Fandom Fallout: Storage Wars

[Safton]

Vincent's eyebrow arched as Ava laid out her scheme. It was a running joke that between the two of them, she was the one getting the two of them into scrapes with devious little plans. However, this was... unconventional, even by her standards. He had a few misgivings about the entire idea and opened his mouth to speak.

...As it happened, however, Mila too wasn't thrilled with the idea and soon let it be known -- vocally, visibly, and just about any other way that one could imagine. Vince cringed and raised two hands as if to placate an angry beast, despite her ire not being directed at him. In truth, he couldn't blame her, though he glanced over to make sure the mirelurks were still unaware of their presence despite the raised voices. Lee pursed his lips, planting his hands on his hips and surveying the scene with a sigh before nodding to himself as Ava spoke up in defense of her plan.

After shooting Ava a warning glare for the woman's remark about Mila being their Trojan Horse on the grounds that she was already covered in grime, Vincent followed up. "Look, I'd do it, but there's no way I'd fit," he said to Mila, gesturing to his tall, lean frame. "But we can't force you to do anything. Which leaves us abandoning the doc, or chancing a straight-up fight and possibly getting swarmed by those things." He shrugged, cradling his rifle against his chest and casting another wary glance toward the nest. "What will it be?"

NanLia
Isaedras Cleditre
Gravitational Force

 

[Isaedras Cleditre]

"Serves me right for not listening to Cait and 'thickening up'." Mila grumbled as Vincent laid out her options. She kept her arms folded for most of the convo before eventually scratching the back of her head and reluctantly stepping forward,

"AGH! Just open the fucking thing. I'll do it." She motioned to the mirelurk carcass and tried her best to keep her voice down despite her anger. "and believe me, you can't force me but if i don't then you girls would probably die and we can't just leave the doc there, right? So, let's get this show on the road!" She chuckled before immediately biting her lip and mouthing "Sorry..." to them both.

Was her comment about them dying true? Probably not but she didn't care to find out either. They seemed decent enough so far so, unlike that raider group from before, she wasn't willing to just lead them headfirst into danger if she didn't have to. A suicide mission wasn't exactly on her agenda currently which met grimy girl was taking a dip in mirelurk goo (hopefully) one last time in order to make it to the nest in one piece.

She didn't bother trying to clean herself or even worry about cleanliness as they did their best to hollow out enough room in the mirelurk for her to fit. Mila surprisingly squeezed right in and did her best to support the surprisingly weighty shell on her shoulder from the inside. Trying her best to focus on anything but the smell proved to be futile as she was almost immediately engulfed in stench and fluids the likes of which she had never experienced before.

"Point me towards the fucking thing! Point me towards the fucking thing!" Mila screeched from the inside, her voice muffled by the thick shell but just audible enough for them to hear. "Let's get this doc and go so I can take the longest shower ever and cry!" She was being humorous when mentioning the "crying" bit but it wasn't exactly too far from reality to actually happen if she didn't get this over with soon.

 

[Gravitational Force]

Mila manages to make it to where the scientist is without being discovered by the Mirelurks, although there are several close calls. When she finally makes it to Dr. Lace (a well-preserved female Ghoul) the scientists doesn't seem to notice her while taking down notes. It takes prodding her several times to get her to take her eyes off the nest of eggs she's studying.

"Hmm? What? Oh! Hello!" Dr. Lace seems to reorient herself as she turns to Mila. Up close Mila can see the Ghoul's wearing a high quality outfit that seems to be designed for swampy terrain. Her voice sounds surprisingly young, even for a Ghoul's.

Dr. Lace gives Mila an expectant look and holds out her hand.
"It's amazing, isn't it? I'd be taking pictures, but they smashed my camera when they wrecked our camp. Still, totally worth it for this chance! You're here to take me back, right? So far I've managed to disguise my scent so they'll leave me alone, but I don't know how long it will last. I had a boat, but..."
She gestures over at a patch of water and you see what remains of a boat...

...and a very strange looking Mirelurk.

Dr. Lace shrugs. "I know I should be angrier, but I'm actually glad I got to see it. The water here has so many mutagens that even eggs from the same clutch can hatch into wildly divergent mutations! I'm just glad I'm immune."
She then realizes she's talking to an unmutated Human who's just repeatedly exposed themselves to the chemicals in the water and Mirelurk insides.
"Hehe, umm... You should be fine. And I can get you some medical supplies once you get me back to the base so there shouldn't be any long term effects. Hopefully. Maybe. Oof."

Mila flashes back to the feral Ghoul her group had run into on the way here. And how it had been wearing a similar outfit to the one Dr. Lace is wearing. And the outfit the employee who'd hired them to collect Dr. Lace had been wearing. And the disheveled state that employee had been in. Almost like they'd run all the way back from the campsite...

Dr. Lace notices the others hanging back away from the Mirelurk breeding ground.
"Oh, you have more people in your group. Good. I think if we're careful we can make it out of here without attracting the attention of the other Mirelurks and they can cover our escape if things do go wrong. Just tell them-"

Dr. Lace is cut off by a screech as the Mirelurk Anthropod that had sunk her boat suddenly lunges out of the water at Ava and Vincent. It had moved so quickly in the water that it seemed like it had teleported, but there it was surging at the two.
Dr. Lace looks at the other Mirelurks surging into motion as well, luckily not noticing her and Mila at the moment and grabs her.
"Okay, change of plans: RUN!"

 

[Isaedras Cleditre]

"Hey there cutie ghoulie. Why don't you slip under the mirelurk guts with ol' Bullseye here and we can-...." Mila froze up as the young ghoul gestured over to the mirelurk standing atop the remains of a rickety-looking boat that had fallen into the deeps of the irradiated waters. She swallowed hard as she observed the very strange looking Anthropod, shuddering at it's colorful yet menacing exterior and nightmare-fuel head. It's claws were razor-sharp and many of it's limbs ended in a razor-sharp point, so sharp in fact that Mila felt that if she looked for two long she'd just split in two right then and there.

She wasn't sure if it was just a chill or mirelurk goo going down her spine but Mila was clearly not a fan and the less than pleased expression on her face spoke volumes. As Dr.Lace went on about the mutagens in the water Mila realized she was currently carrying a very special set of mirelurk insides on her back currently, causing her to slide out of the corpse in disgust.

"Someone....had better buy me....a fucking drink....Fuck!" She shuddered through her teeth, her entire body shivering momentarily as she attempted to shake off the urge to vomit all over everything in sight. "Are you telling m-?!' Mila immediately covered her mouth with her hands in an attempt to stifle her loud ouburst.

What Mila had failed to remember was that these very same hands were just a foot deep in mutated mirelurk guts. The resulting smell and the sickening squish as her fingers clasped around her mouth and jaw caused her to whimper before letting out the most strained yet muted cry the world had ever known.

If she was too loud the mirelurk nearby would catch wind of them and tear them to shreds but if she didn't express her current rage and disgust she felt there was a chance that she would implode on the spot.

What resulted from this was a frantic wiping of her hands across her equally tarnished slacks that lasted all of five seconds before her knuckles could be heard cracking loudly as nearly all of her joints and muscles tensed in disgust at once, "You mean to tell me...that this shit I'm covered in could have long-term effects." Mila did her best to whisper though her voice was shaky and wavering.

"This day just keeps getting better..." She grimaced under her breath.

As Dr.Lace addressed her group Mila attempted to take a moment to control her breathing and shake off the feeling of wanting to disintegrate under the weight of all of the mirelurk goo she was reluctantly covered in. Just as she felt a bit calmer than before Dr.Lace was cut off by the deafening screech of that big pointy mirelurk as it began charging towards her fellow travelers with malicious intent.

Every muscle in her body told her to run and run Mila did sprint away as fast as he could, mixing every swear under the sun with wild screaming as she sprinted away, nearly dislocating the arm of the poor ghoul scientist she was dragging behind her as she ran.

