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> Miss Vicious Delicious, Her saga and story...
TheCheshireKhajiit
post Sep 21 2020, 12:32 AM
Post #41


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QUOTE(SubRosa @ Sep 20 2020, 03:43 PM) *

A Baltimore mailbox!

I kind of doubt that Miss V's life would have been a whole lot better before the war. It just would have been a different kind of horrible. The Fallout world's society froze in the 1950s. So segregation, racism, misogyny, etc... The opening for Fallout 4 directly mentions that, and the social unrest it sparked. At least in the Post War, she can drink out of any fountain, and sit anywhere she wants on a bus.

I have some contrary thoughts about this, but this isn’t the thread for that (there may not be a thread suitable for that discussion). Maybe I could post it in the “All Things Fallout” thread? *edit* Nevermind. It seems Civil Rights as a whole were pretty much thrown out the window because of the war. The Chinese Americans may have had it the worst though, as they were rounded up and thrown into concentration camps like the Japanese were during WWII.

Anyway, Renee, like Acadian, I really enjoyed the mailbox musings. Also, nice add in with Cho!

This post has been edited by TheCheshireKhajiit: Sep 21 2020, 01:29 AM


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Lopov
post Sep 22 2020, 06:29 PM
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Neat story!

I like her thoughts while "hiding" behind the mailbox. I guess that in life it can often be, that an individual wonders, what would be IF we were born sooner or in some other environment, with different upbringing etc.

It's Cho arguing with Burke and flirting with Lucy West. wink.gif

Nice shots of Megaton, the sky looks ominous in the saloon pic.

This post has been edited by Lopov: Sep 22 2020, 06:30 PM


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Renee
post Oct 4 2020, 02:47 PM
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Hey, SubRosa, happy Sunday! Yes, that is something we can ponder... not just Vicious but any of us. I myself don't think I'd have it better if I lived in the past, definitely not, if I lived in Blood Raven's days. But maybe if I lived in a world full of bombs and constant gunfire, I'd not be as content.

Wow, you really think that is Cho?

I had a quick look at Vicious's horoscope. Not sure if that link will work, but she has Sun, Mercury, and Venus in Cancer, and Moon in Pisces. Very much water and therefore emotion, perception. She feels situations and people before she engages. She does have that Cancerian thing, where she has a somewhat cautious personality until you get to know her. She is not outward and overt, at first. She keeps her emotions in check, but is also ruled by them at times.

Ascendant in Capricorn. The rising sign is how we project, what we show. And she shows Earth. Very much so. Like when she was crying and praying to god. She's not going to show that side of her at all, around people she doesn't know well. She wants to appear more "put together" and confident. Both feet on the ground, even if

Overall, her horoscope is not a very conflictive one, full of energies pulling against each other, but I did sense she's got some sort of discordant drive. Why would she become a raider, after being raised religiously? And *bam* there it is--Mars in Leo squared by Uranus in Taurus. Mars = our outward drive to get stuff done, how our energy gets allocated, and it's squared by Uranus, the planet which does everything "wrong". The planet which does not follow those rules. It rotates sideways, for instance. This creates a desire to try new things at its most positive, but violence can definitely be a destructive side-effect of this.

Oh, Moon square Jupiter, that is interesting too. I can't go into any more great detail in this post... I'll be sitting here all day! laugh.gif But that is another aspect to take notice of.

She's not an overly dynamic "go-getter" type of person like Cho or some of our others. But she does have that one conflict in her chart which causes her to structure unusual moments in her life.


Very astute, Acadian, about worshipping a bomb being no better than worshiping Molag Bal. laugh.gif Personally I think Confessor Cromwell and his followers have had a little too many rads (slang for radiation in the Fallout world) going through their systems. There are a lot of oddballs like Cromwell in Fallout 3. I'd say 3 has some of the more odder characters, while New Vegas has the better story / quest-driven side. But the oddballs in 3 definitely set the atmospheres, make the gameworld more fun.


Yes, it's hard to say, Khajiit. Since the Fallout games are supposed to be an alternate reality, maybe all the more negative things about the immediate postwar world (WWII, that is) would have gotten brushed aside as decades rolled by. As you know, I like to think that the time from WWII to 2077 were not static, with very little progress, whether we're talking about music or civil rights or technology or whatever. Equal(er) rights seem to have taken a hold at some point, so Vicious does not really have a need to go there in her thoughts.

