IT'S A BRAVE NEW WORLD!

And it was an urgent one, by the look of him. Valentine traveled light, but it was clear to see when he was ready to head out: his revolver tucked into his holster at his hip said it well enough.

And if that didn't, the look on the detective's face said it better. He looked prematurely sorry. His eyes avoided hers once he knocked on her door again.

Now that was a broad who didn't take no for an answer.

"Woah-- okay, okay," Nick chuckled as he took pace beside her. "Only 'cause you're so persuasive."

Gabban tried to find the humor in Nick’s story regardless. The youth was safe, returned to their rightful place, and all thanks to a detective with iron-strong teeth. But many of the boys he’d remembered in those few moments never made it past their sixteenth birthday. He hoped this one would. 

“Why did he go?” For glory? For family? For purpose? “Big gun or not, where did the idea come from?” 

Nick's smile was somewhat rueful, contemplative, but pointedly kind. "Kid tried to do a good thing, I respect his candor. But... hopefully he learned a good lesson here."

"It's important to do the right thing, but it's always more important to have somebody watchin' your back when you do. ...Everybody needs friends."

"Good, I'd like to keep any further casualties to a minimum." Although he knew that was easier said than done.

"Lead the way." The doctor followed quietly, every step silent, precise, feeling as though he was back in the Navy all over again, all the more perfected by the fact that he held his rifle in his hand just in case. He'd rather not use it, but he wasn't about to play around when his daughter was out there somewhere. He had to survive, he had to find her, he had to bring her home -- - to whatever he could salvage of it.

As he followed Nick's instructions, the two plunged into darkness, he kept close, thankful for the synth's guidance until the pair were finally outside of the vault, wading their way over dirt and soil. He still couldn't believe it, what Vault-Tec had been doing, what they'd done, and not only to him, his family and all of his neighbours, but from what he'd seen, it seemed they had all sorts of nasty skeletons in their closets.

And then he stopped. Bright yellow eyes turned up to the sky with a little wince at the light-- it was overcast, drizzling slightly, but it was still outside. Nick breathed in the air he didn't need, let it out slow, let his eyes drift closed.

"...I'm fantastic," the synth answered in a low hum. "Damn, it feels good to smell the old Fens sewage again..."

Nick turned, and again offered a hand, this time stepping close enough to really shake it. "Thanks, Doc. Really."

send a 💋 get a kiss ( still accepting )

[ 𝕎 ] —- Valentine's Day was something that was always hard for Wolf. Had been, ever since he & Garrett had separated. ( Even moreso, after the other man's passing. ) As such, it wasn't exactly a hard choice for Wolf, deciding to reach for the nearest bottle of liquor & drinking until he couldn't feel anything anymore.

Unfortunately for him, the bottle on his desk had been emptied the week before, leaving him with no other option besides visiting Freeside. After several rounds of whiskey inside the Atomic Wrangler, he’d landed straight in wasted territory. Swimming vision, incoherent thoughts, fumbling steps, the works.

He should’ve asked for a room for the night, but he hadn’t. Instead, his alcohol-fueled brain decided it was a good idea to walk all the way back to the nearest outpost, stopping by a certain detective’s office on the way there.

Honestly, why not? Valentine was always good company & conversing with him brought out some of the more pleasant memories in Wolf. It only felt natural to want to gravitate towards him.

After saying hello to Ellie on the way in, Wolf made a ( crooked ) beeline towards the detective, curling a hand around Nick’s shoulder. He leaned in close, lips pressing against the very edge of Nick’s mouth; toeing the line between friendly & intimate.

Pulling back, that hand on Valentine’s should had squeezed a bit more; Wolf’s thumb rubbing circles into the fabric of his coat. The faintest hint of a smile could be seen on the ranger’s face as he gazed at the detective; blue eyes hazy & unfocused.

"Hey Wolf," Valentine offered before he even looked up-- but was stopped before he could say anything else. Instead he was nudged back into his chair, and warm lips pressed close to his.

Yellow eyes flew open wide, hands stalled at his desk as if the synth was afraid to trust them. He didn't pull away though, he didn't dodge-- Wolf would feel rough, scarred polymer cold against his mouth. Clearly, distinctly inhuman.

Nick blinked as the ranger pulled back finally, that coy and drunk smile focused on his... clearly surprised face. If robots could blush. "...Well."

Barely a nod, and then he was doing his best to turn over. He couldn't really feel the damage to his back anymore, but then he remembered, more slowly than he should have: the scars that would give him away.

"No skin off my dick," he tilted his head and started wrapping those puncture wounds up over the shirt instead. Unsanitary, gonna hurt later, but this was neither his circus nor his monkeys.

huh i don't remember this issue

But there was no precedent for this. No wastelander had ever chosen to help him. Vulpes tried to refocus as the needle struck his arm, but he remembered it anyway:

"I like helping people who are down on their luck."

Between his brittle state of health and the rattle of old words, Vulpes turned to retch. He had to get up...get back on the road, erase his presence from this blasted stretch of desert that was probably crawling with NCR. Instead, he could barely catch his breath.

Spitting one last time, he laid flat again. The 'health stim' was kicking in, and while he was immediately feeling better - had the warm desert air always been so comforting? - he was suddenly in no state to move, either.

The Ghoul stepped back after a few moments of watching in silence, and began gathering up the old, flaky gauze he'd found in the first aid kit-- it'd have to do. Spurs fluttered against the ground as he meandered back up. "Gold? Now ain't that just a treat-- don't see many folks out here barterin' with that no more. Sounds good to me."

Nice and easy; Cooper didn't even need to wrestle it out of him with it offered. Honor wasn't entirely dead out here, evidently.

Nick turned to kiss her gently, catching her lips easily and giving her a quick squeeze. There was, of course, a moment of dread as he sat down to try her gift: they both knew that he couldn't exactly eat like people did. It wasn't pretty, it wasn't necessary, and it was ultimately not good for him. But... for her, and for this, it would be worth it. Nick gave a somewhat abashed smile before carefully taking a bite.

Thank God he had a facsimile of taste receptors. It showed well enough in how his eyes closed to savor it, to let any sensory memory available come rushing back. Spucky shops, Italian heroes, black coffee and a smoke...