amaya

she/her - 20 - professional tumblr page lurker 😘💗

[amayalul]

masterlist

jschlatt:

schlatt secretly tuning into your gossip sesh

husband!schlatt defending u when the kids step outta line

trusty old handycam

adrian chase

Lucky (post-apocalyptic au)

1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5 ...

others.....

probably coming soon/when I find another hot man to fixate on

Requests are open!

[amayalul]

I haven't forgotten about the series, i've just been soooo busy plus I got into a minor car wreck a few days ago 😅 Im completely fine dw

Im starting to fear the great writer's curse is coming for me like it has before..

[amayalul]

Lucky (5)

post-apocalyptic adrian chase x fem!reader

(fallout x peacemaker crossover?!)

a/n: AIN'T SHIT SWEET. this is a bit of a longer chapter. the pink part is supposed to be a flashback btw.

tw: blood and death, a little angst

The next few days were... surprisingly normal.

Well-

As normal as life in the wasteland could be.

You walked.

You scavenged.

You slept under the stars by the fire.

And Vigilante talked.

Constantly.

The late morning sun hung overhead, warm but not unbearable. A steady breeze drifted through the dry grass that lined the cracked highway, carrying the scent of dust and pine from the foresty hills nearby.

"Okay."

You already knew that tone.

"What now..?"

"Gun lesson."

You sighed.

"You've been teaching me for three days now-"

"And you're getting better!"

"You said that yesterday."

"And I was right yesterday too! Now get your booty up and come over here! ...Sorry... that was weird."

The two of you stood in a clearing surrounded by dead trees.

A rusted road sign leaned nearby.

Your latest victim.

-Or target.

Hopefully target.

You raised the pistol.

Vigilante immediately adjusted your elbow.

"Nope."

You frowned.

"What?"

"Too stiff."

"How am I supposed to hold it?!"

"Like you're threatening somebody."

You lowered the weapon, staring at him blankly.

"You're a terrible teacher by the way."

"I think you mean I'm a terrific teacher!"

"You told me the "number one rule of gun safety" was confidence is more important than safety."

"It is-"

"It absolutely isn't."

"It is if you're confident enough!"

You stared at him.

The helmet stared back.

You hated that. Not seeing the face behind the voice was killing you in a way.

Finally, you raised the pistol again.

Took a breath.

Steadied your hands.

And fired.

The shot echoed through the clearing.

The bullet struck the road sign.

Not the center.

But close.

For a second there was silence.

Then-

"YESSSS!"

You flinched.

Vigilante threw both arms into the air.

"THAT'S WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT BABY-"

"It wasn't that good."

"It hit!"

"Barely."

"It still counts!!"

You chuckled, brushing it off.

But secretly...

You were kind of proud.

The pistol no longer felt foreign in your hands.

And for the first time since leaving the vault, you felt slightly less helpless.

Slightly.

The days passed and the conversations came easier now. You found yourself talking more.

Not a lot.

Just enough.

Enough to answer questions instead of ignoring them.

Enough to ask a few of your own.

Unfortunately-

Every question directed at Vigilante somehow turned into a fifteen-minute story.

﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌

"How long have you been traveling?"

"Physically or emotionally?"

"What..?"

"Physically like 3 years. Emotionally, its been forever-"

"That's not a real answer."

"It absolutely is!"

Before you could stop him, he continued.

"See, physical travel is easy to measure. You walk somewhere. Boom. Travel. Emotional travel is different. Emotional travel is when life takes you on a journey. Life is like chocolates- wait no that's not it, hold on- Life is like-"

"Stop."

"Chocolates are like- Wait no.."

You sped up your walking.

Unfortunately, he matched your pace instantly...

﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌

A few days later, the two of you were following an old highway.

The road stretched endlessly ahead, a cracked ribbon of asphalt cutting through open, dry wasteland.

On either side, dry grass swayed lazily in the wind, golden and brittle under the afternoon sun.

Far ahead in the distance, broken silhouettes of old buildings leaned at strange angles, half-swallowed by time and sand.

It should’ve felt eerie. It almost did.

But after days of walking together, even the wasteland had started to feel… familiar.

Not safe. Never safe. Just known.

Your sling bag shifted slightly against your shoulders as you walked, the weight of supplies now something you’d stopped thinking about every five minutes.

Your pistol sat at your hip in a way that no longer felt entirely foreign.

Beside you, Vigilante kept pace easily.

As always.

He was mid-sentence. Again.

“So what I’m saying is, mantises are clearly organized.”

You glanced at him.

“They're dumb insects-”

“Think about it...”

He was in the middle of explaining why the mantises were probably plotting something against the rest of civilization.

He gestured vaguely at the empty road.

“They’re too coordinated for it to be random.”

“They’re insects.”

“That's how they get you! Its exactly what they want you to think-”

You sighed.

The sun was bright and warm, without the usual harsh edge of the wasteland heat.

A breeze moved through the grass in slow waves, carrying dust and the faint smell of old copper pennies and dry dirt.

It was the kind of day that almost tricked you.

The kind that made you forget, for a few seconds at a time, that the world above the vault had ever been anything but endless ruin.

Just for a few seconds at a time.

Not any longer.

Vigilante continued anyway.

“I’m telling you, if you watch them closely, they pause before they move like they’re-”

He stopped mid-sentence.

Completely.

You slowed slightly.

Then stopped fully.

And looked at him.

"What?"

The helmet tilted slightly.

Then-

"You hear that?"

Your stomach tightened.

You listened.

Footsteps.

Multiple.

Shit.

Figures emerged from the roadside ruins.

One.

Two.

Three.

Armed.

Not raiders-

Something else.

Raiders were loud, chaotic, and covered in mismatched armor and bad decisions.

These men moved with purpose.

Weathered combat gear, maintained weapons, and armor that actually fit.

One carried a rifle across his chest. Another kept a hand resting near a holstered pistol. The third scanned the road before his eyes settled on you.

Then Vigilante.

Their movements were calm. Measured. Like they already knew how this was going to end.

The moment they stepped into view, one of them pointed.

"There he is."

The leader grinned.

"Took long enough."

Beside you, Vigilante groaned.

Actually groaned.

"Oh, come on-"

You blinked.

"Vigil-"

I stepped back, unconsciously behind him.

"Not these guys again-"

The man laughed.

"Miss us?"

"Why would I miss you?!"

"Aww."

Vigilante pointed.

"Mannn- I was having a good day!?"

The group spread out.

Weapons raised.

Your hand instinctively drifted toward your pistol.

Then one of the men pulled something from his bag.

A piece of paper.

A poster.

Your stomach dropped.

WANTED. VIGILANTE. DEAD OR ALIVE.

Below it was a list.

A very, very, very long list.

Murder. Assault. Manslaughter. Destruction of Property. Destruction of Governmental Building. Illegal Use of Explosives. Homicide Through Use of Illegal Explosives. Reckless Endangerment...

And somehow the list kept going..

Back in the vault, those weren't words you heard every day... nor any day.

They weren't stories or rumors or things that happened somewhere else-

It just didn't exist.

They were the kinds of things that got people locked away. Bad people.

The kinds of things people whispered about.

The kinds of things that weren't supposed to happen at all.

You'd spent your entire life being taught that violence was something terrible.

Something rare.

Something that happened in history lessons and old recordings.

Not something ordinary people did.

Slowly, you looked up from the poster.

Toward Vigilante.

He noticed.

"Okay."

A pause.

"Some of those are exaggerated!"

"Some??"

"Okay, well most..."

The leader stepped forward, looking towards you.

"Adrian is a funny guy, you know?"

His rifle remained trained on Vigilante, Adrian...

Adrian frowned. Not because the man dropped his real name...

He frowned because he wasn't the first to tell you.

You didn’t respond.

Not because you didn’t have words.

Because you had too many...

"We're getting paid to bring you in."

"Alive?"

"Preferably."

"Nice!"

The man smirked.

"But dead works too. Now that I think about it, saves our ears..."

The joking stopped.

Not completely.

But enough.

Something in Adrian's posture shifted.

Subtle.

Dangerous.

Your pulse quickened.

The leader must have noticed too. You saw it in the slight tilt of his head, the way his dark eyes sharpened.

Then he moved.

So fast you barely registered it-

One moment Adrian was standing in front of you.

The next, a gloved hand had fisted itself in the front of his suit, yanking him forward.

Cold metal pressed against the side of his helmet.

"Move?"

The man smiled.

"And I'll kill him."