"Fuckthisfuckthisfuckthisfuckthisfuckthisfuckthisfuckthisfuckthis!"


//Pardon the weak reply. I'm not on my A Game ATM

 

[Safton]

Vincent watched the exchange between Mila and Dr. Lace: a ghoul, as it happened, despite her well-preserved appearance. That wasn't a problem in and of itself -- he had encountered a number of ghouls (of the "normal" and feral variety) during their time roaming the Wastes or posted up back at Vault 44's exterior facade -- though it was unexpected on his part. Not that it mattered; they had much bigger concerns at the moment.

A sound of skittering and splashing drew his attention and he quickly whirled around, beginning to raise his rifle when he saw that it was merely one of the Mirelurks roaming about the lower portion of the nest mound with single-minded focus, still thankfully unaware of their presence... and the Doctor's, for that matter. Once they were free and clear, he'd be very interested in asking about the ghoul's secret in that regard. Something like that would come in handy long after this vault hunt is over, he thought ruefully before turning his attention back toward Mila and Lace.

Vincent couldn't hear the ongoing conversation from where he and Ava stood, weapons at the ready. From what he could see of Lace's demeanor, she seemed calm and composed even as Mila approached her in the Mirelurk guise. Almost absurdly so by his own estimation, considering she was in the center of a 'Lurk nest. As for Mila, well... it was hard to determine her reaction what with the woman having her back to them and being covered in Mirelurk innards, even after she slid out of the outer "shell", though initial appearances didn't seem promising.

Vince's attention was drawn to something in the corner of his eye and he frowned, glancing down at the water. His mouth opened to hiss Ava's name as a dark shape whipped through the water towards them, red spines barely visible breaching the surface. Soon the creature they were attached to followed, leaping out of the murky pond with a bestial screech that made Vincent's ears ring. He could see in his peripherals the shapes of the other Mirelurks answering the call of their presumed... king? Alpha? as they lumbered over, pincers snapping in the air.

Lee reacted without hesitation, shouldering his rifle at the approaching black 'Lurk that moved with only slightly less agility on land as in the water. It was covered in dark, iridescent scales -- not quite like the chitinous shells of its brethren, but probably just as difficult to damage. Instead, he aimed low as he switched the safety off and fired off a burst from the rifle, aiming to shred the creature's legs and halt its momentum.

 

[NanLia]

Ava watched Mila skitter across the breeding grounds surprisingly well in the makeshift undercover costume. A slow smirk crossing her features as she was certain to note for later she would never let the woman live it down. With Long Distance raised and rested on her shoulder she watched through the scope as the Fake'lurk and Doctor converse, thankful that Mila's suit hadn't frightened the cognitive ghoul off. It was difficult to tell at this distance exactly what was transpiring. The pair looked back at herself and Vincent before focusing on a destroyed boat. She wanted to call out to Mila to quit gabbing and start moving but that would only make matters here worse.

She could see Vincent from the corner of her eye, while they were both proficient with rifles, Vincent typically kept overwatch unless both of their guns were needed. She frowned slightly, eyes flicking away from the ghoul and Mila to Vincent briefly - he was tense, on guard as though something was concerning him. Only when he hissed at her did her lift her head to look the direction he was. She couldn't begin to describe the Mirelurk before them - while similar in plenty of ways it certainly didn't move like the remainder of the Lurk's she'd experience in the past, or even today.

Ava twisted to face the beasty, raising Long Distance again and taking aim as Vincent fired at it's legs. She could only hope that his plan would work as she dropped her sight from the creatures head to what could be considered it's kneecaps and opened fire, her hand adeptly moving to pull back the pin on her rifle allowing a second bullet to drop into the shaft before resetting it.
Gravitational Force
Safton
Isaedras Cleditre

 

[Gravitational Force]

The Mirelurk Anthropod's rush towards Ava and Vincent is stopped by the bullets that tear the legs out from under it. It scrabbles in the mud, attempting to drag itself close enough to dismember the two, but a headshot from Vincent's gun puts it down for good.

The other Mirelurks use this time to get closer, but as Vincent and Ava pull back they seem hesitant to abandon their eggs. It's at this point that they notice Mila and Dr. Lace trying to escape. Seeing intruders among their eggs the swarm surges towards the two.

Dr. Lace fumbles in her bag before pulling out what appears to be a grenade. "I'd have preferred not to have had to test this prototype like this, but I guess there's not other option."

She hurls the grenade into the midst of the swarm, but instead of exploding a red cloud of gas billows out of it. The Mirelurks caught in the cloud immediately react, tearing into each other with no thought to their own safety. In under a minute the Mirelurks are either dead or dying and Mila and Dr. Lace are able to scramble back to the main bank.

Dr. Lace chuckles weakly. "Well at the very least this day has been informative."

"That it has, Willow." Isaac Adler says as he and several goons and combat robots seem to appear from behind the group. "From what I've seen you've made quite a few breakthroughs in your work and that's worth celebrating. For right now though I think you and your rescuers could do with an escort back to the base followed by hot showers and a change in clothes. They've earned that much at the very least."

He turns to Mila, Vincent, and Ava. "I do appreciate you rescuing the good doctor even if you did skip work to do so. I would very much like to discuss your futures in my employ over dinner once you've had the opportunity to refresh yourselves."

The group makes their way back to the base, where true to Isaac's word they're led to a room with shower cubicles with hot water and soap. Three suits and three dresses are laid out when they're done showering, it seems Isaac's left it up to them which of them they want to wear but they'll be dressing up for having dinner with him.

 

[Isaedras Cleditre]

As Mila continued to sprint for her life, her lungs burning and muscles aching from the intense strain they were being put through, she just barely heard Dr.Lace mention her prototype grenade before watching as she hurled it into the midst of the charging Antrhopods.

A red cloud of smoke covering them as the sound of flesh ripping and gnarly screams could be heard from within the weaponized cloud of...something. Mila dared not to ask at the moment and she wasn't sure she had the oxygen left in her lungs to do so as she sat hunched over and gasping for air.

As Isaac and several goons and robots began approaching Mila felt a bad feeling in her stomach but immediately tossed any delusions of struggling away within moments of spotting his squad of people approaching. Instead, she collapsed and fully prepared herself to half-heartedly attempt suicide with whatever weapons she had on hand before screaming bloody murder as she was dragged away.

She questioned these thoughts for a moment as she lay exhausted on her back and stared up at the sky. Was she delusional? Almost certainly. But the thought of being dragged away didn't sound half bad considering how much her body ached at the moment. It had been a minute since she had run that hard and just a few days before all this she had spent weeks walking and running just to arrive here for the opportunity to work with the man.

As the word's "hot showers" and "change in clothes" met her ears, Mila outstretched her arms and wiggled her fingers in Dr.Lace's general direction. "Doctor. You big-brained ghoulie you! Help me up! I heard talk of showers...fresh clothes....and dinner. My god..." She groaned eventually getting to her feet as the group made their way back to base.

After quite some time they were eventually led back to a room with showers prompting Mila to practically dive into the thing in a flash. She emerged practically steaming from all the hot water as her skin practically squeaked from all the soap she had used from head to toe. She quickly waddled out into the room where their outfit choices had been laid out and sighed, shaking out her sopping wet hair gleefully as it slung water about before sticking to her forehead in a wet red mess.

"Guess we have to dress up for the guy, eh? Fine. But I'll be damned if I have those goons staring me down like I'm a slab of Brahmin steak. Oooooh" Mila cooed, scooping up the dress shirt and slacks as well as the tie before tossing the blazer aside and walking off to get changed. "I do know how to fill out a pair of slacks though. If I'm going I am going in style. You can't say High-class without ass! " Mila yelled from the next room as she changed.

