#there was a super mean article that was just. intense. BUT t actually brought up the very interesting point | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

flying-elliska · 3 years

Text

Headcanons for ADHD characters Masterlist

I was asked for this a while ago and I feel this is a good discussion subject because the canon representation for ADHD is kind of abysmal and is often a caricature or a joke.

usual disclaimer, I'm not a therapist, this is not a diagnosis tool, just for fun, etc etc...basing this on my own experience/knowledge with ADHD and meeting a lot of ADHD people IRL. I'm going off the main symptoms first (inattention and/or hyperactivity, restlessness, impulsivity, problems with emotional/focus regulation, daydreaming, messiness, hyper-focus, fidgeting etc) and then looking at character traits that are not a necessary symptom but often associated (substance abuse and addiction, need to please, sensitivity to rejection, compassionate and creative, thrill seeking, very imaginative, charming and witty or withdrawn and shy or angry and irritable, whimsical and fun and a bit child-like, out of the box thinker, self esteem issues, unstable life, comorbidity with anxiety and depression, very intense feelings, functions better with adrenaline/in an emergency, disregard for rules and problems with authority OR extreme compliance, codependency, perceived as weird, clever in an atypical way, problems in school, extremely good at one specific thing, etc)

Also I found this list with actual canonical representation

BOOKS :

The 'fits to a T so I'm seeing it as my personal canon' list :

note : doesn't mean that the authors actually meant to create representation but it's very likely they at least got inspired by people who did have ADHD (even when the diagnosis itself did not exist) and explained it with 'it's just their personality' OR the story happens in a setting where the label doesn't exist as such. also not meant to be exhaustive.

- Helen Burns (from Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë) One of Jane's school friends from the start of the novel, fits the inattentive type to a T : she can't seem to focus or learn her lessons, is constantly daydreaming, describes herself as messy and careless, forgets rules, and is easily distracted. She talks constantly about her own 'defective nature' and seems very sensitive to criticism but incapable of changing. She doesn't defend herself against the nuns' harsh punishments as she thinks she deserves them. She's presented as kind-hearted and compassionate, almost too good for this world, and hyperfocuses on her faith. Apparently sb even wrote an academic article on this. She dies so it's not super fun representation but it is interesting to see in an older book, to push back against the idea that ADHD was invented yesterday by Big Pharma lol.

- Grantaire (from Les Miserables, Victor Hugo) Part of the student revolutionary group Les Amis de l'ABC and resident skeptic, does not believe in the cause but is fixated on the group's idealistic leader (and yeah it sounds very gay, they die holding hands, there is a lot of Symbolism). He spends his time ranting about things that are only vaguely connected, is described as brilliant but incapable of sticking to any one profession or hobby, is an alcoholic, has a creative streak (was a painter at some point), likes wandering around the city, has massive self-esteem issues and is a general mess but does seem to care about his friends. This is not a very flattering portrayal as Grantaire is described as morally deficient but again, interesting in an old book. ADHD!Grantaire is a popular take in the modern fandom (i was in it before I was diagnosed it brought up a lot of Things) and it's very cathartic to see him get actual therapy in fic lmao.

- Luna Lovegood (from the Harry Potter series) JKR sucks but this is probably the most high profile case of a possible inattentive ADHD character so I didn't want to leave it out. She's a daydreamer, she is a big space cadet and seems to live in her own world, she has a very out of the ordinary sense of style, she's bullied for being weird, but she's also very kind and perceptive and cares a lot about her friends, and good at coming up with out of the box solutions. I wouldn't call it good representation, she's described as a wacko whom a lot of characters find cringeworthy but she's also pretty heroic, so. And she does seem to hyperfocus on magical creatures. Plus her father could also have it (and it runs in families).

- Jasper Fahey (from Six of Crows duology, Leigh Bardugo) Part of a young group of thieves with a heart of gold, he's a charmer and a compulsive gambler who quits college and incurs debts so massive he stops talking to his father out of shame. He's also an extremely talented sharpshooter and the scenes where he describes how the whole world slows and the rush of adrenaline when he is shooting sound like hyperfocus to a T. He's a loyal friend but also quite dependent on Kaz, the leader of the group, to keep him in line. He's witty, messy and he likes danger. His boyfriend later in the series, Wylan, is dyslexic and the way they learn to accommodate each other's issues honestly makes them one of my favorite couples ever. I need to reread these books and I am so stoked for the series I hope they do Jasper justice.

- Julian Diaz (from Cemetary Boys, Aiden Thomas) Love interest of the book, introduced as the 'high school resident bad boy', energetic motormouth who can't sit still and actually very endearing, has issues in school and gets bored easily, main problem is that he's a ghost...sort of. The whole thing was very cute and I love that Julian's personality is described as fun and attractive instead of annoying (which is, if you haven't noticed already, a pattern).

- Evie O'Neill (from the Diviners series, Libba Bray) She's a flapper in 1920s New York who ran away from her boring little town to make a life for herself ; she's a party girl and an impulsive thrill-seeker who hates standing still and is always looking for excitement to 'fill the void'. She craves fame and attention and pretty things, she can be a loyal friend but is also frequently self-centered and forgetful, she's street smart, resourceful and very charming and witty. She's also grieving, drinks too much and is definitely depressed. She's obviously meant as an archetype of the era, caught between trauma and excess, but it does come over as very hyperactive ADHD as well. Her powers to read objects also really pinged me as a good metaphor for the ADHD tendency to be overwhelmed by details.

The 'bit more of a reach but there's a vibe' list :

- Emma Woodhouse (from Emma, Jane Austen) Frequently cited as a character with ADHD, I didn't come up with this one but she fits. She's daydreaming, easily bored, has flights of fancy and hyper-focuses on matchmaking, is a bit impulsive and thrill seeking, clever in an unconventional way, described as a bit immature, mix of caring and self-centered.

