Coldshort's Company - Playground Options

[Dantrag]

Keara

"Alright then, Mongoose. See ya tomorrow," she said tiredly.

Keara noted that he'd left the remainder of his whiskey sitting on the bar. She helped herself to a hearty swig before heading up herself. It didn't sit well in her stomach. She needed sleep.

"C'mon, Lucky. Let's go."

She trudged up the stairs with Lucky in tow, dropped her rifle on the floor, and collapsed face down on the bed. The Regulators, Mongoose, Laura and the crew; they all faded from her mind as she passed into sleep.

[jack cloudy]

Marcellone, aheadskippin time (Also, the headquarters I found on the wiki was a tad small for my tastes, so I replaced it.)

Their journey back to base was mostly uneventful. Sure, the oldtimers stumbled a few times and there was the realization that the garbage bags needed some breathing holes, but mostly uneventful. Still, Marcellone couldn't supress a sigh of relief when he spotted the crumbling churchtower that marked their home. Built within the catacombs, the hideout had been dug out further and rebuilt over time to the point one could hardly recognize its original purpose. The regulators under his command were more vocal in their appreciation.
"I'll be glad to drop this stinker."
"I just want to close my eyes and kick back."
"Yo bill, wanna play the cards?"
"No way James, I still remember the last time you swindled me of all my caps, you cheating honoured user."
"I wasn-"
Marcellone let out another sigh. The raiders were almost more likeable than his own band, at least they knew when to shut up.
"Shut up everyone! Gah, take the men and women inside and have them processed by the prison warden. Don't take off their bags till they're safely behind bars. The Ghoul goes to the medical ward to be treated. As for their gear, Put it in a crate in the store room for now. We'll see what to do with all that stuff later."

Prisoners in tow, Marcellone's group moved to the entrance whose guards let them through after a swift nod from Marcellone. They knew the regulator and even drank with him at a quiet evening. As such, they were willing to skip the needless formalities and let him through without any hassle. Inside however, Marcellone almost tripped over the hooded ghoul waiting just beyond the entrance. Only the gleam of gold had alerted him to the thing's presence in the dark.

"Greetings, who are you....Prime Normals?" The Ghoul asked as he noticed the arrival. His question was not aimed at the regulators who he knew already, but at the prisoners.
"I'm Brian," The Ghoul added as he pulled back his hood.

"Hello Brian, I'm Jonathan Guntherson. A pleasure to make your aquaintance." The lanky man answered and bowed, still with a garbage bag covering his head. Marcellone shook his head. The guy seemed to have forgotten he was a prisoner.
"Can it. Get them to the cells already. Brian, you can visit them later if you have to. Alright, move it people! The sooner you get your jobs done, the sooner you can drink yourself into a stupor, get swindled at the cards or whatever you do in your spare time." He yelled at the men behind him and walked away.
"I'll have to report to Nichols." Marcellone muttered as he passed the Ghoul.

[Lord Revan]

Damon Wyeth

Damon rose from the ranger grave he'd dug last night. His sleep was never good after getting drunk, at least he never drank enough to suffer a hangover. The sun was still beneath the horizon, but time was a luxury in the Capital Wasteland.
He kneeled in the dirt, setting his inventory out in the morning darkness. Damon counted out 5x twenty-round magazines for his M16A2 (three were unloaded), 40x rounds of .357 Magnum, 3x road flares, and 5x smoke grenades. He made some notes in his Pipboy and packed everything back up.
As the sun rose, he began to look for a place to take shelter until Craterside would be open.

This post has been edited by Lord Revan: Aug 31 2011, 10:52 PM

[Dantrag]

Keara

Keara awoke much earlier than expected, due to the urge to throw up. She rose quickly and poured out her guts into the sink. There was no way it was from the whiskey, though it may have played a role. This was jet withdrawal, and she couldn't afford it now.

She rummaged through her belongings; she had a few caps that she'd scrounged from the warehouse the previous day, and she'd been to Megaton enough to know Leo Stahl. She gathered her things, left the saloon, and headed towards the Brass Lantern, with her aching legs complaining the entire way.

"Leo," she greeted when she finally arrived, seating herself on a stool, "Long time no see."

"You don't look so good," he replied, "I take it you need something from me."

She placed all her caps on the counter, "Yep."

