@Renee - it was kinda obvious that when he was away from the tower, Millicent got pwned, so at least someone had to notice, I think.
@TheCheshireKhajiit - so far these traps proved to be the most difficult encounter for the card killer in the Capital Wasteland.
@Acadian - thanks for editing my post. "As bad as new" - that's a phrase to remember.
@SubRosa - indeed, so maybe I didn't make a mistake after all. What a song! I'm listening to it as I'm pasting & editing the coming story.
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VViolet was a well-known scavenger in the Capital Wasteland. For two things mostly– the first thing, a minor one was that she owned the yellow army radio headset. There would be nothing special about that piece of pre-war technology if yellow radio headsets weren’t extremely rare, in fact Violet was the only known owner of one such item. She found it together with her friend Sonora Cruz many years ago as they were exploring a ghoul-infested pre-war military base. Each of them wanted it but they agreed that whoever kills more ghouls, gets the headset. Since Violet won the contest, it belonged to her. They remained good friends with Sonora Cruz who was by now the leader of the regulators in the Capital Wasteland.
The second thing for which Violet was known, and a major one, was that she was the only scavenger known to tame a ferocious yao-guai. She saved a life of a baby yao-guai as it was about to drown and since then the two became inseparable. Not only was her pet whom she named Willy, a helpful guardian in dangerous wastes, he was also her best friend.
One morning in October 2277 she stopped by Four-Eyed Patrick, another scavenger who inhabited one of ruined houses west of Fort Independence.
“Hey four eyes, got some missiles for sale? Running out of ‘em,” asked Violet, petting her favorite weapon - the old missile launcher, which she found buried under some rubble pile close to Fort Constantine way up to the north.
“Sure, Violet, sure, just lemme find ‘em,” Four-Eyed Patrick promptly went to rummage for them in the only solid dresser in the ruined house which no longer served its pre-war purpose, instead it was Four Eyed Patrick’s storage of various clutter.
“I see you got some company for the night,” remarked Violet and nodded in the direction of the sleeping young man. Four-Eyed Patrick had some free beds inside (while it was in fact outside because the house no longer had a roof) and gladly allowed wastelanders to sleep on them.
“Ay, some kid from the west,” nodded Four-Eyed Patrick as he was taking missiles from the dresser. “Nice fella. He gave me a ciggie. I’d still prefer if it was a gal, though. A gal that wouldn’t mind that I’m a little bit dirty, he he he.”
“I heard you, Pat” said the young man and raised his head, making Pat blush and Violet laugh.
Cute kid, thought Violet as he was smiling at her, then she started counting Pat’s missiles.
A few minutes later Violet and Willy left Four-Eyed Patrick’s house and headed west.
“Is she a friend of yours?” asked the kid and handed Pat a cigarette who gladly accepted.
“Sure, that’s Violet. And her teddy bear Willy, the only tamed yao-guai in the entire Capital Wasteland, kid! Imagine that? She’s a legend among scavengers. You’ll often meet her on your travels if you intend to stay here in the Capital Wasteland for a while, kid.”
“I doubt it.”
“Eh? You plannin’ to leave soon?”
“No.”
“Well then I was right – you’ll meet Violet and Willy often on your travels, they are drifters, never staying in one place for long.”
“I doubt it.”
“Eh? I don’t get it.” Four-Eyed Patrick was confused.
“Don’t bother,” smiled the kid and stood up. “Here, take one more cig. Thanks for the free bed. See you, Pat.”
“See you, kid.” Four-Eyed Patrick gladly took another ciggie and questions about why the kid wouldn’t often meet Violet and Willy, were already forgotten.
***
But what the kid said, was true. Not he, not anyone else would ever meet Violet and Willy again, at least not alive. Instead of Willy, Violet slept with the card depicting death at her side. But not before the kid whom she found cute earlier this morning, would torture her in an abandoned trailer just a distance west of Four-Eyed Patrick’s house. And why? Because he found it exciting.
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In company of Four-Eyed Patrick and his muttViolet & WillyShowtime! Willy's end (the yao-guai was actually hit by one of Violet's missiles, directed at the card killer)
DisarmedSubduedHelplessDead