Ive been swamped with life stuff for the past week so I totally missed the boat on this one during the amazing FC5Week... But I REALLY wanted to do an appreciation post none the less and send virtual hugs to all the amazing people in this fandom! You guys are the warmest, most creative and supportive bunch I've come across on the web in, well, like, ever! I'm bad with words but the love is real so... here goes!
thank you for being incredible artists and pouring so much love and dedication into your works... If it weren't for your fan arts I'd still be thinking Far Cry 5 was an Uwe Boll movie and I'd be poorer for it! ILYSM and may you never lose that love for creating and sharing! ❤️
Also extra special shout out to @johnathot-seed for being such a total sweetheart and a daily ray of sunshine on the dash, not to mention running the best John tags (fact) and the most enjoyable discord server on at least my side of the internet :> Your creativity and writing are an absolute inspiration and I never get tired of hearing about your OG OC's! ❤️
I came in late to the fandom, and we haven't all talked (and I have a monkey brain) so I'm not even sure if all of these accounts are still active, but you guys' artworks, writings, edits, oc's & head canons have been such a pure source of joy!
@teamhawkeye & @outranks + volunteers big props for organizing and running FC5Week! :) @starsandskies, @naromoreau, @seedlingsinner, @lexieheron, @lucientoldyou, @bintangy, @theknifegame, @ziorre, @mvbsva, @caesarsbuddy, @softseeds, @cryptcombat, @potatokendall, @mr-arainai, @nupork, @prinzfr, @deputyash, @f3mfatale, @spicevalleys, @pabstbeerpussy, @fluttyseed, @kokogummybear, @words-and-seeds, @weekend-writerr, @statichvm, @seedsplease, @amistrio, @deputyoneill, @the-darklings, @thatjessopgirl, @foofygoldfish, @bigbywlf, @depyootie, @safewithinedensgate and so so many others - -
and last but not least special shout to the screenshot- and mod magicians, you guys are the best thirst enablers and you deserve all the love for it:
I have a terrible monkey brain so I KNOW I've forgotten probably a bunch of people, but if you're in the fandom, wether a creator, or just an active blog...
I couldn’t do as much as I would have liked for the week because I was off in New York for school stuff, but I’m happy to see everyone’s work and contribute my own. This is a very nice fandom, with lovely, fun people! I hope to always keep putting in more effort.
Here’s a shout-out to some awesome people! You guys rock, I love your work, and here’s hopin’ we can continue more within this fun fandom (and all the stuff you post)!
(And I'm pretty sure there's people I may have forgotten, but please know it's not intentional! )
How can I put into words.... everything I feel about you guys?
It's been a long road w/ its ups & downs so far, but you guys have been there for me so many times when I just needed to vent, or needed a virtual hug or some kind of support. There's been quite a few times in which - not that I wanted to give up on my writing entirely, but I didn't know if it was worth it for me to continue... but you guys have always been so helpful, supportive, kind, encouraging, funny, loving, and so much more. I can 100% guarantee that I never would have come as far on 'The Book of John' (prompts, one-shots, & all) as I have, if not for all of you. A kind word, or even a 'like' might not seem like much to you guys, but it always boosted both my spirit and my confidence whenever you guys let me know I wasn't doing horribly, one way or the other.
Thank you so much for being fans. Thank you for being my friends. Thank you for your love and support. Thank you SO much for your kindness. Thank you for just being you. I love you guys. <3
(And even if we should drift apart and go our separate ways in the future... I can guarantee that I will never forget the kindness that's been bestowed upon me by my friends. Thank you again so much. <3 )
This was supposed to be completed way back on Tuesday, but it would’ve been much weaker (and shorter!) overall if I’d chosen to post then. Either way, this was a fun chance to focus on what happens around the Widowmaker mission, get in more Sharky time, and get in some time with Mary May as well.
Pairing: F!Dep x Sharky Boshaw (pre-ship but the feelings are there)
Rating: T
Word Count: 6.2K
Link to AO3!
___
The Widowmaker’s brought back to Fall’s End, and with its arrival comes a need to celebrate.
______________
“Over here.”
Hana followed close behind, keeping her gun nearby as Kat lead her towards the back of the garage. She wasn’t sure what to expect after seeing the severe look cross the older woman’s face, but when they turned the corner, Hana felt both of her eyebrows fly up.
