Jackie
Child
Professional lazy grump.
Posts: 248 Likes: 23 
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Post by Jackie on Feb 8, 2015 22:15:07 GMT -5
The Mojave Outpost was hustling and bustling as usual that bright, sunny morning. Caravans coming to and fro, wagons and brahmin jammed pack with goods for trade. Jonathan himself had just completed a guard job the prior night, and he'd used some of his newly earned caps to buy himself a hearty breakfast, bighorner steak and eggs, with a cup of coffee to wash it down. The caravan boss had offered to hire him back on for the rest of the journey to Novac, but John had politely turned the offer down, stating he had business to attend to in Goodsprings. Wasn't really 'business' truth be told, he was actually visiting a friend whom lived in the small town. John didn't have a whole lot of friends, but he made sure to go out of his way to see what few he did have on a regular basis. Said friend was about the only reason John came out to the Vegas area, he preferred the more northern states, not so damned hot up there.
A good nights sleep and a filling breakfast had the Ghoul well prepared for the walk ahead though, and if all went well, he would be having a beer with his friend in Goodsprings by sundown. Hopefully it would be a smooth trek, the NCR and Brotherhood patrolled the route he planned to take pretty regularly, though there had been a few scattered reports about a small raider band operating in the area. John wasn't too worried about it though, his vigilance had yet to fail him.
After finishing his steak and eggs, Jonathan would sit quietly for awhile, sipping at his coffee as he listened to the new reports on the nearby radio, content to sit a few more minutes before hitting the road.
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Post by aardvarklord on Feb 8, 2015 22:34:58 GMT -5
If there was one thing that Rachel had come to appreciate on the caravan trails, it was the occasional stops on the way through. There was only so long one could go without a cushy bed, a fresh meal, or a fine drink without going mad. The caravan she'd been escorting had almost chosen to power on through to Goodsprings through the night, but a reminder of how easy it was to be ambushed in that situation and a subsequent democratic vote put paid to those thoughts. Rachel was planning to leave the group when they reached New Vegas, probably latch onto a Crimson Caravan as soon as she arrived or something of the like. Nothing against the people of the land, but the less time she spent within reach of that city the better. She was already being paid extra for being sent that close. Still, stopping at the Mojave Outpost was always a bonus--it provided an excuse to visit the bar.
Rachel had never been someone of intricate tastes, simply grabbing a mutfruit and a gecko fillet for breakfast and a bit of whiskey to wash it down. Still, being able to have her meal in a tavern like this one was more than enough for her--she could slow down and enjoy it. This span of the trek was usually the easiest, especially since the Brotherhood and NCR decided to kiss and make up out here and cooperate. Yeah, that was a pleasant change of pace; no longer having to worry about those two groups of fanatics taking potshots and hitting her by accident. She'd caught wind of the raider attacks, and normally she would have jumped on to help a group hunt them down, but the only ones around capable were NCR... and no offense to those fine men and women but they could go hoist themselves up by their own petards.
So instead she calmly munched away at her breakfast while the people in the are who were up and moving chatted amongst themselves in the background and the radio played some of that usual old-world art. Funny how that had survived the apocalypse of all things. As she finished the last of her meal, she noticed another fellow who seemed to be mostly on his own. He was very obviously a ghoul--even without sight she could kind of smell him--and armed to the teeth. Obviously he was a merc or fighter of some description, but seemed content to just drink his meal on his own. Well, he'd probably make as good a conversation partner as any until they headed off, it'd kill the time at least. "At least the drinks here are fresher than the stuff you'll find in the wild, eh old timer?" she asked calmly, flashing the man a relaxed smile as she sipped her whiskey.
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Jackie
Child
Professional lazy grump.
Posts: 248 Likes: 23
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Post by Jackie on Feb 8, 2015 22:52:49 GMT -5
John had just downed the last of his coffee when he became acutely aware of someone addressing him. 'Old timer' she said, shit, that was putting it mildly. He'd walked this earth for going on 5 full lifetimes, the former human was a god damn relic. For some years after his change, John had wondered how his new state of being affected his overall lifespan. Initially he believed it would have been shortened greatly, and yet here he was, 238 years old and still kicking.
He'd casually glance to the side, his eyes resting on the young red-head. A hint of a smile would creep onto John's mug. "It all tastes like shit kiddo." The Ghoul would reply with a light sigh. He wouldn't question the soundness of her decision to have hard liquor so early in the morning, Christ, noon was still a good 4 or so hours off. I'm just old fashioned that way I guess. All these years later, John still sometimes found himself comparing certain aspects of life to how they were before the war. He could also sometimes forget that all the humans that had survived the initial bombings had long since died out. Depressing stuff to say the least, made him feel all the more like a damned dinosaur.
