THIS is the bad place.

Rose, they/them

[fire-is-her-water]

Playing House

Fandom: Fallout (TV & Games) Rating: Explicit Category: M/M Relationship: Robert House/Bobby Apartment (House's Body Double) Language: English Chapters: 5/12-ish? Tags: Pre-War United States (Fallout), Fallout Lore, Minimal Canon Divergence, Alcohol, Smoking, Exquisite Tailoring, Psychological Intimacy, Power Imbalance, Complicated Relationships, Unhealthy Relationships, Loss of Identity, Consensual Identity Theft, Pygmalion-Ass Themes, Slow Burn, Old Man Yaoi, Labor Rights, Labor Wrongs, No Bobby You Can't Unionize RobCo, Robert House Is Not Endorsed By The Narrative But He Is Very Hot, Rating and Tags Are Eventual

What is it like, for Bobby to be plucked from obscurity by Robert House, to become his trusted public face, and to have to adapt to all the unexpected luxury, power, and complications that come with it?

As Bobby is drawn into the gravity surrounding Robert House, he finds himself increasingly fascinated by House's strange, brilliant mind, even as his reflection in the mirror becomes that of someone else.

A story about well-tailored suits, a wildly unhealthy entangling of identities, and an author who would normally prefer to eat the rich but unfortunately keeps finding this one fictional weirdo compelling.

Read Chapter 5 on AO3. In which House and Bobby enjoy a decadent meal. House reveals his strategic use of bespoke pornography, and Bobby struggles with the morality of becoming the face of a billionaire.

Or start reading from Chapter 1

[fire-is-her-water]

Me: Okay, we just need to go to the store and then we can go home.

Aurora: You’ve already said that like seven times.

Me: Sorry, just overstimulated and disassociating. I’m rotating a little guy in my head.

Aurora: … Is it two little guys, and are they kissing?

Me: … Shut up.

[greelin]

never let life get in the way of you fixating on some weird little freak

[greelin]

you have to prioritize what matters.

[fire-is-her-water]

Playing House

Fandom: Fallout (TV & Games) Rating: Explicit Category: M/M Relationship: Robert House/Bobby Apartment (House's Body Double) Language: English Chapters: 1/12-ish? Tags: Pre-War United States (Fallout), Fallout Lore, Minimal Canon Divergence, Alcohol, Smoking, Exquisite Tailoring, Psychological Intimacy, Power Imbalance, Complicated Relationships, Unhealthy Relationships, Loss of Identity, Consensual Identity Theft, Pygmalion-Ass Themes, Slow Burn, Old Man Yaoi, Labor Rights, Labor Wrongs, No Bobby You Can't Unionize RobCo, Robert House Is Not Endorsed By The Narrative But He Is Very Hot, Rating and Tags Are Eventual, No Smut Yet

What is it like, for Bobby to be plucked from obscurity by Robert House, to become his trusted public face, and to have to adapt to all the unexpected luxury, power, and complications that come with it?

As Bobby is drawn into the gravity surrounding Robert House, he finds himself increasingly fascinated by House's strange, brilliant mind, even as his reflection in the mirror becomes that of someone else.

A story about well-tailored suits, a wildly unhealthy entangling of identities, and an author who would normally prefer to eat the rich but unfortunately keeps finding this one fictional weirdo compelling.

Read Chapter 2 on AO3. In which a cigarette is not just a cigarette, and Bobby learns more about the eccentric weirdo he's supposed to pretend to be.

Or start reading from Chapter 1

[wolfythewitch]

all all all

[fire-is-her-water]

You ever start a fic because you think it’ll be a fun, silly concept, and then you look up from it days later and chapters in to realise you’re deeply emotionally invested in the stupid thing, and now you need to draw cover art for the fic and stay up till 3 am on that too? Just me?

[fire-is-her-water]

I sat down on the couch to pat Mr. Valentine and tell him good night and he did this so I guess I’m sleeping on the couch tonight.

[dancerswhirl]

Maximus Fallout it seems I’ve grown quite fond of you tho there are no sexual urges or desires you come to me as a long lost friend whom I once picked apples with in papa’s orchard

[nukaposting]

[fire-is-her-water]

Maximus <3

[tanolife]

says in the back

[fire-is-her-water]

PLEASE WHERE IS THE NICK VALENTINE FIC YOU'RE MENTIONING (desperate)

Currently, just on my hard drive. I started writing it and realized there were a lot of other themes I wanted to explore... The Sole Survivor's pre-apocalypse marriage being a deeply unhappy one, what it might feel like for a young mother to be searching for her infant in a wasteland, and the game's own themes of self-identity, memory, choosing who you are. And making my Sole Survivor into her own person worth crafting a story with - she's not Nora, she's Marian, and she's a hydroponics engineer before she gets pregnant. Sooo it's kinda developed into a full retelling of FO4, spackling over plot holes, chewing the moldy scenery, turning Dogmeat into a more realistic dog companion with a properly sassy GSD personality, making the community-building make sense with the whole finding-Shaun thing, grappling with the big philosophical questions set forth by the game... and also the slow development of a really lovely non-sexual romantic relationship between Marian and Nick. I've got all the broad strokes written out, and several major chunks finished. Just need to find some string to tie it all together. Wouldn't mind a beta reader to see if the vibe I'm going for is at all appealing outside my own head...