Standing with their faces pressed to the wall were three Peggies, two men and one woman. All of them had their hands bound behind their backs, and the resistance member posted nearby gave them a small nod before fixing his rifle back on them.
The minute she came into sight, the group as a whole tensed visibly. One even spat at her, missing her by a good two feet, but they got points for hutzpah.
“Two of the three were jumped, but not shot, and the third threw down his arms. Ended up catching him on the way to the truck himself, and managed to fish this out of his pockets.” She dropped a large key into Hana’s hand. “Guess he thought he’d be able to make a break for it, but we intercepted him right after the remote bombs went off.”
“Ooh, the tricky dick,” she said, and let out a low whistle. “That was a small window to sneak through.”
Sharky’s roundabout trap hadn’t given the cultists many options to escape when the tide had started to turn, but when a few cut back to the trucks, that avenue was cut off with the push of a single button. She’d been close enough to shield her eyes from the flash of light, only to scramble away seconds later to avoid the falling, flaming debris that pelted her hiding place. Those that had been well-within range – like the four trying to clamber inside – hadn’t been as lucky.
It was tough to say if the three standing before them understood just how well they had fared in comparison to the others. She wasn’t a bad shot, Sharky’s shotgun shells tended to light up everything within two to three feet of him, and Hurk hadn’t been shy about using the rockets he’d dug up from Fall’s End’s surplus. Odds for any stray Peggies to make it through that were low to start, but here they were, waiting to see if the other shoe was about to drop.
“Figured it’d be bad sport to just shoot ‘em, but…I was tempted.”
Kat looked set on shooting one of them now, her attention set on the person that kept giving them all the raging stink eye, and Hana held up her hand. “I get that. It’s not like they were holding back any when we rolled up on them, but let’s work with this. Any good with knots?”
“Knots?” Kat ran a hand through her short blonde hair, and shrugged. “I can do a mean trucker’s hitch. Unless you were thinking knots meant to restrain, in which case I could probably go back to the ones my ex liked-“
Hana shook her head fast. “Uh, no. I mean, we need them all tied together, but not like…that?”
“Oh, then I think I’ve got you covered, ma’am.”
It took a few minutes to wrangle the group together, but once they were finished, the three were tied together in a circle, their hands still kept behind them as they each faced outward. The bonds were tight, but not enough to injure, and Hana honestly gave them less than a day tops before being discovered provided the loss of the Widowmaker didn’t put them all on high alert.
John hadn’t come after her yet for the sign – a fact that honestly still shocked her after how badly their conversation had gone - but at the first sign of trouble elsewhere she knew he’d swoop in. Even if he didn’t have a slew of comments waiting for her, he’d find other ways to retaliate, using that mouth of his to do what he did best.
Cloth rags had been wedged into their mouths as a means of keeping them silent, and she’d nearly lost a finger when one tried snapping at her.
Once they finished, she crouched down in front of a cultist with a large cross tattooed onto his left cheek, and propped her chin up on the backs of her folded hands.
“Hi. Hope you’re all feeling comfortable. No one’s going to harm you, I hope we’ve well established that by now, but I thought I’d make that clear just in case there’s any ambiguity going on. We’re about to roll on out of here with something that’s near and dear to one of our own’s heart, so as long as you sit pretty and do nothing, everything’ll go just fine. But before we leave, I’d like you all to do me a huge favor, just in the spirit of cooperation we’re trying to foster here. Nod once for yes, or shake your head for no.”
Daggers would’ve cut less, judging from the look she was receiving.
“…Okay. I can understand the resentment, but work with me here. When you get back to John, I want you all to give him a nice, big hello. I want you to greet him, I want you to tell him what we’ve done, and you can even embellish a little from there if you’re feeling creative and want to talk me up a little. Straight from the Deputy herself,” Hana said, making sure to draw out the syllables to the word like he would’ve. “You got it?”
The one that spat at her earlier mumbled-yelled a single word against their gag in response.
“Huh.” She lowered her sunglasses to look at them directly. “Hey, Kat? Did that sound like it was jam-packed full of the Power of Yes?”
She couldn’t see her, but there was no mistaking the snort she stifled. “Nope, not even a little.”