I do like my character's musings for sure. She prefers to picture a glorious world, with opportunity and possibility as definite options. smile.gif That's Jupiter in Sagittarius squaring her Moon. Jupiter = expansion and even risk-taking, while the Moon is one's imagination, emotions, and so on.


Now Lopov, again, why do you think that is Cho? Can't he just be a guy who resembles my Lone Wanderer? laugh.gif

This post has been edited by Renee: Oct 4 2020, 04:40 PM


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Renee
post Oct 4 2020, 04:40 PM
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"Megaton is obsolete. The last vestige of a cobbled, desperate past. It needs to ... go away. And you're going to see that it does."

Those were the last words the wannabe gangster Mister Burke spoke to the Asian man in the next room, before everything went to hell fast in Moriarty's Saloon. A few moments' prior, Miss Vicious had taken a seat at the bar. Gulping, then nursing the beer she'd bought for 5 caps. The bar was noisy. Patrons in conversation, most of them chatting about nothing special. The bar's radio crackling with static, which caused the ghoul bartender to abandon telling Vicious the story of his life (not that she was disappointed). Eyes wandering about the semi-crowded room. The former raider had completely relaxed by now, reveling in her newfound obscurity. Happy to be viewed as just another Capitol Wasteland settler going for a buzz with her golden, refrigerated beverage. She had plenty of caps. Maybe she'd even purchase a second.

"Dammit!" Gob the bartender exclaimed, smacking the bar's stubborn radio. "I just had Galaxy News Radio an hour ago! Now, it's all gone to hell."

"Gob, will you just give it up, already?!" said the brunette gal in her husky voice. Vicious remembered this gal from two years before, but could not exactly remember her name. Nola or Nora, something like that.

"Excuse me Nova," said the ghoul in a tone which resembled pebbles grinding against each other. "If you haven't noticed, this is a bar! And all bars should have proper music playing. It sets the mood. It sets the atmosphere. Who wants to listen to static? Hello?"

Vicious took another swallow, doing her best to drown out their conversation. By now her beer was almost gone. Time for a follow-up. But to everyone's surprise, this was the moment when it all began.

"You want me to do WHAT?" said the Asian man in the next room, doubling his voice in volume. It seemed as if he was shouting purposely, so everyone in Moriarty's could hear him. "You and your associates are both douchebags, and I'm tired of this nonsense. Both of you can GO TO HELL!"

"I can assure you," said the man in the suit, his voice also rising. "I'm not one to be trifled with! Why do you knuckle-draggers always insist on doing things the hard way?!"

By now, everyone had gone silent, listening for whatever would come next. All except for the static-driven radio, which kept crackling without a word. Vicious got up from her bar stool to have a look, clutching at her near-empty bottle.

"Whatever, dude," said the Asian man. "I'm putting a stop to this right now. *Frack* going to Lucas Simms, he's had his chance to take you on, yet has done nothing. And so I say this now... NOBODY is going to destroy Megaton. Not you, and not your hidden A-hole associate."

"Oh yeah?" said the man in the suit, getting up and going for his piece. "And what are you gonna do about it?"

"Say hello to my Louisville Slugger, loser!" The Asian man grabbed the baseball bat from his back, going into a wide-footed stance, aiming to maim...

The resulting noise was sudden and VERY loud, especially in this confined, metal space. Gunfire from the man in the suit, a series of cracks and smacks from the baseball bat wielded by the Asian as he hopped, skipped, and danced from side to side, catching the suited-man's elbow here, his torso there. Everyone scattered, but nobody fled! ... Another crack! A grunt! The two men rolled on the floor, stirring some dust. A chair got knocked into miscellaneous stuff. Another blast from Mister Burke's gun, most of its ammo going straight into the nearest wall! ... And then finally, a sound similar to a hammer splitting open a large piece of mutfruit, SPLAT!!! ... Though Vicious could not see exactly (other bar-goers obscured her view), she knew exactly what it was, and did not particularly wish to gander the wannabe gangster's crushed-open head.

