Chapter 656 - Statue Slamatu

Josie looks up again at the approaching package flying through the sky, it's bigger than the one holding her ring, but Afton again holds his hand out as if to catch it... Only for the package to land squarely atop his head!

"TODEFLURIGO!!" he squeaks as he falls face-first onto the floor, as the package carrying the heavy granite statue he'd commissioned lands atop him. Somehow, he managed to keep hold of the rings and prevent them from falling onto the ground, at the expense of his face... He gets a mouth full of dirt as Tamia moves in to assist and pulls the small statuette off of him.

"GLADOS!!!!" he mentally shouts over the brainwaves, wondering if she was trying to sabotage his attempts to soothe Josie...

Looking up, he notices that his girlfriend's face was bright red... Though, he couldn't tell if it was her embarrassment, anger, shame, or even just a blush... He readies himself to get hit for Glados' blunder, but is surprised when Josie bursts out in laughter.

The strange tension of the situation breaks as she, Tamia, and a couple people from the crowd of observers started laughing at his expense, which, wasn't a bad thing he supposed. At least she didn't seem angry with him anymore?

He spits out the dirt that'd somehow gotten in his mouth and gives Josie a weak grin, "So? Whaddya say? Wanna get hitched?"

Josie just gives a beaming smile and throws her arms around his neck, hugging him as tight as possible.

Afton reciprocates, "I'm sorry what I said last time, I was just surprised is all. Forgive me?" he whispers to her.

She nods, unable to be mad at him in this kind of situation... Maybe having a kid with him wouldn't be so bad?... Almost all of her negative feelings from the past few days evaporated like water in the desert.

While his proposal was a bit awkward and rushed, he made up for it with his earnestness... Plus, those rings helped...

At the side, Tamia just watches with crossed arms, happy that her friends had seemingly reconciled... All she needed to do now what stop either of them from doing something stupid and hurting the other... She might be able to take over some of Afton's military responsibilities as well to give him time for Josie... Regardless, her work, for now, was almost done.

She walks behind Josie and catches Afton's eyes, gesturing at the heavy package she was carrying while nodding her head at the Think Tank.

Afton nods in response and picks Josie up in a bridal carry before quickly making his way to the Sink, so they could talk without being hounded by the well-wishing crowd... Most of them knew who Afton was, so his getting hitched was kind of a big deal...

At the Sink, Afton tosses Josie onto the couch as she tries to get frisky with him. Fortunately, he manages to stop her as Tamia walks in with the package, plonking it on a nearby table as Josie reluctantly calms herself.

"Your hand." he asks, extending his own to Josie.

She does as she's told and Afton slips the ring onto her finger, taking a great deal of satisfaction as she stares down dumbly at the jewellery. "So, you made these?" she asks, glancing at the similar ring on his own finger.

Afton pauses for a moment before nodding, "Y-yeah, personally cut the gems, engraved the insides, shaped the ring itself... Two days was cutting it tight to be honest." he states, receiving an exasperated sigh from Tamia.

"They're gorgeous." Josie coos, rubbing the ring with a bright smile plastered on her face.

Tamia nods at the side, "Yeah, doubt anyone in the world gets personalized jewellery like that made anymore."

Afton nods, "Probably. I doubt gem cutting and jewellery making are popular occupations... Supply and demand simply wouldn't allow it." he shrugs, "Plus the task of finding gold? The NCR probably ha the most, aside from the Brotherhood who'd stolen a considerable sum from them... Maybe there are chests of it buried in the ocean, but I doubt anyone would be willing to risk themselves looking for them..." he states, getting nods from the two.

The oceans became far most dangerous after the great war... Most of the radiation that was released by the nukes landed or was washed away into the ocean, leading it to be heavily irradiated.

Add the fact the problems preventing creatures from growing larger are made irrelevant in the water, and you get what basically amounts to 'Kaiju'. Afton wouldn't be surprised if there was a version of Godzilla swimming around this universe.

"Anyway, I've got another gift for you as well. Personally made like your ring." he adds, not willing to say that the gifts had been made in under ten minutes... Though, some of the matter converters had been burnt out trying to produce such specific and expensive objects. Gold wasn't easy to make after all.

Afton takes the package from the table and gives it to Josie to open. Inside, she found a stone statue that was around two feet or so tall. With some help lifting it out of the package, she's greeted by an artistic rendition of her and Afton dancing in fancy clothes, her belly noticeably, but not overtly bulging.

Josie's eyes start tearing up as she examines it, unable to stop herself as the tears start falling. "I-I'm sorry." she mutters as she wipes the moisture from her eyes as Afton and Tamia look on with worry. "It-it's beautiful... Thank you." she sobs, resting it on the couch and hugging Afton tightly.

"There, there." he coos, rubbing her backs he soothes her. "I love you, you and our child. It might be hard with everything happening, but I'll make this work." he states with determination, only causing Josie to cry harder.

Tamia leaves as this starts, deciding not to interrupt them... The tightness in her chest at the sight made her uncomfortable, despite it though, she wouldn't admit such a thing, not even to herself.