{ be my beta love }

jesse’s just so indescribably glad to be FREE. among that, there is pain & trauma, yes – many of which he’ll never truly be rid of. yet, beyond that, there’s MORE; he has eliana and chris’ companionship, the presence of people who care about him. even chris, who jesse isn’t super close to quite yet, has just asked how jesse’s slept – enough to get a small smile from jesse.

“ hey, man. i slept pretty good. i really missed having a bed to lay in. ”   he lets out a soft laugh, probably a bit awkward. it’s kind of a heavy thing to casually imply that he hasn’t been sleeping in a bed for months. moving on from that, he notes the rest of chris’ words.   “ totally, yo – lay it on me. i’d love to hear what you got in store. ”

a small pause, and he returns the courtesy.   “ you sleep okay yourself — ”   wait, chris is an android. jesse winces at his own presumptuous question.  “ uh, is sleeping a thing you do? ”

He gives a swift nod, unfazed by Jesse’s line of questioning. “I do! Just not as much as everyone else. I really only need to sleep every couple days or so, but I usually get a few hours a night,” he answers patiently. “But I slept alright. I’m always pretty restless when I know El’s gotta leave for a few days.” Sleep won’t come easily, or at all, for him in her absence, but Chris has long since grown used to that.

“I’m glad you slept well because my idea might require a little bit of work.” He’s been thinking on it for a few days, really, ever since Jesse mentioned in passing that he enjoyed woodworking when he spotted Chris’s own pet projects strewn about one of the extra rooms in their home. 

“I’ve been cleaning up my workshop a bit, and I pulled an extra table in there. I was thinking   --- if you wanna --- we could find you some supplies, and you could start woodworking again.” His eyes shine as he speaks, his enthusiasm palpable. Chris can’t imagine what Jesse’s been through, but he knows that life is always much easier when someone has a hobby or passion to pursue and people to care about them. He’s happy to try and provide Jesse with both.  

@binarymind liked for a lyric-based starter! [ Monster ]

“If I told you what I was, would you turn your back on me? And if I seem dangerous, would you be scared? I get the feeling- just because everything I touch isn’t dark enough- if this problem lies in me…”

     ‘ not brave, darlin’. just stubborn. ’ stubborn enough to survive anything the wasteland’s thrown at her (but surviving is different than being unaffected). the mess that was delivering the platinum chip hadn’t shocked her, somehow—misfortune’s always followed behind kaj, dogging her footsteps like a hungry deathclaw. the only regret she has is that it bled into so many other lives; ulysses, the other couriers stuck with house’s stupid task. like it always does, it makes her feel responsible for someone else’s mess (at least this one lived).

       ‘ but maybe your decision would’ve been the better one. ’ it’s not even a lie. catching a caravan might’ve saved her a hell of a lotta trouble. she reaches over to pat his hand, then offers him a sip from her canteen. ‘ where would you have gone? if you were me, i mean. ’

He accepts the canteen, taking a quick swig before returning it. Chris’s expression turns thoughtful, his brown eyes narrowing as he mulls over the question. “I guess the obvious answer would be for me to go home   ---   back to the vault I grew up in,” Chris murmurs. "Then again, I’m here because I wanted to escape that place,” he adds, not without a note of amusement. 

“Ain’t thinkin’ they really care none ‘bout the people themselves ‘round here either.” Now Hal was a biased option from the get-go, and even he could outright admit to that, but he’d seen a lot of bad coming from the NCR officers here and very, very little good. Not to say the Legion was preferable by any means… he was done with slavers for the most part, and what deal he had with them was solely to keep his husband safe and get them the hell out of dodge if they were able to beat the NCR and take over, but the best thing for Freeside as a whole seemed to be everyone just… leaving them be.

Not that it wholly mattered, he supposed. They’d probably be long gone from this area well before this little war ended.

His head tipped up, too-pale eyes finally flicked over to this stranger speaking so freely. “Botherin’ is definitely one word for it. People ain’t exactly great ‘round here, sure, but life’s hard enough without some asshats moseyin’ in and throwin’ their weight around.” Hell - even the Followers at the Old Mormon Fort were feeling it. “Can’t say we have. Name’s Hal. Y’new ‘round here?”