Your heart slammed against your ribs.

Nobody moved.

Not even Adrian.

The wasteland went silent.

The leader looked at you.

"You."

The barrel shifted slightly.

"Walk away."

Your fingers tightened around your pistol.

The poster flashed through your mind.

Murder.

Assault.

Wanted.

Dead or alive.

Who was he?

You didn't know.

You didn't know where he came from.

You didn't know why people wanted him.

You didn't know if the poster was true.

But-

You knew the man who shared his food.

The man who paid for your supplies.

The man who stayed awake every night to keep watch.

The man who spent days teaching you how to survive.

You knew him.

At least a little.

And you knew this.

The people holding him weren't planning on taking him alive.

Your hand moved, unholstering the gun in a instant.

The pistol suddenly felt heavier than it ever had before.

Your breathing quickened.

Hands shaking.

Heart pounding.

You remembered his voice.

Breathe.

Aim.

Commit.

The pistol rose.

"Vaultie."

He shook his head.

"Put the gun down."

Your hands trembled.

You hated that he could see it.

"Easy now."

The leader noticed your hesitation.

Of course he did.

And he laughed.

Because to him, you weren't a threat.

Just some scared girl in a vault suit.

Someone who had probably never fired a weapon at a real person nor had the balls to actually pull the trigger.

Which, admittedly...

Was true.

The pistol wavered.

Your pulse hammered in your ears.

The man chuckled.

"See? She won't do it-"

For the first time in a while, Adrian spoke. His head raising to look up.

"Wow."

The leader frowned.

"What?"

"You are really bad at reading people-"

He joked despite the gun against his helmet.

"Shut up."

The man kicked the back of his knees, making Adrian kneel.

"Okay..."

A beat.

"But statistically speaking, there's like a 60% chance you're about to get shot-"

Even with a gun to his head.

He was still talking.

Still trying to make jokes.

And somehow that made everything worse.

Because it reminded you of every stupid conversation you had.

Every campfire talk. Every lesson. Every mile you had walked together.

The man beside him wasn't seeing any of that-

He saw a bounty.

You saw...

The idiot who spent twenty minutes arguing with a squirrel.

The guy who used up his bottlecaps to buy you supplies behind your back.

The guy who stayed awake and kept the fire running to keep you warm.

The guy who taught you how to shoot.

Your grip tightened.

The leader's smile faltered.

Just slightly.

"Oh bitch please, you wouldn't-"

BANG.

The shot cracked through the air.

The man screamed, holding onto his shoulder.

His gun dropped.

The moment the gun left his hand, Adrian moved.

Fast.

Faster than you'd ever seen.

One second he was being held hostage.

And in the next, he drove a blunt stick into the wounded man's face.

Adrian spun.

The second mercenary barely had time to raise his rifle when Adrian grabbed the rifle and yanked it sideways.

The man's shots went wildly in the air. Then Adrian slammed the butt of the rifle into his stomach.

The mercenary folded instantly at the bullets.

A third man charged.

Which, in hindsight, seemed like a terrible decision.

"Please don't do that-"

The warning came too late.

Adrian stepped aside, caught the large man's arm, and used his momentum against him.

The mercenary flew face-first into a rusted guardrail with a loud thud. His entire face caved in at the impact as he slid down into the gravel.

You blinked.

The entire fight had lasted maybe ten seconds.

Maybe less.

Adrian stood in the middle of the road.

Not even breathing hard.

Then his helmet turned toward you. The energy immediately shifted.

Gone was the fighter who'd dismantled four armed men without breaking a sweat.

“YOU DID IT.”

You stared at him.

“Hm?”

“YOU SHOT SOMEBODY.”

“I know,” you said automatically.

But your voice came out quieter than you meant it to.

“YOUR FIRST HOSTAGE RESCUE!”

“Please don’t call it that-”

“You saved me.”

The words should’ve felt good.

They didn’t.

Not really.

Your grip tightened on the pistol without thinking.

You could still feel it - kickback, sound, the sudden violence of it all.

Back in the vault, this wasn’t supposed to be real. It was history. Training. Something that happened to other people.

Not you.

“I shot him,” you said softly.

Adrian’s grin faded a little.

“What?”

“I actually shot him.”

Silence.

“Yeah,” he said. “You did.”

“I’ve never done that before.”

Your voice wavered at the end.

You hated that it did.

Adrian went still.

The excitement was gone now.

“Oh,” he said quietly.

A pause.

Then softer-

“That was… a lot.”

You looked down.

“I don’t know what I’m supposed to feel.”

“You’re not supposed to feel good about it,” he said.

A beat.

“But you didn’t do it for nothing.”

"...Are you okay?"

You looked down at the pistol still in your hand.

Your hands were shaking again.

Not from fear.

Not entirely.

The adrenaline was fading and reality was catching up.

You had actually pulled the trigger.

At a person.

Your stomach twisted.

Adrian seemed to notice.

“I was just... proud,” he admitted. “because you didn’t freeze.”

He hesitated.

For once, he didn't joke.

He simply stepped closer.

"You did good, y/n."

The sincerity in his voice caught you off guard.

"You saved my life."

And suddenly the wanted poster flashed through your mind again.

The crimes.

The bounty.

The questions.

Your grip tightened around the pistol.

Because that was the problem.

Three men lay a few feet away, motionless in the dust,

In the vault, they would have taught you that saving more lives mattered.

Three over one. That was supposed to be simple.

But you hadn’t chosen simple.

You had chosen him.

You had saved his life.

And you still had no idea who he really was.

Adrian stepped forward.

Slowly.

Carefully.

Like he was approaching a small animal that'll run if he moves wrong.

He reached up and took his helmet off.

The motion wasn’t dramatic.

No hesitation built for effect.

Just a quiet, deliberate removal, like he’d finally decided there was no point in hiding behind it anymore.

The helmet hit the ground beside him with a soft, dull clink.

And for the first time, there was nothing between you and him.

Dust clinging to his skin.

Brown hair flattened slightly from the helmet.

A bruise darkening near his jaw you hadn’t noticed before.

But it was his dark green eyes that held you.

Searching.

Uncertain.

Worried.

Not about the men behind you, but about you, and what you were thinking of him.

Like he was bracing himself for the moment you decided he wasn’t worth staying with.

As if your presence had become something he wasn’t ready to lose.

part 6

taglist: @fic-holdingcell , @valerievortex

[amayalul]

im making a fallout au x peacemaker fic about Adrian in a post-apocalyptic world.

This idea popped into my head while I was watching Fallout lmao. I was thinking about how Adrian would be a lot like Lucy.

No matter how fucked up the world gets, he'd hold onto his kindness and optimism. He's trusting, helpful, and naive to some, but he genuinely wants to see the good in people.

Till they fuck up and he won't hesitate to kill them.

Anyways! It'll probably be out within the week and I wanna do a short series with it

[amayalul]

just kidding- i've been writing it and I was gonna edit them all but I'm too lazy to even proofread!!!!

i just dropped 4 chapters and im working on the next couple chapters. I do feel like it drags on but i will blame that on the fact its a slowburn <3

[amayalul]

Lucky (4)

post-apocalyptic!adrian chase x fem!reader

(fallout x peacemaker crossover?!)

tw: mentions of blood and death

Equipped with a bag full of new supplies and a pistol resting awkwardly against your hip, you and Vigilante left the settlement behind.

The sounds of traders and travelers gradually faded as the wasteland swallowed you once again.

Naturally, the first thing Vigilante did was point at a random pile of rubble on the roadside.

"Trap."

You looked at it.

It looked like rubble.

"How do you know?"

"I don't."

You stared.

"What?" He shrugged-

"You just said it was a trap-"

"It could be."

"That's not the same thing."

"That's wasteland safety. Rule numero uno of wasteland safety actually."

He pointed dramatically.

"Everything is a trap until proven otherwise. Trust no one."

"You sound paranoid."

"That's because I'm alive and I've made it this far!"

You rolled your eyes.

"Then why would you trust me?"

"Well... you don't pose a big threat. And you're a vaultie so..."

"Can we stop with this 'vaultie' nickname-"

The trail wound through an old highway littered with abandoned vehicles and cracked asphalt.

The trading post was long behind you now.

Just you.

Vigilante.

And miles of wasteland.

"Okay."

You immediately groaned.

"What now?"

"Lesson time."

"There are lessons?"

"There are always lessons."

You regretted asking.

Vigilante spun around and began walking backward.

"Situational awareness!"