- Ronan Lynch (from the Raven Cycle, Maggie Stiefvater) Ronan just has Neuroatypical Vibes, even though it's not entirely clear what, and I've seen people label him all sorts of things which is very valid. As for ADHD, he's restless, impulsive, likes to Go Fast and do street racing, he has very strong emotions he doesn't know what to do with, and big self esteem issues esp. at the start, is very all or nothing with people, snarky, drops out of school to be a magic farmer, problems with authority, looks like a scary mean goth but is actually a big softie (but like, with a few people), pulls shit out of his dreams. Is kind of dependent on his best friend at the start too.

- Sherlock Holmes (from the eponymous series by Arthur Conan Doyle) Again a character who has been diagnosed with all sorts of things. The biggest ADHD vibe for me is 'my mind rebels at stagnation' and the way he needs drugs to function outside of the thrill of a case, and the way he hyper-focuses on information he needs to be a detective while completely ignoring common knowledge. Also sort of dependent on his best friend Watson and isn't great at social interactions. Doesn't care much about upholding social conventions either. The RDJ adaptation is the one that has the most ADHD vibes to me.

- Harley Quinn (DC Comics/Movies) Big codependency issues (that's arguably the thing she's most known for) and sadly people with ADHD are often prone to getting into abusive relationships. It depends on the story too but she's very energetic, zany, impulsive, she likes shiny things and bright clothes, she's fun and chaotic and likes to break the rules, she's a criminal but she does seem to have a heart, she's also frequently immature and rash, etc.

What are your headcanons ? I would love to hear if you have some so I can add them to the list. I'll make a TV/Movies list soon.

#adhd #actually adhd #adhd representation #neurodiversity #media representation

68 notes · View notes

ju-liberty · 5 years

Text

Clint & Natasha

(Or, the deeper approach into their psyche and love)

Turns out that Endgame hit me harder than I could ever have prepared myself, and I don’t like what I have read from other perspectives about their platonic relationship very much, so I’ve decided to write my own. At this point I don’t even need to fight anyone to prove anything, what they are to one another up until now have already far exceeded any ordinary relationship in the entire cinematic history.

There are some fatal plot holes that are hardly dismissed as a writer myself but I’m going to be a good person to ignore all of them and even pretend to forgive the ridiculous five-year period that made no sense to the character development and motivation.

1. Firstly, let’s talk about Natasha’s roller-coaster emotional ride.

Natasha in the last piece of the Avenger series was, as Scarlett has said herself, ‘hardened’ by all she had lost, and simultaneously softened and vulnerable in a way we had never seen her before.

She loved so hard and so deeply that if before we didn’t dare acknowledge it, now it was pouring all over her facial expression as though she didn’t even bother to hide it anymore.

Okay, please give me a specific number of times you have seen Natasha Romanoff with a breakdown. With tears? Except for the time when she thought Nick Fury was dead. There was only one time under Wanda in AoU that she was off her game, then again we all know who was there in half a second later to look after her.

This time, though, this was different. Nobody knew how to handle her the right way, and nobody was there anymore. The perfect timing of Steve’s appearance was so precious and realistic I can’t appreciate it enough. Steve was not Clint, probably hadn’t seen Nat at her worst the way Clint did, but he was there at that precise moment to stay with her through the misery. What could be more fulfilling in a friendship? Your friend was there, burdened with his own misery and could not ease yours but he was there nonetheless. If we take a careful look at the predicament, we could see that Clint, in this case, was the very source of her distress instead of her comfort. And if you have seen the way she grieved, it’s so blindingly obvious that he was more than just a friend to her. He was family. The one that she had lost.

It wasn’t like Natasha would need Rhodey to give her the precise location of Clint Barton—we have seen the way Clint found her in the most unbelievable circumstance in their own classic way in AoU—she had always known where he was, she must have been keeping track on him, and yet she chose to stay away and pretended she didn’t see what he was doing anyway, because she believed she could not give him hope. The way she went straight to him and took his hand bravely felt like she had always known where he was in all her life and all it took was just a sparkle of hope.

And then there’s the arrow necklace, oh yes, that was fucking thrilling. We grown women do not wear jewelries to honor our siblings or close friends, and let’s not ignore the Godly timing that the necklace first made an appearance was actually right after her breakdown for Clint. Listen, if you have spotted 40+ ester eggs all over the movie, you must have known by now that there was no such thing as a coincidence in every scene, for example her ballet shoes in a corner or the sandwich that was cut diagonally. So if she wore the arrow necklace over a black t-shirt instead of a white one in a dozen of close-up shots with one of the most breaking expressions on her face, there was a reason for it. I suspect it had something to do with her breakdown and the necklace was possibly the symbol of her determination to set things right (to find her partner and to bring him back) now that they had found a way out of their failure.

That didn’t happen just once. She wore the same necklace when they went to Bruce. And what’s more terrifying? She wore it in the same room with Clint in the most comfortable atmosphere between them as though she knew that he knew and they both knew what it meant to them and were completely okay to show it. That could mean she didn’t take it off until Vormir, or not ever. Whether it really had something related to Clint or not, do interpret it in your own way, I don’t care, facts will always remain facts.

And then there’s that mind-blowing moment when Clint was back from the time-travel and she was up there in a second like their life depended on it. There was so much love radiating from her when she went all of her way out to articulate the word ‘family’ when there was not a single one of the team had dare mention before, and so much love for Clint that she didn’t bother to conceal it. Either family or friendship, her love had already gone way beyond those with a simple touch of her hand on his face and that look on her.

Just—that look.

2. And Clint Barton, the most underappreciated character in the MCU history.

One of the things Jeremy has shared about what he enjoyed the most about his character was that Clint Barton was just a normal guy. He has no super power or physical enhancement and yet he chooses to fight alongside the heroes with his partner. He is normal, and despite everything that he has been robbed from the insane story line, he as a character still has grown so much through each movie. He is human, he lost, and he grieved.