"Okay. Gimme a once over. I'll even twirl....okay I won't twirl but how do I look?" Mila chuckled as she adjusted her tie before unbuttoning her shirt just enough to give her neck some room. "I'm kind of out of my element here. I don't wear snooty shit but I also don't wear frilly shit either."

 

[Safton]

Even after Vincent ended the Anthropod's charge with a round to it's disturbingly humanoid cranium, the victory was short-lived as its family fell upon them in a swarm of clacking pincers and chitinous limbs. Vince was scanning for targets, assessing which 'Lurks were closest and posed the most immediate threat, in addition to trying to count their overall number and consider whether they had enough munitions for all of them. At a glance, it didn't look good and he didn't fancy the thought of hand-to-hand combat with the armored creatures.

That's when Dr. Lace deployed her secret weapon. Vince watched, transfixed, as the red aerosol overtook the mutants... with results that were immediate, dramatic, and -- most of all -- violent. The Mirelurks tore into one another with reckless abandon, pincers clashing against shells and green blood flying. Vince wrinkled his nose at the carnage, welcome though the reprieve was... and made sure to shrink away from the small draft of the mysterious red mist that came in their direction. He had no intention of finding out what side effects the chemical had on humans, if any.

Their employer arrived soon after with a number of his enforcers. Vincent wasn't sure how Isaac would take their decision to self-initiative to rescue the Doctor, but if the offer of showers and dining was anything go by, the reception was positive. Returning to "base camp", Vince wasted little time in making good on the offer of a shower -- complete with warm water and soap, no less -- before stepping out to see the array of formal clothing laid out for them to pick from. He quickly grabbed one of the suits, dressing in his bathroom. The suit jacket and slacks were a bit tight for his lanky frame, but they were good enough -- and he could hardly complain, these being the "fanciest" clothes he'd ever worn.

As he dressed, he listened to Mila's gleeful shouts from the adjacent room with a smirk and shake of his head. After glancing at himself in a cracked and dusty mirror with a shrug, he walked out to see Mila asking for an opinion. Vincent glanced her up and down before giving her a small smile. "Well, you certainly don't look like a Brahmin steak. And it's a distinct improvement on your 'Lurk shawl from earlier," he teased.

 

[Gravitational Force]

Interlude:

Several hours ago:
Isaac Adler looked down at the terrified man currently situated under the boot of his subordinate's power armor.
"There are quite a few situations where I would not be mad at you, Kevin. If you'd died attempting to save Dr. Lace. If you'd run and then tried to rescue her while sending a message back to the base. If you'd run but come back to the base and alerted us to the situation. Instead you ran and abandoned Dr. Lace to the mirelurks and tried to cover your ass by taking some of my contract employees off their normal assignment and sending them into a swamp filled with mutant wildlife and toxic waste to fix your mistake, hoping I wouldn't find out. I've made it clear I judge the failures of my employees based on what they could have done, not on the failures themselves, so you really have nobody but yourself to blame for what I'm going to do."

"Please, I swear I just wasn't thinking straight! I saw what happened to Jamie and I panicked!" The luckless man pleads, his protests cut short by the boot on his back pressing down harder before before pulled up into the grasp of the dark red haired woman in power armor. "Crazy Violet" Vivian had earned her nickname in the fighting pits of a raider gang before Adler recruited them. From there she'd worked her way to the head of the Spiral Syndicate's enforcers and Adler's personal hatchetwoman. The rumor was her nickname was how the only time you'd call her "Crazy" was behind her back. And right now she had Kevin's arms twisted behind his back.

Adler leans into Kevin's face, forcing the man to stare into the Ghoul's eyes. "Right now the two most likely situations are as follows: If my very good friend Dr. Lace has died then her research dies with her. I will therefore have no more reason to keep her stable of mirelurks around since they're a waste of resources without her. I will therefore be forced to put them down. But before I do I will see you fed to them as their last meal to honor her memory. If on the other hand she is alive and retrieved safely I will instead have to find something else horrible to do to you."

Crazy Violet marches the man off as Adler turns to one of his techies. "Dr. Lace kept me up to date. We'll get a ping on her location if she can get someone with a working Pipboy near her to send the signal on. I'm putting you in charge of that. Assemble a team on standby for that."

"Well, anyone capable of surviving the swamp is worth keeping on either way." Isaac mused to himself as he fixed himself a drink.

Later:
Isaac and his team marched through the swamp. The ghoul strode without any fear. Once you narrowed it down to two possibilities there was no room for fear. If one were superstitious they'd swear the mutated wildlife could sense his aura of intent and were fleeing as a result. He'd had background checks done on every hire, it was surprising how much you could dig up with a wide enough net. If they survived and saved Dr. Lace he'd get them on the fast track up so he could put them to better use. Once the vault was opened the PRL would come to try to claim it and he'd need people he could trust. And these three being on the PRL's list of people they wanted dead for existing would help with that.

He'd already decided on Kevin's fate. Of the three who'd gone in Jamie had quickly mutated, Kevin seemed fine so far, and from the looks of it this group seemed fine too. He'd have Dr. Lace poke around and see what happened to Kevin and use that as an added incentive for these three hired guns to work for him. Nothing like the possibility of turning into a feral ghoul to motivate people.

 

[NanLia]

Ava felt her heart drop to the pit of her stomach as the remainder of the clutch of Mirelurks turned their direction. All well and good the Alpha looking thing was down for the count but it meant nothing compared to the sheer number of claws and mandibles headed their way now! She was steadily backing away, reaching for Vincent's sleeve, when she watched the piece of metal arc through the air and land in a plume of red smoke amidst the nests. Ava stood and stared, for far too long, as the Mirelurks turned on one another, shredding through flesh and shell. The noise - and stench, something she would never forget and likely never see again.

She didn't know what Dr. Lace had tossed but made a note to inquire later. Much later, when they were far away from any thing that might want to tear them up and feed them to their spawn. She turned and headed towards Mila and the Doctor only to return to the sinking feeling in her stomach as their employer arrived. Given what they had witnessed the day before and the low down from the Power Armour Girls, Ava was quite convinced that she'd never see her Vault again.

Ave blinked and frowned at the offer of a shower and food. How they ended up with a reward for the cluster fuck of a rescue mission she couldn't begin to fathom and she wasn't about to count her blessings. After a soothing luke-warm shower - the best she'd had since leaving home, she dressed in the pale green t-length dress set out. After all, they all couldn't arrive wearing suits; someone had to be a lady. It was too large around the waist and shoulders, causing it to billow as she walked and the sleeve to occasionally slip down over her shoulder but it was nicer than any of the dirty clothing she had with her.

She glanced to Mila as she requested appraisal. "You'd fool me at a distance." She smiled but wrinkled her nose. "But ya still smell a bit like Lurk." She shrugged. "I guess that's better than nothing." She laughed as she teased Mila. "Million times better than Vinny here - no matter how many times he shower he always comes out smelling like a Radstag in heat."

 

[Isaedras Cleditre]

"Still smell like....ahh damn it." Mila slumped down into a seat in defeat as she repeatedly pulled her collar up over her nose to give herself a "smell check."

"You can never win fighting a goddamn 'Lurk. ANy of 'em! Either you get snapped in two by those jagged claws or you end up covered in Mirelurk goo and smelling so bad that you get disowned and starve to death. It'll probably take days for this shit to scrub out completely."

Mila sighed, running her fingers through her mostly damp red hair, ruffling it into a mess out of frustration before quickly smoothing it back into place.

"Ahh, well. I doubt we've got a few days to spare for me to scrub myself raw but I do think we've at least got about half an hour?" Mila searched around for her damaged pip-boy and tapped it a few times with her knuckles as it eventually snapped to life. "I mean I'm not sure if I ever mentioned an exact time so I can only guess. But it's been a minute or two yeah? So, we'll either wait for someone to come get us or head down there ourselves and be fashionably late." Mila shrugged pulling the tech back off her wrist and tucking it away with her things after wiping away any moisture her damp skin had left with the end of her tie.