“Well, damn. I think John would be disappointed to hear that, but don’t worry. I’d have done the same,” she said, her lips twisting into a grin. “Because between you and me, I think I thrive off of his disappointment.”
---
With them wrangled and left as a parting gift for John, it was time to focus on the main event. The Widowmaker. With the keys in her hand, Hana made her way back around to the front, seeking her two main partners in crime. It’d been a good ten to fifteen since she’d heard from them, which meant something was keeping them occupied, the only question was what?
…And could she get in on it too, if she was quick enough. Hopefully, the answer was a ‘hell, yes’.
Sure enough, she heard their voices as she walked up the side of the garage, and found them both standing right by the side entrance to it. Hurk stood nearby as Sharky was crouched down low beside the doorknob, fiddling with something in his hands, and their voices carried right over to her.
“-you’re right. We did try this once before, but I think it was using…”
“Dude, your dad’s older waterlogged shit was a pain to use. You gotta nail the right mix or you’ll get more pfft and less bang, and that’s just a letdown in every way.”
Sharky fiddled with the lock again, shoving something into it, and she was almost sad to step in. It was always interesting watching him work, even from a distance, and the end result was always worth it.
“Hey!” She whistled at them, and dangled the keys from her hand as she approached. “Much as I love MacGuyver and the whole jerryrigging a bomb out of chewing gum, a toothpick, and hope thing you’ve got going on, we need to get the hell out of dodge. We’ve probably got fifteen to twenty minutes max before someone tries to radio in, and I know we’ll be in trouble when the group back there finally gets free.”
“Shit, so much for that,” Sharky said, dusting off his jeans as he stood up. “Just when I was ready to call you over, and get the others to gather round too.”
“I mean, if you still want to pop that thing, I won’t stop you. After all of that hard work, it’d be a shame not to.”
Flashing him a wry grin, her attention drifted to the right as she turned away, and she nearly did a double-take. This wasn’t her first pass by the place, but this was her first with the liberty to pay full attention to her surroundings, and the poster was honestly pretty hard to miss given she was the subject.
“…Huh.”
This was supposed to be her, with her hair tied back, her sunglasses absent, and an interesting glint in her eye. The kind that usually came right before she decided to fuck someone up. For a rough representation of her, it wasn’t half bad. They had even nailed the freckles and the small scar on her chin, and she posed next to it as she considered it further.
But the real kicker, like with all of the others, was seeing stamped in large red letters below her face, the word ‘SINNER’. Like that was enough justification for wanting her taken in alone.
How old were these anyway? Had they been made shortly after losing her after the crash? After John took her? Hell, after Faith or Jacob’s turns?
It was tough to put a real timeframe on it, but the posters were in circulation now, just as they had been for the other key players in the Resistance, and she didn’t know how to feel. Either strangely honored to be enough of an annoyance to warrant it, or annoyed in general for them having to explicitly state it.
“They really do get off on the whole sinner thing, don’t they?”
“Everyone left running in the county’s got a poster, and some of us, even two.” Hurk said, patting his chest with pride. “I tried using a bunch of mine to get word about Hurk’s Gate out, but the giant banner saying ‘we won’t judge’ didn’t get a lot of flying before it was torched to the ground.”
“Killjoys. They clearly didn’t want the competition.”
“You’re telling me. It still kills me that they’ve got as many people signed up as they do, what with the ‘no fornication’ thing going on. Isn’t that just a recipe for bad feelings left to marinate when people can’t live, and love a little? I know I’d be harder than a diamond with some of those ladies I’ve seen walking around.”
Judging from Sharky’s solemn nod, he was firmly in that camp too, and she gave them both a knowing look. “I’m pretty sure there’s still fornicating. Get enough people together in close quarters long enough, many of which are just as pretty as the people leading them, and they’ll find a way.”
Thankfully she hadn’t had the awkward moment of stumbling onto anyone mid-screw, but if she did, she could only hope she’d handle the situation as tastefully as anyone in her position would. With carefully positioned eye contact, and any of the last shreds of her professionalism that she could scramble to apply.
“So, what do you two think? Is it a good likeness?”