Blood was pooling in the next room.

With the death of Mister Burke over, most of Moriarty's customers burst with applause, happy about something which Vicious did not yet understand. Not until Gob the bartender explained what Mister Burke, the man in the suit, was all about. ... "Guy had some sort of bug up his ass about blowing up the bomb here in Megaton. Which means all of us would have been blown to smithereens, if he was serious. Of course, none of us took him all that seriously," Gob said. "But maybe he meant what he was saying, somehow. Who knows, right? Who knows."

By now, the Asian man had cleaned off his bat, and was sitting at the bar, waving away a drink which the blonde lady at a nearby table offered to him. As if nothing had happened. Mister Burke would be somebody else's mess to clean up, apparently.

Miss Vicious Delicious sat down next to him. "I'll have another," she told Gob.

Just another day in the Capitol Wasteland.

[][][][][][][][][][][][]


After her second beer, Vicious was ready to go for a tinkle. Moriarty's sole toilet consisted of an alcove set off to the side, with only a flimsy sheet hanging from its doorway for privacy. Fortunately, Megaton had dedicated restroom shacks for men, and for women. It had been yet another long day, full of adventure, guns, and now a bloody baseball bat. She was looking forward to spending a few moments alone, before heading to the Church of Atom, where she'd hopefully arrange herself a bed to sleep upon.

She entered the Women's Restroom, which was blessedly empty. Walked into a stall, closed its door. Laid her lead pipe and Chinese pistol upon the stall's trash receptical. Weary she was, but the excitement of that surprise attack was already fading away. "Just another day in the Capitol Wasteland," she chuckled as she relieved herself. She realized she was slightly buzzed from the beers. Nowhere near to being sloshed, but her head was pleasantly swimmy. Maybe she'd go for a third. But then, securing a bed in the Church of Atom might become more difficult, as other settlers grabbed their cots.

"Yo, girl."

Vicious stiffened, readying her pistol by instinct. It was a man's voice, standing somewhere within the shack. She looked under the door in front of her, and could see no feet. Shooting through the door, going for an easy wounding, would not be an option.

"Yo girl," his voice was low, as if he was trying not to draw attention from anyone who might be just outside. "Say something. I know you in there."

"Damn right I am," she answered, pulling up her trousers left-handed, while keeping her pistol ready and pointed. "The *flip* you doin' in here? Don't you know this is the ladies room, fool?"

The male voice apparently did not care. "I know who you is, girl. You was livin' here couple years back. Don't know your name, but I know who you is."

"Are," she corrected. "I know who you are, fool."

"Huh?"

"You got about two seconds to get the *flip* outta here, before I start wailing."

"I know who you ... are," he ignored her warning, but heeded her grammar lesson, "and I want to talk to you before--"

But he never got the chance to finish his statement. "HELP!!!" Vicious screamed, banging upon the stall's inner wall one side, and the shack's thin metal bulwark on the other. "HELP!!! RAPE!!! RAAAAPE!!!" The entire restroom (being mostly made of tin) was shaking a bit.

The man cursed, telling her to keep her voice down, but of course that was not on her agenda. Within another five seconds, he gave up! Vacated the Women's Room in a hurry. She could hear his feet scuffling, and the shack's door opening then slamming shut. Vicious used the opportunity to rush out of the stall, gun pointed and ready! A moment later, somebody opened the shack's entry door, and began to rush in. Vicious's trigger finger gave a few ounces of pull.

"Hey! Hey, what's going on here?" Somebody was rushing in. Are you alright?"

It was the blonde lady from the bar. Vicious searched her memory a second. Lucy West. Vicious relaxed, put her cheap, tarnished pistol back in its holster. "Hey," Vicious said forcefully, almost shouting. "Did you see some fool go rushing out of here? Sounded like he was moving in a hurry?"

"No! Why, no!" Lucy said, alarmed.

Miss Vicious rushed right by Lucy, out into the night, again readying her gun. Got into a stance, pointed this way and that. But the man who'd been in the restroom (nor any man at all) was not to be seen. Vicious was joined outside by Lucy.

