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Post by DataNinja on Feb 28, 2016 16:06:00 GMT
"Look," she mutters, "I'll say something positive once DeLoria here stops acting like he's the one who can make all the decisions. I don't like ragging on him all the time, but do you see anyone else who'll speak up?" She does shudder a little at the thought of being 'collected,' as well as being just flat out a bit uncomfortable at the thought of anyone being interested in her, period. Never happened back at the Vault. At least, not that she knew of.
She had no idea how to react to Kat, either, and just kind of...froze, not able to come up with a good response. Were they all like this out here, all touchy-feely? But, before she could really parse how she felt, she was getting dragged along towards a table. Tastiest food in Purewater? That'd help more if I knew what Purewater food tasted like...
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Post by Slytherclaw on Feb 28, 2016 20:08:41 GMT
Amber listens quietly to the tense conversation, keeping her eyes down and making a point of not joining in. You learn things better that way, from what she's learned over the years. Still, her shoulders tense, and finally, as Kat replies and starts to lead her forward--Amber pulls away, looking up from the floor with a frown.
"Amber." She finally says. "My name is Amber. I'm small, and I'm quiet, but I'm not stupid and I'm not a child or a pet to be named." She pauses, looking at Cecil, before looking down again. Her tone is low and hissed as she continues.
"And it's not about whether you're trustworthy. Or what you already know. Or if you're be helpful. You don't know anything about us, or the dynamics between us, so please don't assume you do just because Mr. De-" She pauses again, remembering his response to the respectful term the last time she'd tried. "Just because /Cecil/ is nice to you and you've seen all of a few hours of someone who /does/ know him interacting with him based on the knowledge she actually has. We're supposed to be a team, and he has done nothing since we've left our home besides look down on us, on me, ignore our attempts at including him or bonding with him, and make decisions for all of us like he knows a...like he knows a damn thing more about this world than we do. Like some woman he met /after going off on his own in an unknown situation and abandoning the people he's supposedly protecting/ is unquestionably trustworthy. If Cecil had information, he should have shared it. It should have been a team decision."
The small girl is tense, flushed, and her hands tremble as she tries to ignore the attention. She raises her gaze to meet Kat's. "If you're coming with us, fine. And if you aren't, and you want to tell the world about 'back home', t-then you do it, because I...I'll scream it myself before I let you bully Christine for doing her job and being reasonable!" Her shoulders are hunched, like a small dog attempting to make itself look bigger--and the Pichu in her arms lets out a squeak at the strength with which it's being grabbed. Still, she doesn't look away this time, though her eyes are shiny and her face is flushed redder than a tomato. Something in her face twitches and she mutters, as an after thought, "And he can be as eager as he wants. The vault had people like him. I'm not helpless."
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Post by Robot on Feb 28, 2016 23:17:04 GMT
Cecil felt a mild stirring in his gut, Amber certainly did impress when she went to make a statement. Took her long enough. Cecil's face broke into a boyish grin, finding himself in oddly good humor despite the tirade directed at the only person to ever attempt to give his ears a moment's peace.
"You want to get into everything I've been up to, and not just the parts you know then, lil sis?". Cecil put a hand over one of Amber's fists to ease it down. " I tried to keep Christine away from a wounded Pokemon because injured people act irrationally, and Pokemon aren't like us.". Cecil checked the aisle way to make sure it was clear before continuing.
"When I left you at the store, I was sure Bunnie was savvy enough to keep your heads down. I went and talked to Old Man Scrimshaw, a local historian, heard about him from the lady guard sitting at the bar when we first slipped into town. Fella lives in a house built right into the city walls. Sold him that disc I picked up outta the caravan wreck we found for some information and a fashion magazine." Cecil felt pretty smart right now, laying this all out for them to see at once. If this didn't yield anything it was time for him to call it. Again he made a check of the surroundings.