Sharky turned, looking at her closely as she leaned against the wall. The poster was right between them, so he didn’t need to look far to make a comparison, but she could see his focus, and felt his gaze as he gave it some serious thought. Scanning every part of her face, she felt him concentrate on some parts more than others, and as her grin grew, she waited for him to make eye contact again.
“You know at first it, uh…“ He paused, drawing out the sound as she batted her eyes at him, and it took a good fifteen seconds for him to snap out of it. “Well, it looked like they got most of it minus the eyes.”
“Yeah?”
“Yeah,” he said, giving Hana a small smile as he rubbed the back of his neck. His attention had skittered away from her, but with the next few words it came back in full. “Looking at that versus the real deal’s just not the same. Like with you here, right in front of me? Most of it’s right enough, but when we talk about your eyes, Dep? Well, yours are the kind that are all deep and dark, and easy to get lost in.”
Her breath left her in a rush. “…Uh, come again?”
“Like give me five, and I’ll be able to break away, but it’s rough going knowing that you have to when you don’t want to. Cause you need me to be a badass out there, not someone thinking ‘man, it’s sweet knowing you’ve got an amigo whose eyes are like a really cool cave you could stumble into when you’re lost in the woods’.”
He was definitely shooting a sweet look at her now, there was no mistaking it.
“The deep and dark that you could curl up in, knowing it’d keep you safe overnight, and you could even build a fire and roast some marshmallows in it. Like get some real good s’mores going. Not the deep and dark that’ll get you killed by bears out in the middle of nowhere. Cause that shit’s what gets you. No poster’s going to catch that.”
Even drowning in metaphors and pseudo-bears, she could tell he meant it, and that made her immediately go three shades darker. “Oh.”
“…He’s got a point,” Hurk said, after looking between the two of them. “Caves and bears, aside. You, I can tell you’re a person. This here’s an approximation and one scary lady you won’t want to cross. Like your evil twin or the clone growing in the basement.”
Sharky crossed his arms, looking pleased. “See? Couldn’t have put it better myself.”
Oh, God. They needed to get off of this topic now. “So, Sharky, are you going to blow that thing, or do you just want me to cut whatever’s left of this suspense with a knife?”
“Oh! You seriously want me to…?”
She nodded, and tried not to think about the key digging into her hand.
His lighter was out in an instant. “You’ll love this, H. Promise.”
---
Her vehicles of choice over the years had always been on the small side. Sedans, coupes, compacts, motorcycles, she loved them all, and had at one point even tried to cram herself into a friend’s Smart Car just to see what it was like.
The Widowmaker was a literal force in comparison. It was a battering ram on wheels, her foot a lead weight on the gas as it took on speeds that allowed it to punch through barriers without even giving too much of a shake. With the horn blowing, and Barracuda coming in loud and clear through the radio, nothing stood in their way as they sped straight towards Fall’s End.
It was nothing short of incredible, and she could easily see why Mary May and her father loved it so much. There was no obstacle too great, or too strong to hold them all back.
When the last fell and Mary May radioed in, she let out the breath she’d been holding. The guys, plus Kat and the other Resistance members, had chosen to cover the rear, turning their little troupe into a veritable convoy. It wasn’t subtle, but a massive truck with a flaming paint job wasn’t about to fly under anyone’s radar for long.
But it was back at home where it belonged, and that was the first step.
“Well, look at that!” Mary May said as they rolled up. “One hell of a sight for sore eyes. You don’t even know how it feels to see those colors again, Deputy, but it’s good. Mind giving that a pull one more time just to let them know what they’ve lost?”
The expression she wore was a mix of proud, fond, and elated, and Hana hit the horn one last time with gusto before leaning out of the window to better speak to her. “Where’d you like this?”
“Out over here. Follow me.”
Guiding her, Mary May helped her park the truck in space tucked next to the Spread Eagle. Whistling nervously as she guided the thing around, Hana kept her eyes locked on Mary May’s position until she was able to maneuver it safely into place.
“I could the hear the horn coming all the way into town.”
Hana glanced down at Mary May and the growing grin she wore, and found herself wanting to match it. “Well, it was one pull for every roadblock hit, but I might’ve also pulled it for every truck, so…”
“Good. I hope you hit every last fucking one of them.” Mary May let out a long sigh, her shoulders relaxing as she stared over at the truck. “This feels right. Like I can finally welcome back what never should’ve left to begin with. It’s home.” The next few words were quieter, but Hana saw her lips move to form them. “He’s home.”