Leo scooped up the caps, "Meet me outside the gates in an hour. I'll have it for you."

"I'll be there," she said, though Leo had already walked away. Her eyes were closed and she rubbed her temples in a futile attempt to quell her raging headache.

[grif11]

Raymond

"Greetings, who are you....Prime Normals?" came a voice from inside the building.
"I'm Brian".

After Jonathon said his reply, they were were moved further into the building. Raymond heard the voices of others, whether regulators or prisoners, he couldn't tell.

You'll be separated, but after your "Talks" with our interrogator, you'll be shifted around." Their captor told them. "Now, lets get those bags off your heads."

[CMX]

Chris 'Mongoose'

It was early morning. The room looked exactly as I rented it last night; plain, and untouched. The chair I fell asleep on was about the only thing really adjusted for me, as my ruck was right by the chair, ready to move out. With a flip of the wrist, i unveiled my pipboy, as I checked the time.

"Oh...." I yawned "Its almost time to meet with the girl and her dog." He exclaimed. Adjusting my trusty m14, I never kept my rifle anywhere but slung around my neck and sling. I adjusted my gear, quickly and quietly breaking down my weapon while slung on me. I had a knack for being able to lube, clean, and ready my weapons for immediate use. Slapping the bolt back in place, I lubed the chamber.

Taking count of all my magazines, I made sure that each one was stocked up to 20 rounds. 'One....Two....' I counted in my head. Checking my Ka-Bar, and pistol, I placed the ruck on my back, and stepped off.

I was downstairs, as I passed the ghoul that was the bartender. Adjusting my face mask, and shades, I gave him a nod, as I rolled two hefty nuggets of gold across to him. "What the...." he mumbled, as I exited the saloon.

"Now" I said, looking into the light breeze of dirt and cool air "Where....Did that girl and her dog go?"

[Dantrag]

Keara

Keara walked back towards Moriarty's; she had an hour to kill, after all. She found Mongoose standing outside, looking ready to go.

"Morning," she said, doing her best to sound cheery despite how awful she felt, "We're leaving in about an hour, if you're still in."

[CMX]

Chris 'Mongoose'

My whole body was in another world. The mask usually dispensed a nerve agent into my nostrils and lungs, helping me operate off the more animalistic senses. Adjusting the mask, then my shades; I was caught off guard as the girl flanked my peripherals.

I snapped to her with my whole body. With my rifle at the ready; I canted it to the side, I slapped the bolt forward and set it's safety to semi.

I could feel my self calming down. My attention brought me back to earth. A passive nod, and I came to her. That nostalgic feeling of being lost, being young. The girl was not much younger than i, but the chem use showed, as I smiled from under my mask, giving the young lady a nod.

OOC- ^.^ I just did 10 pushups with my 2 nieces and my lil nephew.

This post has been edited by CMX: Aug 27 2011, 11:18 PM

[Lord Revan]

Damon Wyeth

The owner of Craterside Supply was nice enough, but Damon felt uneasy spending a minute longer than he had to in her store. He had 20 caps left, but plenty of 5.56mm and rations to last awhile. As he shut the door, Damon noticed the girl from last night with the masked man.

Both looked ready for expedition. Damon was about to call out to them when the masked man brought his rifle to bear on the girl. Instinctively, he drew the schofield and about to loaf of bread it before the man relaxed and aimed his rifle away. "The hell's wrong with you?" He shouted, advancing on them, schofield still at half loaf of bread. "Didn't anybody teach you not to play with rifles?"

OOC: I hate auto-censor. "half loaf of bread", really?

This post has been edited by Lord Revan: Aug 29 2011, 02:13 AM

[Dantrag]

OOC: haha, it took me a while to even figure out what it was you were actually trying to say.

Keara

She was wide-eyed, unexpectedly staring down the barrel of Mongoose's rifle. Her hand was on her pistol, but she knew that if Mongoose wanted to fire, she'd be dead before she could even get it off her hip. The moment was over as soon as it began, as Mongoose smiled and nodded.

"What the-" she tried to yell at him before she was cut off. The one-eyed man was on them, revolver at the ready. He seemed to be shouting at Mongoose for her.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa," she said, holding her hands out to keep space between the two men, "Relax, everybody."