"The thing that made that unsettling noise and attacked the woman is apparently called an Electrivire, it's an advanced form of that yellow plug critter I caught. From there I poked around about general dangers we should expect." Jesus here it comes. The freaking would be real. "Biggest creeper issue is this disease called Pokerus. That girl with the gray skin, who is super ripped in here? She's got it bad. Apparently it wipes your mind just a bit past that stage. That or it kills you. Short of it, Pokerus is bad. We gotta keep the purgative around, or these glowing blue mushrooms called Blue Royals, cause it builds slow in your system, but it'll be in most of the food and water we find outside of town."
God this was a lot to get through at once, but the change in the other's facial expressions made it worth it, specially the way Amber went redder still with each additional admission Cecil made with the effort he'd been putting in. "There's cults that believe that Pokerus is a means of ascension. That becoming a Pokemon like that is the closest thing to divinity. Scrim told me some strains of the disease are beneficial, but I'll buy that when I see it. They'll infect you bad given the chance. Then there's raiders, slavers, cannibals, and wild Pokemon. People that don't play nice with others. Warned me about that fella Kat mentioned too."
"Scrimshaw and I parted ways after we had shared a cup of some herbal stuff called 'Bayleef Tea'. Not sure what a Bayleef is, but they taste a bit raunchy. I know I can trust him because he did everything in the open, where I could see his hands. He's dealt with vaulters before. Recognized my coveralls under the jacket. He knows. I brought up maybe getting him in touch with Skrub if the old man approves."
Little bit of outrage, kind of to be expected. Cecil hadn't entirely lied. Scrimshaw had recognized the coveralls, when Cecil showed them off. "So I took the fashion magazine where I knew it was wanted, and that was how I met Cindy. Nice lady, husband runs the water plant, but you knew that already. Got paid for the magazine, did some fast talking and got into her good graces." Talking, yeaaahhh... that's all we did, heh. Cecil's voice dropped lower, so that everyone had to huddle for the next bit."The water purification chip we're looking for is up in the plant somewhere, as is a list of parts and their locations in a secure mainframe. The other bit is something's going wrong up at the plant, but Cindy's man is keeping it all hush-hush. They're using the reserve water while they try to sort the problem. I think I can get us an in, but I need a little more trust first."
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Post by Seya on Feb 28, 2016 23:28:19 GMT
Kat listens with fascination, tongue running along her teeth, as Amber rants her face red. When she finally finishes, Kat grins. "Guess I can't call you a birdy and not expect a song," she laughs, rocking back on her heels. "Aight, I getcha. I don't know squat about your hole in the ground or the politics surroundin' it. Don't really think it's any of my concern at the moment neither, as I'm sure you'll agree, but I ain't got time for even more people to be insultin me in whispers behind my back."
Her face flickers at the end of the statement--the first hint of insecurity she's shown all day. She pushes it away as quickly as it'd come on, but the smile's not quite all there anymore. She fiddles anxiously with one of the purple cotton ribbons in her hair--Don't fuck this up, Thatch. "I ain't got the slightest idea of what I dug myself into with you folks, and I ain't about to say who's in the right, but all this bickerin' makes me think the lot of you are crazier than I am." And that's saying something. She laughs at her own mental joke, but it's dry. "Pardon if I don't got a right to ask for at least a little peace 'n friendliness. Sure you prolly stacked reasons to be cross with Cecil here--he seems like a bloke to end up on a few naughty lists--just... this ain't the place to spill 'em on the table, yeah? Can't say I know much about team decisions, Goldi-- Amber," she corrects herself, trying not to provoke the tiny yapper even further. "But if you've got questions for me I'll be happy to answer 'em. Elsewhere. And sure, I got a handful and a half to ask you too, bein' that I've never met Vault dwellers before. We can be reasonable between us. Of a sort."
She winked at Christine, hoping to square off all bad feelings and include the snappy lady in the conversation. "But please listen when I say that I know these parts. Whoever you left back in that hole likely ain't a penny of a threat compared to some blokes and birds up here--not meanin' to be rude, either. Trust me or don't trust me. That's up to you. But I'll do what I can for warnings since this chap asked nicely and gave me a smoke. What's a girl to do?"