[fire-is-her-water]

Someone elsewhere mentioned that they wish Nick Valentine was romanceable and it's a shame he isn't romanceable because he isn't equipped for sex, and like, putting aside that he probably could have some sort of sexual relationship even if he doesn't have built-in genitals, I mentioned that I headcanon that my sole survivor has a really lovely romance with him that's deeply emotional, but not sexual.... Aaand in come multiple people telling me that romance without sex is just friendship, that asexuality is a disorder, and basically that the whole concept is stupid and misguided. 🙄🙄🙄 Soooo now I'm working even harder on the Nick/SoSu fic I've been plinking at for a while, because I hecking love the idea of Nick in a non-sexual romance. Like, nothing against fics that have a sexual aspect to their relationship ofc (one of my favourites has the weirdest, hottest sex scenes in it)... I just really like exploring the concept that Nick is incredibly uncomfortable with his synth body and doesn't want to do anything that would make him even more aware of the state of being he's unwillingly trapped in, blindsided by the idea that someone might love him anyway, and that my SoSu isn't really that interested in sex at this point in her life... And they find this really wonderful, loving, supportive, deep understanding with each other that's based on a great friendship, with a lovely romance but without sex.

[butterflypeaflowertea]

trees are very 🥺 because sometimes i’ll stand under the shade of a tree and look up at it and it’ll sway its branches about in the wind and i’m like oh my God i’m alive and YOU’RE alive. we are alive together and made up of the same starry stuff and standing right next to each other in this moment on this earth. do u feel it when i reach out and press my hand to your trunk? can you hear me? i think you’re so neat. and then the sunlight filters through its leaves just so and that lovely green color leaves me dazzled. it’s just very nice to be an alive thing next to a different sort of alive thing

[theblackparadeisdead]

That post I made over new years had people at my THROAT for saying I only buy real leather. Sorry I really do think that wearing textured plastic that will fall apart in under 5 years and go on to irreparably poison the environment is the worse option here.

[theblackparadeisdead]

if you look into the mushroom leather or apple leather or cactus leather or any other plant-based alternatives, they're all still about 50-75% polyurethane. They'll still fall apart fast and then they wont decompose except into microplastics. They're just not sustainable. I thrift pretty much all my leather garments and some of them are 30 years old and still hold up like they're new. Like there's no contest.

[fire-is-her-water]

About 10 years ago, I found a secondhand ankle length black leather duster at a flea market for €10 (about $12 US). I have worn that coat every late autumn/whole winter/early spring since, in rain and snow, fixed the pockets, repaired the buttons, cleaned and conditioned it regularly... I fully intend to wear that coat for the rest of my life if I can, even if it's eventually a bit ratty, even if I have to make some major repairs. It's warm, breathable, rain resistant unless it's absolutely pouring, and looks badass on me. When it's *very* cold, I switch to a wool coat - vintage from the 70s, also much repaired but still fully functional and beautiful, and it makes me look like a time travelling wizard. My last pair of leather boots, I wore for 7 years daily (and I do a LOT of walking, around 12k steps per day, a good bit of that trail hiking) before they cracked through badly enough I had to get a new pair, when you could see the lobsters and broccolis on my socks through the holes. I still have them though, and am using them for cosplay purposes. I've had similar faux leather boots that didn't last a full winter before becoming unwearable.

Pretty much any synthetic version of either coat or boots would have lasted me a few years *max* before falling apart in a way that I cannot really repair, flaking into bits and losing integrity.

[fire-is-her-water]

My sweet enormous baby Valentine is 6 months old now. He has all of his adult teeth (SO much less painful than puppy teeth and he's mostly learned he isn't allowed to use them on people anyway), weighs around 2/3 of his adult weight, and just today I got the great news that his hip x-rays look fine and healthy, so I should be able to go running with him in about a year!

[fire-is-her-water]

It gives me the annoyed eye-twitches when people scold their dog for something the dog did some time previously (not caught in the act), and then go "Look! He looks so guilty! He knows what he did!" No, he doesn't. He's displaying appeasement behaviors. Ears going back, slumping or laying down, glancing all big-eyed at you, tail tucked, etc., are all things dogs do to say "Please don't be mad at me! I'm just a harmless little guy!" Dogs live in the moment (one of the wonderful things about them tbh), and even if you show them the thing you're upset about (the chewed up shoe, the poop on the floor, whatever), they do not understand "I'm mad because earlier today, you chewed up this shoe/pooped inside instead of outside." They just associate you being mad with whatever they were doing when you started scolding them, and they just want you to not be upset. Even if they can grasp that the destroyed object/mess has something to do with it, you can't convey with words the difference between "I'm mad you chewed up this shoe" vs. "I'm mad because I don't like this shoe" or "I'm mad because you pooped in the house and should have done that outside" vs. "I'm mad because I saw poop."

I'm not saying to do this, but if you were to show the same dog a random object they've never even seen before, and start scolding them, and they would display the same "guilty" appeasement behavior. Because it's not guilt at all. It's "please don't be mad, bro!" Dogs *can* feel guilty if you catch them in the act, though - if a dog hurts you and you yelp, they'll also tend to display appeasement behaviors (and may lick you to say "I'm sorry"). It looks very similar to if you scold them later, but they can actually understand *why* you're displeased with them. Even then, if you catch them chewing a shoe, scold, and show them it later because you're still mad about it, they're not going to go "Oh that's the shoe I chewed earlier and my human is still upset because I chewed the shoe."