Status: will be updated every few days
Just Another Wastelander
1
The desert really sucks. I never thought much about it up in D.C, but now that Butch and I were finally here after 7 months of walking, I kind of regretted it. I'd done my part for the Capital Wasteland, and I just wanted to start over elsewhere, even though it was painfully hard to leave my father and the friends I'd made. The only person I needed now was Butch DeLoria, even though he was a bitch to be with back in Vault 101. But after everything, we'd had a small wedding in Megaton before saying our goodbyes. Now here we were, strolling through the Mojave.
"When do you think we'll get to New Vegas?" I asked. I was so ready to see civilization again, besides the people who call themselves the 'NCR' who we'd pass by regularly here.
Butch scoffed. "Whenever we see the tower, duh." He reached for his 10mm pistol, squinting at the distance. "Okay, what the fuck is that?"
I followed his eyes, seeing something blue and reptile-like down the hill. "I don't think it's hostile." I drew his hand away from his pistol, but Butch was focused on the strange creature. Then, blood sprayed through the air as a bullet pierced its head. A girl ran down the mountain, a gray dog in toe. She began slicing the reptile thing open, and collecting her dinner, I suppose.
"A hunter!" I exclaimed, "That means there's a town nearby!" I reached for Butch's hand and pulled him with me as I ran to the girl.
"She could be a raider for all we know," He said.
"She's alone, though." I looked him in straight in his blue eyes. "We don't know where the hell we're at, or any part of this desert. We're asking her for directions."
My resistant husband rolled his eyes. I could tell he was annoyed, but then he grinned like he always did. "If anything happens, the Butch man's got this," He said, twirling his gun.
When we were halfway down the hill, the dog started growling. The woman looked up, and placed her hand on her rifle.
"Whoa, chill!" I opened my hands to show they were empty, "We mean no harm, we've just traveled here from the Capital Wasteland."
"Really?" The woman's brown eyes brightened, and she approached us. "You mean, like, D.C?" After I nodded she said, much to my pride, "I've heard that some girl saved those towns there! The water's pure now, and there's no super mutants at all!"
"Where'd you hear that from?"
"Travelers like yourselves, and caraveneers. I forgot my name, my apologies. I'm Sunny, and that's my dog Cheyenne."
Sunny certainly didn't look rough like a traveler, but she wasn't as soft looking as a civilian. My guess was she hunted for whomever, and had seen her fair share of fights. "I'm Victoria, and that's my husband, Butch." I knew Butch wasn't fond of strangers, or introductions, and could be rude, so I did it for him. When I glanced back, he had on the fakest grin I'd ever seen him do.
"Hm, nice leather jacket," Sunny pointed out, looking at Butch's Tunnel Snakes jacket. "You oughta check out the Kings in New Vegas. You'll fit in just fine, and got the attitude to match it."
I knew Butch was gonna pull out a switchblade on this chick, so I carried on, "Do you know of any place nearby where we can rest?" I asked. My feet hurt from walking continuously, and my bones ached from sleeping on the ground every night. The desert nights were cold, and Butch and I kept as close to each other as we could to keep warm, which resulted in many days of cramped legs and arms.
"Actually yes," Sunny answered. "I ain't wearing this leather armor for nothing. I help defend the town of Goodsprings, just up to the northeast. I'll take you there once I finish collecting the gecko meat."
Butch and I waited patiently--well I did--while Sunny tore apart the gecko. She seemed rather young to be a guard, but I guess things were different over here. She was shortish, with dark brown hair tied up in a bun, and a face that made her seem curious in everything.
~~~~
After traveling for about a mile, we were led into a small town. There was no walls, just a small cattle fence surrounding most of the perimeter. I was able to count at least 12 people outside, either farming or conversing.
"The saloon is where you can get a room. Most folks don't pass by here, so Trudy will have to let y'all in," Sunny promised. "I've got to drop this off by the campfire, just go inside and look for the woman tending the bar."
The door to the saloon squeaked when I opened it, and the 4 people sitting at the bar turned their heads. "Are you Trudy?" I asked the lady tending it, even though Sunny specifically said it would be Trudy.
"Sure am," Trudy nodded. She didn't look like the kind of person to be tending a bar, but whatever flows. I wasn't expecting a motherly-woman wearing a nice dress tending a bar in pretty much the middle of nowhere.
"Can we get a room for tonight?"
A man in a merc adventurer outfit laughed. "A room, huh?" He took a swig out of his whiskey. His grimy dirty blonde hair collapsed on his forehead, partially shadowing his ice blue eyes.
"Be quiet, Kyle," Trudy glared. "They look like they need some sleep." I wasn't sure if I was to be offended, but Butch snorted in clear offense, and put in that we had barely gotten any sleep for the past 7 months. "Yes, there's a room. Second room to the left of the door." She handed me a key.
The room was cozy, and probably the best sight I'd seen in almost a year. A single queen sized bed was in the middle, and candles were on each nightstand.