Lastly, she turned back to Cecil, and her gaze hardened a bit. "Last thing. There ain't a human left inside that 'ripped chick' you're lookin' at. Pokerus is a bitch. Lily's all pokemon now, and she's got no memories of her friends from before. Not one bit. I would know. Now, if you'll excuse me, I need a drink." They needed time to sort themselves out, and she had to take a breather to stop herself from punching a hole in the wall.
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Post by DataNinja on Feb 29, 2016 3:58:31 GMT
Christine smiles when she hears Amber come out of her shell... but is surprised that it was in defense of her. She looks over and gives a nod and a smile to the smaller girl. It felt nice to have someone on her side out here.
That nice feeling doesn't last very long and, as Cecil lay out exactly what the "Pokérus" did, she felt herself get more and more horrified. That thing...was a person? Oh, god... what if I'm not experienced enough to save us? What if, even if we do succeed, we bring it back to the Vault? Just another good reason to live in Vaults. None of this endless empty space above us, not everything is trying to kill or mutate us, and- Oh, he's still talking.
"What would this 'in' to the plant that you're talking about entail?" she asks, really only catching the tail end of his conversation, and hoping he hadn't already said it.
When Kat addresses her, she says, giving a hint of a smile in return, "Look, I have no qualms with you, unless you give me reason to. I just wish DeLoria had talked to us first. That's all." Doesn't mean we'd have agreed, but no sense in bring up could-have-beens.
She still doesn't know exactly how she feels about the new girl, but she doesn't have much more time to think before getting hit with more cold, hard truth, which starts her worrying again...
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Post by Slytherclaw on Mar 1, 2016 3:21:34 GMT
Amber listens quietly, gaze wavering between staring at Cecil and Kat as they speak, and looking down or to the side. She nods at the right places, but their lack of heat in response to her own seems to have set her off balance--she was braced for a fight, and when none comes, the small girl is knocked off kilter. She's still pink for most of it--until she pales quite suddenly as the implications of this pokerus sink in. She's about to say something when Kat snaps about this 'Lily' and storms off. She shakes her head in disbelief, looking over at the...the not-woman. She'd thought it was obscene to have the bioweapon working here to begin with but...but for that to have once been a /person/...
Amber takes a seat at the table they were directed to almost absentmindedly, staring at the former human being. That...that's what being out here does to you?
"How do people /live/ like this?" She says without thinking about it, quiet and back to her timid tone.
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Post by Robot on Mar 1, 2016 13:08:13 GMT
That's certainly a question. Cecil mused for a moment, his smile dimming a little at Amber's sudden somber expression. Should probably do something to liven her up again, too much to celebrate being out for this kind of talk. Cecil's eyes slowly rolled to the aisle, then back to the ceiling. I'm no good at this shit, what would the old man do?
A bit of color came to the greaser's cheeks, as he leaned in and put an arm around Amber's shoulders. Squeezing firmly, the struggle was written all over his face, which he kept angled away from the mechanic. The embrace parted all too soon, Cecil leaving a hand on the girl's back. This is goddamn embarrassing, but if she needs it to keep going, fuck it. With a steadying breath, even the hand was withdrawn, he found it impossible to make eye contact with anyone at the table.
"They don't have a choice, Amber." Cecil cleared his throat, adjusting his collar. "The folks here, they embrace the pleasures that they can. They live day to day, doing their best to take care of what they have. It's a rough way to get by, but if they don't fight to live, they just don't live." Bit more close to home then I'd like. Being in that hole was death. "It's not comfortable, or easy, and can be plain scary. It's what they've got. That's why Skrub's got me here. There's livers, and takers on the surface. Everyone wants to get ahead, but some of 'em don't care where that puts you." That old man is too damn insightful for his own good.
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Post by Slytherclaw on Mar 2, 2016 1:34:47 GMT
Amber squeaks in surprise, lifting her head to give Cecil a wide eyed stare as she realizes /he's hugging her/. She gapes as he pulls away, largely frozen in surprise. A shiver runs up her back and she shifts her shoulders, looking away and damn it, her blush had just started to go away!
