Food for the Soul (closed w/ selfmedicatingmayor)

selfmedicatingmayor:

the-perfect-scientist:

“You’re supposed to get back to the lab with
your data,” Carlos explained. “Science isn’t about just doing field work all
the time.” He sighed. “No, I don’t need a lab. Like I said, I don’t do that
anymore – I’m a scavver now. Can’t really eat working on science, you know?” Well, he was getting sad now. Dammit.

“Eh, I still think ya count as a scientist, not gonna stop me from callin’ ya one, anyway.” He shrugged, picking up his bowl again to pick at is cereal. “I’m sure I could find ya some work to put that science background to use if ya want, I got a good enough setup here for ya to stick around if you’re interested.”

“If you are able to, I… would actually be very
much obliged,” Carlos told him sincerely. “You know me – I don’t have the
firepower to be an effective scavenger.” He looked at Hancock and offered him a
slight, grateful smile. He got another handful of cereal from his bowl and
munched some more.

selfmedicatingmayor:

the-perfect-scientist:

Carlos shrugged slightly. “Well… it definitely
wasn’t at first,” he admitted. “My… mom isn’t a great person.” He wasn’t sure
if he wanted to go on about her – He really didn’t want to just drop something
heavy like Julietta Gonzales on Hancock.

Well shit, that wasn’t what he’d been trying to get at. “I uh….. I’m sorry, mate. I was more wonderin’ about tryin’ to learn without folks around who knew what was going on with ya, but if you wanna talk, feel free, man. I’m all ears.”

Carlos was quiet for a moment, debating whether
to go into depth about her. He decided not – they were on a road trip. If it
was going to happen, there was always another time.

“Well… suffice to say, she’s been obliviated
since, and things got better after that,” Carlos told him. “I went to regular
elementary school for a little bit, though my dad told me to be careful with my
powers. Still, I did accidentally enlarge my friend’s rock collection once –
officials fixed it though and I was able to keep my friends.”

selfmedicatingmayor:

the-perfect-scientist :

Carlos smiled at him. “It’s okay – we talked a
lot last night. Yeah, no, my family’s non-magical. I’m NoMaj-born. I’m pretty
sure I did tell you that.”

“You probably did and I just forgot, my memory’s shit most’a the time.” He chuckled softly. “No-Maj always sounds so strange to me, I know it makes sense, just…. unfamiliar, heh. I guess muggle probably sounds just as weird to you, hmm? What was it like growin’ up like that? I imagine it wasn’t easy, yeah?”

Carlos shrugged slightly. “Well… it definitely
wasn’t at first,” he admitted. “My… mom isn’t a great person.” He wasn’t sure
if he wanted to go on about her – He really didn’t want to just drop something
heavy like Julietta Gonzales on Hancock.

Food for the Soul (closed w/ selfmedicatingmayor)

selfmedicatingmayor:

the-perfect-scientist :

Carlos snorted softly and shook his head. “I’m
not the ridiculous one – and no, I’m not a scientist anymore.” He was tempted
to laugh again, but Carlos took a big sigh to keep the giggles at bay. He
grabbed his bottle and took a drink of juice to help himself a bit more. “Can’t
be a scientist without a lab,” he went on, “and mine’s back in the Vault,
remember? I’m just a scavver now.”

“Hmm….. I’m not sure that’s really how it works, heh. Weren’t there scientists that did shit outside of a lab? Like uh…. the ones who looked for fossils and shit, they were out diggin’ in the dirt and still counted as scientists, I think you count too.” He winked. “If ya really need a lab though, I could probably set ya up with somethin’, y’know?”

“You’re supposed to get back to the lab with
your data,” Carlos explained. “Science isn’t about just doing field work all
the time.” He sighed. “No, I don’t need a lab. Like I said, I don’t do that
anymore – I’m a scavver now. Can’t really eat working on science, you know?” Well, he was getting sad now. Dammit.

selfmedicatingmayor:

the-perfect-scientist :

Carlos just shrugged. “I might have told you –
I dunno. But yeah, my brother Mikey’s paraplegic. He’s a software engineer
though and is able to work at home, which is the most wheelchair-accessible
place he can be.”

“I didn’t know….” He replied softly, a frown on his face. “So….. is he uh…. not magical? Have we talked about that too? I feel like I probably forgot some shit from the other night when ya came over, my memory’s kinda…. bad, heh.”