I’m not going to pretend the family didn’t exist because they did (and it was a pleasure seeing they got dusted) and their disappearance did pull a string or two on this new side of Clint and his newly introduced skill sets that I super enjoyed. There is absolutely nothing wrong with him going vigilante given his background of a master assassin and the darkness of his personality and PTSD, and the five year time skip that had been done poorly in the movie did nothing to ruin his perfect characterization.

Since a lot of articles have been talking about Thor’s stages of depression that should not be taken lightly as humor device, remember that Thor wasn’t the only one who suffered from mental disorder and please also don’t compare the kind of loss they all had to confront alright? Each person had to go through different kind of manifestation of mental illness, and for a former agent like Clint to go into hiding and killing as coping mechanism was completely acceptable. Don’t give me the morality bullshit, we are talking about fictional characters here, thank you.

Even though the five year excuse was unfair, why should we pay too much attention about it when we could have all we should have and Natasha was still the only one who could come for Clint? You can’t possibly forget the way she held out her hand and he immediately took it without hesitation like five years of distance between them never existed. That display of vulnerability and utter trust that he only showed in the presence of Natasha was pure gold. He knew she would find him as much as he knew once she did, he would be willing to come back with her.

Did he still grieve, though? Intensely. Did he want to die? More than anything else. Did he also have to live? Yes, yes, and yes.

Ever since the beginning to the end, he never stopped grieving. Have you noticed the way he wore his eyes in almost every scene? It’s a tortured look. Clint Barton had come such a long way from the first time he was introduced as a sassy, witty archer to this broken, quiet man with a constantly tortured look. And every step of this journey, Natasha was there with him.

Did he let himself heal? Also yes. In those little moments like when they sat next to one another discussing the plan to get the stones, or when the whole team were getting ready for the mission and he sneaked a glance at Natasha at the other side of the room, or in the spaceship when he initially brought up Budapest with a laughter in contrast to the first time it was mentioned by Natasha in the first Avenger movie. He was allowing himself to heal only because Natasha was there.

Clint and Natasha didn’t act that comfortably around anyone else but each other, and only with one another, they were able to heal themselves gradually.

3. Then Vormir happened. Their journey to the end.

From now on, I am talking about their love and how it was manifested through Endgame.

The parallel cinematic wasn’t just about Natasha finding and bringing Clint home in contrast to how he had made a different call in the past, it was their entire journey with little things, like the hand holding: if Natasha first took Clint’s hand to take him home at the beginning, Clint was the one who took her hand at the end of their conversation.

It was the extended bargain that had started from the first conversation between Natasha and Loki until Red Skull: the world was still on the balance and their bargain was still (forever will be) ultimately for one another.

I see hundreds, hell, thousands of wishful thinking for the Vormir scene to be more than just a forehead touch. Like, you wanted more? Was it even possible to be more? God no. Please look up infinite intensity. Romance didn’t even fit here. It was deep-rooted emotional intimacy, I would call. Like, you want to scale them down to an ordinary couple in a romantic movie who confess their undying love for each other and then kiss and make up and walk towards the horizon holding hands? Look, Disney fairy tales are always available all over the world except here - we are not sugarcoating a single fraction of a second they had here - not that way, never, okay?

What can you ask for more really? The man was fucking married and lost his family, and yet he literally spent almost every second of his scenes putting Natasha ahead of every single other people of his life including himself in all movies (and interview but we are not even talking about that, damn), exactly the way she had done for him. They were each other’s priority without a single discussion. What more could you actually imagine them to be? They didn’t just fight alongside one another. They literally fought against each other while calling each other idiot and a pain in the ass, just to die for one another.

That, was blatantly, blindingly, obviously fucking love.

Since Clint had been grieving and this was not a fairy tale, admittedly, he wanted to die. The way he recklessly threw himself into relentless massacre, as shitty and underdeveloped as it is, the way he volunteered as an object for a possible one way trip (again, shitty choice with the farm as if it was the fucking symbol for a life of a master assassin), it was clear that he had been suicidal. Natasha could be his anchor, but at the first chance he got, he immediately relapsed into his suicidal intention. He chose to die because he wanted to, and he believed it was as best as life could get.

And then something changed. The moment he realized what they would do in this circumstance was manifested in the way they looked at each other, it was heartbreaking and beautiful.

But they knew each other without a word and fought on an equal ground. They knew they were each other’s dearest person, this they knew without a single banter or discussion. That was when the self-loathing was replaced by love - whatever the fuck kind you want to interpret - it was love and not guilt or responsibility or debt anymore. Because guilt could not earn them the soul stone. He wanted to keep her alive even more than he wanted to die. Everything that remained in that moment as the world did cease to exist, was love.

Do you remember how many times Clint had called her Natasha? Each time was different, and yet none was like this one, because he knew this was it, this was the last time, so he said it with a smile so understanding and agonizing and most of all, so damn loving.

With the mere look he gave her when he called her Natasha, let me tell you, even if they gave him 10 more families all over the world with a hundred of children, Clint Barton sure as hell would still put Natasha Romanoff before every single one of them without a second thought and love her enough to die for her as many times as it took.

This. look.

And the look Natasha gave Clint when he ran over the edge and when he held onto her hand, as much as gratitude and fear, the only thing that had been constantly staying there, was love.

4. What’s left

We grieve that she wasn’t among those in the final battle, that was such a sick joke I agree, however come to think of it, Clint wasn’t, either. That went back to the beginning when they were spies, not soldiers. They were the best with their skill sets when sent on specific missions. Taking out all other characters, if you squint, you probably could see that this really was their own journey to go back to the way they used to be in the old days with just the two of them, either fighting alongside one another, or just fighting for the other. Tragically, Natasha did not come back, then again you did not see Clint as a whole person ever again. She wasn’t in the final battle and neither was Clint (except doing his side job for a few minutes), because they were meant to fight together or not fighting at all.

