#Norm Maclean
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In addition to finding her dad's love of Cooper Howard annoying, I also headcanon Lucy annoying her dad by mangling his idol's name, in the way we all (used to) do it to Bendydick Cucumberpatch.
Hooper Coward
Cooties Honolulu
Pooper Outhouse
Norm would rate them for creativity, and occasionally chime in with one of his own.
#lucy maclean#norm maclean#cooper howard#fotv#fallout prime#fallout tv series#fallout show#fallout amazon#fallout series#fallout 2024#fallout spoilers#hank maclean#the ghoul#on my shit again
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Speak Now
Relationship: Norm McLean x Reader
Fandom: Fallout
Request: Yes by @fallout-girl219
Warnings: Fluff, Angst
Word Count: 1,250
Main Masterlist: Here
Fallout Masterlist: Here
Summary: On what is supposed to be the happiest day of her life, she cannot help but feel Norm is hiding something.
“Oh, I just love a wedding. Well we haven’t had one in a while but still.” Lucy gushed as she helped get her friend ready for her special day. Her hair was being pulled every which direction, while Stephanie tidied up her nails.
“How are you feeling?” The blonde at her hands asked, looking up briefly. The woman in the chair took a deep breath, and blew it out hard while she thought.
“Okay. Nervous, I guess.” She stated. Stephanie, having just gotten married recently, was still in her honeymoon phase and reminiscing.
“I get what you’re feeling. But once you see him in front of you, you’ll know. That’s the one. Like Bert,” her eyes held little clouds in them, “I just knew he was the one for me when we were set up.” Lucy looked towards her friend like she was eagerly taking in the story, but the same could not be said for the woman in the chair.
“I don’t know. Just… the idea though. Of marrying a complete stranger that I’ll meet at the vault exchange. It doesn’t feel right.” She lamented, expressing her concern with the practice.
“You’ll change really quick when you see him. Why I just knew that Bert was going to be the best man for me the second I saw him.” Stephanie said softly once more. They quieted their chatter as the two women began to work on the bride-to-be’s makeup. All the while, she sat there, running through every possibility.
Nothing her mind came up with helped her current predicament. A figure passed by the window into her room, that stopped just for a second to long. It was Norm. Her neighbor and life-long friend, even if he was a bit peculiar. Their eyes locked and she swore that she could see an upset look in his eyes. That was, until, it was broken off by Lucy standing in front of the bride to apply her lipstick.
She had no idea why Norm would be upset over her getting married, even to a stranger. They were just friends. Nothing more. Nothing less. Although, she had tried to get him to notice her. Taking up a new hobby to show him, only to be met with a disinterested stare while she spoke about it. Styling her hair a different way just to have him ask if she was feeling alright. Trying to find out his hobbies and having him wonder what she was doing there.
But to no avail. There was nothing to suggest that he thought about her in any other fashion than that of a friend. And even that was a maybe, if he even considered her one. She sure considered him a friend of hers. By the time she could see through the window again, Norm was gone. Her heart hurt a little bit. She should be happy. Not pinning after her friend. How could she be happy though? She was not excited to be marrying a stranger from Vault 32. That was not what she wanted. But she had to. For the good of society.
As the two women finished up their beautification of the bride in the chair, she was presented with a mirror. She had to admit; they did an amazing job. Presented with a white dress, she took the offered pen and hesitantly signed her name with the date on the inside panel. Getting dressed, her heart was speeding up considerably. Her nerves were getting the better of her. The walk down to Vault 32 was terrifying. Faces passed and all she wanted to do was scream and run. Her mother and father greeted her as she made it to the spot in front of the door to Vault 32.
“How are you feeling, honey?” Her mother asked, voice airy and sweet.
“Fine.” She replied. Her voice was cut short as a lump formed in her throat. The vault door seemed larger and more daunting now as they stood in front of it. A crowd of people came around the door to watch the exchange happen. Amongst those people, she scanned for one person, who stood at the back of the room. Norm was there. It made her feel better to have him there, but not as good as she should have been.