Carlos smiled at him. “It’s okay – we talked a
lot last night. Yeah, no, my family’s non-magical. I’m NoMaj-born. I’m pretty
sure I did tell you that.”

Food for the Soul (closed w/ selfmedicatingmayor)

selfmedicatingmayor:

the-perfect-scientist :

Carlos was still cackling softly, his head
pressed into Hancock’s shoulder. He tried to take deep breaths. Trying to calm
himself.

“You…. You should take an actual scientist
with you, then,” he said, lifting his head and grinning at Hancock. He took
another deep breath. “Okay… I think I’m good now…”

“You tellin’ me you ain’t an actual scientist? I think you’re more qualified than anyone out here, heh.” There was a grin on his face as he watched Carlos, more amused by the other man’s laughter than the actual conversation. “You’re ridiculous, man. Completely ridiculous.”

Carlos snorted softly and shook his head. “I’m
not the ridiculous one – and no, I’m not a scientist anymore.” He was tempted
to laugh again, but Carlos took a big sigh to keep the giggles at bay. He
grabbed his bottle and took a drink of juice to help himself a bit more. “Can’t
be a scientist without a lab,” he went on, “and mine’s back in the Vault,
remember? I’m just a scavver now.”

selfmedicatingmayor:

the-perfect-scientist:

Carlos nodded. “Oh yeah, I can sort of
understand. My brother takes it in stride too, but he hates reaching for things
walking people can reach easily.” He smiled a little wider toward Hancock,
relieved the joke wasn’t too much.

“Walking people?” His brows furrowed and he glanced over again, slightly confused. “Is your brother in a wheelchair or somethin’? Wait, did you already tell me that and I forgot like an asshole?”

Carlos just shrugged. “I might have told you –
I dunno. But yeah, my brother Mikey’s paraplegic. He’s a software engineer
though and is able to work at home, which is the most wheelchair-accessible
place he can be.”

Food for the Soul (closed w/ selfmedicatingmayor)

selfmedicatingmayor:

the-perfect-scientist:

Carlos shook his head, still holding onto
Hancock’s sleeve. “I- I don’t wanna,” he giggled. “It’d be too dangerous! I’m
sorry – I’m sorry, I’m trying to stop!”

“Too dangerous? C’mon, they’ll be plenty distracted and besides, I’d protect you, ya know that. We’re doin’ it. If I gotta live with that memory, someone else should too.”

Carlos was still cackling softly, his head
pressed into Hancock’s shoulder. He tried to take deep breaths. Trying to calm
himself.

“You…. You should take an actual scientist
with you, then,” he said, lifting his head and grinning at Hancock. He took
another deep breath. “Okay… I think I’m good now…”

selfmedicatingmayor:

the-perfect-scientist :

Carlos laughed. “Of course,” he said. He took
a breath. Well, the joke couldn’t harm much, he supposed. “I was just thinking…
about how the country is so small and compact, and how you definitely match
your surroundings, being small yourself.” He looked at Hancock and gave him a smile – halfway apologetic.

He glanced over, raising an eyebrow, then a smirk slowly spread across his face and he let out a laugh, shaking his head. “Well, ya ain’t wrong, mate. I know I’m pretty damn tiny, used to get shit for it when I was a kid, at least until folks realized I didn’t give a shit about it. I don’t actually mind bein’ so small, it’s just frustrating when I need somethin’ off the top shelf.”

Carlos nodded. “Oh yeah, I can sort of
understand. My brother takes it in stride too, but he hates reaching for things
walking people can reach easily.” He smiled a little wider toward Hancock,
relieved the joke wasn’t too much.

Food for the Soul (closed w/ selfmedicatingmayor)

selfmedicatingmayor:

the-perfect-scientist :

Carlos giggled, still covering his mouth. He
reached one hand over to pat Hancock companionably, but… Carlos just sort of
ended up grabbing his sleeve and holding it while he tried to calm himself
down.

He read books – he knew theoretically how
mirelurk might be able to get the deed done. But yeah… he’d rather not see it
either. That would involve getting close to Mirelurks enough to see them.

“You’re still laughin’!” He was unable to hold back his own little laugh, despite himself, rolling his eyes. “I’ll show ya someday, make you feel my pain about seafood. You’ll see how fuckin’ nasty it is, heh. Then you won’t be judgin’ me.”

Carlos shook his head, still holding onto
Hancock’s sleeve. “I- I don’t wanna,” he giggled. “It’d be too dangerous! I’m
sorry – I’m sorry, I’m trying to stop!”