"You're walking backward."

"Correct."

"You're gonna fall."

"I can still see everything-"

Last famous words before he trips on a rock, sending him backwards.

You hold back your laughter as he pops back up and dusts himself off.

"Back to the lesson. What's over there?"

You glanced.

"A tree."

"Wrong."

You stopped.

"What?!"

"The answer was another tree."

"That doesn't even make sense?! You are impossible."

"I've been told that."

"Frequently?"

"Constantly."

The worst part was that he sounded proud of it.

A few hours later of walking and bickering, the two of you reached an old roadside gas station.

Or what was left of one.

The roof had partially collapsed.

Rust covered everything.

Broken windows stared back like empty eyes.

Vigilante stopped.

"Trap."

You folded your arms.

"Trap?"

"Definitely trap."

"And how do you know this time?"

"It says 'Welcome.'"

You looked at the faded sign, sighing.

"You can't be serious."

"No place that's actually welcoming has to tell you."

Despite yourself, you laughed.

Vigilante pushed open the door.

The old building creaked. Dust floated through the sunlight.

"Stay close."

The moment he stepped inside, his posture changed.

His head turned slightly.

Listening.

Watching.

Alert.

It was strange.

Sometimes he seemed like the most clueless person you'd ever met.

Then a second later he moved like someone who'd survived the wasteland for years.

The interior was mostly empty.

Shelves had been stripped bare long ago.

Broken bottles littered the floor.

Vigilante wandered toward the back.

An old mannequin waited for him in the doorway that he quickly kicked away.

"That's why I don't trust mannequins. Feels like they'll come alive-"

As he rambled on while continuing his crusade against the mannequins, your attention drifted elsewhere.

An old storage room.

Half-hidden behind a fallen shelf.

You stepped toward it.

Just for a quick look.

The room was dark.

Dusty.

Quiet.

Then-

Movement.

You froze.

A low growl echoed from the darkness.

Your stomach dropped.

A feral roach the size of a German Shepard.

Its dark eyes locked onto yours.

For one terrible second, panic surged through you.

Run.

No...

The word appeared immediately.

Not your voice.

His.

'Don't run.'

You remembered him saying it a day ago.

'Most things chase things that run.'

Slowly.

Carefully.

You backed away.

The roach hissed as it crawled a step forward.

Your hand tightened around your weapon.

Heart pounding.

Another step.

Another.

Then-

BANG.

The roach exploded into a green mess instantly.

You jumped.

"Okay..."

Vigilante lowered his pistol.

"That was pretty good."

You blinked.

"What?"

"You didn't run."

The compliment caught you off guard.

"You remembered."

"Yeah."

He holstered his weapon.

Then pointed at you.

"Very proud. Although we need to teach you how to use that pistol next- I guess that'll be your next lesson."

You rolled your eyes.

But something warm settled in your chest anyway.

The rest of the afternoon passed quietly.

As the sun began to set, you made camp near a rocky overlook.

The fire crackled between you.

Orange light danced across the trees.

For a short while, neither of you spoke.

Then Vigilante pointed at you.

"You know..."

"What?"

"You're getting better."

You looked up.

"At what?"

"Not dying."

...

"That sounds like an insult."

"It's a compliment."

"You need better compliments."

He laughed

The fire popped loudly.

A comfortable silence settled over the campsite.

Comfortable.

Which was strange.

A few days ago, sitting alone in the wilderness with a masked stranger would've terrified you.

Now-

Well.

You still thought he was weird. Very weird.

But not dangerous.

At least not to you.

The realization lingered.

Before you could stop yourself, the question slipped out.

"Why Vigilante?"

Across the fire, his helmet tilted.

"What?"

"The name."

For a moment, he just stared.

Then-

"Ohhh-"

You immediately regretted asking.

Because the excitement in his voice was instant.

"Okay."

"No."

"Okay, so it started with-"

"Never mind."

"You asked."

"I changed my mind."

"Too late."

You dropped your head into your hands.

And while Vigilante launched into what was apparently going to be the longest story in human history...

You found yourself smiling into your hands

Just a little.

Thankfully, he was too busy talking to notice.

part 5

[amayalul]

Lucky (3)

post-apocalyptic!adrian chase x fem!reader

(fallout x peacemaker crossover?!

tw: mentions of blood and death

You woke up to the sound of someone arguing with a squirrel.

At first, you thought you were dreaming.

Then-

"I know you can hear me."

A pause.

"You've been staring at me for ten minutes."

Another pause.

"You think you're being subtle, but you're not."

You opened one eye.

Vigilante was standing at the edge of camp.

Arms crossed.

Staring at a squirrel.

The squirrel stared back.

Neither appeared willing to back down.

You closed your eye again.

Maybe if you ignored it, it would go away.

It did not.

"We have an understanding now."

You opened your eyes.

The squirrel was gone.

Vigilante looked pleased with himself.

You decided not to ask.

Maybe going back to sleep was the best option-

Unfortunately, Vigilante noticed you moving.

"Oh good! You're awake."

Vigilante stood and stretched.

"How'd you sleep?"

You hesitated.

Better than expected.

Much better than expected.

Which felt strange considering you'd spent the night in a forest with a masked stranger.

"Just fine."

A little while later, breakfast (if a can of questionable pre-war food you reluctantly ate counted as breakfast) was finished.

Backpacks were packed.

Vigilante slung his bag over one shoulder.

Then pointed dramatically east.

"Today, Vaultie, we journey."

You groaned at the nickname but stood up from the fallen log. Slinging your own bag on your shoulder.

Just a few hours later into the walk in the forest, the trees began thinning.

The forest opened up and for the first time since leaving the vault, you saw something that looked almost like civilization.

Buildings.

Fences.

People.

A settlement built from scrap metal and salvaged wood.

The sounds of people talking, haggling, and a hammer pounding against metal filled the air.

Before you could argue about the place being dangerous, he started walking toward the settlement.

Without hesitation.

Like he belonged there.

That surprised you.

People actually lived out here.

Together.

Trading.

Talking.

The sight felt strangely comforting, reminiscent about the community in the vault.

How they each helped each other out simply out of kindness.

How they blindly followed the orders from the overseer...

As you entered the settlement, dozens of eyes immediately landed on you.

The blue vault suit tended to have that effect.

Then those same eyes shifted toward Vigilante.

A man with one eye and a patch on the other, standing outside his shop groaned.

"Oh no."

Vigilante pointed.

"See?"

You frowned.

"What?"

"He's happy to see me."

"That is not what that sounded like."

The man rubbed his face and his overgrown beard.

"Last time you were here, somebody's brahmin ended up on a roof. You know what happened- it fell off and fuckin' died. Woopty doo, there goes their dinner-"

"Okay, first of all-"

Vigilante held up a finger.

"Nobody can prove that was me."

"You admitted it and laughed for fucks sake-"

"That isn't proof!"

The man looked rightfully exhausted and you could understand why.

As you walked deeper into town, more people recognized him.

Some waved.

Some groaned.

One woman immediately walked inside a building and locked the door.

"Why did she do that?"

"Long story."

Throughout the afternoon, you followed him through the settlement.

Trading posts.

Supply stalls.

Repair shops.

And everywhere you went, the same pattern emerged.

People liked him. Most people annoyed yet they entertained his theatrics.

Not because he was normal.

Clearly.

But because he helped.

An old woman struggled to move a heavy crate.

He did.

Immediately.

A ghoulish-looking kid ran up to show him a slingshot.

He spent five minutes pretending it was the greatest weapon he'd ever seen.

A merchant complained about raiders on a nearby road.

Vigilante promised to check it out.

Without asking for anything in return.

The more you watched, the more confused you became.

Because none of it matched the image you'd formed of him.

He was reckless.

Weird.

Possibly insane.

But he was also... Kind.

As he finally remembers what you two came here for- he trudges back to your side.

While you examined a collection of supplies, the merchant looked toward Vigilante.

Then toward you.

Then back toward Vigilante.

"You with him?"

You nearly choked.

"What?"

The merchant shrugged.

"Just asking."

"We're not-"

"She's traveling with me!"

Vigilante answered cheerfully.

The merchant looked amused, turning towards you.

"Good luck keeping sane with all his yapping-"

Vigilante remained completely oblivious.

As usual.

As you looked through his little shop of miscellaneous things, you settled on getting the small knife you had just enough bottlecaps for.

"I'll just take this one-"

The merchant grumbled, packing a dirty sling bag with the knife and then a pistol, a map, compass, and a few more necessities before holding it out to you.