Natasha deserved to live. Of course she did. Do you know who understood it the most and fought for her life harder than anyone else? Clint Barton.

But living isn’t that simple as black and white, and if you turned the ending upside down in which Natasha lived and Clint didn’t, imagine the life she was going to live without her partner, best friend, soulmate. It wasn’t because she had no family that she deserved less to live, no, it was exactly because death was the easier way out than enduring the trauma, which by now Clint was shouldering for her.

Think of it this way: It wasn’t the family reunion we were seeing, it was Clint looking at those loved ones he was supposed to save and only seeing his other half spilling blood and losing life for them to live. Like the way it was supposed to be him. Like the way he kicked off the gauntlet after the reversing snap and treated the stones like ‘a goddamn thing’ instead of feeling thankful for them for bringing his family back. Clint was never going to get over it, to be honest he was never going to truly live anymore.

A life where you constantly grieve and loathe yourself, do you think Natasha would have deserved it? What Clint was shouldering in her place wasn’t a second chance at life nor another debt on his ledger, it was a downright bloody punishment.

So again, hello to Disney fans. If this was one of the fairy tales, if AoU did not happen and the only one they had was each other, there is no doubt that they both would die together. Screw the world, end of story. However, what made their love so intense and so much more painful than that ideal scenario was when Clint realized as much as he wanted to jump after her (oh trust me he longed for it), he wasn’t allowed to let Natasha’s sacrifice go wasted. See, this is the difference between a romance and a bond so deep it overruns everything else - he had to make it worth first, and then he would punish himself later - which already happened immediately, all of his emotional catastrophe and enormous anger. Clint was punishing himself badly and he would not stop. Ever. If losing his family already hit him that much, imagine how quickly he was going to abandon his life without Natasha. Remember how easily he let go of the gauntlet and the stones - the family and the world might be let go in the same way without remorse.

While we are saying a proper funeral was a better display of gratitude that Natasha should have deserved, can we take a look again at how most of Clint and Natasha’s battles were like? Against their inner demons. Behind the scenes. That was how they operated through the years. That was just what they were. And remember, Clint chose to share his lasting grief with Wanda who had lost her other half, not with his family.

As lacking as the ending was, simultaneous it was a given that the two of them were manifested in the right way. Clint and Natasha were spies not soldiers. It was not fair, it was terrible, but when we learn to live with what we got and twist it around to make it work, life becomes acceptable.

5. Last but not least

Clint and Natasha. What these two had for each other was the love so intense and profound it went beyond boundaries of common relationship and left them devastated for the rest of their lives. And that, I tell you, is fucking magnificent.

To wrap it up, do I hate Endgame? Not at all. Simultaneously do I want to rewrite it? No, not in 14,000 possible ways except one in which the farm family somehow would get erased infinitely, accidentally, magically, whatever, and Natasha would live.

Wishful thinking, but why not?

#clint barton #natasha romanoff #clintasha #avengers endgame #marvel #mcu #too late to say this much #but I couldn't sleep well for over a month #needed to let this out once and for all

188 notes · View notes

bkwrm523 · 6 years

Text

The Real Treasure, ch 1

Title: The Real Treasure Rating: This chapter, just PG-13. Will eventually be rated Mature for smut and for violence and horror. Pairing: None yet, eventual Dean Domino/courier Word Count: 1922 Warnings: This chapter’s pretty tame, but eventual smut, violence, and horror. Tags: @mysupernaturalfics @thing-you-do-with-that-thing @cookingglitterfairy @kittenofdoomage @catsoftheapocalypse @medicatemedrmccoy @goodnightwife @star-trekkin-across-theuniverse @mrswhozeewhatsis Summary: The Sierra Madre casino and villa was built as the perfect getaway for the wealthy. When the nuclear bombs fell, everything changed. Two hundred years later, friends come to investigate the legendary “city of the dead.” Author’s Note: So, this story takes place during the main campaign of the game Fallout: New Vegas. It assumes a passing familiarity with the overall plot of the games. Some explanations will be given, but not right away. So if you haven’t played the Fallout series, you’ll be confused for awhile. Here’s the link to the article on ghouls on the fallout wiki. It is encouraged to read the basics on it. Beta’d by @feelmyroarrrr

masterpost

Chapter 1

Clara stood next to Veronica outside the hidden entrance to the Brotherhood of Steel’s local bunker. They were surrounded by knights in full power armor, and Veronica could feel the disdain coming off them, a nearly palpable stench that staggered her with its intensity. Veronica had grown up among them, believed in what they believed in; she could hardly comprehend the current situation. They were demanding that she make a choice, and she didn’t know what to say.

“Ronnie!” Clara’s voice jolted Veronica out of the recent memory.

Veronica glanced up at the door. Her friend Clara was standing there, a friendly smile on her face. They were both in the Lucky 38, the casino in New Vegas that Clara now owned and ran, in what had been Nevada before the War. The floor that had been granted to Clara by the previous owner, the floor they were both on, had originally been a high quality suite for VIPs. When Clara had gained ownership of the casino, she had converted the penthouse into an exclusive bar, and her floor had been converted into about five private rooms for her and her friends, along with a small private bar just for the floor’s residents.

Veronica wore her usual robes with the hood hanging down her back, and her brown hair was tied into its usual bun. She had a set of armor given to her by Clara, but it and her weapons lay in their containers in Veronica’s room. Veronica finished her glass of... whatever it was - Whiskey? She hadn't paid much attention when she'd poured a drink; and fixed her dark brown eyes on Clara. Veronica pushed her thoughts back in her mind and returned her friend’s smile. Veronica was about an average height for a woman, but Clara was a head shorter; the other woman had to comically climb a little to make it onto the barstools.