Hana settled in next to Mary May, the two looking up at the Widowmaker, as the others pulled up in their vehicles around them. Screeching to a stop, the small group burst into a round of cheers, slapping their hands on the doors of their vehicles as the sound rose in volume.
Hana joined in, giving Mary May a wide grin as an impromptu drum roll started – hers done right on her thighs - and the group started chanting, “Speech!” over and over.
Mary May eyed them all with mild exasperation, letting them continue for a solid minute before gesturing for them to stop.
“All right, all right! That’s enough out of you all. Today, you’ve all proven why the Resistance as a whole is going to win this thing. By banding together to pull off what they’ve tried to tell us is impossible. You brought home and helped to honor the memory of a good man today. A great one, that would’ve paid good money to see you give every last member of Eden’s Gate hell. This one’s for you, and later on tonight, I’d better see you all down at the Eagle so we can celebrate this right!”
The whoops and hollers were louder than ever this time around, ending in them all pumping the air with their fists. Shaking her head, but with a broad grin, Mary May finally waved hem all off.
“Okay, now get on out of here! We’ve got work to do before tonight, and I know those roads won’t be left clear for long.”
A few of the trucks drove off, waving at the two before zipping down the street, while other members of the Resistance hopped out to help in town. She caught Sharky’s eye as he and Hurk popped out of the truck bed nearby, and he ran up to her, trying and failing to put a lid on his excitement.
“Yo, they’re looking to head off some supply trucks headed south of here. Cracking one of those open’s kind of like Christmas come early, so…”
“We totally want to hop on that while we can,” she said, rubbing her hands together. “Sign me the hell up, but you two go on ahead for now. I’ll be right behind you.”
Sharky looked disappointed for a flash until Hurk slapped his arm and gestured for him to follow. The two tailed Kat as she launched into a story about the silo they had blown along the way, and Hana watched them head in the direction of the general store before turning back to Mary May.
“You know, he’d like this.”
“…This?” Hana asked, jabbing her thumb back at the Widowmaker.
Mary May waved her off. “If you’d brought it back in flawless shape, I’d have doubted half of what you got up to on the way.”
“Either way, you want this spit-shined back to perfection, I’ll do it myself. Repairs and labor, I’ll make it happen,” Hana said, ticking off each on her fingers.
“Deputy, you’re welcome to the Widowmaker whenever you’d want it. After what you’ve done to bring it back home, I know my father would want us to keep its spirit alive. Not through keeping it here, locked up and safe, but out there doing what it does best.”
She turned to Hana, and lightly tapped her arm before heading off towards the Spread Eagle.
“And I know you’d have an idea or two that would suit it just fine.”
---
Things had changed in Fall’s End.
It had been a gradual change. Slow, and steady as the buildings formerly left empty and hollow took on a different kind of life.
The colors of the Resistance flew high as the last of the cult’s banners and influence were torn down and destroyed. Trucks cruised in and out, many of them bringing in family and friends formerly thought lost as word spread throughout the region that it was safe to come back. Others walked the streets, armed still, but no longer afraid of what that might cost them.
And there was no place she felt it more keenly than at the Spread Eagle.
The bar buzzed with activity, far beyond those early days when she’d shared a beer with Jerome and Mary May. Back then, it felt like a toast welcoming better days. A spoken and unspoken promise that they would all get there somehow, and this honest to God, felt like progress. Actual, possible progress.
Hana basked in it as she leaned against the bar, letting her eyes fall shut. She’d always been a city girl, used to crowds and people more than the silence the country offered, and having the chance to feel that energy again was exhilarating. She never wanted that feeling to fade.
“Hey, you doing good so far?”
Her eyes snapped open, and she turned to better face Mary May. “I’m good. Working on getting better, but it’s a decent start.”
“What’ll help?” she asked, leaning against the bar. “It’s my job to ask while you’re up here.”
Hana shrugged, and played with one of the loose strands of hair that had escaped her bun. “Well…I was eying the special for a little while.”
“And?”
“You don’t actually mention what’s in it.”
Mary May shrugged. “I’ll tell you if you really want to know, but for that one I recommend giving it a shot before you do. It’s got a punch to it, but one that I haven’t heard too many complaints about.”