It was far more than you could afford.

You frowned.

"No... I just wanted the knife-"

"God damnit I don't have all day- just take it."

I grab the bag confused, then...

Across the settlement, Vigilante was suddenly fascinated by absolutely nothing. Whistling innocently.

Looking everywhere except you.

Your eyes narrowed.

"Did you pay for this?"

"What?"

"You paid for this."

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"You absolutely do."

"I'm just standing here."

"Vigilante."

"Okay, technically I was standing over there five minutes ago-"

You stared.

He stared back.

Or at least you assumed he did.

It was hard to tell with the helmet.

Finally he shrugged.

"You needed supplies."

The answer was simple.

Matter-of-fact.

As if it were obvious. As if there was nothing more to discuss. Something in your chest tightened unexpectedly.

You looked away first.

"...Thank you."

The words felt strange.

Because you hadn't expected to say them.

And because for once-

Vigilante didn't immediately make a joke.

He just nodded.

Then pointed at a nearby building.

"Okay."

"What now?"

"Food."

"You just ate."

"That was hours ago."

"You ate three hours ago."

"Exactly."

And just like that, the moment was gone.

part 4

[amayalul]

Lucky (2)

post-apocalyptic!adrian chase x fem!reader

(fallout x peacemaker crossover?!)

tw: mentions of blood and death

The first thing you learned about Vigilante was that he never shut up.

The second thing you learned was that he apparently didn't care whether you answered him.

"So did you guys have pets in the vault?"

You kept walking, arms crossed.

A few seconds passed.

"I'll take that as a no."

"I didn't say no."

His head immediately snapped toward you.

"Oh."

A beat.

"What kind?"

You sighed.

"A dog."

His entire posture brightened.

"See? That's huge!?"

"It's really not."

"It absolutely is."

He pointed at you.

"You voluntarily gave me information!"

You regretted speaking immediately. The grin was obvious even through the visor.

And for some reason, that annoyed you deeply.

You barely knew this guy.

Didn't know his real name.

Didn't know where he came from.

Didn't know why he was helping you.

Hell, you didn't even know what he looked like.

For all you knew, he could be eighty.

Or seventeen.

Or three raccoons stacked on top of each other.

Actually...

Considering everything you'd seen so far, that last option felt surprisingly possible.

"You're staring. Is there something on my face- or I mean suit?"

You immediately looked away.

"I wasn't."

"You totally were!"

"No."

"You absolutely were."

A pause.

"Are you trying to figure out what I look like?"

You nearly tripped.

"What?"

"Under the mask."

Your face immediately warmed.

"No."

"You are."

"I'm not."

"You totally are."

"I don't care what you look like."

"Wow-"

The offended tone was immediate.

"That was kind of mean."

You groaned.

"That's not what I meant."

"Too late."

He dramatically walked ahead of you.

"I've been emotionally damaged."

"You'll survive."

"You don't know that!?"

His hand moved to his chest.

"This feels permanent-"

You hated it.

You hated that part of you wanted to laugh.

Instead, you focused on the path ahead.

Safer.

Much safer.

Unfortunately, Vigilante wasn't finished. He jogged back right beside you.

"So what's your story?"

You immediately tensed.

The question wasn't unusual, but something about it made your shoulders stiffen.

Because you didn't have a story.

Well not really.

You had a vault. Vault 8.

A family.

A life.

Then you left.

And everything got complicated.

You found secrets hidden by the overseer, things you shouldn't have ever known...

The silence stretched a little too long.

To his credit, Vigilante noticed.

And to his credit, he didn't push.

Instead...

"Okay, new question!"

You blinked.

"What?"

"Favorite food."

"...Favorite food?"

"Yep."

"That's your replacement question?"

"What does that have to do with anything?"

"I'm trying to gather information."

"For what?"

"Friendship."

"..."

"That sounded weird when I said it out loud..."

You stared.

Against your better judgment, a small laugh escaped.

Then immediately-

"There it is."

"Oh, shut up."

"You laughed."

"It wasn't that funny."

"It absolutely was! I made you laugh-"

The forest grew quieter as evening approached.

For a little while, neither of you spoke.

Well.

Neither of you except Vigilante.

Who was apparently incapable of silence.

"That cloud looks like a dog-"

"You talk too much."

"Yeah... people say that-"

"Frequently?"

"Constantly."

"Ever wonder why?"

"Nope."

You finally laughed.

A real one this time.

Vigilante immediately pointed.

"There!"

You rolled your eyes.

But for some reason, the wasteland felt a little less terrifying than it had that morning.

You still didn't trust him.

Not completely.

He was strange.

Unpredictable.

Possibly insane.

But every time something moved in the trees, his hand found his weapon.

Every time you stumbled, he noticed and held a hand out to steady you.

Every time you slowed down, he'd somehow appear beside you without saying anything.

Then the moment he was sure you were okay...

He'd go right back to talking about clouds that looked like certain animals or fun facts about spiders and owls.

And somehow that was even harder to figure out than the wasteland itself.

As the sun began to sink lower in the sky, the forest gradually darkened around you.

The golden light filtering through the trees faded into deep orange.

Then amber. Then something darker.

Eventually even Vigilante seemed to notice.

"Okay..."

He abruptly changed direction, walking in to an open, sandy clearing.

"Camp time!"

He put his bag down and ventured off nearby to collect some sticks for the fire.

I follow and quickly gather some dry wood, going back to the spot and throwing it down.

Vigilante comes back with... 4 sticks.

"Are you kidding...?"

"What?"

"All that searching and you got 4 sticks?!"

"They're good looking sticks!?

Somehow, despite the constant nonsense, camp was assembled surprisingly quickly.

A small fire crackled in the center of the clearing.

Orange flames and smoke danced against the growing darkness.

For the first time all day, the outside world felt peaceful.

The darkness beyond the firelight wasn't.

But inside the small circle of warmth, things felt almost normal.

Almost.

You stared into the flames.

Thinking.

About the vault.

About the wasteland.

About how your life had completely fallen apart in less than a week.

Across from you, Vigilante rummaged through his bag.

Then tossed something toward you.

You barely caught it.

A packaged snack.

Still sealed.

Still intact.

Your eyebrows rose.

"Where did you get this?"

"Found it."

"When?"

"Just a couple days ago."

You turned the package over.

The expiration date had passed over 200 years ago.

"...I'm not eating this."

"Why?"

"It's older than civilization."

"That's ageist-"

You looked up.

"It's expired."

You threw it back at him.

The asshole caught it.

Of course he did.

The fire crackled between you.

For a little while, neither of you spoke.

The silence lasted a minute before he opens his trap again-

"So..."

You sighed, holding your face.

"What?"

"What are you thinking about?"

For a second, he looked almost awkward. Like he'd accidentally stepped somewhere he wasn't supposed to.

You stared straight ahead at the fire.

The flames reflected in your eyes.

"I just..."

The words caught in your throat.

"It's weird."

"What is?"

You hesitated.

"Everything."

The wasteland.

The violence.

The loneliness.

The fact that your entire life was gone.

But somehow saying that out loud felt impossible.

Instead you settled on:

"I thought it'd be different."

The joke never came.

The teasing didn't either.

Vigilante simply nodded.

"Yeah."

You looked up.

He was staring into the fire too.

"I think everybody does."

For once, he sounded completely serious.

The forest settled around you.

The fire crackled softly.

The stars slowly appeared overhead.

And sitting there across from the flames, with his ridiculous helmet and endless stream of nonsense temporarily paused...

You realized this was the longest he'd gone without talking all day.

Which honestly worried you a little.

As if sensing the thought, Vigilante suddenly looked up.

"Do you think if a rad roach and a mantis had a baby-"

You immediately dropped your head into your hands.

"There he is."

"Thank you."

part 3

[amayalul]

Lucky (1)

post-apocalyptic!adrian chase x fem!reader

(Fallout x Peacemaker crossover?!)

A/N: This idea popped into my head while I was watching Fallout lmao. I was thinking about how Adrian would be a lot like Lucy. No matter how fucked up the world gets, he'd hold onto his kindness and optimism. He's trusting, helpful, and naive to some, but he genuinely wants to see the good in people. The only big difference?

If you betray him, Adrian won't hesitate before killing you.

tw: mentions of blood, death, and almost SA

The wasteland was nothing like the posters. Nothing like the stories. Nothing like the lies they spent your entire life selling.