While he wasn't much of a talker, John didn't mind some idle conversation from time to time. "You from California?"
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Post by aardvarklord on Feb 8, 2015 23:14:41 GMT -5
A soft laugh escaped Rachel at the ghoul's response, raising her glass in something vaguely resembling a toast, "Perhaps, but it's the shit I know." Truthfully, she actually thought that this drink tasted relatively good--but then again she had subsisted on some pretty foul shit before; damn near died of radiation poisoning one year just because there weren't any good Radaway shipments that came through. Then again, depending on how old that ghoul was, he might actually know what things had tasted liked before they started to rot. She'd never met one before, but she'd heard of ghouls whom had been alive back before the bombs fell, and met a few from the first generation after. It baffled her that something that did so much damage wound up keeping them alive, but she supposed that there were stranger things in the wasteland than that. Shame they had to wind up looking like a corpse for that--but hey, she supposed it was better than becoming a literal corpse. Then again, she sure as shit wouldn't want to become one of those poor sods. No fault of their own, it just sucked.
Taking another sip of her whiskey, she went ahead and asked for some water to chase it down with. She mostly just drank the drink because she drank the drink--she knew it was a bad habit, but it was better than most of the other garbage she'd put in her body over the years. When he asked if she was from California, she nodded and turned to look at him, her eye looking the old man over thoughtfully. "Originally, a tiny-ass town in the Santa Ana Valley," she stated plainly, "Lately though, the only home I know is the I-15." She didn't think much about her time before leaving the 'rangers,' to her it felt like a lifetime ago; she actually didn't even remember her father's face. It probably should have made her sad to think that, but in this world she'd come to realize that it was probably for the best. "What about you?"
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Jackie
Child
Professional lazy grump.
Posts: 248 Likes: 23
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Post by Jackie on Feb 8, 2015 23:55:50 GMT -5
California, John new the state well, he'd spent most of his post-war life there after all. All these years later, Jonathan could still remember the state in all its glory, before the bombs fell, lush with farm after farm of fruits of various sorts, orchards stretching for miles. Honestly, if he hadn't loved the mountains of Utah so much, he likely would have moved to California. "I'd take a tiny town over a big city any day." The ghoul would reply. Her mentioning of not having a home besides I-15 was something John could identify with. He'd not called a place home since Necropolis, and he never stayed put in a location for more than a few months at a time. When the question of home towns was shot back at him, the ghoul's lips would tighten briefly before he'd reply. "Salt Lake City, Utah. Before it was scraped off the map of course." One would have thought that John wouldn't have needed to specify the last bit, but surprisingly enough people sometimes thought he meant the post war ruins, not realizing they were still too irradiated to support life, save for Ghouls and super mutants, both of whom were sterile. "What do you do for a living kid?" The ghoul would inquire. He imagined she was a caravan guard, or perhaps a merc like him, she was armed and outfitted for the trade at the least.
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Post by aardvarklord on Feb 9, 2015 0:23:39 GMT -5
Rachel rolled her eyes to the big city comment, shrugging it off and continuing to stare thoughtfully into her whiskey, debating whether or not to comment on that. Honestly, at this point, if she could get herself to cool the engines she'd take the security of a city to the quaintness of a town any day. She knew just how vulnerable little towns like hers were, and she knew that the personable nature of the people there was all fine WHEN YOU WEREN'T BEING MURDERED. Still, she supposed that he had his reasons--perhaps having to do with his condition and what it was like before. Actually, on that subject, she was visibly surprised when he said he was from Salt Lake. While she'd never been that far North-east, she'd heard of what it was like out there, and knew that going up there was pretty much a death sentence. "You really are a bit of a fossil, aren't ya?" she prodded gently as she looked at him before finally looking back at her drink, "But... yeah... sorry to hear about your home." Sighing, she would promptly scoff at the question, immediately looking back at him with a smirk, noting his weapons. "Merc and caravan guard, pending on who's offering the caps. Going off of what I'm seeing on you, it seems you're not too different."
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Jackie
Child
Professional lazy grump.
Posts: 248 Likes: 23
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Post by Jackie on Feb 9, 2015 5:37:00 GMT -5
The woman's continued prodding about his age would get a light sigh and a smirk out of the old ghoul, whom would shake his head in the process. "Rub it in kid, suppose I should just consider myself lucky there aren't any nursing homes anymore." It would then immediately occur to John that this woman likely wouldn't have even known what a 'nursing home' was, he'd let it go though. Her condolences concerning the loss of his home would be met with a dismissive wave of his hand. "It was a long time ago, I've done my grieving." A half-truth really, while time had largely closed that old wound, thinking back on it still stung a bit. His memories of home were remarkably vivid all things considered, no doubt because he cherished them so greatly. Kinda humorous considering he couldn't tell you what he'd had for lunch just a couple of days ago.
