selfmedicatingmayor:

the-perfect-scientist :

Carlos looked at Hancock again. “Do you think she’d want me?”
he asked. “I’m… I haven’t had the pleasure of meeting either Irma or Doctor
Amari, unfortunately. I, uh… never had caps that I was willing to spend on
using a Lounger.”

“I think she’d probably take ya, yeah. Especially if I put in a good word for ya.” He winked, a little smirk on his face. “We can head over there later if you want, after you fix my terminal, heh.”

Carlos nodded. “Certainly,” he said. He smiled at Hancock,
grateful. “You… you’re not busy with anything else, are you? I hate to take you
away from your work.” He got a weird sense of déjà vu – he wondered if he’d already
said something like that before.

selfmedicatingmayor:

the-perfect-scientist:

“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.

“I know, man, this world is a tough thing to adjust to when you’ve lived a sheltered life. Besides, you kinda strike me as too sweet to really enjoy killing anything.” He took another bite of cereal, studying Carlos as he chewed then swallowed. “I can set somethin’ up for ya. Actually, I might be able to get ya in at the Memory Den if ya want, I’m sure Irma would appreciate someone helpin’ with upkeep of those machines and Doc Amari could probably use a hand as well, I doubt she’d mind havin’ another genius around to work with, y’know?”

Carlos looked at Hancock again. “Do you think she’d want me?”
he asked. “I’m… I haven’t had the pleasure of meeting either Irma or Doctor
Amari, unfortunately. I, uh… never had caps that I was willing to spend on
using a Lounger.”

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 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 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 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 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!”

selfmedicatingmayor:

the-perfect-scientist :

Carlos sputtered and he started laughing. “Really?”
he asked. “Crab mating freaks you out?” He giggled, covering his mouth with his
hands to try to quiet them. “Ohm mi god!”
he whinnied beneath his hands. He had no idea why he found that funny. Maybe because he thought Hancock was the kind of guy who had seen it all.

“You didn’t see it, man! And the smell! Shit, that’s just….. I’m gettin’ sick just thinkin’ about it.” He made a face and set his cereal down, not so hungry, suddenly. “God, I hope ya never have to see that, it’s fucked up, you wouldn’t be laughin’ after seein’ somethin’ like that.”

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.

selfmedicatingmayor:

the-perfect-scientist :

Carlos hummed and nodded, the cereal crunching
loudly in his mouth. He took a gulp of juice to wash it down. “I guess I can
see that,” he said. “It’s slimy and kinda chewy.”

“It ain’t even that–– though that would be enough, heh. This one time, I saw two fuckin’…. nasty ass mirelurks just…. goin’ at it, man. I might’a been high at the time, but shit man….. can’t ever get that image outta my head–– or the smell.”

Carlos sputtered and he started laughing. “Really?”
he asked. “Crab mating freaks you out?” He giggled, covering his mouth with his
hands to try to quiet them. “Ohm mi god!”
he whinnied beneath his hands. He had no idea why he found that funny. Maybe because he thought Hancock was the kind of guy who had seen it all.