Back in the vault, the world above had been painted as something tragic but beautiful. A place waiting to be rebuilt someday.

Instead, it was hot.

Dusty.

Smelly.

And full of barbaric people trying to kill you.

You stumbled down a rocky hillside along the woodlands. Your vault suit already torn and stained with dirt after only 4 days on the surface.The canteen on your hip was nearly empty, and the map you'd been given might as well have been written in another language.

From being ravaged by mutated surface dwellers to the close calls with radroaches, it was damn sure a miracle how you were still alive.

You trudged through the dense green overgrowth with a growing sense of regret, your thoughts drifting back to the comforts of the vault.

Hot meals waiting at the end of the day, endless clean water, and warm showers that didn't require worrying about rad poisoning...

Lost in those thoughts, you failed to notice the sharp snap of a twig behind you or the faint rustle of leaves nearby.

A gloved hand suddenly clamped over your mouth.

A startled cry died in your throat as another arm wrapped around your waist, yanking you backward against a solid chest.

The scent hit you immediately...

Sweat, dirt, and weeks of living without a proper shower.

Panic surged through you.

A random wastelander...

A surface dweller...

The rad poisoning he probably had...

And judging by the grip he had on you, he wasn't interested in anything friendly.

"Don't scream."

The man's voice was low against your ear.

Your heart hammered wildly.

Easy for this fuckwad to say.

You immediately tried to elbow him in the ribs and stomped on his foot.

"Ow- shit!" he hissed but tried to stay quiet.

His grip loosened just enough for you slip out of his hold.

"Jesus fucking Christ!? Was that really necessary?" he clutched his stomach covered by his dirty black and teal suit.

His face covered except for the red visor he peeked out of.

Making a run for it, you barely get away when you stumble right into the arms of another filthy wastelander.

"What do we have here... A pretty little vaultie. She's pretty fresh too. I can smell it-"

The disgusting smug smile on his wart-filled face widened as I looked up at him in horror. Two other armed men looking the exact same stood right beside him.

You froze.

Half utterly disgusted and nauseated, half trembling in fear.

When you try to back away, his grimy hands grip onto your wrist and pull you closer to his chest.

"Let's see how you taste, huh? Bet that ass on you tast-"

Your eyes shut just as blood splatter all over your blue suit and on your face.

Only then do you process the sound of several gunshots ringing in the air.

You hear bodies fall to the ground but you're too scared to look so you opt to back away slowly.

"Oh shit‐ sorry!" he hurriedly wipes away at the blood covering your face with a sticky handkerchief that's been used for god knows what.

"Fuuuck- I'm sooo sorry... I totally didn't think that through- They were gonna hurt you so... you know... I had too. On the bright side, the blood makes you look kinda badass! Like you're definitely an experienced vault dweller and not some dumb, naive target... Not that I think you're naive- or dumb..."

He rambles, trying his best to somewhat make you feel better about the situation like you're not completely covered in blood and probably traumatized.

He turns you around, away from the bloody mess, and you let yourself be taken away from the scene before slowly opening your eyes.

When you finally opened your eyes, the first thing you saw was red.

Not blood.

The visor.

The stranger's red visor stared back at you from only a few feet away. He immediately brightened up.

"Oh good! you're conscious."

"But I was conscious before..."

"Really? Because you looked pretty unconscious to me."

"I closed my eyes."

"Yeah, but like... dramatically."

You stared at him.

He stared back.

For a moment, neither of you said anything. Then his head tilted slightly.

"Are you gonna throw up?"

"What..?"

"The whole blood thing-"

His hand gestured vaguely behind him.

"A lot of people throw up after the blood thing- especially vault people..."

Your face paled as you remember the remainder of the blood on your face and suit.

Dark red stains splattered across the bright blue fabric. Some had soaked into your sleeves. More covered your hands.

"Oh-"

The gunshots echoed in your head.

The bodies.

The sound they made hitting the ground.

Your stomach lurched.

"Oh God."

"Yeah."

"Oh my God."

"Yeah, that's usually the reaction."

You made a strangled noise somewhere between a groan and a gag, immediately clamping a hand over your mouth.

"They're dead-"

The statement hung in the air.

He shifted awkwardly.

"Yeah."

You stared at the blood.

"They're actually dead..."

"Uhhh... yup."

A pause.

"They would've killed you, you know...? Or even worse-"

You swallowed. Hard.

You knew that.

Logically.

You'd known it the moment that man grabbed you.

The moment he'd started talking.

The moment you'd seen the look in his eyes.

But hearing it said aloud made it real.

A sick feeling twisted in your stomach.

The strange but kind man seemed to realize he wasn't helping.

"I know this is a lot for you. Just try to relax... And don't feel bad about them, alright?"

He watches as you stumble toward the nearest tree and braced yourself against it.

The forest suddenly felt very hot.

Very loud.

Very real.

Four days.

You'd survived four days in the wasteland.

And now you'd witnessed three people get shot.

You missed the vault.

You missed your bed, your family, the food...

You missed not knowing what a severed artery looked like.

You missed literally everything.

Coming out here was a mistake.

The stranger hovered awkwardly nearby.

Not close enough to touch you. Just... hovering.

"Do you need water..?"

You looked down at your nearly empty canteen.

Then back at him suspiciously.

"Is it irradiated?"

"What?"

"The water."

"No."

"How do you know?"

"I drink it and I'm fine."

"That doesn't answer my question..."

The masked man paused, then shrugged.

"That's fair."

You narrowed your eyes.

This wastelander was strange.

Dangerously strange.

Not in the murderous way.

He seemed too nice for a surface dweller. Too nice for his own good.

He suddenly held out a canteen.

"Here-"

You eyed it.

Then him.

Then the canteen.

Then him again.

"You could be trying to poison me."

"You literally watched me save you from those guys. I thought I looked like a trustworthy person-"

"That doesn't mean anything..."

"Okay- Wow."

He huffed and his shoulders slumped.

"Trust issues much?"

"I've been outside for four days, got robbed, almost eaten by cannibals, and almost killed by those guys-"

"Okay yeah, that's fair too..."

Despite yourself, you accepted the canteen.

The water was cool.

Clean.

Cleaner than anything you'd found since leaving the vault.

You drank greedily.

The stranger watched with what looked suspiciously like satisfaction. As though he'd somehow accomplished something.

When you finally lowered the canteen, he looked almost relieved.

"See? Not poison."

You wiped your mouth.

"Yet."

"Oh come on-"

The forest fell quiet around you.

For the first time since the attack, your heart wasn't trying to escape your chest.

You studied him more carefully.

The suit was worn.

Scratched in places. Definitely homemade. Bits of armor had been patched together from different materials.

Nothing matched nor looked professional.

Yet somehow it all worked. The red visor hid his eyes which made him infinitely harder to read.

Unfortunately for him, he talked enough for both of those things.

"You shouldn't be out here alone."

The sudden seriousness in his voice caught you off guard.

You blinked.

"What?"

"You're a vault dweller."

His head tilted toward your jumpsuit.

"People see that and immediately think 'easy target! Let's loot her and then eat her body afterwards!!' And trust me, you don't wanna mess with any of those human jerky fiends. One time, my friend got his ear bitten off during a fight by one of them, it was gnarly-"

He cleared his throat, stopping his rambles.

His hand unconsciously drifted toward one of the pistols at his side as he got serious again.

"You got lucky today..."

Lucky.

You glanced toward the trees behind him.

Toward the place where the bodies still lay.

Your stomach twisted.

Lucky...

Right.

Because if he hadn't shown up...

You swallowed hard.

The realization was unpleasant. The stranger seemed to notice.

Because his voice softened. Only slightly.

"But you're okay."

The words came out surprisingly gentle.

Almost awkward.

Like he wasn't used to comforting people.

"You're safe."

For some reason, that helped.

A little.

You looked up at him.

Like actually looked at him.

At the ridiculous suit. The red visor. The nonstop talking.

The strange way he kept checking the surrounding forest while carrying on a conversation.

And you finally asked the question that had been bothering you since he appeared-

"...Who are you?"

The masked man straightened immediately.

Almost excited.

"Oh."

A dramatic pause.

Then he pointed both thumbs at himself with a grin you couldn't see but you could definitely hear.

"Vigilante at your service."

You blinked.

Silence.

A bird chirped somewhere nearby.

"...That's your name?"

"Yep."

"You named yourself Vigilante?"

"Technically I named myself before anyone else could- Oh look its a mantis!"

He announced it with far more enthusiasm than the situation warranted.

