The Engietact Bible

1. Who would end a heated argument by defending their actions with ‘because I love you!’ ?

   This one is difficult to answer because Dell and  Irene very rarely argue, if ever (admittedly they are a bit of an idealized portrayal of a relationship). However, if push comes to shove, I think it would be Dell. He oftentimes gets afraid he may somehow hurt Irene considering his profession and… weaponized prosthetic hand. He’d be less cryptic about his reasoning though, more along the lines of “because I don’t want to see ya hurt because I love ya.”

2. What would they do if the other woke in a manic state after a nightmare?

  This more often occurs with Irene, but both of them have panic disorder and often are prone to middle of the night panic attacks. When it happens to Irene, Dell tries to get her alert again to help her ground herself. He’ll often hold her hand or rub her back, speaking in a quiet, yet soothing voice. 

   When it happens to Dell, Irene is admittedly not as good at handling it. She immediately will grab some meds and try to get him to wake up, but her natural charisma isn’t as great as his so she sometimes gets a little bit of a scare herself. It’s all in good thought, though, she just wants Dell to feel safe and that’s all. 

3. Do they wear the other’s clothes? (sweatshirt, bandana, necklace, etc.)

   Getting Dell out of the way on this one first: he doesn’t wear anything of Irene’s because it doesn’t fit him, period. She’s significantly thinner than him and it would be impossible for him to get anything on, even as a joke. He does, however, enjoy when she occasionally discards something with her scent on it his way. It comforts him. 

   Irene on the other hand, fits into most of Dell’s clothes, which are usually much too big, but also too short for her. She does the typical girlfriend activity of wearing his jackets often, and likes to mess with him by taking his hat off and putting it on herself. 

4. Which one is more protective? Who needs to be ‘protected’?

   Neither of them need to be protected, they are both highly trained top of the line mercenaries. But that doesn’t stop them from being protective of each other, which they both are. Irene is protective to a much lesser extent than Dell is, realizing he is capable of holding his own, but still wants him to be careful and not reckless— especially when she learned how he lost his arm for real (recklessness), and not his dumb self amputation cover story that he made up to look cool. 

   Dell, on the other hand is very much so protective of Irene. He was raised being taught that it was the gentlemanly thing to do, and admittedly, Irene loves that. He always makes sure she’s comfortable with anything he does, and would gladly take a bullet to save her. They’d both die for each other, really. Dell was also initially very paranoid about her going near some of the machines, especially the gunslinger, despite her established engineering proficiencies. He knew it was irrational, before he got to know her well, he didn’t have this fear with her, but love changes someone. It gives him peace of mind to know that she won’t be put in harm’s way. He eventually got over this, however, allowing her to hold his other hand, and resume normal activities within the arsenal. It was never in an overbearing way, it was more just extreme concern. 

5. Describe their cozy night in.

   Definitely sitting side by side under a blanket, just enjoying each other’s presence: no exchange of words necessary. But Dell is always prone to whispering sweet nothings. Another common activity would be playing guitar together, the both of them being guitarists. Irene fancies the electric guitar more than Dell, so she plays hers along to his acoustic and it creates an interesting synergy. Dell also likes to sing a bit. He’s a baritone and while it’s clear he has no formal singing, he naturally has a good voice and is good at sustained notes. 

6. Who would beg the other not to leave? Who has to leave to protect the other?

   Irene is definitely the one doing the begging here. As elaborated earlier, Dell is the much more protective one and would do anything to protect his close ones. They’ve never had a moment like this however, but that’s likely how it’d go down.

7. Would they build a pillow fort together just because?

   I feel like they would as a funny joke before sex. I can’t see them just doing it for fun without it being the punchline to something. But Irene probably said “hey, wouldn’t it be hilarious if we used our engineering knowledge to build a stupidly improbable pillow fort and then had sex under it?” and Dell thought it was hilarious so he went along with it. They build a pillow fort using some weird physics tricks to make impressive structures and then have fun in it. Who knows 

8. What happens if one of them gets sick?

   Easy, they look after each other. Irene is more of the problem patient though, not wanting to get behind on work. Dell, on the other hand, doesn’t mind taking a break as long as he can get back on track when he’s well. It’s very rare that Dell gets sick though, he’s been exposed to a lot of dirty things (see: cattle, stuff in the workshop, etc) and as a result has a strong immune system. When Irene is sick, Dell usually uses it as an excuse to make a more hearty meal, like beef stew or soup. Irene on the other hand is not a fan of cooking and ends up serving Dell whatever was still frozen from last time someone was sick! But if he asks for something specific, she’ll be on it, cooking or otherwise. 