Hank MacLean came up to her and held her hand while pulling her towards the door. Even she could feel the sweat beading up on her, and her heart beating out of her chest. Before the door could be open though, a voice shouted above the commotion.
“Wait!” Norm pushed his way to the front of the crowd. “Wait, wait, wait.”
“What are you doing, son?” Hank whispered, about to scold him.
“She can’t get married to someone else.” He stated, looking towards the woman in a wedding dress, standing before the vault door.
“What are you talking about, Norm?” His father, once again, tried to keep a lid on the situation.
“Because I won’t allow you to marry her off. We can trade something else, but I will not have her marrying anyone else. There’s no direct bloodline between us, which means that our children won’t be directly related to anyone except our direct relatives in this community.” He finished his speech, and finally took another breath. Norm looked at his father, his friend, and back to his father. She looked relieved, and a little scared.
“You wish to marry her? Right now?” Hank pressed, waiting to see how this is going to play out.
“Yes. I’ll do it right now.” Norm stood up straighter, looking usually sure of himself as he faced the situation with conviction.
“Alright then. We’ll inform Overseer Jackson we no longer need a match. We’ll find something else of value to trade. I’ll go inform him.” Hank let go of her hand and waked out with his council. Her parents walked out as well, still confused as to what was happening. Soon, it was just the two kids who were looking down at their shoes.
“So… what was that all about?” She questioned, peeking her head out from her lashes.
“I just didn’t want you marrying someone who you didn’t know. I figured you would be more comfortable with someone you know.” Norm murmured.
“Is that all?” Once again, she pressed her friend for answers.
“Well-” he started, “maybe. Not really. I just, just…”
“Norm?” A call made his head peak up. She stepped closer and closer until they were toe to toe, and chest to chest.
“Yes? You are very close to me.” That was the last thing he was able to say until her lips pressed softly against his own. They stood there, finding their place in the moment. Unfortunately, the need for air came about which led for the pair to draw away from the other.
“I think we’re supposed to do that at the alter.” Norm whispered, which sent her into a fit of giggles. He giggled along with her and moved to hold her hand. She grasped his hand tightly and felt the sweat disappear from her palms. Norm felt a surge of confidence as he looked her in the eyes once more.
“Shall we go get married now?” He suggested, looking back into their own vault.
“Let’s go get married.” She agreed, beginning to drag him along with her. Norm followed willingly, and even ended up dragging her a little bit in his excitement to finally have the girl.
#rebelliousstories#writing#fallout imagine#fallout#norm maclean#norm maclean x reader#norman maclean#Norman Maclean imagine#Norman Maclean x reader#norm Maclean x oc#norman Maclean x oc#norm maclean imagine
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Brother and sister finding out two truths about their dad at the same time in completely different places and feeling completely and utterly lie to and alone, give it to me fallout!
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Be grateful, Juan Pablo. Today’s cram is especially delicious.
#fallout#fallout prime#fallout memes#moises arias#nacho libre#jack black#norman maclean#norm maclean#vault 33#cram#nuka cola#I made this meme way too fast#low effort#shitposting#the inside of my mind is hilarious
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Maybe pt. 1
Pairing: Norm MacLean X Female Reader or OC (3rd person perspective because I dislike writing in 2nd )
Former friends to a relationship?
Life is pretty easy in Vault 33 until you're trying to rekindle a former friendship and raiders attack. Now, our main characters are trying to navigate newfound feelings all while undercovering the mysteries of Vault 33. Stay tuned. Follows the main storyline of season 1; some events may be reordered for plot.
I was feeling the lack of Fallout series fics and decided to contribute. Enjoy :)
Part 2 Here
Another day, another performance review. And this one was going as well as the others; his dad will be pleased when he hears about this one.