"Did you know praying mantises' have an ear on their stomach-"

Then, before you could even turn around to look at the damn thing, he whips his pistol out and a gunshot cracked through the woods.

The dog-sized mantis exploded just a few feet away from you into a mess of green gore as he continued to walk away.

"Oooh and a similar cousin to the mantis are rad roaches. Did you know they can grow to be the size of a German shepard and as fast as them too?! That's why I always say not to run away but back up slowly-"

You turned away from the green remains of the mantis and stared at him.

He stared back.

The wasteland somehow managed to produce the weirdest man you had ever met.

And judging by the proud way he was standing there...

He had absolutely no idea.

part 2

[amayalul]

im making a fallout au x peacemaker fic about Adrian in a post-apocalyptic world.

This idea popped into my head while I was watching Fallout lmao. I was thinking about how Adrian would be a lot like Lucy.

No matter how fucked up the world gets, he'd hold onto his kindness and optimism. He's trusting, helpful, and naive to some, but he genuinely wants to see the good in people.

Till they fuck up and he won't hesitate to kill them.

Anyways! It'll probably be out within the week and I wanna do a short series with it

[azaablue]

the best fanfiction you've ever read was written by a woman in her 40s before she made dinner for her kids. it was written by a teenager after school when they should've been studying for a history test. and a barista came up with the idea while they cleaned the espresso machine and busser fact-checked it on their break and the post-doc edited between writing grant proposals and the nurse apologized for typos in the notes after a long shift and behind every drabble and one-shot and multi-chapter fic there is a person with a wonderful and interesting and chaotic life and it is such a privilege that we get to be apart of it because they decided to do this thing we all share, for fun.

[gaybuckybarnessss]

FREDDIE STROMA Peacemaker 2.02 "A Man Is Only as Good as His Bird"

[amayalul]

Holy

[bluespecter]

[cryptidfl1rt]

hazardous material

Pairing: Adrian Chase x bimbo(ish)!reader Summary: John has to grapple with the fact you've taken a liking to Adrian. Warnings + notes: Fluff, reader is ditzy but sciency smart (kinda like Elle Woods?), based off this request, Adrian basically falls in love at first sight and lowkey so does reader, reader implied to be shorter than John, contains peacemaker spoilers(vaguely)

John is known to overshare small and insignificant things about his life. He’s never had a girlfriend, he’s had crippling anxiety as a kid, he hasn’t been checked for testicular cancer in a long time, and he doesn’t like it when he has his balls in someones mouth. Some may say it was for safety, to protect his family and loved ones from being targeted- whether from shitty jokes or deadly surveillance. Even with having a job that keeps a low profile, A.R.G.U.S could be unpredictable- it was hard to find trust in that office.

So it was a big surprise when a beautiful, bubbly girl that looked nothing like him strolled right on into Checkmate with balloons, takeout, and flowers, claiming that she was his younger sister.

“Hello! I’m looking for my brother, John Economos- he’s a big guy, very natural beard, probably wearing a graphic t-shirt and a flannel, aviator glasses? We look exactly alike.” Your voice is sincere and cheery, impossibly bright demeanor for someone who’s visiting the office to see Economos of all people.

Harcourt squints her eyes, looking up and down at you in shock before nodding slowly. “He’s stationed right over there.” Her finger points towards the corner, where you can see your brother’s head above the cubicle, snacking on what you assume is Doritos while blissfully unaware of your presence.

You smile with your whole face, thanking her with a chipper tone as you beeline towards him. Harcourt and Adebayo watch as your skirt flounces with each click-clack of your heels echoing throughout the quiet space. 

“What the kind of business does a girl like that have to do with John?”

“She said he was her sister- I’ve worked with him for years and he has never mentioned a sister.”

“There’s no way they’re actually related.”

They watch intently as you tap him on the shoulder, startling him as chip crumbs fly across his desk. He turns around, irritated before slipping into a relaxed smile, standing up to give you a… secret handshake??

John Economos has had a sister this whole time and they’re actually close? Close enough to have a fucking handshake? Ads and Harcourt’s faces screw up in confusion as they watch the interaction unfold.

Although you know he isn’t one for physical touch, he still pulls you in for an awkward hug, lightly gripping your shoulder in affection because, yes, while his brain is wired weird, he does still love his sister and it does feel good to be reminded that he is cared for. You know him well enough to appreciate his telltale signs of affection, and the gesture makes you soften as you part from him. 

“Congratulations on the new job! I hope this means I can visit regularly.” You place the flowers on his desk and clip the balloon on his hoodie, giggling as it moves slightly with his motions.

“I mean, it’s better than the big A- there’s definitely other things to worry about here though.” His voice trails off, eyeing Ads and Harcourt from across the room, who quickly shuffle to look busy before returning their gaze. “You didn’t have to come, y’know. I could have met with you at, wherever you got this stuff.”

“Well I know that, but it was last minute and I wanted to bring you stuff cause I know your desk would look like-“ You pause, skimming over the cubicle that had a calendar on the side, a photo from what seemed like a post-mission victory with other people, and a flimsy plastic succulent along with the mug you had gifted him for his birthday last year, filled with bic pens and Dixon pencils. “That. I just wanted to liven things up a little. Plus, I haven’t seen you in like a month!”

The corners of his mouth just turn slightly, standing awkwardly as he watches you rummage around his desk. “I am really grateful you came by but I don’t know how to process it without sweating.”

You roll your eyes, unpacking the lunch you brought before handing him his plate. “You can’t process anything without sweating!” The giggle you let out is infectious. Ads and Harcourt can’t help but snicker, not even bothering to turn their heads the second time when John sends them a glare. 

“Can you two not?”

Ads shakes her head, putting her hands up in surrender. “Sorry man, it’s just- you never mentioned having a sister before so this is really… surprising.”

John freezes, shifting nervously as you turn around, a frown tugging at your lips. “You’ve never talked about me?”

“I don’t like talking about my personal life and I don’t like it when people make you the butt of the jokes when I finally do mention you.” For a good period of time, John had heard a handful of untasteful jokes about you when he had finally shown someone at his old job a picture of you both during your graduation.

“You told us about your balls when you had basically first met Ads.” 

“That was Chris’s fault and it was self defense.”

“Was it about the testicular cancer thing? I told you that you need to get it checked out- I swear it runs in our dads side or something.”

Harcourt is nearly stunned in silence, watching you two interact was like, something totally fake or ai-generated. You were nothing like him. Your hair was perfectly cut and styled, nails painted pretty pink, and your outfits were so… bright. It’s like pink sparkles and rainbows followed you everywhere you went.

“Are you two like, fully related?”

You look at Harcourt like she’d fucking stupid- looking at John and looking at yourself before nodding. “Uh, yeah. Can’t you tell? We literally look exactly alike.”

Ads almost laughed- thinking it was a joke, but the sound never leaves her mouth at the absolute honesty in your voice. Your face was completely serious- as if what you said was complete and utter fact.

Harcourt does nothing but nod. “Right. I guess I wasn’t seeing it before but I am now.” The look she shares with Ads is unsure, but she doesn’t question further. 

John lets you rattle on about random things going on. How none of your lab partners can do anything right, how irritating your job is, and how despite working the absolute hardest on everything, no one has been taking you seriously. Sure, you’ll forget what day it is and forget California isn’t a country- but who cares about that? 

It clicks in Harcourt’s head that you’re a total ditz, where you excelled in social interaction must mean you lack in basic knowledge. How the hell can someone think of California as a whole fucking state?

As you walk off, waving goodbye to everyone in the office (which was still just Ads and Harcourt) beaming with a cheery smile, Harcourt does exactly what John fears the second you close the door.

“Can’t believe you never talked about your bimbo sister.”

John’s voice is back to it’s cut and dry tone, slightly glaring at Harcourt before he takes one last bite of his lunch. “She may be a little clueless, but she’s not a bimbo. I mean yeah if you consider all the-“ He motions his hand with a wave, pursing his lips as he thinks of a good way to describe it. “The glitter and pink.”

Ads raises a brow. “She thought California was a country, John.”

“Ok yeah. She can be a little clueless but she’s not dumb. She made this weird, exothermic contraption in like eighth grade that set off the fire alarm. She’s always had this insane talent with science. She’s pretty good with tech too, but she just dabbled because I did.”

It’s probably a little misogynistic in the way Harcourt doesn’t believe him at first- but John gives her no probable reason to doubt, and John normally doesn’t defend anyone with such sharpness. “She just, doesn’t really talk like someone who would know that stuff. Not really any need to present smarter when you just are.”