After a bit of awkward silence, she leaned forward towards her two possibly new found friends and grinned. "Let's talk some shit while we've got the time, huh? Gimme the good stuff. Let's get personal. I mean for God's sake we almost died together today and you guys don't really know a thing about me. So, have at it. Ask away. Mila "Bullseye" Quinn is an open book...well kinda but we'll get to anything I can't really answer eventually."

Mila chuckled, fussing with her tie and a few of the buttons on her shirt before snapping her fingers as if an idea had popped right into her head.

"Okay, I do actually have one question for you tow first though." She quickly pointed between the two of them with a single finger before squinting suspiciously.

"Are you two like...fucking?"

//sorry im uber late. Gonna be a long month judging by this new Uni project.

The next reply will be longer once we get into the meat of conversations. I've got plenty to tell about Mila and I'm sure you guys have plenty to tell as well. Feel free to ask anything and ill do my best to get as detailed as I can while maybe saving some bits for later. Have at it! lol excited to answer anything ya want!

Side note: I will go into detail in the Discord if there's anything that isn't clear or just needs to be explained fully that I cant manage through dialogue alone.

Safton NanLia Gravitational Force

 

[Safton]

Vincent leaned against the nearest door frame, arms crossed as Ava commented on his scent. He rolled his eyes. The woman never missed out on an opportunity to take a jab at him, especially in front of company. Luckily he never tired of it, either. Luckily Mila went back to ranting (not unjustifiably, in Vince's mind) about the Mirelurks and the dangers they posed -- both to one's well-being and one's nostrils. He couldn't disagree on either count.

Vince nodded as Mila remarked that their host hadn't given them a specific time frame to work with. "Isaac strikes me as the kind of guy who will make sure we're 'collected' when he's good and ready. He won't be kept waiting on our accounts," he remarked, more to himself than to the women. The conversation gradually shifted into small talk -- the chance to get to know one another.

Vince and Ava were obviously already well-acquainted to say the very least, but he found himself curious about their new redheaded companion. She was right, after all -- they had gone through quite the experience together today and barely knew one another. It couldn't hurt to find out more if they were going to be hunting a Vault side-by-side for the foreseeable future. All the same, Lee wasn't gifted in "small talk" at the best of times and struggled to find a good conversation topic. Wait. She called herself "Bullseye". There's got to be a good story there. I'll ask about that.

"So--" Vincent began.

"Are you two like...fucking?"

Vince froze, mouth agape at the words. His jaw snapped shut and his brows raised. "Wow. You really weren't kidding when you talked about getting personal, were you?" he remarked dryly. He did his best to tactfully sidestep the query itself, feeling his face flush as he gave Ava a sideways glance in search of aid.

NanLia
Isaedras Cleditre
Gravitational Force

 

[NanLia]

Ava was intrigued by Mila's suggestion to 'shoot the shit' while they waited to be summoned. She nodded as she took a seat in a chair opposite Mila as she went on. Ava crossed her legs, neatly smoothing out the hem of her off-green dress. She missed dressing nicely - the wastelands didn't allow for those types of pleasures and it made her miss her Vault all the more. Mila wasn't wrong; they had gone through a fright, however Ava would never admit to it herself or anyone else she had feared for her life.

She glanced up at Mila as the other woman started to pose her question, a decided frown crossing her features as she was asked about her, and Vincent's, personal life. She pondered the question and just how she wanted to answer while Vinny stammered and exited the conversation. Ave suspected she even saw a blush on his cheeks. She turned back to Mila, tilting her head aside as she smiled deviously. "Why do you want to know? You want to join us one night? Make a Mila sandwich?"
Gravitational Force
Safton
Isaedras Cleditre

 

[Isaedras Cleditre]

"A Mila sandwich eh?" Mila grinned and shook her head, sitting back in her seat with a devious look as she began to fuss with the collar of her shirt. "I mean if you're offering that doesn't sound half bad...but.." She sighed with a chuckle before shrugging her shoulders. "My sweetheart from back home would probably tear me in two for leaving her out of the fun so, I will regrettably have to pass. If you two ever stop by Boston though after all this our doors are open. If she likes you, of course." Mila teased before adjusting herself in her seat.

"Also I'm taking that as a yes both judging by your reply and the big one looking all worked up all of a sudden." She sat back interlocking her fingers behind her head and stretching briefly. "But now that I've delved into what is undoubtedly a nice and hearty sex life, feel free to ask me anything you've got. I didn't exactly start subtle so uhh. Gimme your best shot. Everything is on the table!" Mila ran a hand through her hair, curling a few loose strands between her fingers and tapping at the ground impatiently with her feet.

Having to open up to new people undoubtedly made her nervous, especially without Cait or Piper or any of her other mischievous companions to help soften the blow of her brash and forward nature. Mila was so used to sticking to her own social circle of family and friends for so many years that talking up new people required a lot of mental gymnastics on her part to keep from either being too daring or too reserved. The worst part? This entire conversation was her own idea but usually, she had someone to play off of when conversations became tough or not so fun anymore.

"No turning back now. Just let them have at it and be honest. Worst comes to worst then you just cut ties and head home. Simple."

The fact that she was already imagining having to jump ship over what would most likely be a few simple or not so simple questions made her pause and question herself a bit, however, these self-criticizing thoughts were quickly swept away before they could even begin to form as Mila spotted one of them opening their mouths to speak.

NanLia Gravitational Force Safton

 

[Safton]

Vincent immediately regretted his decision to look to Ava for any kind of intervention with Mila's question. He saw the mischievous twinkle in her eye, all too familiar, and had a strong urge to reach out and interrupt her -- clamp a hand over her mouth if need be. But he was far too late. The moment his companion replied, he pursed his lips, shutting his eyes tight, wondering only two things:

Why on Earth had he thought involving Ava in this conversation was a good idea?

Was Ava being serious with that offer?

He shook his head, eyes flicking open again and not wanting to follow that train of thought at the moment. As things stood, his face was already flushed. Uncomfortably so, in fact. He forced himself to listen as Mila's reply -- which frankly did little to help with the blushing... and in fact only caused Vince to tug at the collar of the well-starched dress shirt, swallowing deeply. However, the redhead had turned the ball back in their court, which he was thankful for -- as it meant he could keep Ava from making anymore risque propositions and perhaps score some petty payback of his own. "Well," he said. "I was going to ask you where that nickname of yours came from. There's got to be some story behind that; Ava here fancies herself quite the sharpshooter, too. But maybe now I'm more curious about this sweetheart of yours..." he said, albeit teasingly, directing a small smile at Mila for good measure.

NanLia
Isaedras Cleditre
Gravitational Force

 

[Isaedras Cleditre]

As the words left Vincent's lips Mila's grin grew into a smile as she sat forward a bit and chuckled. "Oh, gladly. She's a strong Irish woman. Cait. A redhead too so if that's your type Vince then you're in luck." Mila winked before continuing. "She's the rough and tumble type which is always fun. She even used to be a cage fighter and believe it or not that's how we met. " Mila sighed recounting a few good memories from before she started her trip out to DC and started scratching at the back of her head.

"Nice and thick too. About as mean and muscle-y as she is a softie at heart. Meaning she is both shredded and a big ol' teddy bear at times. Don't take my word for it though. I mean there are honestly times where I'm not sure if she wants to punch me or pull me into those big arms of hers...." MIla trailed off a bit and took a deep breath. Suddenly, she felt more homesick than ever, missing the company of her companion now more than ever as she looked up to the other two.