Norm shifted uncomfortably in his chair as the proceeding council reviewed their notes. Betty Pearson. Woody Thomas. Reg McPhee. These people would decide if he stayed on this current “career” track of information maintenance or if he was to be demoted once again. Not that it mattered. He didn’t mind working; on the contrary, it gave it him something to do with his day, but every job was the same. Janitorial. Kitchen duty. All lacking purpose, significance, meaning. Yes, these daily tasks kept the Vault Dwellers in 33 alive, but they were anything but fulfilling. Was this all to life in the Vault?
Woody looks up from his paperwork and begins to speak, breaking Norm’s existential train of thought.
“Are you aware that, at every job you’ve been assigned to, your performance review has been “lacks enthusiasm?”
Norm smirks. “No, but that sounds accurate.”
Woody seems taken aback by the retort. They always are; no matter how many witty jabs Norm throws their way, it’s always a surprise for them. He guesses because no one else in the vault interacts this way. It’s out of the norm, unexpected, and breaks the conventions for how conversations are “supposed” to go in the vault. You’re supposed to follow the script, but that’s tedious and exhausting. Breaking it is much more entertaining.
The former Overseerer, Betty Pearson, spoke up next. “We’re trying to work with you, Norm. Find your best fit, make you the best version of yourself. You’ve currently been working with Computers and Information maintenance. How do you like that?”
Another smirk. “I lack enthusiasm.”
Now, it’s Betty’s turn to react. Her neutral smile drops to a frown, and her eyes shift off Norm as she breathes out an “uh-huh.”She has to have realized it by now, right? She’s not a dumb woman, but she has to know these motivation tactics won’t work. Norm decides he’s going to have to spell it out.
“It’s a predicament, isn’t it? How do you demote someone who equally dislikes every job he’s ever worked?”
“I suppose it is.”
—---------------------------
He’s not entirely sure if the council let him off easy or if an additional chance at his performance review next week was their attempt at an act of torture. Either way, it doesn’t change anything; it just delays the inevitable. That thought carried him through his lunch break and distracted him from his to-do list for the morning. Another piece of evidence for that performance review, he thinks. Norm sighs and stretches his arms before he stands to make his way through the expanse of corridors down to the main cafeteria, where he gets into the lunch line. The vault dwellers move forward one by one, slow and orderly, until he’s at the front of a stack of metal trays. He picks up a tray that is cool to the touch and reaches up to the counter to grab the plate from the cafeteria staff. He doesn’t even have to look down to know what’s on his plate; he already knows. Every Monday the same. A helping of overly processed cram, alongside the assorted corn and vegetables grown in the vault and a table all to himself.
Norm grabs his usual seat and digs in, oblivious to the fact that someone has been awaiting his arrival. Distracted from thoughts of this morning, he doesn’t even hear her approach the opposite side of his table. Lost in thought, he doesn’t look up until he hears her clear her throat and ask if she can join him. When he finally does, he is surprised to see the face staring back at him. (Y/FN, LN). Their eyes meet, and she poses the question again.
“Mind if I join you?”
“Uhh, no. Not at all. Go ahead.” Norm gestures to the open seat. When was the last time he and (Y/N) shared lunch? It was so long ago. It had to be while they were still in school, before graduation. When they would enjoy their short period of freedom between history and math lessons together, maybe it's been longer. Those moments before adulthood felt like a different lifetime ago.
While Norm was ruminating on the past (Y/N) pops the tab on her can of purified drinking water and takes a short sip before saying, “I heard about your performance review.”
“Word travels quickly around here. I suppose you’re here to scold me?” Norm offers with a playful smile. The exchange feels familiar, even though it’s not one they’ve had in a while. Some part of him wishes that wasn’t the case, but it's easier this way.
“The opposite, actually.”
Now, he’s the one confused—what a rarity. His smile drops, and Norm is sure his confusion is written all over his face.