“Why don’t you offer her a position here then? Someone good with that could be really useful here.”

John taps his fingers on the desk, once, twice, before shaking his head. “You guys are too fucked up for her. She deserves to live a normal life and I don’t think she’ll achieve that here.”

“Why not? I mean, she clearly hates her other job and isn’t getting along with people. I need someone here that isn’t such a Debbie downer.” Ads looks at Harcourt apologetically, unsure if she offended her in the process.

“Ads is right- she could be a valuable asset and she’d be treated well here. Adrian has enough blood money to probably keep her employed for the rest of her life too. With health insurance.”

“She’d be valued here.”

The last statement is what has the gears turning in Johns head. You had been complaining about your job for months- disappointed with the fact that even with your multiple degrees and feats within your workplace, everyone treats you condescendingly and you’ve been thinking about finding a different job anyways. All you really wanted was to make enough money and have a space to conduct research- and the lab here is already collecting dust from the lack of use besides Chris and Adrian making a baking soda volcano when they’re bored.

“I’ll think about it.”

Triumphantly, Ads and Harcourt give each other a silent, subtle fist bump. You’ll be Checkmates most valued employee by the end of this month. 

-

Adrian doesn’t have the blessing of meeting you until you visit Checkmate again a week later, lunch in hand and same happy smile beaming as you walk through the doors. You greet Harcourt with enthusiasm, hugging her like you’ve known her for years, and she lets you. Your unwavering positivity and sweet perfume leave even her bending to your whims.

“He’s not here right now, he’ll be in a meeting and out and about for a while, but if you have time you can totally hang out at his desk til he gets here.”

“I got time! I quit my job today so I’m actually just… um.” You look down dejectedly. “I don’t know. In need of company I guess.”

The blonde’s face slightly softens. “I’m sorry to hear that. If you want-“ she hesitates, almost considering John’s fears of letting you work here before continuing. “We could really value someone with your skillset. In both science and social.”

As if someone shooed the rain cloud above your head, you brighten instantly. “Really? Could I build things here? We could run assays and thermal tests and solvent profiling-“ You cover your mouth slightly, stopping yourself before you get too excited. “As long as you don’t mind glitter everywhere! It’s actually mica powder, not glittery plastic. My work keeps saying it’s a ‘liability’ but it’s literally a mineral? I don’t think they have any idea what they’re talking about ever. We’re not even dealing with stuff that’ll be effected by a little sparkle.

The longer you talk, the sharper your words get. It’s not a complete turnaround, your bubbly charm still persists as you talk about basal cleavage and thermal stability. “Mica’s cleavage planes make it really hard for it to interfere with any of our labs unless what we’re dealing with is extremely sensitive- which most of the time it’s not. Honestly, their b.o would probably do more damage than mica powder.” You shudder, thinking about your last coworker who probably couldn’t wear deodorant if a gun was pointed to his head.

“It’s totally non-flammable too. Perfect Basal cleavage too- you can split them into thin sheets that are tough and flexible. Overall a great mineral- but nooo glitter and whimsy is too much for the people at my work.”

Harcourt’s face turns from confusion to amusement, just barely keeping up with your words before it morphes into something more akin to respect.

“You talk like glitter, but you think like a textbook.” 

Like a flower on a sunny day, your face blooms with gratitude as you smile. “Thank you! That’s the kindest thing anyone has ever said to me!”

Harcourt’s head tilts, lips pursing as she looks at you. “They really didn’t see any of this? You really do talk like you know your shit.” 

You shrug, puckering your lips into a pout as you think. “They liked my results, but they didn’t really like me, I guess. I think the pink bothered them”

“Well, people here don’t mind pink.” 

A beat passes, you’re standing there looking at Harcourt questioningly, as if she had uttered out hieroglyphs. 

“And the lab could really use someone that knows what they’re doing.”

You nearly blind Harcourt with how bright your expression gets, bombarding her with questions at the offer.

“Seriously? You wouldn’t mind it at all? I have a pink lab coat and I have a bedazzled one with rhinestones too! I didn’t even bring any of my stuff- could my office be next to a window?”

Harcourt laughs- your talkative nature and rambling about knowledge is reminiscent of another teammate. Except, compared to Adrian, you actually know what the hell you’re talking about.

The universe must have been listening in on her thoughts, the man stumbles into the office with a box of files, grinning as he places it on the front table with a thud.

“I got the last of the files! Please don’t tell me you’re going to put me in the back alone again- I haven’t eaten anything all day and,” Adrian’s gaze just barely passes over you to look at Harcourt, before whipping his head right back to you and pausing.

Speechless. It’s the first time Harcourt has ever seen Adrian stunned into silence. His mouth opens and closes, mind running a mile a minute as he figures out what to say. You beat him to it sticking out your hand to him while introducing yourself, pink glossy lips hypnotizing him as you talk.

“Hi!”

“Hey. Hi! Hello.” Adrian’s voice squeaks as he clears his throat, voice changing with every greeting. “Are you new?”

“We just offered her a job here. She’s Economos’s younger sister.”

“Economos? Holy shit he’s like my best friend- we used to call everyday, but now we work together so he doesn’t answer them as often.”

Your mind briefly remembers Economos complaining about him- he must’ve been the guy that pestered him about animal facts.

“Oh! I think I remember- you’re the owl expert.” 

He nearly melts at the recognition, spurring on with his usual energy. 

“Yeah! And also manta rays, and crows, and owls.” He repeats owls again, brain revving too fast to be able to catch himself, finding himself lost in the scent of your perfume and how bright your teeth are.

“You already said-“

“Different types of owls.” 

It was a horrible catch, but you didn’t seem to pay any mind as you clasp your hands together in excitement. “That’s so cool! Did you know that they can turn their heads all the way around because their eyes don’t move around like ours? It’s wild”

He nods in agreement. “Yes. Same. So wild- yes.”

You continue with enthusiasm, walking over to in the direction of his office as he trails behind you mindlessly while you ask him questions. “John never told me your name- he didn’t mention you were so handsome either!”

The tips of Adrian’s ears turn pink at the compliment, entirely affected by it despite it being a casual comment for you. You’re nearly skipping along the floor, stopping suddenly before turning around. “I just realized I have no idea where I’m going.”

Adrian’s quick to veer you towards his cubicle, hand settling on the small of your back as he speedwalks. “Lets go to my desk! Or I can show you around since you might be working here- I can show you the lab here. It’s so sick. No one really uses it besides me and Chris when we’re bored.”

“Oh nice! What do you guys normally do in there?”

“Oh- uh tons of science-y things. You’d love it. Chris isn’t in today but I have enough knowledge to be able to cover all the bases. I’m more of an animal science person though. Totally.” 

Ads joins Harcourt at her desk once again, a snicker leaving her lips as she watches your conversation between Adrian go on. “He’s about to pass out.” 

Harcourt kisses her teeth, shaking her head in response. “He’s about to imprint on her like a baby duck.”

Your conversation with Adrian helps the time go by fast- you’re so caught up in his reciprocated enthusiasm and the way his curls frame his face and how dorky he looks when he pushes his glasses up in the middle that you don’t process the heavy footsteps nearing you both.

John squints, as if he couldn’t believe the sight before him before shaking his head profusely. “No. Hell no.”

At the sound of his voice, you turn around to greet John with a bright smile, which quickly fades at his accusatory finger stabbing into  Adrian. “Fuck. No. You need to stay away from her.”

You furrow your brows, putting a hand on his chest to get him to back up. “Why? We’ve become best friends! He’s kept such good company while I was waiting for you.”

Adrian brightens as if he’s been knighted. “Yeah! You never told me your sister was so cool! And smart! She just showed me all of her notes and the things she works on and it’s like- a whole different language.”

Warmth blooms in your chest at the recognition- nobody had really recognized you for your brain first and foremost besides select professors and a few girls you had met in college. As much as you liked being eye-catching for your style, it’s exciting to see someone be as passionate about your work as you are. 

It feels nice.

Really, really nice.

John, however, feels like his world is crumbling as he shakes his head in a panic. “She showed you her notes? Her notes notes?” “Yeah! They had a bunch of sparkles and equations and graphs- I totally couldn’t understand anything but she said she could teach me! And that I could help her in the lab!”

“Absolutely not.”

“John, please. I really like him! He’s so nice and he’s enthusiastic about learning!”