"There was a dude in there," Vicious told Lucy West, her voice calming, but her pistol still affixed to her right palm. "Dude came bustin' into my stall, right as I'm doin' my thing, you know? I think he was in there trying to... I don't know." She holstered her gun, disappointed. "Damn. I coulda taken care of him too. If only."

"Hey, well, I didn't see anybody, honestly." Lucy grabbed Vicious's wrist. "I heard you screaming in there though, and ... you know how it is. Things are not easy here in Megaton either, as you just witnessed firsthand in Moriarty's."

Vicious said nothing. Looked to the scrap-metal planking below her feet. Damn.

"Hey, don't be sad!" said Lucy. "Come with me. Come on. We'll have another drink, okay? It'll be on me. And then you can come to my place. Nobody will come crashing into my pad without dealing with my Little Prince, right?" she said, patting the piece at her side.

"Well..." A free beer, and then a free, safe place to stay? Why argue with fortune? "Well, okay. I guess. If you sure about it."

"I am. We need to stick together, out here. You can crash on my couch, it'd be lovely, in fact, if you did. My brother Ian has been away for awhile, and I think .... well... why don't you just follow me?"

Miss Delicious did so. Whoever's voice she had heard in the restroom was not to be heard again that night.

"Shoulda busted a cap right into dude," Vicious muttered, while the two ladies returned to Moriarty's.

-----------------------------------------

Gob the Bartender

"You want me to do WHAT?"

"I'm getting out of here!"

The bat comes out...First base...

Second base... Go Ichiro!

Mister Burke has been pwned.

Just another day in the Capitol Wasteland

This post has been edited by Renee: Oct 5 2020, 06:06 PM


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Acadian
post Oct 4 2020, 09:19 PM
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Cool little story!

A couple beers, free exciting entertainment, a creepy proposition from that dude in the restroom and what seems like a nice place to spend the night courtesy of Lucy.


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SubRosa
post Oct 4 2020, 11:11 PM
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I loved your description of Gob's voice.

Hammer on mutfruit... Ewwww! There goes Mr. Burke.

Just another day in the Wasteland.

Home run for Ichiro!


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Lopov
post Oct 5 2020, 11:54 AM
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QUOTE
I loved your description of Gob's voice.


Same here!

This story is the best in MVD's saga so far. Not just because it features both Cho & Linda, but because it's at first calm, then follows an every-day action, nothing unusual for the wastes, and ends up with a creepy stalking scene. ph34r.gif

Good job, nice pics too!


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TheCheshireKhajiit
post Oct 5 2020, 03:34 PM
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Hmmm I wonder what that guy really wanted? Why not just tell Simms who she is? We’ll definitely be hearing more about this!


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Renee
post Oct 5 2020, 06:07 PM
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Rush.. rush... Rush... rush. Everyone's gonna start thinking I've listened to too much Geddy Lee. Alex Lifeson, and Neil Peart. rolleyes.gif


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TheCheshireKhajiit
post Oct 5 2020, 08:14 PM
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QUOTE(Renee @ Oct 5 2020, 12:07 PM) *

Rush.. rush... Rush... rush. Everyone's gonna start thinking I've listened to too much Geddy Lee. Alex Lifeson, and Neil Peart. rolleyes.gif

Hey, that’s living in the limelight for ya! laugh.gif


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macole
post Oct 6 2020, 06:39 AM
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Who cares about Megaton. Playing baseball with Burke was more fun.


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Renee
post Oct 18 2020, 04:21 PM
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Hello, happy Sundas. cake.gif

A lot of the pauses which have been happening have been due to me trying to balance real-life stuff with my convoluted modding ideas, but I think I've finally got everything ironed enough by now. Maybe by the time the holidays are upon us, somewhere between Thanksgiving and Xmas santa.gif, Vicious's story will come to a conclusion. Sort of. I don't know. I have a slew of ideas by now.

Mostly I get inspired to play Fallout games because summer begins. All that green foliage outside, with yellow/orange sunlight burning its contrast. Something about that is what causes me to get inspired to play Fallout, just as leaves falling off trees matched with the blues and grays of winter causes me to get into Skyrim.

I do know how this story is going to continue and "end," and what an ending it shall be. blink.gif Do we have any questions or comments?