“Yet?” That got her a look, and Hana chuckled. “Don’t worry. I doubt you’ll get any from me.”
She looked over her shoulder and took in the atmosphere of the bar again, the low music playing off to the side, and the two waiting for her nearby. They got a quick wave from her – she really hadn’t meant to linger this long, but her pursuit of a drink had taken a backseat to fun conversation instead – and she turned back to Mary May.
“Was this close to it? One of the usual nights at the Eagle before things went…you know?”
“Went straight to hell? Not always, but this is a small town. Out of all of the things you can get up to here that’s legal, drinking and dancing’s one of the better ones.” She pulled out a glass and reached for a nearby bottle of vodka. “Probably would’ve seen you here before long too,” she said with a smile.
“Either for drinking, or dancing?”
“Why choose?” Mary May added a few other things to the drink as Hana watched, liking the sunset shade that bloomed from it. “Though I think you’re a dancer.”
Hana snorted. “Really? I mean, you’re not wrong, I just didn’t think it’d be that easy of a guess.”
The drink was garnished with a cherry and Mary May slid it towards her. “You hardly sit still for long, so sticking close to the bar to keep on filling her up until you’re blind just didn’t seem like the right pick for you.”
“No, I do love finding great ways to burn that buzz off. I’ll give you that too.”
Hana picked up the glass, and gave the liquid inside a small swirl before trying it. Damn. Mary May was on point tonight. Taking another longer drink, she slid a few bills across the counter and found herself trying to follow the rhythm of the song playing on the jukebox.
“But do you dance?” She swayed her hips a bit before leaning back against the counter, her smile definitely bordering on flirtatious.
“Not on my shift,” Mary May replied without missing a beat. “But ask me again when it’s over, and I might have a different answer for you.”
Hana bit back an awkward laugh as the other woman smiled at her, and when it grew into a legitimate grin, she tapped her fingers on the counter before retreating. “Maybe I will…?”
“We’ll see in a few hours won’t we? You better come back to check!” she called out after her.
Burying her face in her drink, Hana took a large gulp of it, and hoped no one caught any of that. Lucky for her, both Sharky and Hurk were plenty distracted when she approached, both of them pointing over at the group bordering the dance floor. Only a few were attempting to dance at this point, but the others were crowding right by the old arcade machine, yelling loudly for every success and failure the person playing encountered.
That was the primary draw of the spot at the moment, not the little jukebox in the back.
“That’s pretty damn sad, man,” Hurk said with a sigh. “When even the dancing’s taking a backseat to that-“
“It’s a fucking crime, right?”
Hurk turned towards her in surprise, both of them lighting up at seeing her, but his eyebrows went up when she quickly placed the drink down and started digging around in her pocket. Pulling out a twenty dollar bill, she unrolled it and tugged it between her hands.
“This place does need more dancing, but to do that we need the right music. You make this magic happen, and I’ll gladly pony up the funds for it.”
The surprise faded in a heartbeat, as Hurk’s expression went serious. “Done and done, Deputy V. It’ll be my civic duty, because no one’s out there doing so much as a drunken do-si-do, and that’s just insulting.”
Her face scrunched up at the nickname, but once Hurk had taken the cash and all but sprinted towards the dance floor, her sour expression faded fast.
Plopping down in the chair next to Sharky, she let out a contented sigh. “Ah, now the relaxing can begin. Taking any bets on how much longer they’ll last?”
“Dude’s some kinda wizard at it. I can’t think of a time when he isn’t up there messing around with the game, which sucks, because what if someone else puts a quarter up there hoping to get in a turn? So much for common courtesy and the gamer code, man. Shit’s falling apart.”
He took a drink, aiming his glare right over at the arcade machine, and Hana idly wondered just how many turns he would’ve taken with it otherwise. At the very least two, judging from the way he kept on watching, and she lightly nudged his arm to help him focus on something else.
“So, what are you going to do now?”
“Now?” Sharky put his beer down and gave her a funny look. “I’m gearing up to hit that dance floor in fifteen to twenty. Gotta get good and buzzed before dishing it out, though, cause these moves are certified deadly without easing in all gentle-like.”
