his chest but not really, her hands were there and there was some pressure but not near enough for him to take her move seriously. He reached up and cupped her cheek gently.

“Let me make this perfectly clear.” He murmured low, wishing his voice would stop trying to run away from this… hell, wishing that he would stop trying to run away from this. “I do love you. I just…” He sighed and let his head fall, resting his forehead against hers. He heard her return sigh. You’re scared, I get it. But I can’t… she hung her hand on his forearm and he watched her eyes shutter. You can’t play with me like that, Simon. He nodded. And I’m still going to the pharmacy. He winced around his eyes but nodded again.

He couldn’t help the chill that was settling in his chest, though. She looked at him strangely for a moment as he straightened, lifting his brow off of her. Hey… he flicked his eyes away from her, feeling discomfort settle over him like a weighted blanket.

Her hand settled on the center of his chest. Look at me. He sighed and did as she said, staring down into her beautiful eyes. Don’t think this is because I don’t ever want to have your kids, Simon. He pressed his lips together tightly, his jaw tensing. But I don’t want you to ever regret it, do you understand what I’m telling you? He gave a slight nod. “Lem’me get dressed and I’ll come with you.” The look she gave him was almost chastising. I don’t need—he shook his head at her. “I want to.”

So, that’s what he did. He got dressed and walked with her down the street to the pharmacy. It wasn’t far… but it was a quiet morning. He still felt… off kilter. His entire world had shifted in a matter of days and as he held her hand in his, he couldn’t help but wonder what it meant for them. Though he’d tried to back pedal on her… he had meant what he’d told her last night. He wanted her to be with him for the rest of their lives… he did want to marry her… and the thought of losing her was… he just couldn’t think of it. It’d throw him straight over whatever edge he had left, he was certain of it.

Maybe he was old fashioned in his thinking or hadn’t kept up with the times but he found it surprisingly easy for her to get the pill she needed. He read the packaging insert three times before he relented and let her take it. He didn’t want her hurting her body over this. Even though she’d argued that it wouldn’t be sold if it would hurt her… he wasn’t trusting that. He watched her closely for the rest of the day… she seemed okay, if feeling tired. It was… strangely easier to focus on this and her than it was to focus on the fact that he’d lost his best mate. Anything to not think of that.

He knew he had a lot of work to do when it came to the two of them but he was grateful she was there for him when he got back from watching Johnny’s ashes flutter away on the wind. He didn’t speak but he didn’t need to, either. She let him just curl up with her on the couch, use her soft stomach as a gentle place to land. He held her lightly, worried he’d crush her if he held her as tightly as he wanted. Not going anywhere, Si. She had whispered so damned softly. He could do nothing more than nod.

Funny thing was that he was always trying to teach Johnny, being older than him and having more experience. But it was Johnny that ended up teaching him his most valuable lesson learned. Love wasn’t a lie. It was real. And it was right here in his arms. The love he felt for Melissa was so damned strong that it nearly took his breath away sometimes. But he wasn’t afraid of it anymore. Johnny taught him that. He drifted off to the feeling of her fingers combing through his hair, nice and slow.