"She's uh...strong, brave, sarcastic, as beautiful as she is deadly, has a filthy mouth, kind when she wants to be, worries alot too..." Mila vaguely recounted another memory that brought a cheesy smile to her face even as a tear attempted to squeeze its way out of her eye. "Honestly, she's perfect purely because she's not perfect. Hates it when I say that too but it's true. She's perfectly imperfect and that's why I love her. Although having a REALLY nice ass and abs like that definitely helps."

She wiped the moisture away with the tip of her thumb and laughed quietly. "You should see her one day. Not even kidding, now THAT part of her is perfect." Mila continued to laugh almost under her breath and shook her head before finally speaking again.

"Promise me though, if you do ever get the chance to meet her, don't ever let it slip that I just said that. She'd probably shoot me right there.

Honestly, though, She probably misses me. And I'd love to say that she's not here because we had some big blowout argument or she was just too lazy to travel or anything aside from what really happened." Mila took a moment to breathe as she looked up at them both from her seat, her foot beginning to tap away at the floor again as she did. "Truth be told, we were reckless....I... was reckless...and she got hurt. So, here I am all alone...with you guys." Mila quickly motioned to the other couple in the room before chuckling weakly as another tear slipped down her cheek.

"Fuck, I'm being such a baby. Jesus." Mila irritably rubbed the end of her wrist against her eyes before brushing down her sleeve with her fingers and adjusting them a bit as she pulled herself together.

"The uh...Bullseye comment though. See, now that one's easy. I joined up with this group called the Railroad. I'm pretty sure it's safe to name drop way out here in D.C. right?.......anyway, I joined up with them and they'd already heard of me upon arriving. A real nice dude named Deacon took me out to see how I worked, etc. I was trying to be all impressive and show off so I bet I could knock the helmet off of a super mutant without killing it from....well really fucking far like I'm no scientist.....CURIE!" Mila snapped and chuckled suddenly before waving her finger at both Ava and Vince. "Curie. The most adorable little synth ever.Has the whole "french intellect" thing going on. Heavy accent, so if you're into that it's there. The smartest person I know. Stacked too. And, since all that knowledge was stuffed into a synth body she is customizable too. Sometimes she's a brunette, sometimes she's blonde and sometimes she's ginger. It's great. Shy as ever though but you guys would like her too. She's a true sweetheart. Undoubtedly more innocent and caring than good ol' Cait. Or at least I haven't corrupted her just yet."

Safton
NanLia
Gravitational Force

Mila chuckled before waving away the rest of her thoughts to return herself to the Bullseye. "I'll tell you about all of my wasteland family if you want but first ummm.......right. Okay, so we're far as fuck from these super mutants. The ugly murdering type and not the fun type. And I'm lining up my shot just as one of the mutants decided to get a fire going to make dinner or to keep warm or whatever. Just as he stands still I let off a round and get all huffy and puffy about how amazing of a shot it'll be. And then, it happened."

Mila mimicked an explosion with her hands before sitting back in her seat and stifling a laugh. "I had missed by about an inch or two but it might as well have been a mile judging by the look of it. Bullet whizzes by and hits a huge ass gas tanker right behind the big green idiot. He goes up in flames, prompting the funniest combination of shrieking and angry rambling I've ever heard from a group of super mutants. And then? Poof. Whole structure gets blown to pieces which of course is loud as fuck and if there's one thing you don't wanna be in Boston's Wasteland is loud. It'll attract ghouls, BoS maggots, raiders, and every other unsavory character or creature under the sun if you're not careful!

So we, of course, get the fuck outta there and head back to base and to my surprise when boss lady comes down asking what all the ruckus was Deacon starts spinning the story of the greatest shot I'd ever taken and how I was a natural sharpshooter, which I was but not that day. I sure as fuck didn't feel like it but if you ask Deacon to this day that is still the single greatest feat of "accuracy" he has ever seen. He said

"If there ever was someone you could call Bullseye. Well, you're looking at her. A truer sharpshooter than I've ever known, Des."

Boss lady saw through most of his story and I spent the rest of the month kinda proving I was worthy of the name but that was the day that Bullseye officially stuck and so it's kinda my calling card now."

 

[Safton]

Vincent settled into one of the room's well-preserved wooden chairs across from Mila as she started speaking, not at all deterred by his teasing challenge. He rolled his eyes with a chuckle as she implied he might have a soft spot for gingers, in truth all the more interested by the fact that she was apparently a cage fighter of all things. He listened patiently as Mila spoke fondly of the woman and it became very clear that this Cait woman waiting for Mila back in Boston was no fling; Mila cared for her deeply. Even without having known her long, the emotion in her voice and on her face made that fact abundantly clear.

Vince chuckled again as Mila moved on to describing Cait's more... physical assets in detail, arching an eyebrow toward Ava but remaining silent. At the promise to remain silent on what she had told him lest she face Cait's wrath in the future, he made a faux "zipping" motion across his lips and mimed tossing away a key with a wink of his own. He felt a pang of sympathy as she was clearly distraught over Cait's apparent injury, something she felt was her fault. He could relate: Vince and Ava had been in tight spots before, but he knew he'd never be able to forgive himself if he thought he put her in harm's way to such a degree.

From there, however, the conversation took a turn he found admittedly difficult to follow: name-dropping men and women he'd never heard of, mentions of "synths" and a Railroad (which apparently did not involve old trains he had seen in the old films?), along with some kind of intellectual "stacked" robot with a sexy accent and a heart of gold. Vincent did his best to keep up, frowning here and there at the unfamiliar references, but ultimately nodding for Mila to continue.

After concluding the tale of her nickname, Vincent leaned back in the wooden chair that creaked under his frame, whistling through his teeth. "Sounds well-deserved to me," he said with a smile. "Any firefight you can avoid with Super Mutants is a good one in my books," he remarked with a small shrug. "Maybe one day after we track down this Vault, you and Ava can have a little bullseye competition of your own. No, ah, pun intended." He paused, glancing over at his partner, pursing his lips briefly before looking back at Mila. "Speaking of which, I guess it's only fair that you get your turn to ask a question about us. Unless you only had the one?" he said, barely able to restrain a smirk.

Isaedras Cleditre
NanLia
Gravitational Force

 

[NanLia]

Ava remained quiet as Vincent and Mila spoke, content to listen for the time being about their newest partners history and apparent lover. It was nice to have someone openly discuss and detail their lives. More often than not Ava's curiosity wasn't satiated nearly enough when it came to just how other people lived. Sure, she and Vincent had seen a great deal in their travels on mission or just even discussing trades with travellers but it wasn't the same. The Vault was her home, would always be. She would grow old and die their just like her parents and grandparents had before her but she still yearned to learn as much as she could about the social-economics of the world around them.

She glanced to Vincent periodically as Mila regaled her tales about the woman Cait from Boston but something from the tale was amiss. "What drove you to come here then? Just the possibility of caps and loot from the Vault being cracked?" It seemed odd, that someone who clearly lived for her partner would part ways for such a length of time and with the possibility of never returning. "You can't tell me there is no work between here and Boston that would earn you some caps and be safer. I get that you said you blew it but if she loves you as much as you say she does then that wouldn't matter."

Ava was aware that she could be pushing her luck here, wanting to know more details, but she couldn't help herself. Mila was among the few that didn't think it odd they asked as many questions as they did. "Also, ouch. 'here alone ... with you guys.' Makes me think we're not worthy of her presence, eh Vinny?"
Isaedras Cleditre
Safton
Gravitational Force

 

[Isaedras Cleditre]

Mila chuckled at Ava's comment and shrugged. "Ahh, I'm just pulling your leg. You two seem decent enough folk. I've just seen some of the worst people put on faces before, ya know?" She sighed before mulling over Ava's inquiry with a quizzical look on her face.