Acadian: Yes, there is quite a lot of action going on, with the restroom scene and Mister Burke meeting his demise. Half of that story was imagination, whereas the other half actually happened in real-time. That's been a pattern, so far. I like it.

SubRosa: Yeesh, yes, sorry! I couldn't think of any better way to explain Mister Burke's head meeting Ichiro's bat. I know January 'took care' of Moriarty, did she do the same with Mister Burke as well?

Lopov: Thanks, brother! More to come. Hope you are doing okay.

Lopov's hospital is dealing with a slew of new COVID cases, which is why he's been quiet this week. salute.gif

Khajiit: Very astute, yes, I think we'll be hearing more from that creepy restroom intruder. And I also think that Vicious does not want to tell Simms about that encounter because she's had problems in the past, in Megaton. She's trying to keep a low profile, not draw attention to herself.

Limelight is a great song, I really like Jacob's Ladder most of all!

macole: Absolutely. Cho thinks so.

This post has been edited by Renee: Oct 18 2020, 05:27 PM


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SubRosa
post Oct 18 2020, 09:34 PM
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January did not deal with Mr. Burke at all. She never even met him. She disarmed the bomb as soon as she got to Megaton, so he was never part of the equation at all.


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Renee
post Oct 18 2020, 09:45 PM
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Don't waste your time fighting blind-minded thoughts of despair
Hold on! To your love...



Lucy West woke the next morning, feeling optimistic.

Adjusting to life in cramped and quirky Megaton had been challenging at times. The letters she’d sent to her family up in Arefu hadn’t been answered for over a week, definitely a cause for concern. But she felt more optimistic this morning. She had made herself a new friend.

Sun was shining through the tiny cracks in her tin metal bedroom, a gentle summer breeze creaked its joints. Lucy and her new friend hadn't spent long chatting the night before, when suddenly Taneesha yawned. Not a stifled-under-her-writst sort of yawn, but a real jaw-cracking, open-faced mawing. It was though her guest hadn't meant to do it. "Uh, sorry," Taneesha said, grinning. "You don't know the day I had...you only got to see the end of it."

But Lucy got it immediately, she understood. Stood right up off her couch, allowing her guest a place to rest. Talk could wait until the next morning. It had been a long day. Not to mention, Taneesha had come into town from the wasteland, where every day was a long day.

After going to bed upstairs, Lucy was surprised to hear her visitor began to mutter to herself. Taneesha was doing so quietly, but the night was also quiet, and Lucy's place fostered a slight echo. So, it was impossible not to hear. Lucy focused her ears. Curiosity. After a moment, she realized Taneesha was saying some sort of prayer. Not to Atom, but to God! “Phew,” Lucy exhaled. One thing she did not want was to have one of those nuts in her home.

So ... this next morning. It came as a surprise when Lucy woke with vigor, clamped downstairs to her living room / kitchen, but then discovered her new friend was nowhere to be seen.

"Taneesha?"

Lucy moved quickly past her home's entrance, peering into its pantry area. No Taneesha. Instead, Lucy found a note, propped upon her scrappy dining table.

Hey Miss West,

Thank you for letting me stay. Sorry I have to run.. but I don’t want to be a burden or anything. I feel like maybe I Maybe I’ll see you around town.

Taneesha


“Well shoot,” Lucy said aloud, a little saddened. She had just begun to think perhaps she and Taneesha could embark on a little adventure. Headed northeast. Maybe to Arefu itself. "I do hope I'll see her around town," she mused as she poured herself some Sugar Bombs.

---------------------------------------------


THE BRASS LANTERN, 9:52 AM

"Now I KNOW I've never seen you in Megaton, right?" Jenny Stahl, The Brass Lantern's cook, asked the young lady standing before her. "We get people passing through here all the time. Anyway if you're hungry, you came to the right place. What can I get you?"

Still early morning it was. Taneesha's head ached slightly from the previous night's alcohol. "Mac and cheese," she answered, looking forward to an actual hot meal, her first in almost a week. She gazed around momentarily, then focused upward. Thought she caught a glimpse of Lucy West leaving her two-story box, high above. She felt a little something about that, like maybe she should not have left Lucy's place so abruptly. That lady had been so kind the night before. But ...Taneesha Jones had never been the sort who liked to freeload off of other people. Last night had been an exception.

