I have a lot of regrets about that

"We should ignore our feelings if they are making things difficult, I got it," she agreed while nodding thoughtfully, but it still didn't feel right. Or enough. She lifted a hand, hovering for a full second while she considered where to position it, and then gave two firm pats to his shoulder. "But it's okay. You are okay," she ordered.

A smile, however small, starts to form. The least he would want is to give her the responsibility of having to care for him to such a degree. Protecting each other, though, sounds better than him having to deal with things alone. It's a cowardly notion, he knows, but he has always been aware of the kind of person he is...

Even so, here he is, nodding back at her. "You won't have to kill anyone, not if I can help it." Norm assures, though he is still unsure if he can even confirm that in a lawless place like the wasteland. Regardless, he will try. "You'll find out all you need... I'll protect you and you'll protect me. You won't be alone in this."

' i keep my anxiety bottled up, where it belongs. ' @anhedonicist

There was a pause as Terra looked at him pensively, formulating her question. "Anxiety is when you are afraid you'll kill everyone, right?" she asked, trying to figure out if she had understood this particular emotion. They were all so confusing, still - emotions, she hadn't been allowed to have any for quite a while - but she was learning by applying words to her experience. Still, keeping things bottled up didn't seem healthy, but if Norm said so...

"That can be one cause for anxiety, yeah. But... Anxiety is more like a strong worry about something upcoming. Something that could happen or not. You feel danger approach and, well, I guess your body tries to prepare you for it by making you acutely aware of it."

Does that even make sense? Fudge... At least this conversation helped to distract him from the actual feeling of the anxiety itself.

"You have?" she asks tentatively, moreso as a buffer in the conversation than anything else. It is surprising, for what it's worth. With how hard she's been trying to hide from everyone, the fact that Norm managed to find her - that he even bothered to look so intently to begin with - is impressive.

And then he surprises her yet again, asking her how she's holding up. Genuine, in the way Norm always is. For a moment, she feels silly for having expected anything less from someone who has only ever shown her kindness.

"I can talk." She gives a small nod. She was sick of having time for herself, crushed by how suffocating this new feeling of loneliness was, but it didn't feel as though there was an alternative either. "I'm..." Allison trails off as she realizes she doesn't know what to answer. No one has asked her that since she found out she was pregnant.

Norm can understand the fear, topped with the fact that she was to face it all by herself. At least, that's what her friends had decided upon. Not that him and Lucy would allow it, not if they could help it. Ally didn't deserve to be alone in this, or at any moment. Who would, in their right mind, think it's good to leave her all by herself to confront this?

"You're not to blame," Norm states, though he knows it won't be enough for her to believe. Still, he does think this way. Slowly, he'll try to make her realize that none of this was her fault, that's what he tries to count on. "They shouldn't have done that to you. There shouldn't be any sides."

The simple thought of it made him internally angry, but he kept his composure. This wasn't his fight, wasn't his situation to react to. Instead, he was here to help.

"I understand what you mean." A pause, thoughtful about his next words. He keeps eyes on her, a nervousness bubbling up. What was the worst that could happen? That she said no? Even as he thinks about that possibility, however light it may seem, he finds himself worrying.

There was a puff of air through her nose as she shook her head at him calling her a genius. "Nuh-uh, that's all you. There's nothing genius about wanting a crutch for a sore leg. Just basic common sense." But that was just Norm being her sweet brother, always ready to offer words of comfort even though she was the big sister and should be the one providing that reassurance.

Even now, Lucy was downplaying her injury just because there was no point in getting herself in a tizzy about it. These things happened, and she just had to deal with it and move on. However, she let him be her temporary crutch for now, his arm a steady support as they began to make their way in the direction of his choosing.

"Where are we headed, Captain?" She asked as she tried her best to stay off the messed-up leg, hobbling funnily down the dirt trail. "I'll go wherever you go, but I don't want to hold you back. Let's find a quiet place to hunker down. Somewhere that gives us shelter and cover from anyone passing by." Even the thought of Norm scavenging while she sat somewhere brought on a feeling of dread. She knew he was capable and would never think any less, but there was this protective force for Norm that existed within Lucy that would enable her to move mountains if it meant she could keep him safe.