She still wasn't sure of Mongoose's intentions, or the one-eyed man's for that matter, but at least the newcomer appeared to be on her side. Nonetheless, once the situation calmed enough, she pushed Mongoose in the chest with both hands.

"What the hell was that?"

This post has been edited by Dantrag: Aug 29 2011, 04:30 AM

[CMX]

Chris 'Mongoose'

The nerve agent was usually regulated through my pip-boy. Raising my now relaxed hand, I tried to show them the reasoning behind my sudden reflexes. I could never really talk right under my mask, as I kept my talking to a minimum to conserve my own energy.

Slowly, I tapped at my left hand with the right, showing them my pip-boy's screen saying; 'Wireless access. Sedative set@ 25% dispersion every 5 hrs. Speech will be impaired for first 15min of medication'

Adjusting my rifle, I flicked the m-14 to safe. I combed my dusty hair back, eying out the girl and her new companion.

[Lord Revan]

Damon Wyeth

He eyed the man's pip-boy. Sedative for what? Damon wondered, turning the schofield's cylinder until the hammer rested on an empty chamber. Holstering the sidearm, he looked to the girl. "I miss anything exciting?"

[Dantrag]

Keara

Keara couldn't believe her luck. The one-eyed man showed up again, just as they were about to leave, and she had one last chance to recruit another pair of hands.

"Actually, you did," she said, "You missed my job offer. You wouldn't be interested in some work would you?"

She hoped he would come along; the little incident with Mongoose made her a bit more wary of him than she had been before, and the newcomer seemed a bit more stable. What could she do though? She'd only known Mongoose for a few hours, and she was too desperate for help to turn anyone down.

I'll let them come along because I have no choice, but I can't let my guard down. There's a lot of scum in the wastes, waiting to take advantage.

The thought crossed her mind that she might be included in that scum, but it didn't matter; the survival of her and her friends did.

This post has been edited by Dantrag: Aug 30 2011, 10:59 PM

[Lord Revan]

Damon Wyeth

"What did you have in mind?" He asked. I may be short on caps and need to get the hell out of dodge, but I'm not desperate... not yet anyway.

Damon's natural eye studied the girl. She looked strung out. Looks more like a favor than job offer.

[Dantrag]

Keara

"It won't be easy, if that's what you mean. My crew was captured by some other mercs," Keara began, feeding him the same story she'd given Mongoose the night before, "I escaped, so it's up to me to get 'em out and I can't do it alone."

Somehow it didn't seem like she was offering much incentive, so she decided to bluff.

"As far as caps go, we have a stash hidden somewhere. It's the payment for our last two jobs, except what we had to use for supplies. The only problem is that my boss is the only one who knows where it is. She dies, we stay broke. We rescue her, we all get a cut. If you're in, meet me outside the gate in about an hour."

She eyed both the newcomer and Mongoose in turn, "I don't have a lot of time. I'll be leaving with or without you, got it?"

For now, she hoped the promise of caps would do the trick. For later, she knew that the story wouldn't hold forever. Eventually they would figure out that the 'other mercs' were Regulators, and that there was no stash. She decided to cross that bridge when she came to it.

I'm doing all I can, Laura. I only hope it's enough.

[CMX]

Chris 'Mongoose'

It was awkward standing between these two converse. I decided to step back.

"So, yeah." drew from my mouth. I was suited, loaded, and ready to perform a 3 man operation.

"This...operation." I hissed of the built in mic, "It isnt some run of the mill job; Is it, missy?"

I felt calm. Relaxed, but still worried about the newcomer and lil ol' Keara. Lowering my rifle down, I gave them a hard stare.

[Dantrag]

Keara

"It won't be easy, if that's what you mean," she replied, "I never meant to act like it was. I have to go back to where I last saw them, track them for God knows how long, get on with the rescue, and most importantly, get out alive."

"If we can pull it off, though, I promise my crew will make it worth your while."

She didn't like lying to them, but there was no other option. Keara learned a long time ago that favors were few and far between in the wasteland, she had to have something to offer them, imaginary or not. A year ago, she'd have no qualms about stringing men around on promises of non-existent caps; in fact, she'd done much worse. But here and now she felt...guilty?

Gotta be the withdrawal. I can't afford to go soft just yet. They'll figure it out sooner or later anyway. I'll just have to do my best to make it later.