“Clara!” Veronica forced herself to sound cheerful. “When did you get back? I thought you were running errands for the NCR?” The New California Republic was an organization based on the West Coast. The War had made all known governments fall apart and die, and raiders consumed much of the continent. The New California Republic wasn’t perfect, but it was a new democratic government, one that had formed long after the War, and brought with it taxes and law and order. Clara had been born inside its borders back in California, and continued to support it as she’d traveled east. Clara was a courier, which gave her slight celebrity status and a knack for negotiation.

“Helping Westside with a food shortage, actually.” Clara replied, settling down in the bar stool next to Veronica. She smiled at Clara, turning to give her friend her full attention. Not like she’d been paying much attention to the whiskey, anyway.

Westside and Freeside were local towns on the outskirts of New Vegas, and were considerably poorer. Clara had been known to run errands for local organizations in each town, trying to help improve conditions there.

“So, I’ve been thinking.” Clara started.

“That always spells trouble.” Veronica quipped back with a smile.

“You know how you’re still thinking about the ultimatum the Brotherhood gave you?” Clara began.

“Tactful.” Veronica snipped back.

“Hey, I negotiated a treaty between the NCR and a gang. I’m good at tact.”

“What’s your point?”

“Well, I thought you might want to go on a trip with me!”

“You asked me to come with you for Westside and their food shortage. Thanks, but I really don’t feel like errand-running right now.”

“This is different, I swear!” Clara promised. Her long auburn hair, pulled into a messy ponytail, swayed. Lose strands of hair partially obscured her bright hazel eyes. The eyes that had that look in them whenever Clara promised something impossible. Something that she’d always somehow follow through with.

That look was one of the reasons Veronica had agreed to come with Clara to begin with, and why she had stayed so long.

“All right, I’ll bite. How is this one different?” Veronica asked.

“Listen to this,” Clara stated. She planted her left arm on the bar between them, her pipboy screen face up, and played with the buttons. After a moment, the radio spat out a signal.

Has your life taken a turn? Do troubles beset you? A woman’s voice, smooth and lovely, began to speak from the pipboy on Clara’s wrist.

“That’s for that casino?” Veronica asked, frowning down at the pipboy.

“Yep!”

“Clara, I hate to break it to you, but you own a casino. What, do you wanna expand?”

“No!” Clara replied, exasperated. She switched off the radio. “Look, I did some checking into it; it’s called the Sierra Madre casino, supposed to be some huge treasure.”

“You don’t need the money.”

“I don’t care about the money. Thing is, plenty of people have gone there over the years, looking to find the treasure. But nobody has ever come back.”

“That’s why you wanna go.”

“Yep!”

“Because it’s supposedly guarded by the dead, is super dangerous, and no one’s ever survived going looking for it.”

“Exactly!” Clara exclaimed, her eyes bright and excited.

“Look, I get why you’re interested. This is right up your alley. But how is this supposed to help me?”

“Look, I-” Clara fumbled, stopped, and sighed. “I’m just asking. You absolutely don’t have to come. I just thought you might be interested. The thing is…” Clara started again, trailing off and staring at the wall in front of them. Veronica waited patiently; she knew Clara well enough by now to recognize when she was struggling for the right words.

“A week ago, the Brotherhood, your Brotherhood, asked you to choose between two impossible things, and I know you’re still thinking about it, and I’m not rushing you! It’s just… being on an adventure, risking your life, getting in trouble - it has a way of making you rethink things. You get to thinking about your priorities, and you find things out about yourself. Trust me, I do this kinda stuff for fun all the time. I just thought, if you wanted to come with me, this just might help you figure out what’s more important to you. And if it doesn’t, then at least it’s a distraction.”

“... you’re not going alone?” Veronica asked after a moment, turning Clara’s words over in her mind.

“Nah, I’m taking Roxie.” Clara replied, glancing over at her room at the mention of her cyborg rottweiler.

“And if I don’t go?” Veronica asked; she was still worried about Clara. This sounded even more dangerous than Clara’s usual hobbies.

“Then I’ll probably ask Boone or something.” Clara replied casually, shrugging with a shoulder. Boone, a former sniper for the New California Republic, was Clara’s oldest friend and like a brother. Veronica relaxed a little; so she didn’t need to worry about Clara running into something alone. The two women sat in silence for a few minutes; Veronica silently considered the situation, and Clara simply sat next to her, the picture of patience.

“Yeah, all right.” Veronica agreed finally. Clara let out a happy squeal and hugged Veronica.

“Fantastic! I’ve already got maps; we’ll leave tomorrow. Pack for the worst.”

“You mean armor?” Veronica asked dryly.

“Well, yeah, armor too. Remember; nobody’s ever come back from there. Pack for the apocalypse. I wanna be ready.”

***

They did not, in fact, leave for the Sierra Madre the next morning. Veronica put her foot down, and they spent an extra few days on supplies. Seeing as Veronica had been responsible for finding supplies for the Brotherhood, she knew a few traders more likely to have rare items. They visited some, finding pieces of technology and code that Veronica thought might come in handy. Veronica also insisted on telling the rest of their followers of the journey, asking for advice. Everyone tried to volunteer, but Clara turned them down. She said she wanted to keep the group light, just in case. There had been times and places where a wealth of numbers had been a disadvantage. Between them, Clara, Roxie, and Veronica could handle most forms of trouble that came their way.

Cass, the former caravan owned, donated some of her personal moonshine and some advice to “not take any crap.” Cass and Clara had shared a less than platonic smooch as Veronica left the room; there’d probably been a longer goodbye exchange between the two friends.

Boone, the NCR sniper, inspected all of their weapons, even Veronica’s saturnite-enhanced brass knuckles. He replaced the weapons that didn’t meet his standard of approval, even pressed a pistol and a rifle onto Veronica “just in case.”

Arcade Gammon, the doctor who spent his time helping the poor in Freeside and Westside, predictably gave them a wealth of medical supplies. Lily, the sweet grandmotherly supermutant gave them hugs, and a huge supply of stealth boys. Raul, the ghoul mechanic, contributed to Veronica’s supply of spare parts.

