* duty lost !

indie & mutually exclusive paladin danse from bethesda’s fallout 4. post blind betrayal. spoiler heavy. est 7/17/17. rebooted 04/29/18.

The vault dweller was not here to save him this time -- he was painfully aware of this fact. Danse was not afraid of DEATH -- he merely did not wish to accept his fate at this time. He had been granted another chance, and with that he could still HELP the Commonwealth ; even if it wasn’t in the colors of the Brotherhood of Steel. But, he would not beg for his life, if that was what Arthur wanted to hear. He merely gives a pained grimace up at him, the hand that was previously reaching for his gun balling into a fist against the heated Commonwealth dirt. “I refused to hide and be painted as an outcast of humanity -- even if I was an outcast from everything that I had ever given myself to,” he breaths, voice painted hoarse as he spoke with a sharp shake of his head, “But, this is not Brotherhood territory, I did not impede on our agreement, Arthur,” he then defends, baring his teeth for a moment before a fresh wave of pain causes him to press his forehead against the ground with a low and shaky breath. “Are you not going to give yourself the pleasure of at least killing me yourself?” 

The paladin falls quiet for a moment - contemplating the question; contemplating the best response to begin to try and back up the potential that he saw in the former vault dweller despite not having much to their name. THEY HAD SAVED HIS SQUAD, if they hadn’t shown up when they had at the police station -- he wasn’t too prideful to believe that they still would’ve been able to shovel their way out of the ghoul mess they had been cornered in. Albeit, one act of playing good samaritan did not make a good Brotherhood solider. Danse knew this. Arthur knew this. “They are confused,” he finally starts with after a long moment of deliberation. “They had everything that they cared about ripped away from them in what surely felt like merely moments for them. They are lost, and looking for answers. I believe that we can help them FIND their answers, and -- in return, I also believe that our mission will help them find whatever purpose they lost with the bombs.”  Someone who has nothing else left to lose could be extremely dangerous -- but could also be a very valuable ally. 

i don’t know why i didn’t think of that sooner ??? even if the quality going from ps4 to being uploaded is 110% shit, it’s still better than anything else i was doing . thank you !!

    “I have the upmost faith in THEIR POTENTIAL, Arthur, or I would not have sponsored them ; any failures I will take personal responsibility for.”

   “I do not appreciate your unprofessional questioning, civilian.”

YOU KNOW ME, It’s just me -- Danse wanted to tell him. To scream it at him, and shake some sense into the man that he knew. Or he had known -- No, he refused to believe that Jamie was any different than he had been before. FOR SO LONG, Jamie had spent trying to change Danse’s mind that he was much more than the machine that the Brotherhood had dismissed and vilified. And Jamie had SUCCEEDED -- eventually; it had taken a long time of Jamie continuously trying each and every day and moment to wear down the walls that Danse had built with the discovery of what he was. M3-97, and his appearance, had given them a set back -- but, Danse was as whole as he possibly could be. And Jamie had been ripped from him. So, when River had made her decision, Danse refused to be upset about it. Danse wasn’t a tactile man -- even if things with Jamie was always different -- he reaches out slightly, as if reaching out for the other ; but he stops, grunts to himself, and pulls back.   You know me -- his brain echoes to the other, but he doesn’t say it. A selfish part of him feels like he deserves better from Jamie; but he crushes that part of thinking just as quickly as it appears. Jamie was likely hurting, and he needed to allow him the time to do so. “ -- I’m here, you know that I am; you know that I’m not going anywhere. Jamie, please, tell me what you need.”

The former Paladin was nothing if not observant. He had it drilled into his very bones that to become distracted – to allow your focus to shift to something that was not part of your surroundings – could mean death. It could be overly dangerous, especially out in the open and alone. Danse should know better. After over a decade in the Brotherhood, and running around the Capitol Wasteland as young adult before that, it should’ve been second nature to keep his attention from being split. In the end, he would blame the shot on nothing more than dumb luck – as he did not see the solo set of power armor over the horizon ; the Brotherhood did not typically come out this way. It was not their territory – it was not their land. It was a place that Danse should be able to wander the dirt of without worrying about his safety. Should be; maybe that was why his focus was split. Maybe that was why he did not notice the Brotherhood soldier until the sound of the laser weapon beingfired rang through the wastes – followed almost instantly by a SEARING pain against his abdomen. Ever since becoming a Knight in the Brotherhood, Danse had rarely let his boots hit the ground without being shrouded by his power armor.  But, without a place to properly maintenance it – without a place to properly store it ; it was less of a burdento not wear it. To instead sport combat armor that clung tightly to muscle and skin – and revealed much more of his body to the world than he was comfortable with. The shot hit right below the curve of his chest piece – searing through his clothing, and burning through flesh. Knees buckled as a gasp vibrated in his lungs ; the weight of his body hitting the sand before he could even properly comphrend what was happening. It had been avery long time since he had gotten injured without the pillowing of his power armor dulling the throb. In the fall, his laser rifle tumbled from his holster – sitting against the dirt a few good feet from where he lay. A grunt of pain rose from his chest as he rolled over onto his side with some effort – squinting at the figure in the distance as he struggled to try and reach his weapon – just outside of his grasp as harsh pants made his entire being quiver.