John wasn't surprised when his assumptions about the girl's line of work were confirmed, what the hell else could you be out here if you weren't either of those or NCR? Her comment about him looking like he was involved in the same line of work would get a shrug of the shoulders out of the ghoul. "I've done a little bit of everything by this point. I'm just better at tasks that involve shooting at people or being shot at."
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Post by aardvarklord on Feb 9, 2015 21:05:16 GMT -5
Rachel snickered lightly at the man's response, though would briefly pause in thought, trying to think of where she'd heard the phrase 'nursing home.' She didn't recognize it off-hand, but she'd probably heard it referenced at some point... probably something doing with old or sick people. Oh well. Unimportant. To his comment about grieving, however, she raised her glass to that and said somberly, "Amen to that." She still had dreams about that night so many years ago, and of the time she spent back with... those people. But, she had put it mostly behind her, it wasn't pleasant but it was past and the people involved, both good and bad, were long gone.
When he responded by saying that he'd done a little bit of everything, she chuckled and nodded, understanding that sentiment a little too well. "I hear ya," she commented, picking up her new water and taking a satisfied gulp of it, "Some people thrive in such work I suppose." At about that moment, the other members of her caravan began entering into the tavern, mostly gathering to get food and water before hitting the road. It would be a little bit, but she knew that her time was coming soon. "So, where are you headed?" she asked him off-handedly, at this point just killing time.
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Jackie
Child
Professional lazy grump.
Posts: 248 Likes: 23
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Post by Jackie on Feb 9, 2015 21:52:25 GMT -5
Her return comment actually made John think. Did he thrive in violent environments? One could call it that he guessed, he was trained to operate in an active warzone, and John was very good at his job. It only made sense to keep doing what he was good at, end of the world or not. Sometimes John thought about laying down his guns and trying to retire somewhere quiet, problem was he'd lost to many homes and to many friends over the years to believe such a 'quiet place' existed. He just had to come to terms with the fact that he'd likely die with a gun in his hand.
When the woman went on to ask him where he was headed, John's first instinct was to lie. It wasn't anything personal against her, it just wasn't always a good idea to tell people your plans, especially if you traveled alone like he did. The ghoul felt himself a fairly good judge of character by now though, and he highly doubted this young woman would cause him any trouble. "Goodsprings." He would reply. "Might go lose some caps in Vegas as well, not that I have that much to lose to start with."
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Post by aardvarklord on Feb 10, 2015 6:59:50 GMT -5
Seemed a lot of people went through Goodsprings and Primm, or more appropriately a lot of people were headed to New Vegas. Rachel found herself almost disappointed to hear that the fellow was heading for that hive of exploitative monsters. Of course, there was little that she could do to keep people from wanting to go--as it was she admitted that it was probably the safest place in the wastes from actual bodily harm and also the best preserved. But that said, she still tried to avoid entering the city--she was oddly thankful that they required a permit to enter the gates. For a moment she would remain quiet. It hadn't been any business of hers where he was going, she was just making small talk. If he were obviously a trader she would have left him be, those people had every reason to be paranoid. Still, she appreciated his trust, even if it may have been for a condescending reason. Letting out a sigh, she commented to him, almost as an after-thought, "The caravan I'm with is heading the same way. Truth be told, I wouldn't place Vegas as my favorite destination though." She stared at the table thoughtfully, taking another sip of water. "In the wastes, you can usually tell who means you harm."
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Post by PoshTheBean on Feb 10, 2015 12:05:04 GMT -5
"Ah great. I can't escape this one." Vitsel said to himself. He carries his Light Machine Gun and stares up the hill at the two big statues. "I really would rather go somewhere else, but I'm too tired to do so." He walked up the hill going around the broken vehicles. The Mojave Outpost was somewhere Vitsel did not want to go. Vitsel sometimes wonder if it would have been better if the Legion won the battle. Then again, he's most likely wrong. He doesn't truly know what the Legion was like. The bandits he comes across was already bad enough. However, the New California republic is way more organized and has way better equipment. "As long as nobody touches my bag then I'll be fine. I'm only gonna rest here for a bit. That's it. I'll probably eat a little bit. Nothing else." At this point Vitsel's just talking to himself over and over. He doesn't normally enter NCR territory, but he doesn't really have a choice. It's not like he could travel forever without a break.
Vitsel reached the outpost and looked around. The NCR soldiers would stare back at him. Vitsel however, did not make eye contact. He quickly walked towards the bar to get something to eat. He noticed two other people who weren't NCR. "Looks like I'm not the only one here" he thought. Vitsel didn't sit next to them. He just got some cooked brahmin meat and some bottled water. The only thing Vitsel thought about was to get out of the outpost.
