At The Precipice Of Something New

Something Conspired

Diamond City
January the 2nd, 2289
23:11

Diamond City.

Once Fenway Park, once a place she had meant to take her son to see a friendly few games of baseball.

For once, it did not matter the stadium had since become a bustling city. It was there. Real. Tangible.

And a hell of a lot nicer than any shelter they had needed to take in the depths of what had once, itself, been a thriving metropolis.

It was over. She had what she needed to know.

Nora let out a long sigh of relief when she stepped through the gates of Diamond City. Just a few more minutes, and she would be able to step out of the power armour and, she hoped, never have to step into a suit of it again. Yet it was also good enough, for now, to have been able to put on softer, comfortable clothes on underneath it instead of the hazard suit. Everything felt better. Lighter. Airier. Far less unpredictable. There were answers, now, about where to go and how. What was necessary to get there. Annoyance slipping into her mind when she remembered she would have to speak to the former Courser – 'Glory' – again, Nora shoved aside the snappish thought of wanting to take a Courser chip from her. Step after step. Closer and closer to the known. Reaching the top of the first set of stairs into the city, Nora paused to take a look around, relieved to find it was still the same as it had been when she had left. Nick took a moment to stop and stare, too, just as happy to be in the city he called home again. The bubbling and smiling face of his secretary coming to mind, he could not help but smile himself. When he started down the stairs with Nora, he waved at and tipped his hat politely at the city guards and people – few of them as they were at the late hour and in the cold winter night – who greeted him. He laughed a little when Natalie Wright began shouting when she saw him, all but chasing after him and Nora towards the Dugout Inn after sliding down the roof after climbing through the window on the second floor of her sister's office upon seeing them.

The farther down the streets they went, and the closer they got to the Dugout Inn, the more excited their surprise, sudden companion became. Nick eyed her strangely when he realised she wasn't wearing shoes but barely had time to think on it before she had ran past him. Nora nearly walked into a streetlamp post when the teenager darted in between her and Nick. She laughed a little when Nat leapt over the steps towards the entrance into the Dugout Inn, even more so when the teenager all but ripped the first door inside off its hinges to hold it open for her and Nick. Nearly the second the former lawyer and the detective were through the door, Nat ran past them again to get the second, shouting into the bar when she opened it. Vadim came running over himself, cheering and clapping, grabbing Nora's left arm the second she was in reach and had taken off the helmet of her power armour, unable to see well through it in the low light of the bar. Holding her arm up and shouting in, first, his native Ukrainian, Vadim waved his brother towards the bar with his free hand. Yefim grimaced but took the hint and began nervously manning the bar. Nick slipped past Nora, Vadim, and Nat to go and help the uneasy (and somewhat unwilling) bartender, smiling when he saw Nat dart over towards her sister, who had turned around to see the commotion and was laughing a bit at the sight of Vadim parading Nora around the bar.

"This woman!" Vadim declared. "Went into the Glowing Sea! And look at her! Not a scratch on her, and she definitely is not now a ghoul!"

"We had to be careful to do everything to avoid radiation exposure," Nora reminded him. "The suit may not be flattering, but neither is radiation sickness."

"You got the fire suit!" Vadim excitedly said. "From Rowdy and her Cats, no? They are a hoot – is what I've heard them say – and it suits you! No person without fire goes into the Glowing Sea, much less for weeks and weeks!"