"You could never slow me down, Lucy." Norm assures. She had always been the proactive one, the one pushing things to move instead of the one being swayed by the current. Even as he seemed resistant to the ways of the Vault, he had always been more inclined to listening to Lucy, at least humoring her, the most. So, now, he nodded to her words. A shelter.

"I guess we could go to that one abandoned store I saw some time ago. I don't think anyone would be there,... and it's my best bet to find a fashionable crutch." He admits, feeling the weight of being out of his element a little more present now.

"I won't leave you alone for too long." Even here, she was the older sister. The raid was the latest example, yes, but she had defended and protected him from many a thing before. Ever since he can remember, he has known to lean and trust in Lucy. He wishes to return the countless favors here, now. And he could start by scavenging, but also by being considerate enough not to be reckless.

"You know I'm too chicken to go anywhere too far." Norm jokes, though he believes in those words. Lucy is courage, he is cowardice, it has always been like that. Even now, as he is helping her walk down to the store, he feels his body shiver through the uncertainty of this wild place. If he could, he would run and hide, wait for Lucy to tell him it's fine to come out...

But she needs him. He can stand up for her this time, can't he?

Ally's still trying to figure out what it was that she had seen, but she's very certain that she had seen it, and she just wants to figure this out. Up until now, she thought that a potential cult was the biggest of her worries in the woods, but that's not true. No, there are monsters in the woods, and she doesn't even know what to do about it.

“I mean, 'reptile' is probably not the right word, but yeah? It had no hair, so it had to be, right?” she asks, but it's more just because talking helps her to try and anchor herself when it comes to things like this. “I just am still very much trying to figure out what the fuck opens up its face to rows of teeth and a fucking animal screech. I actually wish I was high right now...”

At least then, this could be just a nightmare that she could wake up from and just say was a bad trip. However, this was a whole thing and for a moment she stops freaking out when she hears his question. Well, that's sweet that he cares, and she supposes she did leave out part of the story.

"That honestly sounds horrifying." Norm admits, in the spirit of showing some understanding. He doesn't know how she's been able to keep if even a little bit of composure.

"Do you think it'd be a good idea to try and find out where it went? What it was looking for?" Is this the right time to pay attention to his curiosity? He definitely wants to see, understand what Ally truly saw, what placed her in such a state... Maybe that way, he could help her out better.

But, fudge, he can hear his father telling him he is being tactless for trying to push to satisfy his curiosity instead of keeping the girl's well-being front and center.

"I mean, maybe that's not the wisest thing to do. We could prepare ourselves to try and trace its steps in the morning or something. Search for clues and then try to find it later?" The authorities wouldn't be of help, he feels... They'd think them crazy kids who were probably high, just like he had thought about Ally a few minutes ago.

For some reason, he can't help but believe in her wholeheartedly now. Something is going on. They're in the precipice of some kind of discovery, for better or worse.

Oh how disappointing, the Vaultie was actually insanely smart. Robert was truly hoping that the other would fail in his attempts. But. Alas. Norm did complete and bypass the failsafe. The gasses that were leaking into the vaults airducts turns off.

On a monitor observing the Vault, it is clear some people parished, but more so due to their older age and not being as strong. But. On a whole. Norman saved the vault. People were beginning to get up, to help others. Unsure even what happened to their vault to of made the gas leak at all.

But it was all Vault-Tech's plan. They never really cared for the inhabitants of the Vaults, the experiment was on the surface afterall, and the vaults were just bonus experiments.

"Well now, color me impressed...Good job, you did it. The vault has been saved. With only a few fatalities."

Though if you asked Robert, he certainly wanted the details on the ones who did parish. But, for now, he remains as an annoying helper.

"You are now free to open the Vault."

When he looks down at his hands, he can see that fingers are still shaking, the thrill not yet gone. It was a dirty feeling, to feel this excited over having the fate of people on his hands. He didn't want to think about the ramifications of it, not now. Instead, he turns to the current situation, he could have time to muse about himself later.

She must be wearing that defeat so plainly on her face, with how quickly her brother claims not to believe her. She supposes Norm has never seen her truly distressed - she'd never been truly distressed until the day of her wedding - so it's bound to raise a red flag.