(Y/N) continues, not meeting his gaze. “I just wanted to say that, well, Norm, your defiance streak lately was kind of a wake-up call about how I’ve been feeling for so long, but I couldn’t place. I’m so tired of playing a character I’m not; life’s too short for that.” She looks up and laughs slightly, trying to lighten the mood. “ Look, I don’t want this to be that deep, but I wanted you to know that someone else feels the same way and has your back if you need it. We don’t have to suffer the toxic positivity of Vault 33 alone.” She doesn’t give him time to respond. Satisfied (Y/N) gathers her belongings and rises from the table, stopping before she turns away to shoot Norm a raised fist, a symbolic gesture of their supposed defiant solidarity, and a “See you around, okay?”
“Yeah, definitely.” He manages back as she walks away. Well, there goes any chance of completing today’s to-do list, Norm thinks as he lets his forehead fall to the table.
--------------------
“Okay, let’s run through my application remarks one more time. I only have a couple more days to prepare,” Lucy says, shuffling her notecards at the family dinner table, in between bites of her Salisbury steak. “Alright, give it to us again. Norm and I will get our notes ready,” Hank responds, winking toward Norm.
Norm is only half listening; he’s heard Lucy’s marriage appeal for the Triennial Trade a half-dozen times. And her remarks don’t matter anyway. One, she’s the Overseerer’s daughter, and the council would be nuts to deny her application request, and even if that weren’t the case; two, she’s basically the poster child for being raised in Vault 33. Checks every box. Everyone knows this except for Lucy. It’s a trait he admires in his sister: her humility. But he’s genuinely happy for his sister. At least someone is getting the life they want.
While Norm was lost in thought for what felt like the millionth time today, Lucy and Hank had apparently finished their conversation regarding her remarks and since moved on to a different topic of dinner-time conversation. “So, I heard Norm had lunch with a girl today,” Lucy said playfully, emphasizing the word girl. Gaining Norm’s full attention as he shot daggers Lucy’s way. “There we go, Norm! Anyone I know?” Hank directed at Norm in a dad-joke-style attempt at humor. He’s the Overseerer; of course, he knows her.
“Uh, yeah. It was (Y/N).”
“(Y/N). Lovely girl. Wasn’t she at the top of your class, Norm? Now, that would be a good match, especially since you two used to hang out so much as kids.”
“It’s not like that; we were just talking about work.”
“Uh-huh, “work.” Yeah, I get it,” Hank offers with another wink and a thumbs up. Earning an eye-roll from Norm and a chuckle from Lucy. “You forget that before I met your mother, I was quite an eligible bachelor in Vault 31.” “Please don’t,” Norm begged. “Fine, fine,” Hank resigned with his hands up, “but seriously, Norm, I haven’t seen that girl without a book in front of her face in a long time, and now, she’s chatting with you at lunch. That could be something.”
“Or it could be nothing; let’s drop this, please.”
Once Hank’s attention shifted from his children to the remainder of his meal, Norm leaned in slowly towards Lucy and whispered, “Oh, by the way, I will be getting you back for that.” Lucy turned her body towards him and simply stuck out her tongue. Battle flags were raised, pistols at dawn.
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Did some Fallout portraits because we kind of tried to consume it slowly but it was SO GOOD we gobbled up the last few episodes. Oops! Looking forward to season 2.
#fallout#fanart#fallout prime#artists on tumblr#sketchbook#pencil drawing#lucy maclean#the ghoul#dogmeat#maximus#lee moldaver#norm maclean#squire thaddeus#woody thomas#reg mcphee#overseer benjamin
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okay, y'all! question: how'd you guys feel if I made a female oc for norm maclean???....IM JUST CURIOUS.
#obviously wasteland lovers is still my main priority rn because they are my BABIES#but I find norm's arc so interesting and fascinating that i feel like pairing an OC with him would be fun!#rhiannon rambles#fallout#fallout tv show#fallout tv series#fallout franchise#fallout oc#oc#ofc#fallout norm#norm fallout#norm maclean fallout#fallout norm maclean#norm maclean#norm maclean x oc
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The part of Fallout (2024) that nearly made me piss myself laughing was when Norm "hacked" into the computer terminal and it was literally the hacking mini game from the games agsjskskslhsjsjs I mean it isn't anymore absurd then the way most movies and TV shows portray hacking but it was still hysterical
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Desperately need more norm fics, I’d die for a norm smut or smut headcanon.