[CMX]

Chris 'Mongoose'

Wearing shades provided a good amount of protection from the elements, as well as being able to help me read people. A gust of wind blew by us, as I examined Keara. She seemed in discomfort to me, maybe even wanting or needing.

"What is the plan then?" I said. "What can you tell us about the situation?"

She left me always wondering about her. Young and lost, was what she seemed to me. Prepare for the worst, hope for the best is what i say.

[Ahrenil]

((OOC:Sorry about that absence ladies and gents. Lifes fairly back to normal until I move in a weeks time so i'm gonna make the most of it))

Laura shook her hair loose as the bag was removed from her dead, ridding herself of at least part of the dirt and grime of the past day. The regulators were already relaxing, apart from their commander, which meant wherever they were the men felt secure. This probably meant they were deep in regulator territory, which didn't bode well for any escape attempts.

"You could have at least cleaned out the bags first" She complained, as she looked around at the rest of her company. The walk had been a quiet one, but they all seemed to be fine, apart from Alexei but that was to be expected. If he had died they would have dumped him on the journey so it was likely he was gonna pull through.

"Nice place you have here, could use a bit more lighting and a bit less ruin, and maybe some cushions!" Laura declared, failing to keep the sarcasm out of her voice. "I'm sure we'll all be treated fairly won't we. Because it would do awfully poorly if the news of any mistreatment at the hands of regulators got out. Especially with your wonderfully saintly repute."

[jack cloudy]

OOC: No problem

Jonathan Guntherson

The first thing he did upon being relieved from his unwanted head-cover and the equally unwanted cuffs, was to fill his lungs till they felt as if they were about to burst. He was no claustrophobic but walking over uneven ground all day with a filthy garbagebag over his head was definitely unpleasant. All he'd been able to see during the journey was vague shadows and the glare of the sun piercing the plastic.
"I wonder if everyone else is alright. I don't think anyone got left behind, the regulators would have said anything first. But still." He thought and just as he was about to open his mouth, he heard Laura's voice coming from off to his right. At least she was alright and going by her words, in high spirits. Turning his head, Jonathan saw her, trying to brush the dirt and grim from her hair. Beside her stood Raymond, also in one piece. The only one he didn't see was Alexei, but he'd overheard the order to take the ghoul somewhere else.

Jonathan looked around. His eyes were already used to the dark, but he still couldn't see too much. Wherever they were, the only light came from a pair of lamps mounted on the wall. The walls were a mixture of old cracked stone patched up with newer wood, but the floor was simply packed dirt. There were no windows as far as he could see. In all likelihood, they were beneath the ground in an ancient cellar.
"Nah, too big to be a cellar. Multiple rooms and corridors, alcoves in the walls. Don't know what this place used to be, but it definately isn't a cellar or storm shelter."

An unarmed regulator was invading Laura's space. He was unarmed but everything in his attitude screamed "I'm in charge here". Jonathan rolled his eyes.
"Ah right, the posturing begins. Can I be placed in a cell already?" He mumbled, shaking his head. Someone forcibly removed his coat and another pair of hands were fumbling with the clasp of his toolbelt. The two regulators didn't speak a word, but simply tossed the two items in one of the alcoves.
"Are you going to take my boots and underpants as well? It's damned cold and wet in here you know!" The mechanic complained. The two nameless regulators grinned.
"You can keep those, for now. We don't want you lot to get too uncomfortable here. That might make the interrogation 'less effective'. Besides, no one wants to see your wrinkly boat." One said and both laughed.
"Right...that's subtle guys, very subtle." Again Jonathan shook his head.

"So no tools, no guns and no labcoat. At least I still got my glasses and..." Jonathan bit down on his tongue to keep from grinning himself. In one of his arguably less sane and more drunken moments, he had inserted a variety of objects into the soles of his boots. From paperclips to the head of a small screwdriver, his footwear had become a tiny and rather limited toolbelt themselves. He had regretted it in the past but had never replaced his boots since. Now he was glad he'd done it. He had the feeling they wanted to keep their stay here as short as possible.
"Though I have no idea what any of my stuff would be useful for. I'll just have to hope a situation presents itself where I can make myself useful."

OOC: I don't know if you guys want Laura and co to have an active role in the breakout themselves, so I deus ex machina'd some tools just in case.