"Hey, I won't say it's all fresh," said the cook, "but it'll keep you going,"

Taneesha sat down next to a blonde lady wearing black and white armor, thinking it was the most fantastic set of armor she'd ever seen. Like something out of an action comic. Jericho, that bastard, stood off to the side, watching Jenny heat up Taneesha's breakfast. Thankfully, he was being quiet this morning. Behind them both, a lady wearing a guard's outfit strolled amongst a smattering of settlers. And as always, Confessor Cromwell had already begun his morning sermon.

"...Give your bodies to Atom, my friends! We shall see our release from the pain and hardship of this world, as we leap into Atom's glow...!"

"Oh my guhd." Taneesha tried to stifle her voice, hoped she succeeded. And ah, her meal was ready. Goopy mac & cheese carbohydrates, poured righteously. She began to dig in, the food was good and hot. Taking a second mouthful, then a third. The pasta squished delightfully in her mouth. At this moment, she felt a sudden hand upon her shoulder.

"Don't try the noodles." It was the blonde in the gleaming black and white armor, getting up to leave, speaking matter-of-factly under her breath. "I think I saw something moving in mine."

Taneesha chuckled. Had another bite, then looked to her left. The blonde in the fantastic hero armor was already nowhere to be seen.

---------------------------------------------


THE CHURCH OF THE CHILDREN OF ATOM

"The Confessor is truly the Child of Atom," said a dark-skinned man as Taneesha walked in the church's door. He was imparting to Taneesha what she assumed he thought was divine wisdom.

She walked a few steps more into Atom's church, her shoes whispering upon sheet metal floor.

"Speak to the Confessor, or the Mother, if you wish to know more." This was said by a large-chested woman wearing an armless white shirt. The woman's shirt was white, but stained with a few dark flecks which Taneesha assumed was blood.

"I .. uh, do dwell within Atom's Glow." Taneesha tried, before having a seat at a table nearby. Oh my guhd, what am I doing here? she thought to herself, fidgeting a cigarette from her satchel. Suddenly, she was a little nervous. She needed to think. And sometimes, having a smoke was the best way to do it.

Thing is, the Children of the Church of Atom's members frequently turned over, as some "children" joined, and some children stayed. Others? They moved on. So she wouldn't be noticed as an outsider, at least not right away. But still. What exactly was she doing back in the church? As she exhaled some smoke, she hoped the two children at the other table would leave her alone. And they did.

She thought back to the Year 2275, when she had first arrived in Megaton. Scared, and seventeen. The group of Jehovah's Witnesses she'd been traveling with had scattered some days before (getting constantly shot at had helped), now she was on her own. In her previous faith, The End was always coming, and always The End was near. Better prepare for Paradise, as those who were faithful would trend towards the Kingdom of Zion. The Earth would perish in fire and hailstones. All of this was always given some date just ahead, whether this date be weeks, months, or years. It was how she had been raised. Perhaps it was because of this religious background that she'd instantly flocked to the building she was in now. Being within its walls, she cared little for their faith. But at least she had gained back some of the life she had known.

Back then, she had had good reason to flock toward the church. Where else was she going to go? Heading back north to her home was not an option; she'd never make there alive, especially on her own. But now? Where else could she go now? Maybe back to Big Town. Yeah, that could be. Nobody really worked in Megaton except the cook, the bartenders, the merchant, and Sherriff Simms. The whore in Moriarty's. The folks who ran the clinic. But in Big Town, everybody had a job, everybody who was able, that is. She could head there, maybe get back on her feet under less constrained conditions.

She nodded to herself, crushing her cigarette into an ash tray. Got up, and headed toward the church's refrigerator. Everything would be okay, she thought as she opened the fridge, grabbing some iguana meat. She could stay here the night perhaps, maybe say a few "hail Atoms" here and there. Otherwise, she'd be out of Megaton by the next day.

"Hey put that back!" the lady in the armless shirt with its dried blood exclaimed.

"Stop! Thief!" a man called aloud, getting up from across the room. He paced over quickly, and snatched the food from Taneesha's hand.

"But I thought--" she started.