Gonna stick with headcanons for now, as I have a smut fic planned!
warnings/info: 18+ minors dni! mentions of overstim(?), gn!reader (no mentions specific body parts), dry humping (of course let me know if i missed anything!)
Let's hop right in!
Norm is not a super enthusiastic individual, that is known. BUT! I feel like he can be enthusiastic when it comes to sex.
LOVES to cuddle up close to you. Usually that turns into him (or you) dry humping the other and whining.
Head game is strong.
Very enthusiastic about going down on you. Maybe he isn't too experienced at first, but he is very willing to learn when it comes to you.
Can and will sit between your legs for as long as you'd like. Usually, until you're a whining messing, begging for more than just his tongue.
While he is happy to have sex with you, most of the time it isn't a quickie or super quick/rough sex.
Likes for it to be drawn out. Especially in the beginning of your relationship. He wants to know you. Really know your body.
VERY attentive. Takes all the time he can to learn everything that gets you going and is mindful of the things you don't like.
Is going to love his partner regardless, but definitely does not mind at all if you are taller than him.
Would definitely use a height difference to his advantage.
I see him loving to be little spoon. While he doesn't mind holding you, he's stressed please hold him too.
I feel like my man has never received great head, so is sort of indifferent towards it. As soon as he learns how great it can feel though? BRO IS BEGGING. HE IS NOT ABOVE BEGGING.
Not huge on PDA but will hold your hand and give you sweet little kisses if you're just around the vault.
If you tease him, at all, anywhere but the bedroom he gets flustered and will tell you he is going to handle it (you) later.
This consists of going down on your until you're sensitive and a crying mess. Which in turn leaves you continually teasing Norm... Poor guy can't catch a break.
I have soooo many ideas about so many different things with Norm (and like most fallout 2024 characters tbh) but so little time... If there is anything specific y'all want touched on let me know! Thanks for the request!
#fallout#fallout smut#norm maclean#norman maclean#norm maclean x reader#x reader#anon#ask#answered#fallout 2024#fallout tv series#fallout prime#fallout imagine
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Hey Norm, just start breaking the tanks
“Bud let me out of here, or else im going to break all of these one by one, then you and you can’t stop me.”
You have basically unlimited time, break one of those fence things on the scaffolding. And then I would just start going to town, the only thing Bud could do is call for help but nothing’s stopping Norm from getting free by just beating Betty to death with a stick or managing to hide and escape (he’s a crafty fucker)
#fallout#fallout tv series#fallout show#fallout tv show#norm maclean#just start going to town#either the vault experiment is ruined and the buds are dead or the experiment is ruined and they’re not
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listen man the ghoul is hot
at this point he's not a 'hear me out', that is a sexy sunburned noseless cannibalistic cowboy with 200 years of alimony and child support to pay and goddamn i would swipe right
#cooper howard#the ghoul#thaddeus fallout#maximus fallout#dane fallout#lucy maclean#norm maclean#chet maclean#janey howard
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mmmmm riding norms face yummy | not edited | afab reader
letting out a sharp mewl you grind against his tongue. he moves the muscle expertly, shoving the tip against the soft spongy part right inside of you. the noises that leave his mouth has your ears burning. he can't stop moaning and whimpering softly as he gets his fill. you're practically humping his face as your thighs squeeze the sides of his head.
"F~ Fuck~ Just like that. Yes! Please, right there."
his nose is bumping deliciously against your clit. bending over the crate you angle your hips. it forces his nose to press constantly against against your clit and you grind deeply against it. you feel the tight pressure in your lower abdomen start to overflow. taking a sneak peek behind you you catch his slowly squeezing at his leaking cock. huffing you double down as you start gushing. he abandons his cock to grab at your hips. pressing you down further against his tongue. your orgasm washes over you a few minutes later soaking his mouth and chin in slick.