For how close they are, no space between them whatsoever, Norm's words sound so distant. Lucy finds herself struggling to make sense of everything he's saying, as if a fog has taken over her mind -- as if her body wouldn't allow her to shut down unless she knew she'd be safe.

With Norm's arm around her to support her weight, Lucy lets herself be held, reveling in the feeling for a moment. If she closes her eyes, it almost feels like they're back in the vault, where all is well and their family is still together.

"Yeah..." she replies weakly, giving a small nod of confirmation. "Okay." Despite Norm's slow stride, it takes some real effort to match him, the overwhelming sensation of burning threatening to cloud her vision.

"Sorry," Lucy blurts out a moment later, unable to shake off the feeling that she's making him carry too much already. "I think it's -- the sun. Hot." She lets out a ragged breath as she draws a hand to her forehead, before realizing it's pointless to check for temperature when her whole body feels like a furnace.

In a way, would that not have been mercy on him, too?

"It's okay, Lucy, let me handle this." For once, he can help her. He keeps himself steady to keep her body from swaying. She burns and the sun burns back, threatening to consume her. But every step they take is leading them to the building he had pointed from afar, to much-needed shade. She'd be protected from the winds trying to knock them both over, doing little to fan the burning sensation she carries.

When they're finally close enough, he feels a shaky relief while he does everything in his power not to just sprint over. Instead, he continues the steady pace until Lucy is finally in and he can place her gently against whatever soft surface he can find. For now, that was only an old office chair.

"Here, just... Sit here for a bit." Norm comments while he struggles to help her down, using his free hand to keep the office chair from rolling away. "I'll search for a bed, soon. But I need you to drink some water first. I'll help you."

Fudge, he didn't want to stop and think about her condition, but he was doing just that and it was driving him crazy. He never wants to see her like this ever again. For now, though, this is reality and he will face it. He will find a way to nurse her back to health.

Though, he does feel a little stupid for not having some medicine on him... It should have been one of the first things to search for once out. Not that his predicament gave him enough space to do so. Thankfully, he had managed to find a bottle of water, before. Not the cleanliest, but thankfully not radiated. He was really hoping it would help somehow.

Robbie was not thrilled that Hank MacLane was behind this, perhaps loading his brain up with drugs wasn't the best idea. If he was his old self, he'd be safe, sane (to whatever degree of sanity you called him before) and in his Computerized safehaven. But, life throws bombs, and sometimes, people break under pressure.

Hank had been irksome like Cooper Howard had been, but his determination and drive were admirable, especially combined with that wife of his. However much Robert House had changed, Hank MacLane did not. And with the device on the back of his neck he is fearful of what will happen. He will lose...Everything if he doesn't have his mind. he will be a drone. Perhaps he deserved it. No. Correction. He did deserve it. With the human test trials he did to others, with the things he created? Undoubtedly deserved a horrible death. But this...To erase him entierly...A sick twist of fate.

He can't let it happen, can he? Maybe he'd be better if he let it happen...His ears are wide as he looks to the smaller Vault Dweller. Asking his typical scared questions. Robbie sighs and looks around the cell but it doesn't look like theres much of an escape.

"Names Robbie, I don't know where your Vault dad is, but we got bigger probelms than that." Robbie turns around and points to the small device that was attached to his neck.

"Do you have one of these on the back of your neck? I couldn't see under your collar-Check!"

So, he tried to take a deep breath and listen to the man. The device attached to the man's neck looked strangely eerie. A sense of familiarity comes to him, though he doesn't really get why. Instead, he tries touching the back of his neck and sighs in relief. His head shakes quick.

"I don't," Norm states, turning around so the other could take a glance. "What is that? Did dad put that on you?" There was no way, right? But he still had to know. Maybe, it wasn't that bad of a device.

He wondered if he had seen those before, if the raiders had those one when they attacked. Trying to remember the raid back then was like trying to recall one of those olds movies Lucy loved so much. He'd glance, watch bits and pieces before wanting to engross himself on something else. Anything else. He was left with scattered scenes that made no sense. That was exactly how the raid felt and how he remembered it.