Hana coughed into her drink. “No, not that. I mean tomorrow. Or hell, within the next few days. I figured I’d cut you loose, and let you go back to doing your own thing.”
“Uh, that’s…you were?”
There was hurt there. Just for a second, as he buried it back down, and she frowned. “Yeah, I figured you’d be sick of running around with me, and wanted to, you know. Go back home, help Addie, or work on that antifreeze problem that’s been bugging you.”
“Nah, man,” he said, giving her an easy smile. “With you, it’s a fucking party every day of the week, and I don’t know what’ll come up tomorrow. I can burn shit all day any day back there outside, pants-free, and drunker than a skunk. Here it’s after taking a motherfucking joyride through Peggie roadblocks, while hurling molotovs in an action hero’s dream ride. I haven’t had this much fun in…” He paused, ticking it off on his fingers, then waved it off. “Years, easy.”
“Sharky, seriously-“
“I’m being serious! And someone’s gotta watch your back. I’m here with you right now, so that’s covered, and should’ve been covered the other three times they came in, took you, and somehow did it without anyone noticing.” He crossed his arms, and gave an aggravated huff. “Which, I guess I gotta get on their level next time to stop that shit, or we both start doing everything back to back which is weird-“
“Just a little,” she said, hiding her smile behind her hand.
“Especially since I know you don't want to see what goes down when I wake with a problem. Like a hard one that really only a hands-on solution’ll fix. …But it’d take only take ten to fifteen minutes max to crank it out, so I could tell you when to start looking my way again so you won’t see my dick hanging out. Who’s gonna do that when I’m gone?”
She chewed on her lip, thinking every last bit of that over – some parts more than others - and started chuckling. “Geez, that’s…I really don’t know. It’s a pretty compelling argument.”
“Hell, yeah it is.”
He was serious. At least as serious as she’d ever seen him, and she leaned forward to rest her elbows on the table between them. “I guess I’m just stuck with you then. Or, actually on the flip side, you’re just stuck with me. Sure you’re ready for that?”
Mirroring her, he leaned forward too, except he held out his right hand to her. “Ride or die, H. That’s how I roll.”
It took her a minute to react, split between what he’d said and the fact that she didn’t doubt him. Not in the slightest.
She clapped her hand against his, held it, and couldn’t quite stop the shy smile that crossed her face. “Because, how’d it go? We shoulder each other’s burdens and shit?”
“From one amigo to another.” He pointed at her and winked, keeping her hand in his. “Ain’t any other way I know it.”
A tray hit the table right by her elbow, making her jump in her seat.
“Fucking finally,” Hurk said, swiping a hand across his forehead. “Took me fifty years to make my way back, but there was one hell of a line at Miss Mary May’s so…”
He looked between them, and raised an eyebrow.
She quickly let go, and spoke up before Hurk could. “Still looking to hit that dance floor later?”
“If it’s the last thing I do tonight. This place’s starting to act like the party up and died, and I just can’t abide by that.” Hurk pushed the drinks towards them. “Get on this, and we’ll get-“ he pointed towards the empty spot in front of the jukebox – “on reviving that.”
“Cool, let me actually grab something guaranteed to speed up that process.”
She slipped out of her chair, walking way too fast for it be subtle, but made her way over to Mary May again and hoped her face wasn’t as red as she feared it was. “There’s no limit on the special, right?”
Mary May was wiping down a glass, and gave her a curious glance. “Nope, long as you’re paying, and not spraying.”
She slid the cash across the counter. “I’ll take two.”
---
Both drinks had been for her, and both were shot shortly after being poured. She then proceeded to make her way back over to the guys, both of which had soundly put a dent in Hurk’s pre-dance offerings.
Coming straight from Mary May the next day, what she witnessed happen on that dance floor was some of the worst dancing she’d seen in a long while. Which seemed a little unfair considering she had tried to at last bring her B-game with some solid 80’s and 90’s moves to keep things lively.
It had felt good and pretty coordinated in the moment, she’d figured. She was also certain she’d kept her limbs from knocking against Sharky’s too much as he lead her through the next disco move he demonstrated, and hadn’t collided with Hurk more than once, maximum. She’d swear on it the next day, even with Mary May shaking her head at her.