Lastly, Ed-e, the eyebot, lamented that he didn’t have supplies to give them. Clara informed Veronica later that the beeps and whistles that had been his parting speech to them meant that he was offering them “a hug.” Veronica still wasn’t quite sure how he planned on managing that without arms, but let it drop.

***

Once they finally got moving, it took them a couple of days to reach the bunker that Clara had found.

The entrance to the bunker looked like a sewer grate. It was a square metal hole in the ground with a ladder. Veronica, Clara, and Roxie paused for a moment around the ladder, peering down. It wasn’t far; it was light enough inside that they could both see the bottom. Perhaps ten or fifteen feet down to the floor.

“How are we going to get Roxie in?” Veronica asked, peering uncertainly into the bunker.

“Easy.” Clara replied. She took off her pack as she answered, holding it up to the ladder and frowning. “I’ll climb down first, then you help Roxie jump down, and I’ll catch her. That work for you, sweetie?” Clara asked the door, looking up at her as she finished speaking. Roxie gave a soft, happy whuff, and wagged her tail.

“All right, then.” Clara replied to Roxie’s affirmative, smiling at the dog. “You’ll have to throw the packs down after, though.” She turned back to Veronica, setting her pack down on the ground next to the ladder. “I don’t think we can fit them and ourselves through it at the same time.”

“Works for me.” Veronica replied.

Roxie and Veronica watched as Clara carefully started on the ladder. She started slowly; there was no way to know how long the bunker had been there. Possibly as much as two hundred years. The metal was old. Clara stood on the metal lip, and tested the first rung with a foot. Veronica reached out for one of Clara’s arms, outstretched for balance, and held it tightly in case she fell. Clara spared a quick smile, but didn’t take her eyes off the ladder she was testing. A minute or so later, Clara was descending carefully down the ladder.

“All right down there?” Veronica called.

“Yeah.” Clara replied. “The lights are even still working, somehow. Ready, Roxie?” Roxie whined anxiously. The dog stood at the top of the ladder, peering down and shifting her weight anxiously. “Don’t be afraid, sweetie! It’s okay! It’s not far, and I swear I’ll catch you!” Ronnie reached over and pet the dog gently, trying to help soothe her nerves.

“You’ll be fine, Roxie.” Veronica murmured to Roxie as she pet the dog. “We wouldn’t ask you to do this if we didn’t think it’d be safe. It’s not far.”

Roxie whuffed gratefully at Veronica, turning to lick her hand once. She settled down, then shifted her weight again, readying to jump. Veronica helped lower the anxious dog into position, and then she fell… right into Clara’s waiting arms. Roxie yipped happily, licking her human’s face and drawing giggles from Clara. Veronica waited for Clara to lower Roxie to the ground, before tossing their packs down and following them into the bunker.

It was small; about the size of the bedrooms in the suite Clara had given her friends in the 38. It was maybe ten feet wide, and about fifteen or twenty feet long. The walls, floor, and ceiling were all the typical pre-War steel, very dirty from time. There were fragments of posters all over the walls. There was a footlocker near the ladder they’d climbed down with into the bunker, and Clara wasted no time in rummaging through it. There was a small but wide staircase along the right wall, barely big enough for two people walking side by side, leading down into another dimly lit hallway. On their floor, there was the corpse of a man in a suit. Somebody had scrawled on the wall in what looked like blood, “gone to Sierra Madre…” While Clara searched the room for anything useful, Roxie stayed close to the ladder and sniffed the floor around her curiously, and Veronica wandered around and studied the posters. Most were advertisements of prewar, long-dead starlets. The rest were all for the Sierra Madre Casino.

“Charming.” Veronica spoke, not looking away from her study of the posters. “You find all the best vacation spots.”

“You’re not ruining this for me,” Clara replied with a grin in her voice. “This is exciting! Where’s your adventurous spirit?”

“Replaced by my common sense.” Veronica replied dryly. Really, Clara’s excitement was contagious, but Veronica kept feeling an inexplicable sense of dread. Although that could have been the ultimatum from the Brotherhood of Steel hanging over Veronica’s head.

“Well, good thing you’ve got enough of that for both of us.” Clara cracked, standing up after rummaging through the dead man’s pockets. Veronica couldn’t stop herself from laughing at that one.

“Well, since we’re on an adventure, allow me to resort to the cliche: Clara! Why were you going through that dead man’s pockets! It’s so disrespectful!” Veronica exclaimed, her voice deliberately wooden as she pretended to lecture her friend. Clara snickered at Veronica’s antics.

“One, he doesn’t need his caps anymore. And two, if we’re going to survive this adventure, we’re going to need every clue we can get.” Clara replied, playing along. Bottlecaps from glass bottles, rather than paper money, were the standard currency after the War. However people had managed to manufacture the paper money, it wasn’t possible to make them anymore. Not exactly as they were, anyway. Besides which, they served as a reminder of everything that was wrong about pre-War society. Bottlecaps were difficult and dangerous to scavenge, much like everything about post-War life, and just as difficult and dangerous to manufacture.

“Anything good?”

“Nah, all I found is he had a smoking habit.” Clara replied, stuffing a beaten pack of cigarettes into her pocket.

“What, you’re going to smoke the cigarettes of a dead man?”

“No! Gross! I just thought they might come in handy.”

The two women quarreled amicably as they proceeded down the stairs, Roxie staying close on their heels. Normally, Veronica wore a hood and nondescript robe. But at Boone’s urging, she currently wore a set of combat armor. And the hood, hiding most of her brown hair, pulled back as usual. Lily had tried to get her to bring a hat of some kind, but Veronica had insisted on the hood. A touch of the familiar, she supposed.