Failure is not really something that Ally has ever accepted before, but this is so much bigger than her and she isn't sure that she can do. Research only gets one so far, and for some reason, the stakes feel so high that she feels like the higher she reaches, the harder she's going to fall. That feeling has a hold on her, and she just wants to cry, but Norm offering to help?

“I don't want to be alone...” she admits gently, taking a deep breath and letting a little bit of relief wash over her. There is a part of her that doesn't want to involve him in all this nonsense when it's dangerous, but having to do everything on her own has been weighing on her and now she's here...failing again. “I just also don't want you to get hurt because I dragged you into it.”

Wouldn't that make her just as bad as the monsters in the dark if she made him a part of this? The thought that she could be directly responsible for anything bad that happened to him almost makes that limp in her throat more painful, but she also might need fresh eyes on this. Was it worth it though?

No, it worried him, the way she was worrying for him, instead. Despite pushing herself to the brink, despite the hardships she had been facing all by herself, here she was, worrying about him. He has to look down, away, so as to not show that he does feel a tinge of guilt. Her heart is too big. He'd always had the luck of being surrounded by people like that.

But it comes with pain, with having to witness the way they sacrifice themselves, even during small conversations like these. And yet, he knows he has to make her worry, he has to push on through. It's that or forcing her to continue venturing in the dark by herself. Finally, he lifts his gaze to her.

"You won't be the reason. Not now, not ever. If anything happens to me, it'll be solely because of me." Norm tries to give her a light smile, anything that's not just a flat expression. She needs his support, she needs him to show he is supporting her, rather. "I'm the one that signed up for this. Whatever happens, I'm ready to face it. But I want to face it with you. I also don't want to be alone."

Another pause before a firm nod, his eyes searching for hers.

Would she really be able to find it in a stranger?

"I know it's how the Vaults have always done things," she's quick to add, not wanting Norm to think she would go as far as questioning the system they had in place. "I'm sure they have... a great marriage success rate!" The smile on her lips spreads so wide, it makes her face hurt. Muscle memory, really. She forgot she wouldn't be able to fool Norm so easily. "Like mom and dad," she agrees with a nod. There's not much she remembers about their mother, but she never doubted their parents' love for a second. If only she could be so lucky...

Without realizing, she lets herself sink too when her shoulders droop, defenses gone in the way that only really happens around her brother. In turn, the soft tone in Norm's voice is just as rare. He's not nearly as open with his emotions as Lucy is - she doesn't need him to be; she knows how he really feels, deep down - so it's all the more meaningful when he reassures her like this.

"Thank you." She gives his hand a gentle squeeze. "You're really good at pep talks when you put your mind to it, you know?" Tone's only a little teasing, softened expression still on her features as she holds his gaze.

To her compliments, he chuckles, shrugging. "I'm only good at it because it's you I'm talking to." Were it anyone else, surely, he would say something that would make them mad, instead... But she was right, if he truly wanted to pick someone up, he'd try his best to say the right things. For now, his efforts were only used for Lucy.

There's a quiet chuckle at the shove. "I'm pretty sure it is a thing," he doubles down, despite being unable to pretend he was serious about it. "There you have it, though... Whatever his flaws may be, I'm sure you'll make the most of it."

He lifts a hand towards her, placing it on her shoulder, just to show his support a little ways more than just with words. "Whatever happens, you're not going to be alone in this. If you ever need me, for anything, I'll always be here for you. But... tomorrow is going to be great. It has to be."

Though saying that makes him wonder if the feelings Lucy was going through were a precursor to something... Some kind of sign. No, he couldn't even entertain the thought, not when it was Lucy who was possibly at stake. He had to believe.

Half human half something, raised to be a weapon of mass destruction because of her abilities, a slave crown to make her a mindless puppet was the only way to force her to kill: Terra is now free and a sweetheart who doesn't want to fight anymore. Not unless she finds a reason for it. Trying to figure out who she is, get her memories back, understand life, and find friends, family, and love. Here at @lovecreature!

Her canon story is adapted to all fandoms I know, so she can written as an oc! main promo is already up but this is a sneaky one to branch out <3