9. What are their thoughts on having children?

   Dell is 100% on board with this and wants a whole family. He was an only child and so was his father, but growing up, seeing his mother’s huge side of the family was a highlight, and he wants his children to be able to have that. Meanwhile Irene is a nervous wreck about it— she thinks she’d be a bad parent and is utterly scared of pregnancy and all the ways it could go wrong. Eventually though, Dell talks her into it after they are no longer mercenaries, and they have three children: Abby, Nate and Nick.

10. Describe their first date.

   Dell had to make do with being confined to a base in the middle of Nowhere, New Mexico, and did so by covering his workshop in black tarp and decorating it with candles. He made Irene dinner that they both shared, not realizing that the rest of the mercs on base had been watching them over the security cameras and making fun of their cheesiness. Irene did eventually find out at the end of the night and decided to give Spy (who organized it) a wake up call in the form of a trip through respawn. 

11. Do either try to hide their emotions if upset? Can the other still tell?

   With Dell, yes, he does hide them when upset because he doesn’t want to spread negativity around. He also dislikes having to raise his voice or yell so he prefers to remain quiet when upset and try not to bring it on to others. Irene can usually tell because he’ll be more quiet and neutral sounding than usual, and will try to persuade him to open up to her. Sometimes he will, sometimes with hesitation, other times not. 

   It’s a different story for Irene though. It’s usually pretty obvious when she’s upset because it will negatively impact her mood. She gets snappier and raises her voice more. Needless to say, Dell can always spot when she’s in a funk and will try to do what he can to assist in bringing her mood up. 

12. Do they have many heated arguments? How do they smooth things over?

   It is incredibly rare that they have a real argument, as mentioned before. However they often argue about little silly things in a light hearted, yet passionate manner. Both of them are very stubborn and will occasionally take differing sides in something that is stupid, ex. “is water wet?”. Usually whoever breaks first is the loser. Irene also likes to play devil’s advocate just for the fun of it, she thinks it’s interesting to propose alternate ideas even if she’ll never be on board with them. So dumb conflicts have risen out of that. 

13. Who’s the bigger tease?

   Irene likes to tease Dell a lot because she gets a big kick out of his reactions. He gets flustered and stuttery very easily and she thinks it’s cute. However, so does she, so when Dell is less overwhelmed, he will typically hit her back with it and turn her into a mess. 

14. How do their personalities compliment each other? How do they clash?

   They are very complimentary, having similar thought processes and general outlooks in general. They’re both very logical and practical, but cover for each other’s short comings. Irene is a little more abstract in her ideas than Dell and has more idealistic thoughts. But Dell is more grounded in reality and helps her bring what can realistically be implemented to life. Dell also can occasionally be a little *too* friendly on the outside (even if he isn’t on the inside!) and Irene usually helps to snap him out of that, invoking a safe level of suspicion. Basically, Dell is more realistic in tangible ideas and idealistic otherwise, and Irene is the opposite way. 

15. Do they always say 'i love you' before leaving?

   Once they got comfortable with it, always. It took Irene a little longer because she has a naturally hard time at expressing her positive emotions.

16. Can they stay up all night just talking?

   If it wasn’t at night, they totally could. But both of them value their sleep. It goes more along the lines of “let’s talk about this tomorrow, I’m really tired now.” But in the day they can constantly bounce ideas and conversation off of each other for hours. 

17, Who's more likely to pull the other in by the waist and kiss them passionately?

   Irene would be more likely to do this with the intention of catching Dell off guard and making him flustered. Not in public unless to strongly prove a point that she’s taken. She definitely sees him as something worth bragging about, as much as he doesn’t think so.

18. How likely are they to have fur babies? How many and what kind?

   They both like dogs a lot. No cats. They’d probably have at least two dogs and love them as much as their kids. They’d have to be something sturdy, like a terrier or other work dog, but not necessarily big. 

19. How do they feel about PDA?

   They’re both very shy about it and try to avoid it for professional reasons when on the job. However, there’s a few times where Irene is willing to push past the awkwardness on her side to initiate it and illicit a reaction out of Dell. It’s worth it, especially when it escalates to them taking it somewhere more private and intimate. 