The walls they proceeded through were made of the same dirty steel they’d entered into. They came to an intersection in the hallway; the fork in front of them led to a room with only a radio on a small table visible through the doorway. The other led to a small, narrow room on their left. They’d have to walk closer to tell what secrets it held; all that was visible from their point was the far wall. Veronica glared at the doorway with the radio, the sense of dread in her belly overcoming her good sense.

“Come on,” Clara said before Veronica could indicate a passageway. Clara forged ahead to the room with the radio. Veronica shook her head; of course Clara was more curious about the radio. Roxie barked excitedly, wagging her tail and eagerly trotting behind Clara. The radio blared quietly; it was a female voice, and neither woman could quite make out what it was saying. It sounded like the same voice on the familiar Sierra Madre radio advertisement, however, so it was easy to guess what the woman was saying. Veronica and Roxie stayed close on Clara’s heels, something about the place making everyone cautious.

Clara could see six beds built into the wall as they got closer to the room, with a footlocker for each of them. There were three beds evenly spaced along the wall to their right as they entered, and three more evenly spaced to their left. The beds were sparse, with no blankets, and bolted to the wall with no headboards or footboards. A white fitted sheet covered the mattresses, grimy with age and use and lack of washing, and a single pillow lying at one end of the bed. The trio hesitated for a moment at the doorway. The entire room resembled a time capsule, a window into the past that had destroyed the world.

“This place is creepy.” Veronica spoke first.

“I’m fairly sure you said that already.”

“Why are the beds there?”

“I don’t know, but you couldn’t pay me to use them.”

“Why not?”

“What do you mean why not?” Clara replied. “Look at them! They look filthy!”

“We’ve camped in the dirt before, slept on the ground, and you’re complaining about how often they’re cleaned?”

“They’re probably rotted away under there, and haven’t been cleaned for 200 years. When we camp, we take precautions to get rid of bugs. Who knows what’s living in there?”

“...okay, you have a point.”

Roxie took a tentative step forward, putting one paw into the room, then glancing back at Clara and Ronnie for approval. Clara gave her a single nod, and she and Veronica followed Roxie into the room. Veronica didn’t move once she stepped into the room, just trying to take everything in. Clara scanned the room, eyes alert for anything useful. Her eyes kept coming back to the radio, though. Something about it held her attention. As soon as they were all in the room with the radio, the door slid shut behind them with a click of the lock engaging. Clara reacted instantly, whipping out her lockpicks and starting on the door. Veronica glanced behind them, watching for enemies approaching through any hidden doors.

Before Clara could make it far on the lock, a reddish gas puffed out of the ceiling right above them. Before either of them could speak, they were all passed out on the floor.

Welcome to the Sierra Madre

#fanfiction #Fallout new vegas fanfiction #dean domino/courier #dean domino/female courier #writing

17 notes · View notes

choisgirls · 7 years

Note

OMG I LOVE YPUR BLOG YOUR DOING AMAZING 💖💖 I wanted to do a headcanon of the rfa +v+saeran + vanderwood reacting to MC being pregnant with quadruplets (Like they knew she was pregnant but went to the ultrasound or something idk work your magic) sorry if this is to much to ask for lolol but you can write it however you want Thanks 💖🌈

A/N: I will try towork some magic my friend~ after all, it does include the sacred number 4 *winkwonk wink wonk* ^^ (also thank you thank you omfg im trying ;u;) ~Admin 404

*YOOSUNG:

-When you told him the two ofyou were going to have a baby he was already t h r o u g h t h e r o o f

-So!!! Excited!!! To start afamily with you!

-He was extremely nervous to gowith you to the ultrasound, though. Sure he knew he was going to be a father,but it didn’t…. /hit/ him until then.

-There is a living being insideof you that is half him and half you… it’s living, heartbeat and all

-And he was!! About to see it!!Still inside you!!!! This was so different than ones he’s had to perform onsome animals before…

-Ready to see his first son (ordaughter!!! He’s excited either way!!), he holds your hand and watches thescreen with you

-“Oh! It does look like acats ultrasound, they’re really similar!”

-You have to tell him that itisn’t supposed to look like that. Cue the panicked look at the doctor and theintense squeezing of your hand

-When the doctor explained thatthere were four babies in there he… well he burst into a gross sob. You hadto try and calm him down while simultaneously laughing at how adorable he was

-Four babies!!! He’s about tohave four babies with you!!!! He was so excited to have you, his work, and nowhis babies, he couldn’t believe it! At one point he was so concerned and lostabout his life but now he’s got it all!

*ZEN:

-“And the doctor’s going totell us if we have a prince or a princess, right??”

-“Yes Zen, if we want toknow the doctor will tell us”

-Literally told everyone at hiscurrent rehearsal that he had to leave early because there was going to be arevealing in the kingdom and as king, he needed to attend

-He was almost bouncing off thewalls waiting for the doctor to come into the room

-Turned away from the monitorbecause he was so nervous! /But you were the one who was extremely ready Zen,wtf man/

-“JUST TELL ME IF ITSHEALTHY FIRST, I NEED TO KNOW IF MY BABY IS HEALTHY” okay Zen stopshouting

-The doctor turned the sound onthe monitor up, commenting on the babies strong heartbeat…. but then theymoved to another.

-And another… and another.

-He whipped around so fast it’sa surprise he didn’t get whiplash. Four heartbeats??? Four of them??? But.. butthat would mean… four.. babies??

-As excited as he was, he alsohad to be dramatic enough to match. With his foot up on the chair and hisfinger pointed triumphantly to the sky, he announced that the kingdom shallreign supreme and his army of beautiful babies will run a fantastic kingdom!You had to interrupt his rambling to remind him that the two of you were in adoctor’s office, not the stage

*JAEHEE:

-The two of you decided that youwould get inseminated, and Jaehee was extremely cautious of you the whole time

-/So/ many doctors appointments,so little time

-The two of you were excited themoment you found out you were pregnant, but that is also exactly when Jaehee’sAnxiety™ kicked in

-So you guys were going to anultrasound appointment to check on your baby!