But what was the use? They knew, somehow. She was not one of them. In the past, this wouldn't have mattered. The church's refrigerator had been communal during her previous Church of Atom stay. Obviously, this had changed. Not wishing to cause any more concern, she left the church's confines quickly.

----------------------------------------

Lucy West

Mac & Cheese breakfast

The Church of Atom

"Oh my guhd."



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macole
post Oct 18 2020, 09:50 PM
Post #55


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QUOTE(Renee @ Oct 18 2020, 10:21 AM) *

Lopov's hospital is dealing with a slew of new COVID cases, which is why he's been quiet this week. salute.gif

Sorry to hear that. Please, Lopov take all necessary precautions.


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Renee
post Oct 19 2020, 07:36 PM
Post #56


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He is okay. We've been messaging today and other than working 9 days in a row, he is okay. Tired, but okay. smile.gif

Let me know if there's a problem with my allusion in the second section of this week's story. I don't know if I crossed a line... maybe I should ask first? It's just that moment seemed so perfect, since they were both sitting in the same place.



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Acadian
post Oct 19 2020, 10:00 PM
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Hot mac & cheese sounds much better for breakfast than a bowl of sugar bombs.

’We shall see our release from the pain and hardship of this world, as we leap into Atom's glow...!"
- - Oh, where do I sign up for that?!? NOT! wacko.gif

Methinks we have a Stormcrow sighting!


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SubRosa
post Oct 19 2020, 11:12 PM
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Is Miss V's pasta moving too?

I think I recognize that blonde lady in the black and white armor! laugh.gif

Ha! The noodles were moving!

Given that they like to stand in radioactive water, I would imagine that the Children of Atom have a high turnover rate from radiation poisoning...

Oh no! Stop Criminal Scum!


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TheCheshireKhajiit
post Oct 20 2020, 01:38 AM
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Uh woo woo! Somebody’s in trouble! Good thing she’s rather fleet of foot!


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Renee
post Oct 25 2020, 04:27 AM
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Yes Acadian, Sugar Bombs sound disgusting! And yes, there was a Stormcrow sighting..

QUOTE

I think I recognize that blonde lady in the black and white armor!


Hee hee! I was so worried about this! biggrin.gif I'll ask next time, if there is a next time. I had real fun writing that part up. smile.gif

QUOTE

Uh woo woo! Somebody’s in trouble! Good thing she’s rather fleet of foot!


I hope so. We shall see....

--------------------------------

Last week! Taneesha Jones, also known as Miss Vicious, has settled into Megaton, but is having some trouble deciding whether to stay or not.

IPB Image

Megaton. Sunday, August 26, 2277

Two days passed, and life moved on. Taneesha Jones settled quietly into Megaton. The odder moments of her initial entrance into town became the latest topics of gossip for some. But overall, nothing much came of this.

The creep from the restroom three nights' prior did not make a reappearance. Taneesha listened for his voice all over town, which she knew she'd be able to identify. Whoever the creep was, he'd been keeping silent. Maybe he'd even left town.

Lucas Simms, the tall dude who'd startled her arrival, now generally left her alone. The man with the bat who'd killed Mister Burke (whose name was Cho, she learned) left town to do some investigating for Moira Brown, Megaton's main trader. Rumor was he'd originally come from nearby Vault 101; even the d.j. on the radio had mentioned something about this. Taneesha also met up with Lucy West a couple times. Apologized in person for leaving Lucy's pad so abruptly.

"Any time you need a place to crash," Lucy had said the previous day...

For reasons Taneesha herself did not fully understand, she declined Lucy's offer once again. Instead, she'd begun to stay at another Megaton establishment, a place simply called the Common House. Located on Megaton's top tier, kitty-corner to the Church of Atom, the Common House was just that, a place where any commoner (or settler, as they often called themselves) could stay. No religion required. But staying there had its own set of catches. Compared to Atom's church, the Common House was dimmer. Dirtier. Danker. It had less rules, and its fridge was communally packed with food offered from those who had more money. However, it was the sort of place for layabouts and vagabonds. The sort of place where you kept your things nearby at all times. Certain commoners had been living there for years, somehow. Taneesha did not wish to become one of them.

Otherwise, staying in the Common House wasn't so bad. Over the past two years, she'd willingly lived in places much worse. Her problems began as the stash she'd looted from those raiders in Fairfax finally ran out.