#fallout#fallout prime#fallout tv series#fallout 2024#fallout smut#norm maclean#norm maclean smut#norm maclean x reader#norm maclean x reader smut#sombrashe writes
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Why can I never follow the masses? Everyone and their dog is lusting after The Ghoul. But me? Who am I losing my mind over? Fucking Norman MacLean. His relentless determination makes me blush😳
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I really like how it feels like each character represents different player styles. Or specs.
Lucy feels like the player that just ~can't~ be mean to the npcs. Tries to talk down violent npcs. Maxed charisma.
Norm is the player who'd read all the computer entries and flavor text. Lore is really important to him. Perception and intelligence are maxed so he can hack and lockpick anything.
Max is a bit of a bro who thinks they want a BoS playthrough because military hoorah, but ends up really really liking a companion that dislikes half of your choices that align with the BoS. Would probably force close the game if he saw [Lucy disliked that.] To try again. Also maxed luck.
Coop clearly wants to be a badass that shoots first and asks questions later, but ends up being a lovable rouge who begrudgingly helps the npcs. Maxed agility.
#fallout#fallout show#maximus#norm maclean#lucy maclean#cooper howard#coopisbae#the ghoul#spoilers#fallout spoilers
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fallout tv series + onion headlines, okey dokey?
#fallout#fallout tv series#fallout tv show#fallout live action#fallout prime#fallout amazon#incorrect fallout quotes#fallout shitpost#the onion#lucy maclean#the ghoul#cooper howard#dogmeat#maximus#steph harper#hank maclean#norm maclean#vault tec
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Maybe pt. 2
Pairing: Norm MacLean X Female Reader or OC
Former friends to a relationship?
Life is pretty easy in Vault 33 until you're trying to rekindle a former friendship and raiders attack. Now, our main characters are trying to navigate newfound feelings all while undercovering the mysteries of Vault 33. Stay tuned. Follows the main storyline of season 1; some events may be reordered for plot.
Some of the conversation feels a little clunky, but we want these two to make up and move on, right?
Part 1 Here
Norm hates this feeling. Laying in bed, he can feel his stomach twisted in knots. This gut-wrenching feeling has kept him up most of the night, realizing he’s got to make a decision. As far as he’s deduced from his sleepless night of pondering, he’s got two primary options.
Option A. He pretends yesterday’s conversation with (Y/N) never happened, and they continue exchanging small talk, pleasantries, and those awkward neighbor half-waves until the end of time. The scaredy cat in him prefers this option. It avoids confrontation and maintains the status quo they’ve held for the last couple of years. It is simple and lacks any unnecessary entanglements. Things just go on according to plan. He’s done it before, it can easily be done again.
OR he can proceed with Option B to confront (Y/N) about what she said in the cafeteria yesterday. This option has sparked his curious side. Cause that entire interaction was odd, wasn’t it? Norm had so many questions, but are they worth pursuing? Opening that can of worms could lead to more problems, more decisions, and fewer answers. No. He needed to know. Curiosity might just kill the cat, but at least he’d be able to sleep at night.
(Y/N) worked in one of the maintenance labs as Vault 33’s official Pip-Boy Programmer—one of the perks of doing well on the Vault G.O.A.T exams. Norm was eager, planning to stop by the lab first thing before he headed to his desk. Unless someone had major issues with their Pip-Boy, they’d probably have the lab to themselves that early. Alright, it was decided. He threw off the certified Vault-Tec comforter, climbed out of bed, and headed toward the shower to get ready.
—--------------------
You were already at your desk, pretending to be occupied, when Norm MacLean appeared in the doorway of the lab, leaning on the doorframe and fiddling with his Pip-Boy. Truth be told, you were half-expecting him, especially after yesterday. But maybe not this soon. You were hoping he’d stew on this decision for at least a day.
“Good Morning, Norm. Pip-Boy on the fritz?” you ask, knowing full well that the reason he was here had nothing to do with his Pip-Boy. Even if his Pip-Boy was malfunctioning, Norm was more than capable of taking care of that repair without your assistance.