After a moment or two of silence, she spoke up, fussing with the end of her tie as she did. "Well, it's not only that. Caps are caps. I can make caps at home but there's alot of opportunity and rare, and I mean VERY rare, scrap that comes with a vault. Lots of custom tech, information, etc etc. Now usually Cait and I wouldn't give half a shit about any of this nonsense because life may be tough out here but it's passable.


It's definitely better now than it was...But our more tech-savvy friends heard tell of another vault or two way out here and practically had an aneurysm in the process. Apparently, there's some life-changing shit in there somewhere. I'm supposed to bring back what I can for the sake of a lot of good people. Components behind the wall panels. Chips, and circuits, and on and on and on. I don't pretend to understand half of it but they practically chewed my ear off telling me what the odds of finding another pristine vault were and that it could mean life or death within a few years if we weren't careful. So, Cait and I eventually had been hyped up enough about this whole thing and decided to set out and then there was the accident blah blah blah." Mila sighed and shook her head still blaming herself quite a bit as she felt the guilt wash over her again.


"Then Cait said just....go. Ya know? And to make it worth it or she'd kick my ass. She'd heal up and wait for me to get back and I'd set out with the same fuckers who abandoned me along the way." Mila chuckled wryly and ran her fingers through her hair again, one of her ticks when she was thinking, anxious, nervous, or all of the above.


"Imagine my relief when Isaac started bringing up all that "life-saving machinery" and that the caps were good too? My lucky day. Now, I just have to shove whatever looks important into that bag and get going while the going is good. Maybe run into some excitement along the way. I've had about enough for the next few days after dealing with those fucking 'lurks, though! Thank you very much!"


She chuckled and sighed thinking back to when she was anxiously mulling over the decision with Cait, constantly packing and unpacking as she attempted to make up her mind. It was hard to gas herself up for such a trip especially given how long it would take to travel so far and to make it back in one piece.


Things were such a blur then, she wanted to go and stay at the same time. But there was no one else to send and if they weren't quick enough that small timeframe would slip away and they'd be forced to simply sit and cross their fingers hoping for another chance at finding such ample resources that hadn't already been scavenged.


"I mean I'm sugar-coating it really. It wasn't easy and it took a lot of coaxing to get me to go...and I mean ALOT. Even with the thought of maybe being able to save hundreds in the process being fresh in my mind. It was a very long and very hard trip and I had to leave a lot of friends and family behind in the process. But what I do here it's for them ...so they can live a better life. I mean all the kids from Diamond City back home...they won't be kids forever, ya know? My one reporter friend has a little sister. She's all young and innocent. A real sweetheart and nothing at all like I was at that age. So, I'm doing it for people like her. She doesn't know much about the world outside of the walls. I mean, she knows it's hard and dangerous but she's never been exposed to the things I have, or either of you have. I'm sure you've both seen some shit right?" Mila stopped fussing with her tie and simply interlocked her fingers, resting her elbows on her knees as she spoke.


"I've seen...and...done alot for the sake of survival that I'm not proud of. Shit that keeps me up at night, even if it was the right thing to do at the time... Cait knows that. Hell, she's the only one who knows and I'd like to keep those experiences to myself. No one should have to go through the things people like you and I go through and...well this seems like a good opportunity to take a step in the right direction. Make some progress instead of building a giant fucking death machine or fulfilling your god complex by building people that mourn or laugh or fucking suffer like everyone else..."

Mila took a deep breath before motioning to Ava and Vincent with her finger. "I ramble...sorry. Alot on my mind. It all just kinda spills out every once in a while. toumm...really answer your question I'm here to try and make a difference back home. Things have been tough so lightening the load would be nice. I'm never doing it again though that's for damn sure."

Mila stood up as she finished and stretched a bit. She had become tired of sitting and decided to pace about the room a bit in order to stretch her legs.

"You know anything useful about Vaults? EIther of you? Anything on the important side worth making a beeline for once we make it in there? I mean I know a thing or two but nothing like my pals back home. And I only have so much space in my bag before the long...long...very long trip back home. "

//incorporated her motivations form her backstory here so it can be brought up in dialogue without alot of explanation later on. Also giving the excuse of wandering around the Vault when we reach it in order to give the possibility of more events that could transpire while they're digging around for resources and whatnot. Gravitational Force NanLia Safton but that's about it. She'll have more questions for Ava and Vince later but she's leaning towards trusting them a bit more so later on there may be a conversation more about their lives, the people they care about, and their motivations etc etc so Mila can try and feel them out. Figure out the kinda people they are and all that.

 

[Gravitational Force]

You are led into a medium sized room in the main building. From the looks of it it was meant to serve as an all-purpose room where it could be used for a variety of purposes depending on the furniture setup. Currently a large dining table was set up on the left side of the room. The right side was taken up by a buffet setup with tables groaning under the weight of the food on them. Ranging from stews to salads to straight up meat and veggies a feast is in front of you at the peak of readiness to be consumed. There are even fresh-baked rolls and butter!

The combined aromas hit your nostrils and remind you that not only haven't you eaten all day, you've just been through an incredibly stressful experience and your relaxation time only served to distract you from your overpowering hunger. And now not only can you eat your fill, you'll be able to do so with the most delicious feast you've ever seen. You even consider the fact you might be hallucinating or have died and gone to Heaven based on the tantalizing sights and aromas filling your senses to the brim with promised culinary delights. Plates are set at the beginning of the spread and based on the place setting at the table you're expected to serve yourself and then sit down with the rest of those gathered.

Isaac is seated at the head of the table and drinking a tall glass of what appears to be white wine. He turns to you as you enter, lifts his glass to you, and nods.

"Excellent, our last guests of honor have arrived. Feel free to help yourselves to dinner first, I prefer to take my time with this sort of thing. Please wait until everyone has served themselves before starting eating though."

As you fill your plates with as much food as they can hold you try not to show how ravenous you are. It's torture to wait for the others to serve themselves, but finally after what seems like an eternity everyone is sitting around the table. Isaac sticking his fork into his food is all the permission you need to begin wolfing down your food. But after the first bite you're forced to stop as the delicious flavor brings tears to your eyes. Isaac takes this break to finish drinking what's in his glass and refill it to the brim from a nearby pitcher.
"I do apologize if you were hoping for alcohol, but this is grape juice. We've managed to develop a type of grape that not only can survive in the soil around here, but thrives. We're expecting a late guest who spent a great deal of time dealing with addictions and I thought it best not to tempt her to fall off the wagon. She should hopefully be ready to join us in time for dessert."

Isaac finishes his second glass of grape juice quickly and is on his fifth by the time you finish your first servings. Any of you trying the grape juice will find yourselves momentarily overwhelmed by the natural sweetness and purity of the drink, something you've never experienced in your life. Even scavenged desserts can't compare to it and you can see why Isaac loves it so much.

When your bellies are filled near to bursting (and only the promise of dessert perhaps persuading you to leave room in your stomachs), you hear footsteps and two people walk into the room. One is a woman in glasses and a jumpsuit you don't recognize but Jen and Judith definitely do. They stiffen up and you can see if it weren't for the fact they're unarmed and there are heavily armed guard robots standing in the corners of the room they'd likely be attacking the newcomer.

And the last person to enter the room, a woman whose face Mia could never forget, the love of her life, the person who has been side by side with her long enough for the two to have an eternal bond: Cait.

Isaedras Cleditre Safton NanLia

 

[Safton]

Vincent listened as Mila spoke, his expression softening with sympathy as she told her tale. He couldn't imagine having been in Mila's shoes, the person he cared about most telling him to leave them behind and make good on an opportunity for the sake of others. He glanced over at Ava, the mere thought of it causing him to frown slightly... a sentiment that wasn't at all helped as Mila mentioned the things she had done that kept her up at night.