-She had read too many articlesand stories on the internet of false positives and now she was just extremelyparanoid no matter how many times you’ve tried to calm her down and no matterhow many positive pregnancy tests you’ve taken

-“I know you’re nervous MC,but it’s okay, I am too!” She tried to calm you, though she was the onevisibly nervous

-Watching the monitor intensely,she noticed it looked /nothing/ like the ones she had researched online.

-Oh no, what if something’swrong? What if you’re in danger? What if-

-“Congratulations! All ofyour babies seem to be happy and healthy!” “I-I’m sorry. All? Of ourbabies?”

-The minute the word“quadruplets” left the doctors mouth, Jaehee is practically sobbing-happy tears of course! After all of the stress you had been put over trying toget pregnant in the first place, now you were going to have not one, but FOURof the precious angels!!

*JUMIN:

-EVERYBODY GET OUT OF HIS WAY HEIS ABOUT TO GO SEE HIS BABY ON A TINY MONITOR

-Probably the type to get one ofthose fancy 3D rendered ultrasounds

-HE WANTS THE TWO OF YOU TOCLEARLY SEE THE BABY BECAUSE HE CANNOT EXPRESS HOW IN LOVE HE IS WITH THE BOTHOF YOU, OKAY?

-But he made a mistake. When thedoctor pulled up the image it just looked like a monstrous… blob? What isthis? Does his child actually like this?

-Doesn’t hesitate to ask thedoctor just what the fuck was up??? Are you pranking him??? Don’t do that????

-The doctor is pointing out andexplaining where the head, hands, and feet were- which he could see after someexplanation!

-But the doctor… kept pointingout more heads.. and hands… and feet…

-“Are these just differentangles? Is that what we’re seeing here?” “Um, no Mr. Han. You’reseeing all 4 of your children”

-If you thought Jumin Han couldbe Cool Calm and Collected™ during this, you are wrong. Did his deep, silkyvoice raise about 6 octaves? Yes. Did it break like he was going throughpuberty? Also yes

-There are four, count ‘em, FOURbabies for him to spoil!!! He can!!! Spoil them so much!!! And give them allthe love and attention he’s wanted as a kid! Did he cry when he held you afterthis information? You can bet on it

*SAEYOUNG:

-He was already!!! Super excitedto start a family with you!!!

-So he was practically jumpingup and down, ready to see his baBY!

-He’s so extra, he had to carryyou into the doctor’s office

-“I am not letting themother of my child so any sort of work, got it????”

-If you try to protest, he givesyou a kiss on the forehead and gets really serious with you, “MC. You’rethe love of my life and you have brought me down to earth. Let me spoil you andour baby, alright?”

-He was recording the ultrasoundfor everyone in the group chat because he is just!!! So excited!! To show theworld his family!!!!

-Zooming into the monitor, hegiggles as the doctor points out a head… and another head… and anotherone…. and.. another one

-The ending of the video is theview turning from the monitor to the ceiling as a loud thud can be heard as hehits the ground

-You and the doctor have to pickhim back up and fan him off since he fainted at the sight of four babies

-That’s like!!! 2 sets oftwins!!! MC!!! He would have been ecstatic for one child, but you’re giving him/four/??? /FOUR/ of them??? He never expected this kind of happiness anddefinitely not this big of a family, but he was so in love with each and everyone of you!

*DADDV:

-You are his love and he isready for a family!

-He was a little afraid, ofcourse, but all his fears were thrown out of the window the moment you kissedhis cheek and told him about the ultrasound

-Brought his camera to recordthe genuine reactions to the ultrasound!

-Thought that your face would bethe one that was video worthy, but he was w r o n g

-Turned the camera to selfiemode to get the both of you in it and watched as the doctor turned on themonitor

-Laughed at your face once the cold gel was put on yourstomach though, the light smack to this shoulder was worth it- you were socute!

-The smile on both of your faceswas definitely screenshot worthy, he’d have to remember to do that later so hecould print it out for the baby book!

-But apparently he’d have toprint… four of them…. He watched as the doctor pointed out all four babieswere happy and healthy and his smile dropped to make room for the completeshock to take over his face

-All you could do was laugh atthe sudden change! You pulled him in for a kiss to snap him out of it

-Four babies, he couldn’tbelieve it! MC, can you imagine the baby photos?? How amazing family portraitswere going to be??? How much fun the photography trips were going to be fromnow on!!

*SAERAN:

-The moment you told him he wasgoing to be a father he panicked

-Since then, he had gotten nextto no sleep, and constantly had break downs

-He couldn’t be a father?? Whatif he hurts the baby? It’s bad enough he’s terrified about hurting you!!

-This… thing… is going to betiny and depend on him for basic life things and he doesn’t know if he’s readyfor it!!!

-Cries many nights, telling youthat he doesn’t deserve you nor a child and it just breaks your heart topieces???

-Maybe taking him to actuallysee his baby will help!

-So you drag him along to theultrasound. He just sits in silence and holds your hand the entire time becausehe’s terrified to let go

-His eyes are practically gluedshut when the doctor turns on the monitor. He isn’t ready. He doesn’t want to see.There’s going to be a human in there that is half you and half him. The halfthat comes from you is sure to be an angel but the half from him? Not as likely

-One eye cracks open after wordsof encouragement from both you and the doctor, and on the screen he sees notone, but four little humans inside you. Tears pour out of his eyes without himeven realizing it- he can’t look away from the screen

-There were four babies, four ofthem! He didn’t think he deserved even /one/ but… the both of you were blessedwith /four/ of them… maybe… maybe this was a sign? Maybe it was a sign thathe truly was ready.. that someone, somewhere, thought that he could be a goodfather. With your help, he thought, maybe it was actually possible

Masterlist

583 notes · View notes