“Yeah, I think I’m having some software issues. Do you think you could do a diagnostic run for me?”
You smile, “Of course. If you wouldn’t mind taking it off and filling out the repair form, I can start right away.”
He complies, handing you his Pip-Boy and taking the clipboard with the attached Vault-Tec paperwork. As he starts on the paperwork, he estimates he’s got roughly twenty minutes of fake errand cover to work with.
You attach the Pip-Boy to the diagnostic cable running from your computer, load up the program, and wait. “It will just be a few minutes to get a full picture of what’s going on,” you reassure him.
“That’s fine. My supervisor knows I was having a few issues with it this morning,” Norm says, barely looking up from the clipboard.
The two of you fall into awkward silence, neither wanting to be the first to break it.
You relent. “Hey, I’m sorry if yesterday made you uncomfortable. I know we haven’t spoken much at all lately, but I heard about what happened from Reg, and I just couldn’t stop myself from coming over. It wasn’t right of me to use your situation as my catharsis, especially since we had that failing out. I should have respected that. We can continue on as we were, friendly neighbors in the same Vault.” The words stuck in your throat on the way out. That’s not what you wanted, but if that’s what Norm came here to say, better get it out of the way sooner.
Oof, now he felt terrible. Norm should have known you’d apologize for thinking you made him uncomfortable. That’s your nature. You’ve always been empathic to the needs of your friends. He needs to come clean.
“I never wanted that.”
I’m sorry. What did he say? He never wanted that. To stop being friends? Your brain was going a mile a minute, swirling with questions, too many to vocalize at once. Thankfully, Norm elaborated before you even tried.
“I never wanted to stop being friends, but the closer we got to graduation, the more effort you seemed to put into exams and passing, being the best in the class. You had ambitions and goals, and (Y/N) you could achieve them. You didn’t need to be dragged down by the Black Sheep of Vault 33.” He tries not to think about his label, and usually, it doesn’t bother him. But right now, it weighs on him; it feels laminated across his forehead, defining him.
“Norman,” you manage to sigh out. “I’ve always admired that about you. That’s what I meant yesterday. I wish I had the confidence to act that way before now; I’m sure I’d be much happier. After my dad passed away, I wasn’t sure how I was going to navigate,” you gesture to the air around you, "everything. I was on my own, and subconsciously, I picked up on the reality that the better I did in that classroom or for the Vault, the more control I thought I could have over my life.”
She didn’t need to explain. He knew exactly what she meant. It is kind of an unspoken rule of Vault 33. Obviously, those who did well on their exams got matched into the most coveted jobs within the vault, but those placements also impacted other situations. Those higher-achieving students had more say in when and to whom they were married, more access to leadership positions, and the list goes on.
“I had no idea how my life would go, but at least I knew I wanted a hand on the steering wheel. I mean, I’m not sure if I actually want to be married or if that’s part of the programming to be in a relationship, but whatever happens, I want it to at least feel as though I made the decision." You pause and add, "Seriously, could you imagine if I got stuck having to marry Chad Johnston?”
Norm snorted. The juxtaposition of his former classmates as a married couple was hilarious. Those two couldn’t be more opposites. “Well, at least he’d have someone to teach him to read,” he managed between laughs.
This garnered a snicker from you as well. “Haha, you’re hilarious,” you say in the most sarcastic tone you can muster. “So, what do you think? Can we act like adults and finally move on? Or do we double down on whatever self-destructive tendencies we’ve got going on here?”
“Hmmm, I don’t know about you, but I’m really leaning into that second one.” He pauses and puts his hand to his chin. “On the other hand, it might be nice to have lunch with someone I’m not related to.”
DING. “Vault-Tec Pip-Boy diagnostic program is now complete, no issues were detected.”
You both smile. “Well, it looks like the software issues seemed to have resolved themselves.”
“Isn’t technology incredible?” Norm asks as he stands to leave.
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