20. Choose one song that perfectly describes their relationship.

  Leave Your Light On - Thank You Scientist

21. Who would get into a fight to defend the other's honor? Who tends to the other's wounds?

   Dell is always 100% ready to take someone down who even glances at Irene the wrong way, he’s very protective. If someone makes a negative comment about her in conversation, he’ll try to rebut it usually, but not too aggressively. It depends on the context. If someone makes a physical threat, however, they likely won’t be seeing the light of day for a while, if they manage to get through the sinister, yet quiet threat he gives first. 

   Irene is the same way but doesn’t show it as much outwardly until it escalates. If someone insults Dell’s manhood or otherwise she will be all over them (even if it doesn’t exactly disprove their point). If he’s around, he’ll usually tell her to stop because she is more aggressive with it than he is. 

22. What reminds each of their partner?

   What reminds Irene of Dell: Typical cowboy and farm tropes, honey and bees, oil scent, machines, beer

   What reminds Dell of Irene: The beach, palm trees, flowers, math, punch cards, electric guitar

23. Who's more likely to convince the other to stay in bed come morning?

   Irene is more likely to convince Dell because he likes to indulge in relaxation more easily than Irene will. It’s not often that she’s the one doing the convincing to sleep in though, that’s usually him. Some days Dell succeeds in that, but not always. Irene knows she has work to get done, and only after she can fully relax. 

24. Who's more likely to give the other a massage?

   Honestly this is pretty equal for both of them. They both tend to work hunched over at their respective desks. Whoever gets out first and finds the other will usually take the initiative in giving a massage. They would both do it on request any time, too. 

25. Do they have any hobbies they share?

   Besides both having backgrounds in engineering, which they often bond over in discussing, they are both guitarists, which is their main shared hobby. They’re both pretty talented at it, too. 

Shooting guns in the practice range is also another big one, which shouldn’t be a surprise as they’re both mercenaries. They’re both proficient in a variety of different types of firearms and like to practice together. 

26. What are their vices?

   Not realizing the moral implications of their job… even if nobody is technically dying in the wars. As a result, they’re both very insensitive to the physical pain of others and are quite reckless. It’s funny though because when it comes to their teammates and each other, they do show concern. But other than that? It’s difficult at times. 

   They’re also both incredibly stubborn. You aren’t changing their minds, especially if both of their minds are thinking the same way. You better have a lot of good reasoning and evidence to change what they are thinking. 

27. Who is the light weight that needs to be taken care of after a party?

   Irene is a light weight but it’s very rare that she actually drinks. Even when she does drink, she takes care and regulates the amount of intake. 

   Dell drinks regularly so he’s pretty used to it, but occasionally he’ll unintentionally get a little more buzzed than intended. In that case, Irene is glad to take care of him. He tends to say a lot of really cute things to her when he’s buzzed so she doesn’t mind it all too much. She’d prefer he doesn’t get hammered though. 

28. What are there thoughts on pet names? Do they have any?

   Dell loves using them. It’s almost constant when it’s just the two of them. He only really refers to Irene by first name when in public or in front of others. He has a wide variety of nicknames that he uses, including a few that are reserved for sexy time. When he uses those names, Irene knows exactly what he wants. 

   Irene doesn’t use them as often but will occasionally. But she tends to just call Dell by his name. She thinks it’s a cool name, being relatively rare for it’s simplicity, even if it is just a country name. She loves it when he calls her pet names though. It makes her melt. 

29. Who is more likely to jump in an elevator? Who freaks out?

   Dell, no contest. He’d probably do it to demonstrate weightlessness during free fall. Irene would freak out as she isn’t a big fan of elevators and ask him not to do it. 

30. Your OTP gets to pick out each other's outfits; what is each wearing?

   Irene thinks Dell looks really handsome when he’s in a suit and tie or other dressy top, it’s a big turn on for her. But for an every day outfit, probably some type of collared shirt and pants. Something that he’d like too and feel comfortable in. 

   Dell is also a fan of more formal attire in Irene, as she’s just classy in general and makes it look good. But besides that, He’d like to see her in something more classic though, like a sundress, something traditional. Alternatively, he’d probably drool if she wore one of those big classic southern dresses like in Gone with the Wind.