She listens, rubbing an arm and steadfastly refusing to look up from the table. "It's horrible," She finally mutters. "It's horrible and I...I'm looking forward to getting what I need to fix things, so we can go home, where people don't..."
She looks up and finds herself staring at Lily. "Where...where people wouldn't /let/ that happen. I don't...If purgatives exist...I don't understand how people could have let that happen to someone..." She finally says, expression fragile. She looks back down.
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Post by DataNinja on Mar 2, 2016 18:18:38 GMT
"Look," Christine says, "I think we're all a bit...out of our element here. Except maybe you," she gestures to Kat. "So, how about we make a deal, DeLoria? You talk to us before you start making your decisions, and I'll try and hold my tongue more. That sound fair?" She takes a couple of deep breaths to try and clear the remnants of the pit in her stomach caused by thinking about...well, practically everything out here, before continuing. "I want to make it back home with the same number of people we started with. 100% human, too. So, can you at least...do this one thing for me? Or, if you don't care about me, for the other people you're protecting?"
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Post by Robot on Mar 3, 2016 14:49:30 GMT
Christine's tone is a bit better at least, it's an improvement. Cecil mulled it over for a moment, eyes on Christine's face. There were plenty of things he could say in rebuttal. Ask for in return. Now wasn't the time though, a bit of peace from Christine would have to do. Reaching across the table, he shook her hand. "Alright, yeah, I'll take that deal."
Waving Kat back over to the booth, Cecil began laying out his plans in a low tone. "Alright so, if something's wrong up at the plant and the mayor is keeping it on the down-low, this is what I'm feeling. Guy wants discretion, has a pretty serious issue. We've got a mechanic who's new in town, and ain't staying long. Might be overplaying our hand a bit, but if we put in an order that he can't fill without exhausting his reserves, press the issue a little, and offer Amber's services, we're in." Cecil shrugs. "I'd have to case the guy a little first, but it should work as is. We can ask for the chip as compensation, but it sounds like we'll have to be a bit shady to get at the info in that console."
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Post by Seya on Mar 3, 2016 19:04:26 GMT
Kat wanders back over with a great mug foaming over, and listens to Cecil's suggestion with unusual passivity. He's in with the mayor? Bloke's got his claws in deeper than I'd have expected, she muses.
"Dunno what 'chip' you're talkin about, but I'll help however I can. Can't say I'm much one for planning but I'll follow someone else's orders well enough." She sips at the drink and waits to hear more of the details. This would be fun... right?
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Post by DataNinja on Mar 3, 2016 19:33:49 GMT
Once Kat comes back, Christine approaches her, a little awkwardly. She does make sure to try keeping enough distance to hopefully avoid more of that touchy-feely stuff, though. "Ah, I think we kind of managed to get off on the wrong foot to start with back there," she says. "I don't have a problem with you, if that's what you think. Anyways, uh, I realized I don't think I introduced myself back when we first met. The name's Christine. I don't know if DeLoria pointed that out already or not. It's a bit...overwhelming, around here. I sometimes lose myself in trying to figure it out." She tries giving a small smile, seeing how that would go over.
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Post by Seya on Mar 3, 2016 21:20:35 GMT
Kat bit her lower lip and grinned, then when it was clear Christine was waiting for a reply, she shrugged. "You lot took me by surprise and I ain't sure I would have caught your name then anyways," she awkwardly half-lied, tugging at her ear. "Can't say I was eager to be on bad terms with the group nurse, glad that's over and done with. You're good, you're good. Fancy a drop to take your mind off the big bad world on the surface?" She pushes the mug towards the other girl. Kat's tone is only slightly mocking, but the accompanying smile is genuine.
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Post by DataNinja on Mar 3, 2016 21:37:16 GMT
Ah, rats, she thinks, conflicted. I wish she hadn't offered me any. I really don't want to risk contracting that problem. Even if this is supposedly safe. On the other hand, it'd be rude to refuse... and I am interested as to what the food and drink up here tastes like. Struggling internally for a moment, "Uh, sure, I guess." She hesitates, before taking a sip. Nothing ventured...nothing gained.