"This is the best thing ever!" Butch exclaimed, falling on his stomach on the mattress. "The closest thing we had to this on our trip was some abandoned shack with blood stains everywhere," He chuckled.
I grinned, maybe we'd make it to New Vegas after all.
"When do you think we'll get to New Vegas?" I asked. I was so ready to see civilization again, besides the people who call themselves the 'NCR' who we'd pass by regularly here.
Butch scoffed. "Whenever we see the tower, duh." He reached for his 10mm pistol, squinting at the distance. "Okay, what the fuck is that?"
I followed his eyes, seeing something blue and reptile-like down the hill. "I don't think it's hostile." I drew his hand away from his pistol, but Butch was focused on the strange creature. Then, blood sprayed through the air as a bullet pierced its head. A girl ran down the mountain, a gray dog in toe. She began slicing the reptile thing open, and collecting her dinner, I suppose.
"A hunter!" I exclaimed, "That means there's a town nearby!" I reached for Butch's hand and pulled him with me as I ran to the girl.
"She could be a raider for all we know," He said.
"She's alone, though." I looked him in straight in his blue eyes. "We don't know where the hell we're at, or any part of this desert. We're asking her for directions."
My resistant husband rolled his eyes. I could tell he was annoyed, but then he grinned like he always did. "If anything happens, the Butch man's got this," He said, twirling his gun.
When we were halfway down the hill, the dog started growling. The woman looked up, and placed her hand on her rifle.
"Whoa, chill!" I opened my hands to show they were empty, "We mean no harm, we've just traveled here from the Capital Wasteland."
"Really?" The woman's brown eyes brightened, and she approached us. "You mean, like, D.C?" After I nodded she said, much to my pride, "I've heard that some girl saved those towns there! The water's pure now, and there's no super mutants at all!"
"Where'd you hear that from?"
"Travelers like yourselves, and caraveneers. I forgot my name, my apologies. I'm Sunny, and that's my dog Cheyenne."
Sunny certainly didn't look rough like a traveler, but she wasn't as soft looking as a civilian. My guess was she hunted for whomever, and had seen her fair share of fights. "I'm Victoria, and that's my husband, Butch." I knew Butch wasn't fond of strangers, or introductions, and could be rude, so I did it for him. When I glanced back, he had on the fakest grin I'd ever seen him do.
"Hm, nice leather jacket," Sunny pointed out, looking at Butch's Tunnel Snakes jacket. "You oughta check out the Kings in New Vegas. You'll fit in just fine, and got the attitude to match it."
I knew Butch was gonna pull out a switchblade on this chick, so I carried on, "Do you know of any place nearby where we can rest?" I asked. My feet hurt from walking continuously, and my bones ached from sleeping on the ground every night. The desert nights were cold, and Butch and I kept as close to each other as we could to keep warm, which resulted in many days of cramped legs and arms.
"Actually yes," Sunny answered. "I ain't wearing this leather armor for nothing. I help defend the town of Goodsprings, just up to the northeast. I'll take you there once I finish collecting the gecko meat."
Butch and I waited patiently--well I did--while Sunny tore apart the gecko. She seemed rather young to be a guard, but I guess things were different over here. She was shortish, with dark brown hair tied up in a bun, and a face that made her seem curious in everything.
~~~~
After traveling for about a mile, we were led into a small town. There was no walls, just a small cattle fence surrounding most of the perimeter. I was able to count at least 12 people outside, either farming or conversing.
"The saloon is where you can get a room. Most folks don't pass by here, so Trudy will have to let y'all in," Sunny promised. "I've got to drop this off by the campfire, just go inside and look for the woman tending the bar."
The door to the saloon squeaked when I opened it, and the 4 people sitting at the bar turned their heads. "Are you Trudy?" I asked the lady tending it, even though Sunny specifically said it would be Trudy.
"Sure am," Trudy nodded. She didn't look like the kind of person to be tending a bar, but whatever flows. I wasn't expecting a motherly-woman wearing a nice dress tending a bar in pretty much the middle of nowhere.
"Can we get a room for tonight?"
A man in a merc adventurer outfit laughed. "A room, huh?" He took a swig out of his whiskey. His grimy dirty blonde hair collapsed on his forehead, partially shadowing his ice blue eyes.
"Be quiet, Kyle," Trudy glared. "They look like they need some sleep." I wasn't sure if I was to be offended, but Butch snorted in clear offense, and put in that we had barely gotten any sleep for the past 7 months. "Yes, there's a room. Second room to the left of the door." She handed me a key.
The room was cozy, and probably the best sight I'd seen in almost a year. A single queen sized bed was in the middle, and candles were on each nightstand.
"This is the best thing ever!" Butch exclaimed, falling on his stomach on the mattress. "The closest thing we had to this on our trip was some abandoned shack with blood stains everywhere," He chuckled.
I grinned, maybe we'd make it to New Vegas after all.