31. Can they sit side by side without touching the other or are they handsy? (lacing fingers, touching knees, etc.)

   Surprisingly, they can and often do, especially in a more professional environment. But Dell likes to hold Irene’s hand and will do so discreetly if the situation calls for it. Irene is more fond of touching knees or feet under the table, which Dell is perfectly fine with. They both like to fidget with things in their hands so it works out well. 

32. Who's the better story teller?

   Dell, definitely. Irene isn’t as charismatic and has a difficult time putting emotion into a retelling of a story. Dell, on the other hand, is a lot more passionate about it and knows how to tell a story in an encapsulating way. Bonus points because he has a lot of stories from all periods of his life. Irene’s heard most of them but she never turns down a repeat. She just likes to hear his voice. 

33. Who's the better cook?

   Dell knows a lot of recipes and is good at making them. He is very precise with them which leads to consistent results. His mother taught him a lot of recipes so he knows how to make almost anything, but he definitely has his favorites. He also is huge on grilling and enjoys that at a hobby level. 

   Irene knows a few family recipes and those she knows she can pull off great. But she’s not too good with stuff she learns on the spot. She doesn’t like coming up with recipes on the spot either. She’s less precise with measurements, doing it more intuitively which makes her food less consistent. 

34. Who's more likely to tell a dirty joke or story to make the other blush?

   Irene. Dell was raised to not talk dirty to women! Which means he gets very flustered when Irene does it. She only does it in private though, not wanting to embarrass him. Even then, it’s very rare and situational. She was also raised to not be dirty, but Irene is a little more loose when it comes to following social values.

35. Who's more artistic?

   They’re both artistic in the way that they are creative, something that engineering, and ultimately problem solving, requires. Even in a traditional sense of the meaning of artistic, I would say they are equal, both being musicians of similar aptitude. 

36. Who's more likely to fire up the stove at 2am because the other woke up in the middle of the night hungry?

   Irene woke up with a problem. Dell decided to solve it. So Dell is the one doing the cooking. Occasionally the roles will flip but Irene will just grab him some cookies or something as to avoid a mess in the middle of the night. 

37. Which is more likely to swear?

   They both swear but Dell does a lot more often. It’s never anything of too much substance, usually just damn and it’s variants and other low impact words. He tries not to swear in front of women though, which initially included Irene, until he learned that she doesn’t mind it and thinks it’s funny. When he’s buzzed, he tends to swear more often. 

   Irene was raised being told that women don’t swear. It’s very rare that she swears but it occasionally comes out, and even then it isn’t ever anything too strong. 

38. Who is more sexually experimental? Who's more vanilla?

   To be honest they’re both pretty vanilla and boring. But I’d be lying if I didn’t mention that they had to have tried the gunslinger in bed at least once. With proper sterilization before and after, of course. And a safety feature turned on! I will not elaborate further. ;)

39. Who would rescue an injured animal and nurse it back to health? What would the other think?

   Dell is more likely to, especially if it seems that it has a chance to survive with help. Irene thinks it’s very sweet of him, even if sometimes it doesn’t lead to any improvement. It’s the thought that counts. 

40. Who has an insatiable appetite? And what does the other do to help?

   Dell eats more than double the amount that Irene does for every meal. So when she’s cooking or otherwise in charge of food, she makes sure there’s more than enough for both of them. If she doesn’t finish, she’ll pass her food to him. 

41. Which one would take their jacket off and drape over the other one because they were visibly shivering?

   Irene is from Florida and is always freezing. And even though Dell is from Florida’s less crazy sibling, Texas, he does the gentlemanly thing and gives her his jacket quite often. He doesn’t get as cold as easily due to his size so he doesn’t mind it (though he will occasionally comment negatively on the cold).

42. What's their favorite type of weather to enjoy together? (getting snowed in together, watching thunderstorms, etc.)

   Ironically, cold weather. As much as they both dislike it, they find comfort in each other during it because it gives them an excuse to stick together. Once they get under a blanket together, good luck getting them to move.

43. Who would give their life for the other without a second thought?

   Considering they are both hopelessly in love, they probably both would equally. I’d say if they were ever in this situation, as cheesy as it may be, they’d choose to die together. It would be better than leaving one alive to deal with the grief. They don’t want each other to suffer. 