That was another thing he was all too familiar with during his time out in the Wastes with Ava. True: they never robbed and murdered any innocents... but they had certainly turned a blind eye to it happening on at least one occasion or another. After all, what better time to infiltrate a Raider camp and strip it down for parts and supplies than when the lion's share of the residents are out pillaging? Vince still remembered -- plain as day -- seeing the smoke in the distance as he and Ava shouldered their haul and slinked back into the foothills before the owners returned from their raid.

In any case, Mila continued on remarking on her hopes that the Vault might contain some manner of machinery that would aid her people back home. That was certainly something he could relate to... although he found himself wondering whether Isaac would be accommodating to either of their interests upon discovering that they ran deeper than the common fare of caps or weaponry. However, this train of thought was interrupted by Mila changing the subject from sharing her story to asking a direct question of him and Ava... about their experience with Vaults, no less. He fought the urge to stiffen up or give anything away outwardly in his expression, unsure if he succeeded or not before considering his lie carefully and speaking. "We've heard of them, of course. But never been inside one. All the ones in our neck of the woods are either sealed up tight or open to the elements so long that they're picked clean by prospectors."

Lee wouldn't get a chance to assess whether Mila had bought the answer, as it happened, before they were being summoned to the dining room. Vince straightened the unfamiliar suit he wore as he'd seen actors do in the old films before taking a deep breath and stepping out into the large accommodations.

He was taken aback. No, he was well and truly shocked by the spread laid out before them. That humanoid Mirelurk that had done its best to devour them hours earlier had been less of a surprise than what he was seeing -- and smelling! -- now. His mouth instantly set to watering and he could barely process what Isaac was saying. When the three of them were set loose to stack their plates, Vincent wasted no time, forgetting any concept of propriety or appearances. He stacked his dish as high as he imagined he could get away with with foods he had only read about or seen in old pictures. Compared to the vitamin-reach but taste-poor gruel the Vault served which prized caloric efficiency above all else, every scrap of food in front of him was an absolute luxury.

After sitting down, Vince forced himself to fold his hands into his lap. As ravenous as he was, he hardly trusted himself not to try and sneak a bite and thus antagonize their host. However, when they were finally able to dig in, Lee did exactly that. The first bite out of a buttered roll -- something he had never in his life imagined he'd see, much less eat -- nearly made him drop the warm chunk of bread as his eyes closed reflexively and he savored the taste. After a few more bites, he washed them down with the grape juice. He had to stifle a groan at the sweet, tangy flavor that seemed to set his taste buds alight and made his eyes bulge this time, albeit in the best possible way. After that, it was hard to be disappointed by a lack of alcohol (a substance he had only the most sparing of experience with in the first place).

As much as he was enjoying this feast, Vince finally managed to regain his senses enough to know that he shouldn't ignore the rest of the room. He glanced up just in time to see the new arrivals, the last of which was a red-haired woman who was anything but petite. Like recognizes like and in this case Vincent immediately picked up on the stocky, solid frame of a fighter... though the fresh bruises and split lip marking her otherwise lovely features didn't hurt, either.

NanLia
Isaedras Cleditre
Gravitational Force​

 

[Isaedras Cleditre]

As Mila looked up she was completely awestruck, as her eyes landed on what she surely thought was a hallucination at first. "Damn, I missed her more than I thought..." She thought to herself with a mirthless chuckle as she rubbed her eyes in an attempt to regain her composure. Maybe talking so much about Cait and her family back home was too much for her mind to take right now? She was already pretty stressed and maybe making herself even more homesick wasn't the best way to go.

Suddenly, a chill went down her spine as the woman she thought was just a mere trick of the mind turned her way with that all too familiar smirk. And then....she spoke.

"Heya red." Her thick Irish accent cut through the tension in the air like a knife and was absolutely unmistakable. Instead of melting as she usually would've though, Mila was absolutely fuming as she got up from her seat and began rolling up her sleeve. She was silent as she stamped across the room, unbothered by the looks she was getting as her eyes bored bullet holes into the Irishwoman's smug face.

"C'mere I know ya miss- OW! FUCK!" Cait grumbled as Mila gave her a hearty slap across the face.

" hEyA rEd?! Are you fucking kidding me?!" Mila had half a mind to hit her again but settled for just wringing her hands at the woman. "How are you here right now?! WHY are you here right now?! and alone?! You could've gotten yourself killed!"

"What and you couldn't? Well, fuck me for not feeling too safe that I sent off me wife to travel the goddamn wasteland with a bunch of sweaty guys who look like they ain't so much as seen a curvy piece of driftwood in months!"

"You're fucking injured!"

"Oh fuck off! I'm better now. What do ya think I just limped my way across this fucking terrain?"

"Knowing you? Of course, I did! You didn't at least try to bring Curie? or Deacon? or literally any-......" Her voice trailed off and her face turned a bright red though still covered with a look of stern anger as she spoke. "Wife.....? You didn't...."

"I did quite a lot actually." Cait grinned prompting Mila to cover her face before beginning to shove the woman out of frustration.

"YOU! WENT! THROUGH! MY! SHIT?!" With each word, Mila gave Cait a half-hearted shove as she stood stone-still in place hardly budging at Mila's attempts.

"I thought what's mine is yours now, right?" Cait giggled at Mila's frustration and embarrassment before rolling her eyes.

"That is not what I meant and you know it!" Mila grumbled and shook her head.

"It was jus' junk. I don't get why you're so upset. All I found was some scrap here or there, some photos Piper took for us, some VERY interesting magazines...." She raised an eyebrow causing Mila to cover her face and mutter.

"Oh god!"

"And this." Cait held up what looked to be a pair of custom rings that had been welded together from molten scrap metal into jewelry small enough to fit on one's finger. "You were gonna ask for me hand? I'm touched!"

"Goddamnit, Cait!" Mila was redder than blood now from the teasing as she managed to swipe both of the two rings away and angrily shoved them into her pockets. "FUCK! and is this why you popped up? To show off? To embarrass me?"

"What? I can't just miss my lover now?" Cait huffed, folding her arms as Mila looked as if she was going to explode and then melt into the floor.

"Of course, you can miss me! But coming all this way! And by yourself?! it was just fucking stupid! Irresponsible! senseless! mindless! thick-headed! inane! I mean, fuck Cait! What would I have done had something happened to you......."

Cait began mentally tuning her out now as Mila went on her rant. It wasn't as if she wasn't making good points but Cait didn't care. She missed her girlfriend almost as much as Mila missed her if not more. Knowing that Mila was away on some great big journey without her just burned her up inside. Especially since Cait was the one that had convinced her to go in the first place. If something would have happened to Mila she would have never forgiven herself and thus as soon as she had healed up her journey began and now here she was.

"aNd AnoThEr tHiNg!" MIla huffed, but before she could get another word out Cait grabbed her by the collar and pulled her close, their lips crashing together as Mila's arms instinctively wrapped around the other woman's neck.

"I hate you...." Mila muttered quietly as Cait pulled away, blushing as she felt Cait using her lips to pepper Mila's neck with kisses before she spoke.

"I love you." Cait grinned, her voice was deep and husky as it had always been as she whispered sending a shiver right down to Mila's core.

Eventually, she stepped back and gave Cait the tightest hug she could muster before stepping back and running a hand through her hair. "Sorry I hit you....but you fucking deserved it."

"Ehh A deal's a deal, Red. Besides, you hit like a girl." Cait snorted with a shrug.

"Asshole." Mila laughed before playfully giving Cait a firm punch in the arm.

Suddenly, Mila remembered that the two of them had quite the audience and slowly turned on her heels to face the many pairs of eyes now resting on them as a result of their reunion. "Ummm. This is Cait." Mila looked over to her newfound companions, Vincent and Ava, before motioning to the well-built redhead standing just beside her. "You guys remember I talked about her right?"

"Oh, you were talking about me, eh? All good things I hope." Cait chuckled before giving Mila a quick slap on the rump, prompting the two to start bickering again immediately, though their arguing was much more light-hearted in nature as Mila made her way back to her seat, Cait following just behind her and poking fun at her along the way.