The groan he lets out almost startles you- it’s almost as if his soul left his body.

“You don’t understand, he’s like, a ticking time bomb. He will kill you on accident.”

Adrian’s tone is sharp, cutting through as he stands up.“Hey! I take great offense to that! I’m extremely careful in all my endeavors.”

“You blew up the microwave two days ago.”

Adrian sputters as you look over at him questioningly. “That- that was science!”

Harcourt adds, not looking up from her cubicle. “It was a hot pocket, Adrian.”

It’s hard to bite back a smile, unsure if they were joking or not (they weren’t), the banter between you two only made you want to work at Checkmate more as they argue. 

Adrian spins around, pointing a finger at her accusingly as he defends himself. “It said ‘heat thoroughly’ How was I supposed to know that didn’t mean seven minutes on high?”

Ads sighs. “Reading the instructions fully? Common sense?”

Adrian turns back around to you with a pouty look as if knowing you would be the only one to understand him. “It wasn’t my fault! I swear I’m so, so careful.” 

You wonder what he’d look like pouting for someone else, and you bite your lip, unable to contain your laugh. Adrian swears he can feel his knees buckle at the sound of it. You swat John’s arm affectionately, “C’mon! What’s the harm? He’s been so nice and he’s so funny! I like him.” 

Adrian’s smile is practically taunting John. “She likes me.”

It’s as if you had stabbed him with a million knives, the pained look on his face grows in contempt as he tries to be firm. “No. Nope- no. This is like my nightmare. You-“ he points another finger at Adrian. “Are a hazard.”

“A hazard? I save lives- I have a job! I’m a very capable adult.” 

“You set your own sleeve on fire because you forgot you warmed up a mug of tea with the fucking spoon still inside of it.”

You gasp in concern, planting your hand on Adrian’s shoulder. “Oh no! Are you okay?”

“YES! Totally fine- it’s nothing compared to some other stuff I’ve gotten into.” 

John scoffs as he snarls at Adrian. “Yeah, at the cost of your stupidity.”

Adrian recoils, the jab hitting a little personally as he looks around at his desk in embarrassment. Your heart tightens. Sure, he might be a little awkward and not all there in the head, but so were you sometimes! At least, that’s what your roommates tell you when you forget your keys for the millionth time. In an instant, your hand moves down to his forearm to ground him. His breathe hitches, staring at your hand and up at you as you stand across from your brother, eyes locked onto his firmly as you quietly contest against him. 

John notices. He notices the way you softly look at him, and the way Adrian puffs up his chest in confidence at the sight of it, and he can feel his internal system circuiting. 

“No. NO. You do not get to defend this guy- you barely know him! He’s a danger to himself.” 

Ads can’t help but agree, crossing her arms as she nods. “He’s right, Adrian.”

“I didn’t know the spoon was metal- it looked neutral!”

Harcourt pinches the bridge of her nose. “The spoon was shiny, Adrian, why would the spoon need to be there in the first place? Who warms up anything with cutlery, metal or not?” 

You giggle, thumb rubbing against Adrian’s forearm affectionately as he looks up at you like you hung the stars.

“Of all people, why him? I’d seriously have-“

For the first time in a long time, you interrupt John with a sternness, “John, stop being mean. You’re embarrassing him.”

Like when you were kids, you and John bicker back and forth, spiraling from job safety to Adrian safety, and all Harcourt and Adebayo can do is watch in amusement and Adrian sits silently, watching the retorts bounce between you and your brother. He turns his head over to Harcourt and Ads’s direction , careful to not disturb your argument, quietly mouthing ‘she’s touching me’ with a pumped fist in the air. Adebayo graces him with pursed lips and a thumbs up of encouragement before tuning back into your bickering with John. 

Your hand squeezes his forearm again, more for your comfort than his, as you glare at your brother. “You’re being so dramatic! You’ve always been such a diva and I know you’re concerned- but I haven’t found a friend like this since, like-“ your mouth smacks, clicking your tongue at the roof of your mouth, making that noise that John hates. “Like college!”

“Don’t touch him- you’re making it worse!”

Adrian blurts suddenly, “I like it when she touches me.”

Silence fills the room, John looks like he’s about to blow his brains out while Ads and Harcourt watch you three like a nature documentary. 

In a panic, Adrian sputters over his words as he continues. “I mean not- not like that- unless you wanted it to mean like that- but I didn’t mean-“

John looks up to the ceiling, dragging a hand down his face as he prays to whatever god might be out there to take him now.

“I just meant that you’re very grounding!” 

You look at him quizzically, tilting your head as you look down at him. “Because of the science thing?”

“Yes.” Adrian lies, poorly. “Because of the science thing.”

You don’t seem to mind, in fact, you’re reveling in the way he seems to stutter under your touch, you squeeze his arm again, watching how he freezes up and how his eyes flit nervously between you and John. “I just- I mean like you’re stabilizing. Like how uh- energy?? Like.. what did you say earlier about valent bonds…”

“Valence bonds.”

“Yeah! Like a uh… when you said atoms pair up to make things stable right?

“Are you calling me a perfect ion?”

John’s groan interrupts Adrian before he can respond. “Can you guys quit it? You’re seriously talking about ionic bonds right now?”

You turn around, raising a brow at his interruption. “What’s wrong with ionic bonds?”

“Everything! You really want to end up as this guys babysitter? You could get seriously hurt.”

“Normally, I wouldn’t defend Adrian,” Adebayo sneaks into the conversation, hand lightly touching John’s shoulder to ground him slightly. “But- while Adrian is normally not careful with himself, he’s extremely cautious whenever it comes to others.” Ads looks at Adrian affectionately, “He’s sacrificed himself more times than I can count.”

John closes his eyes, attempting to think for a half-baked retort about Adrian’s impulsiveness, but the image of him throwing a grenade to save him and Chris flashes across his mind, the quickness in which he dove after the White Dragon right as he was about to kill Chris. The shots he would take for Harcourt and Chris when they infiltrated the butterfly farm- and even the stupid “alligators in the sewer system” he thought about instead of flushing his drugs like a normal fucking person. 

With a defeated sigh, John relents and sits down at his desk. “Whatever. Fine- just don’t talk flirty with ions in front of me. It makes me want to throw up.”

You nearly jump in glee, throwing your arms around John’s midsection in excitement as he grudgingly pats your back. Adrian seems completely unphased by the glare John gives you behind your back as you rattle on about what your first experiment is going to be to “break in” the lab.

You yank onto Adrian’s sleeve, completely uncaring to the fact that he should be working as you drag him to the lab. “Do you have a favorite color? I can bedazzle you a new lab coat- did you know that rhinestones are heat-resistant to 330 degrees?”

“That’s so sick! You think you could make me a teal one?”

“Duh! It would be so cute! We’d be like Barbie and Ken!" Adrian nearly misses the comment, entranced at the thought of you both blowing up the lab in shiny lab coats.

The conversation dies off in the hallway as you both turn the corner, leaving John exasperated as he rubs his forehead. 

Ads snickers, patting his shoulder and shaking him slightly. “I see an new in-law in your future.”

[yeyinde]

there's something about being called "darlin'" or "sweetheart" by a big, gruff man that makes me instantly melt.

[amayalul]

cowboys when they say "yes ma'am" 🤭

[amayalul]

tiktok has convinced me to watch dinner in america and omfg- where has this movie been???

i need a sequel so bad, I love patty and simon so much 😭 i desperately need more of them together

also, pls let me know if there's any similar movies, i'm a sucker for movies that revolve around anything music/band related 💜

p.s. kyle gallner is godly looking in this movie

[aliveaudiencegang]

kingsman the secret service is so good in so many ways but one of my favourites is how the movie takes everything we already know about eggsy from the beginning and shows how it affects him during his time at kingsman

eggsy pickpockets rottweiler’s car keys -> eggsy “slippery fingers” unwin switches out his glass of poison with arthur’s regular glass

eggsy doesn’t grass up his mates despite being told he’d get a more lenient sentencing if he did AND eggsy not telling dean who the man (harry) he was with at the pub despite dean threatening him with a knife -> eggsy risking getting killed by a train rather than spill kingsman secrets to who he believes is a madman that drugged him then tied him to train tracks

eggsy risking jailtime instead of hitting a fox with a car -> eggsy refusing to shoot his dog, the test standing between him and becoming a kingsman

there’s probably other little things as well that i can’t think of right now

[amayalul]

just rewatched kingsmen and holy shite, taron egerton is still as mighty fine as I remember