44. Who would dance in the kitchen making dinner? Would the other join in or watch from the doorway?

   Dell is more vibrant in his movement and would be the most likely culprit for this one, but even then I think it’s a bit out of character. He’d have to be in a really good mood for this to happen. Irene would watch all giggly, but not join in. She’s self conscious about dancing. 

45. Can they fall asleep without the other?

   They can, and often do because they don’t always go to bed at the same time. Irene is a night person and tends to go to bed a lot later than Dell, so he’s used to going to bed alone. That isn’t to say they both enjoy seeing each other when they wake up. They both feel more comfortable sleeping next to each other. It calms both of their nerves. 

46. Would they get frisky at the movies by themselves?

   No, they’re both terrified to do intimate acts in public. They both were raised better than that! And it isn’t exactly the best sight, considering they’re in their early 40s. Even after chugging australium for youth they probably wouldn’t. 

47. Does either of them have a secret that could potentially ruin their relationship?

   They’re both mostly open books to each other, which is interesting because they are both naturally secretive people. They may share their secrets between each other, but never to anyone else. 

48. Who's the better driver?

   Irene, simply because Dell has driven under circumstances in which he shouldn’t have (slightly intoxicated). They’re both pretty standard when it comes to driving, nothing special. Irene hates working the stick shift though. 

49. Does either of them have a hard time being away from the other?

   Dell doesn’t like being away from Irene for a super long time just out of fear of her safety. He knows she can handle herself, he just has a primal instinct rooted in him to be a protector. 

   Irene dislikes being away from Dell for mental health reasons. He usually calms her down and balances her out, preventing her from making rash decisions and overall keeping her mood up.

50. Who's more likely to do something out of spite?

   To each other? Irene. Though that’d probably never happen, tbh.

   To anyone? It’s Dell, easy. They both can be spiteful but Dell is the master of passive aggressive acts of spite. They both will do things to prove a point though. 

51. What’s a non verbal way they say I love you?

   Smiling goofily at each other, checking on each other, doing favors for each other. These are the most common. 

52. Describe their weekend getaway?

   A weekend off work, getting anywhere out of the base to spend time together. Occasionally they’ll get a hotel room just to get off the property and go all out, room service and all. Mercenary work gets the bills paid easily. It’s peaceful, especially being away from the other mercs, but the two of them occasionally like to cause a little trouble themselves. 

53. Would they ever go skinny dipping?

   They’re both very modest, Irene just feeling awkward in revealing clothing and Dell having low self esteem about his body. So even if they may want to, it would have to be a 100% private location. Dell would only let it happen since Irene finds everything about him attractive, even if it isn’t completely idealistic. 

54. Who’s more likely to carry the other to bed?

   Dell has carried Irene to bed on multiple occasions. She’s lighter than his toolbox so moving her is a breeze. She falls asleep at her desk occasionally so he has to help her to bed, which she appreciates. 

55. Do they like watching clouds or star gazing?

   Star gazing. Honestly I can’t give a good reason why, it just feels right for them. They like sunsets and it’s the next natural phase. 

56. What do they do turn the other on/put them in the mood?

   As soon as Dell uses his deep voice and special nicknames, Irene is instantly ready. It’s her poison, she can’t resist it. Even if she tries.

   As for Dell, uhh… seeing Irene in revealing clothing. Or being a badass. If he gets to bare witness to her putting someone in their place, he’ll want to be put in his place too. 

57. Whose the serious one when grocery shopping and who likes to toss random things in the cart?

   Dell likes to toss random stuff in the cart, usually junk and sweets. Which Irene is not immune to and will tend to agree on. It works out, only since they’re rich enough from merc work to not care. 

58. Who’s more likely to hold a grudge after an argument?

   They never really hold grudges over serious arguments, they never let it escalate that much. But for silly things, it’s definitely Irene. Dell is a little looser because he likes seeing Irene get what she wants, but Irene won’t submit the other way. 

59. Who tops? Who bottoms?

   Dell is the soft top. He takes the lead but is always very gentle and passionate with it. Irene is always the bottom, she doesn’t like leading during smex.

60. Who pulls the other closer when they’re sleeping?

   Dell will often pull Irene closer if she isn’t already flush with him, which their weight difference usually guarantees. Despite Irene being notably taller than Dell, she’s typically the little spoon and they both like it that way. Though occasionally they’ll switch just for the fun of it.