#lucyxcooper

(warning: Fallout finale spoilers)

This is what I got out of the s1 finale...

...Cooper (unknowingly, perhaps, or subconsciously) is rebuilding himself what he lost, and by that I don't simply mean recovering his lost dignity over 219 years of wastelanding and surviving.

GIFS by @lingeringpeanutbutter

We see him on a new quest for truth and answers, but most of all:

---he has adopted a loyal dog (and his love for his dog Roosevelt will be eternal; it is what set him off against Vault-tec in the first place, and it is going to be heartbreaking finding out what happened to Roosevelt eventually, as we get more flashbacks);

---invited along a genuine, kind-hearted woman as a sidekick/companion/partner who mirrors him, his tragedy, and his quest in so many ways, has saved his life despite owing him nothing, and in whom he saw potential for adapting to and surviving the Wasteland (with a callback to the good qualities he loved about his ex-wife);

---and, he is on his lifelong quest to find his daughter Janey.

Cooper is rebuilding himself a family, and the cherry on the cake is the Hollywood landmark in the final shot of the trio, bridging the Ghoul with Cooper Howard all over again, a nice tie of the present with the past.

And finally, the title of the finale being 'The Beginning', which is nuanced enough to represent a lot of 'beginnings' throughout the episode.

And after bingewatching the show the first time (I've lost count how many times I've rewatched and analysed it by now), I sat there with an appreciative smirk at the writers and the delicious tapestry they continue weaving.

Cowboy hats off to you!!

Ghoulcy week prompts have officially dropped!! The event organizer is only on twitter, but if you use the #ghoulcyweek on here I’ll make sure I share it with them!!!

You can use this link to post your work directly to the ao3 collection. Or you can type the collection name Ghoulcy_Week_2024 into the add to collection box, but sometimes ao3 can have a hard time finding the collection that way in my experience.

I don't know if someone already did this, but heat me out:

Cooper×Lucy AU where Howard is a friend of Lucy's dad and a college professor at the same university she goes to. And then her dad asks for him to take care of her, and then something that starts so innocently becomes soo much more than just fondness for a friend's kid. He starts to admire her for the woman she is.

Might make it a smutty series if people fancy that

Am I the only one yearning for an interview with Walton where he gives his two cents on the whole Sorrel-"President of the Govermint"-Booker scene?

I know the man has essays upon essays on the in-betweens of that dialogue and on The Ghoul taking the blame while sewing on Lucy's finger.

[spoilers & Ghoulcy undertones]

In New Vegas...

The Ghoul/Cooper has been warming up to Lucy during their journey and when they reach New Vegas he gets very protective of her (although he tries to keep it subtle at first).

Even so, Lucy has been learning and growing in her endurance towards the Wasteland and the constant challenges they face, so much so that when some shady characters try to make a pass at her (for her beauty and apparent vulnerability), she manages to surprise Cooper by holding her ground before he has time to intervene (either through hard-headed wit or combat), and she walks on with a proud smug on her face, with Dogmeat zigzagging behind her and wagging her tail.

The shady characters (or any of them left standing/alive) remark in awe of the woman, incredulous of what just happened (somewhere along the lines of 'what a woman!') and Cooper holsters his weapon while proudly holding his gaze towards Lucy's retreating form, but not before replying to the said shady characters in his top notch sarcasm and southern drawl:

You have no idea. Bite your head off, man.

-----

(See what I did there?...😏...bite + head? Given that Cooper knows well enough what she's capable of....😁)

(This retort has been in my head since I first binged the show a few weeks ago, and is taken from Ghostbusters 1984, see clip below, delivered brilliantly by Bill Murray)

P.s. Feel welcome to write fanfic around it, and I look forward to reading it. 😉👍