A thoughtful hum rises from his throat. He’s never known a military faction to be so . . . invasive. In D.C, the Brotherhood helped where they could, but otherwise stepped back from meddling in the affairs of the average wastelander. They certainly didn’t set up encampments in prominent settlements throughout the wasteland. “New enough,” he answers with a nod. “I’m from back east; I’ve been around for a few months.” While Freeside is, for all intents and purposes, Chris’s home in the Mojave, most of his days are spent trekking the wasteland.

“I’m a courier with the Mojave Express, so I don’t spend a whole lotta time here.” His head cocks to the side. “Where I’m from, there aren’t a lot of factions in general. Little ones here and there. The Brotherhood of Steel is the biggest, but they stay out of everyone’s business as long as no one messes with their tech.”

billie ellish lyric starters - accepting

An emotion he doesn’t quite recognize washes over him. It’s somewhere between hurt and sadness, but it burns in a way those two feelings never do. It hits Chris all at once that he must be feeling angry. No matter the circumstances of her disappearance, how could Laura think herself insignificant enough that he wouldn’t care that she was gone? Despite the confusing flurry of emotions he’s feeling, the look Chris gives her is one full of sorrow, not a hint of fury to be found in his brown eyes. 

“I don’t understand. Of course I was upset when you left. You’re my friend,” he replies, shaking his head. “That’s why I’m here. So you can come back home and be with us.” His eyes search Laura’s face for any sign that she wants to return. He hopes she does. She doesn’t belong here, among raiders who care more for bloodshed than they do one another.

billie ellish lyric starters - accepting

Hurt flashes over his features, his expression like that of a kicked puppy. “Nothing — really, you just …” Chris trails off, trying to pinpoint what it is about her that made him approach. Something about her seems startlingly familiar. Considering where he came from, he should be more wary, but Chris is certain she’s no scientist. In his mind, another synth poses no risk to him. 

Everything about being within the Fort makes Chris’s skin crawl. He’s managed to convince Caesar that the Securitrons beneath the Fort have been destroyed. Yet, he remains on edge, knowing full well that if anyone attempts to confirm his lie, he will be caught immediately. That’s not the only thing troubling the Courier, though. Benny still waits in Caesar’s tent   ---    an offering from the Legion. He knows he’s expected to kill his would-be murderer himself, but can he? Whatever Benny’s done, killing him in cold blood doesn’t sit well with Chris. Being a prisoner of the Legion has probably been punishment enough.

“I keep forgetting to ask   --- where’d you get that fancy weapon from? It’s cool.” Chris says, sparing his companion a quick glance as they make their way towards Vegas. With Benny captured by the Legion, Chris has busied himself with accomplishing the tasks Yes Man set for him. Now, he needs to make a visit to the White Gloves, and decide what their fate will be, should New Vegas become independent under his leadership.

Chris doesn’t quite trust his own judgement though, hence the need for Arcade. The other man is level-headed and intelligent, not so easily swayed by others. He’s someone who can be trusted. For now, though, it seems easier to fill the silence between them with what he feels is light conversation.

“Hey, Jesse!” Chris greets, perking up as he watches their house guest meander his way into the kitchen. Morning sunlight filters in through charred curtains, illuminating the house in soft light. Chris has been up for hours, unable to sleep after seeing Eliana off on her Railroad mission around dawn. For once, though, he feels a little less anxious about her departure, knowing that he won’t be spending the next few days in a lonely house.

Laura nods at Chris’ response, unsurprised by the confession that he doesn’t often speak of whatever had upset him.

“Okay. I know an all-day breakfast place just around the corner. Would that work for you?” She wants him to be comfortable wherever they choose to eat, especially if they’re going to be speaking of something that seems so difficult for him.

“It’s alright, Chris- I’m just glad you’re okay…” Offering her hand, she smiles softly. “Let’s go grab some food, we can chat there if you still want to.”

“Yeah, that sounds good.” He accepts her outstretched hand, a troubled expression still present on his face. Mostly, the overwhelming sense of fear and panic has passed now that he feels safe. Yet, Chris can’t help but feel bad for worrying Laura.