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8:32 pm


"Can't even afford some damn squirrel stick," a nearby settler mumbled, as Taneesha walked by on this fine summer evening.

"Hi there, miss," a young girl greeted.

Taneesha waved back. Smiled, even. Her third full day in town, and things weren't going so bad. A little dull perhaps, but safe, and tolerable.

She entered Megaton's bar, bought herself some rum. Twelve less caps in her purse. Money was getting tight. And, as she had intuited, there were no jobs available in Megaton. No paying jobs, anyway. Moira Brown was offering money to anybody who would help her with some sort of book she was writing, but to get compensated meant to go into some highly dangerous places, and come back out alive! Not a mission for somebody packing a dime store pistol, at best.

She sipped her rum, retching a bit at its awesome warmth. Reached into her pack, only to find she was out of chems. "Uhhh, geez. Say it ain't so" she moaned. Unfortuantely, it was so. She'd injected her last Psycho the previous day, and had used her last Jet inhaler some time in the night. She sat pensively a moment. Lit a cigarette. Megaton might be safe and tolerable; it was its 'dull' part could eventually become a problem.

"Lord, give me strength."

She prayed to herself a moment, but quickly knew this attempt was futile. Religion was not going to help, not without the full support of her former Witness group, most of whom were probably dead by now. She tried again. Nothing, from the Man upstairs. Her thoughts raced a bit, and her arms were suddenly itchy. This wasn't due to the clothes she'd now been wearing for four days straight. She twisted in her chair. Knew where she'd need to go next, if she was to avoid withdrawal.

"Lookin's free," said Nova, the bar's resident call girl, as Taneesha stood out of her chair, "but the rest will cost ya."

"As if," Taneesha answered with a smirk. "But good luck to you, girl." Stalked off into the night. Outside, it had begun to rain again.

----------------------------

9:33 pm

"STOP!" exclaimed the lady wearing the beige guard's uniform, as Taneesha exited Megaton's clinic. This lady, this guard or whatever, grabbed Taneesha's arm forcefully. "You have violated the law here in Megaton!"

"Say what?" Taneesha had noticed this guard lady several times by now, in days' past. Guard lady was someone new. She hadn't been in town two years ago. So who the hell was this lady? "I have violated the law? ... What law?"

"You have been caught committing a crime," guard lady ignored patiently, "and for this you must pay. Stealing, pickpockets, trespassing, assault and murder are all against the law nowadays, by order of Sherriff Simms."

Taneesha grimaced glumly, trying to think of an excuse, or something. But also thinking suddenly of 'Thou shalt not steal.' The seventh commandment, which she had just broken, plain as day. "Okay, you got me," she relented. Moments before, she'd been witnessed stealing some Psycho. Once inside of Megaton's Clinic, she'd looked around a bit, crouched down, and then tried to take an injector off a shelf, only to be seen by Doc Church, the clinic's physician. "So like ... what is this? What are you saying, here?"

She glanced momentarily around the plaza, embarrassed and confused. There were a few settlers moseying around, but nobody she knew well. Best of all, there was no Lucy West.

"You have but three choices now," guard lady informed. "Pay some caps, go to our fine jail, or resist arrest. I'd highly recommend not taking that final choice."

"Jail?" she asked incredulously. "Ain't no jail in Megaton."

"There is now. Are you saying you wish to go there?"

Taneesha thought about it a moment. Paying caps was not an option, not when she was down to her last two dozen or so. "Uh. I guess."

"I know you've done wrong," guard lady replied, her voice toning down. "It happens sometimes. Hopefully cooling your heels in our cell might set you straight." She sounded different now. Maybe even compassionate.

"So, what does this all mean?"

"You're off to jail. I hereby sentence you to the term of 24 hours, after which, you'll be conditionally allowed back into Megaton, assuming you keep your thieving hands to yourself."

"Oh my guhd."

Taneesha Jones was handcuffed, then led outside of Megaton's gigantic, creaking gates.

------------------------------------------

Common House

Psycho in Megaton Clinic

Arrest

Incarceration sad.gif

This post has been edited by Renee: Oct 25 2020, 01:45 PM


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