At some point the music had changed. Their playlist had run out only for someone else to feed the jukebox, and the new tune meant a shift in mood. So, the softer thing made sense for a waltz or slow-dance, and she grabbed for one of the guys to get with it.
She had been promised dancing, dammit, and right now, silly and drunk as she was, this was the first happy and carefree thing she’d been able to do in weeks.
Hurk was first, and let her take the lead. He even let her keep it too, with her half-stepping on his feet, and mid-way through she was sure he attempted to make it a tango. Complete with the cocktail stirrer between his teeth, and who knew when the hell he’d grabbed it. Only that his eyebrows were going into overdrive, and she was going to laugh herself into a pile on the floor.
When she came out of it, still giggle-snorting, Sharky took his turn, and she nearly smacked him in the face with her elbow when she stumbled into him. He steadied her, giving her something solid to hold onto, and took her hand in his as he placed the other on his shoulder – both of his hands surprisingly steady for how many drinks along he was.
Once she was in place, he nodded when he was ready. She nodded back, her chin tilted up to meet his eyes, and let him take her around. It was the kind of dancing she hadn’t done since her prom, but it felt right as the older tunes from the jukebox kept on playing behind them.
He concentrated hard on this, watching both of their feet, and she knew she was swaying too much for him to make up for all of it. In, out, he was the one balancing her as they turned, and her forehead bumped into his chin, making them both hang in place as they rubbed at the sore spots that smack earned.
An idea hit as she held onto him, at times almost flush against him, and she got it out while she could still verbalize it. “Hey,” she said, leaning up on her toes to whisper in his ear. “Dip me.”
He gave her one hell of a strange look. “Dip what?”
“Dip me. You know. Like hold onto me, and lean me back? Like in those old classic ballroom dancing movies?”
“Uh, don’t think I’ve seen too many of those, chica.” He turned towards her, their faces a lot closer than before, and he grinned. “I kinda got an idea of what you mean, though, so let me know if this does it for you.”
The dip after nearly threw her off, making her squeak as he attempted it, but she held on. And when he pulled her back up, the rush left her feeling giddy all over.
It was on dip number two that she felt a jolt. An uncomfortable lurch, lingering somewhere between her stomach and her chest that he could read right from the position he was holding her.
“You losing it, Dep?”
She swallowed, and cringed. “I am totally losing it.”
Hoisting her up, she sprinted for the door, and barely made it to the Spread Eagle’s curb outside before vomiting.
“I think I’m done here, hon,” she croaked. She held on tight to Sharky’s arm as she wobbled in place, spitting a few more times to get the taste out, and let him pull her up. “Is this-“ she gestured towards her face, “pretty gross, or?”
“Nah, you ain’t gross. Just feeling close to it, right?”
He handed her a handkerchief, and she swiped it across her mouth. “Yeah. So gross.”
When she was sure she was decent, she leaned her head against his chest, and felt his arms wrap around her. Being held like that, close and warm, made her eyes slip shut, and she hummed contently as they stood there together.
“Where you staying at?”
He had to ask the question twice, likely because her first answer was mumbled directly into the material of his hoodie. “Upstairs. Mary May’s got the details.”
“I’ll get you there, shorty. Don’t worry.”
Holding onto him tight, she followed him as he guided her back inside.
One last note!
anyone still hoping to put forth late entries, you still have plenty of time to be featured! the blog will continue to track the #FC5Week and #FC5Week2019 tags for about the next week, so there’s still time to participate and be showcased!!!
Thank you to everyone who participated; from supporting the original idea, to promoting the week, and to creating new content for this fandom to enjoy.
The response has been more than we could have imagined and that’s due to all of you putting in the time and effort into making this week something special. You guys are the reason we’re all still part of the Far Cry 5 fandom!
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(This part is from me - Katie! - personally: I would like to take a moment to thank everyone who volunteered to come on-board and help manage the blog for the week’s duration! @scarlettkat86, @softseeds, @farcryfuckmeup, and @outranks - thank you all so much for helping keep this ship running the last 7 days! ❤️
and special thanks to @outranks in particular! she was integral during the planning stages, was my rock and sounding board while i rambled and struggled to piece together coherent themes to tie everything together! thank you so much ❤️
thank you all so much for making this week so special and joining us in celebrating! i’m hopeful we might hold something else again in the future and all come back together again to celebrate and create!)