// Safton Gravitational Force NanLia Made this reply a lot more lighthearted than it was originally. The first two drafts were just kinda boring and bleak and I wasn't proud of em. So I made it less long-winded and here we are.

 

[NanLia]

Ava paused at Mila's inquiry into Vaults, she nearly blurted out an answer of denial. How could they know anything about Vaults? Why on earth would she ask? She glanced Vincent's way, momentarily revealing her shock of the question before simply shaking her head and shrugging. She knew if she spoke she would betray herself. The question rattled her - they had been on plenty of missions, covert missions mind, in the past where no one would even bring up the mention of a Vault to them and yes Mila had point blank asked them about it. She could only hope (and pray) it had to do with what they were enlisted for in the coming days and not because they had some how been obvious of what they were about.

Thankfully they were summoned to the meal. Ava brushed out the creases of her green laundered gown, feeling slightly awkward in the get up - it was a rare occasion in the Vault she would wear anything but her suit and even less likley to don a dress of any kind when out on recon or covert missions. Any feelings of self consciousness fled the moment they passed through the doors and the waft of delicious odours filled her nostrils. She breathed deeply, closing her eyes for just a second before following the other two to the table where they were welcomed to sit. She knew, her training told her, to keep a note of everything and everyone that was in the room. Their postures, mannerisms, what they were wearing, how they spoke, even the specific words they used in speech but her mind kept wandering to the food.

The very moment she was instructed to serve herself Ava stood, nearly knocking over the chair behind her in the process of trying to get away from the table. She took a bit over everything laid out for them, even heaping helpings of something she'd had in the past and hadn't seen in years. Upon returning to the table she practically bounced in her chair while she waited for everyone to be seated once again.

Throughout the meal she often paused with this or that in her mouth, savouring the flavour, intent on remembering every bit of it. How crunchy or smooth, the bit of spice or the mouth watering fatty feel. Some things she would offer to Vincent beside her, speaking softly about something it reminded her, or the suggestion of how they could replicate the same flavour and texture with something else from the wastelands; the hope they could feast like this when they weren't being treated by the wealthy.

Ava glanced away from the plate as Mila rose and rushed at the new comer, raising an eyebrow at the interaction she glanced to Vincent and mouthed the name Cait? to him for it only to be confirmed once they returned to the table. Mila did not look pleased with her lovers appearance, despite Cait clearly enjoying herself and the embarrassment it caused her. Ava set down her utensils to nod at Cait. "Only good things, mostly about how you're a fireball in the sack."

Isaedras Cleditre Safton Gravitational Force

 

[Gravitational Force]

The rest of the dinner passes without any further surprises, Adler seeming to find the surprise he'd sprung on his new employees quite amusing and his compatriots chatting amongst themselves. After dessert (apparently some pre-war packaged desserts could be dissembled and reconstituted into a pudding), you (and Cait) are brought back to your rooms and told to rest and that you'll receive instructions for your first assignment in the morning.

So far all of the buildings and objects you've encountered in Spiral Syndicate territory have been well-made but seem to have either been repurposed or made from from scavenged parts and the bedframes and mattresses are no different. So it looks like although skilled at recycling material the Spiral Syndicate is seeking to access the vault they discovered in order to secure a new source of resources. Although your minds are drawn to how the machinery and robots the Spiral Syndicate uses seem new. Or to have been unused until now.

The morning comes, although the broadcast through the PA system does not come from a cat-themed DJ. Instead it seems different parts of the base can receive separate broadcasts as you find yourselves woken at 8:00 by being told you have an hour to breakfast in the same room you had dinner in. When you arrive you find Isaac Adler wearing an apron as he cooks breakfast with Crazy Violet and his personal Mr. Gutsys. Eggs and Brahmin sausages cook in separate pans as he hums to himself. He seems to sense you despite having his back to you.

"Ah, just in time. Punctuality gets you breakfast right when it's done. Protein'll get you a good start on your day." Adler quickly portions out the food, seeming to have made enough for twice the number of people there. Rather than waiting for you to all get seated this time he instead starts consuming the contents of his plate, seeming to expect you to finish breakfast before he gets to the point. You haven't seen any chickens since you arrived, but these definitely aren't Mirelurk eggs.

Adler pushes away his plate when he's finished. "A pity we had to clear out the local Deathclaw population, their eggs are just so delicious. A pity they can't be farmed, even with the technology available. You were lucky my associate recently happened across a nest the other day." he turns to Mila and Cait.
"Which reminds me, we need to discuss your fiancee assaulting...quite a few people. While I've been assured it was a misunderstanding it's only due to the circumstances being the way they are that you're getting an employment offer. And it's my understanding that Laura Mann will be looking for a rematch. Apparently the bout between her and Cait did not end conclusively enough for her. In the interest of pushing that rematch much farther into the future I'm going to be sending you all on a job off-site. I hope, especially given the fact I'm sure you want to recover from that fist hit, that's acceptable to you."

Cait shrugs and grins. "As if I need any more time for a rematch." She gives a salacious wink to Mila and seems to be about to describe some of the bedroom antics she'd like to get up to when Adler hurriedly cuts in explaining the task ahead of you. "Right now it's crucial that all areas around the dig site are secure. I hire the best, so if a team goes missing on a routine job it means something is very wrong. So you're being sent into the remains of the Museum of Natural History as troubleshooters. That means you find what's causing the trouble and you shoot it. Your work rescuing Doctor Lace proves you're just the sort of people to send on this job. I'd also appreciate you retrieving anything useful you find there, those who take initiative will go far. The only information we've got so far is that there's been an unusual amount of seemingly coordinated feral ghoul activity around the area and people in cloaks who seem to be herding them inside."

Realizing that news of having to fight through a building full of feral ghouls might have demoralized his new employees, Adler continues. "Since you're new I'm going to be sending Violet along with you. And allowing you to borrow weapons from the armory. Prove you can use them well enough and you'll be allowed to keep them while employed. Your main job will be keeping enemies off Violet while she mows them down with her minigun."

You are taken to the armory where you are given your pick of a variety of common but well-maintained quality melee and ranged weapons and ammunition before embarking on your expedition.

When you arrive at the entrance to the Museum of Natural History around noon you find it remarkably well preserved. The thick walls seem to have weathered the bombs and passage of time with only superficial damage. Inside is a different story. The exhibits either lie strewn across the floor in pieces or shoved into new positions. Off to your right you can see the hall of animals seems to have had the taxidermied exhibits spread throughout the rest of the halls. You cautiously make your way inside when the security gates behind you slam to the ground and the lights go out. You have a split second to adjust when you hear swift movement and a horrific crunching noise. Your eyes don't even have time to adjust when you realize the walls have been covered in what appears to be glow in the dark paint. Whatever it is glows with a sickly green light and reveals a scene of horror.

Crazy Violet's head has been ripped from her body and crushed to pieces. Following the trail of blood you look up to see that what you thought were inanimate taxidermied animals have actually been taken apart at the joints and reconstructed into animatronics as the implanted sharp metal teeth in a giraffe's mouth drip gore. Luckily it seems it only was able to get Violet due to her position, but it's not the only exhibit moving and if you want to get anywhere you'll need to get past it. As your senses sharpen due to the stress of your situation you realize you can hear a low moaning coming from farther down in the building. And that the glowing paint was purposefully applied. Sigils and signs in an alien alphabet adorn every inch of the building, but you can see English here and there.
"Ug-Qualtoth wakes."
"The Krivbeknih is remade from the bodies of the impure."
"Feed the hunger."
"All shall be one."

Trapped in a dark building filled with cultists, feral ghouls, and hostile animatronics your only hope is to battle your way through to survive. And based on the map Adler showed you the only way out is through the basement. Where something ancient and hungry waits.