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Jackie
Child
Professional lazy grump.
Posts: 248 Likes: 23
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Post by Jackie on Feb 10, 2015 15:07:22 GMT -5
John would smirk when the red-head mentioned Vegas wasn't exactly her ideal tourist location. "Isn't mine either kiddo, I go more for nostalgia based reasons, not that it was my favorite place before the bombs fell either." The ghoul couldn't help but sigh as he reflected on the memories of the city before the war, or what memories he had anyways, he'd only been there twice before the world went to hell. The strip, all lit up, had definitely left an impression on him though, was hard to forget that even if you only ever saw it once. Briefly John's thoughts would be interrupted by the sounds of someone passing them and sitting nearby, but besides a casual glance, John wouldn't pay the newcomer any mind. The woman's comment of knowing who meant you harm in the wastes would get a raspy laugh out of him. "I'm probably more alert in big cities than I am out here. Plenty of people were around before the war that were happy to greet you with one hand and stab you in the back with the other, I didn't expect that to change any." The ghoul didn't have much to say on the topic of Goodsprings. "What's your name kid? If I see you there, I might buy you a beer if I'm not in a grumpy mood."
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Post by aardvarklord on Feb 10, 2015 16:57:23 GMT -5
Rachel winced a little when she realized why it was that the fellow went to Vegas, and to her shame she realized that she was pretty insensitive. Still, at least he realized what it was... of course he would, the guy was almost ten times her age. If anything she should be going to him for advice, not the other way around. When the other fellow came in, she didn't pay him too much mind other than giving him a quick glance to check if he was anything notably dangerous, but near as she could tell he was pretty much standard for the Wastes (assuming he's not wearing his power armor). She was already in conversation, so unless he felt like joining in she wasn't going to bother him. She would chuckle a little at the man's statement of how hostile people were even before the war, commenting with a smirk, "Same shit different day, huh?" She wasn't surprised to not hear the topic of Goodsprings continue--again, not any of her business and it wasn't like there was much someone could do in that rinky dink town that wasn't personal. "Rachel," she introduced herself calmly, offering the old ghoul a handshake, "And if I'm there, I'll need one, so much appreciated, Mister..."
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Post by PoshTheBean on Feb 10, 2015 17:32:06 GMT -5
(He isn't wearing his armor at the moment.)
Vitsel's ears perked up after hearing the two mention Goodsprings. He remembered when he entered Goodsprings. It was the first time he didn't get attacked after entering the wastes. Vitsel heard of a Securitron patrolling the town after the NCR's second victory over Hoover Dam. A lot has changed since then. He always wanted to see how things were doing at the first town he's ever visited. He doesn't want to go because the town has almost no jobs for muscle like him. He was curious on why the two people near him were talking about the town. For one, what does a ghoul need over there? He told himself fuck it and turned towards the two. "If you don't mind me asking, why do you seem interested in that town?"
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Jackie
Child
Professional lazy grump.
Posts: 248 Likes: 23
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Post by Jackie on Feb 10, 2015 19:51:27 GMT -5
"Howler, Jonathan Howler, most people call me John though." The ghoul would reply as he accepted the red-head's hand for a shake. He wasn't going to lie, he was a bit surprised she was so willing to touch him, most wastelanders seemed to be idiots when it came to ghoul physiology, as if touching him would turn them into leppers. He was glad this Rachel appeared to have more brains than that. Jonathan would snort a bit at the woman's 'same shit' comment. "Same shit different century in my case. Kinda funny how even nuclear war can't change some things." Actually it was horrifically sad, the optimist in John had wanted to believe that after raining atomic fire on each other, the survivors of the world would pull together to rebuild. However, in true human fashion everyone went right back to killing each other. As depressing a thought as it was, John was convinced that if the world was ever rebuilt to the way it had been before, sooner or later humanity would nuke itself all over again...
The ghoul would be pulled from his thoughts by a new voice however, namely that of the human that had just arrived. John's eyes would narrow at the man as he turned his head to face him, full of suspicion at his sudden interest at their little conversation. "Business smoothskin, private business." His tone wasn't hostile or aggressive by any means, but it also wasn't friendly either. Rachel asking broad, impersonal details, like 'where', was one thing, but John didn't like people asking 'why', not to mention the man's interest in what two random strangers were doing in such a small town unsettled the old soldier. Some would call it paranoia, but the old saying 'Just because you're paranoid doesn't mean someone isn't out to get you.' still rung true, and believe it or not, the old man had an enemy or three out there in the world.
Of course if Rachel chose to divulge information to the man, that was her business.
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