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Post by Lockdown on Mar 14, 2016 4:57:37 GMT
Christine, the drink is oddly sweet, with only a slight bit of burn to it. When it hits your stomach there's a sort of warm glow that starts building after a few minutes. As the rest of the group finalizes the new arrangement, you spot the matronly woman who'd directed you to the table area coming over. "Right, what'll you kids have? We've got a nice special on pan-seared Ducklett thanks to a lucky catch, and there's even some fried cubed Slowpoke tail as a desert possibility. We've also got the Purewater Greenbowl, best salad this side of the Rockies, guaranteed pokerus free, or we'll foot the bill for the purgative." She eyes Kat for a moment. "Unfortunately, we can't extend your usual deal to your new friends Katora, so everything's full price. Payment up front of course." She's got a pad and pen in one hand, while the other is held out expecting payment.
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Post by DataNinja on Mar 14, 2016 5:07:42 GMT
Huh. That wasn't actually too bad. Not unpleasant, just... different. "I'll have what sh..." her sentence dies off when she realizes she has no money. Whoops. Guess that sip's all she's going to get.
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Post by Robot on Mar 16, 2016 11:59:48 GMT
None of that sounds like any food I've ever heard of. Cecil made a bit of a face. The hell is a Ducklett, or a Slowpoke? Those sound like Poke...mon. Well, this is my life now, may as well get into the swing of it. "We're a bit light on caps, any chance we could barter?"
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Post by Lockdown on Mar 16, 2016 14:52:43 GMT
The waitress sighs a little, but nods, and you set to dickering with her. It takes several minutes, but with Kat's prompting, you finally strike upon an acceptable trade when she mentions the Chansey that Christine has. Apparently the "eggs" they produce are rare enough to cover the cost of a meal for everyone.
Actually getting the egg from Bones is surprisingly easy, the egg-shaped mon mutters and grumbles as he pulls the thing from his pouch and hands it over with a "here, just take it" expression on his sour little face. As soon as she has the egg in hand, the waitress whisks away with your orders in one hand, the egg in the other.
The food arrives quickly, and is like something out of a picture book to those of you raised on Vault-Tec food extruders. There's a definite grain and texture to the meat once you get past the crunch of the outer layers of skin and fat, and a crispness to the vegetables that you've never experienced before. To Kat it's simply the good but still standard fare at the Big Drip.
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Post by Robot on Mar 16, 2016 15:26:24 GMT
Cecil was in heaven. The vault's extruders only produced flavored mash in a variety of food-like shapes, laced with vitamins, carbs, and proteins to keep the people healthy. THIS WAS REAL FOOD! In his car magazines there were often advertisements for 'barbecue', most of the food very dark in color and cooked on racks over a fire. It made so much sense now, with the heat, crunch, and the mix of soft and hard textures to his 'Tankburger' as it was called on the menu.
The greaser's world faded around him into a stillness, and bliss that he couldn't describe. He didn't feel under pressure for once, paranoid, or anxious. Each bite seemed to draw on for minutes at a time as he explored each little way the food's texture changed as he chewed it. His glassy-eyed expression possibly even worrisome for Christine, but at least he looked happy. Happier then any of them had ever seen him, for certain.
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Post by DataNinja on Mar 16, 2016 15:38:52 GMT
This was... food? It was certainly...different to Christine. It wasn't bad. It was actually quite good, definitely a lot more solid than anything in the Vault, but it was definitely...different. That's the only way she could really describe it. That, and really, really strong, flavour-wise. At least she had some of that... whatever-that-drink-was to wash it down. Too bad they didn't have anything like that back at the vault.
She didn't really know how she felt about the rest of the meal, though. Especially since who knew if the... cooks (that's what they were called, right?) managed to purge all the Pokérus from the food. It would be rude to check now, and seeing as how she didn't want to get on anyone else's bad side...she could let it slid this time. That didn't assuage much the worrying, though, so she just tried concentrating on the warmth of her drink. That helped a little.
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