A Clean Face IV
Louise awoke with a bit of a start again, but it was far more subdued than yesterdays napping. Her eyes snapped open and she quickly sat up in the bed, but her breaths weren't nearly as rapid as they had been before and she wasn't in a cold sweat. Just a regular old bad dream then. She could handle that.
She sighed. It was something at least. A good night's sleep since she actually got here helped. She stayed in that position a few moments longer before pulling her legs over the side of the bed, grunting in pain, and placing her head in her hands, her messy and greasing hair irritatingly falling over her shoulders. Her sunburns still ached, though it had dulled slightly. Not so much for her leg muscles. A day and a half of walking and running so much were making their effects known with the painful stiffness she had in her lower body. Wonderful.
And she only just now realized that she hadn't bathed in two days and that her hygiene was taking a hit. It probably already was before, but now with her senses no longer dulled by sleep, she realized how dirty she felt, her sweat and other bodily oils mixing into as if it was an uncomfortable cloth wrapped around her body. But she knew better than to ask for a bath. Desert and water equaled rationing of said water. She may not have been an outdoors girl, but that was just common knowledge.
She stayed on the edge of her bed, the first day of her starting work in this new world staring at her. Despite the necessity of the day, she still felt an old habit nagging at her. A bad habit. A lazy, sitting in bed habit. It wasn't until Mitchell came by that the urge to simply stay in bed faded.
"Ah good, you're up already. Here I thought you'd be sleeping in, but you're almost an hour early. Trudy doesn't open until eight o clock."
She was early? That was new.
Looking at him Louise sighed. "That's better than how I usually am. It used to be I was nearly late waking up every morning." Even during the most critical parts of school, Louise De la Valliere was never a morning person, and she usually found herself sleeping in. It was only her study ethic that prevented from being late more often than she was.
"Heh, people who have that are few and far between these days. Even city folk aren't known for being all that heavy sleepers." Mitchell said.
Not even cities warranted true peace at mind? Wonderful.
"Well in any case, you've got some time before Trudy opens up the Saloon for business. You should probably get something to eat. Just a few minutes up and I can already hear your stomach growling."
Another growl followed that statement to accentuate his point. Louise felt her blush light up the room.
Another smile was on the doctors face, his white mustache only just now grabbing Louise's attention. And only now did she truly notice how many wrinkles his face held. He truly did seem far older than she remembered.
"Come on, I don't think you want your reputation ruined by your own stomach being a nuisance. There's some food that Sunny brought up not too long ago. And don't worry. Consider it on the house." he said as he walked back to the kitchen.
Louise, battling still aching sunburns and stiffness got up with as much grace as she could manage. Which was about a horse with two lame legs, and some raw skin.
She walked through the house and once again, now that her mind was free of sleep deprivation, she began taking in a lot more details that had slipped her mind earlier and sent home just how odd this world was.
It was in a state of disrepair, similar to that building she took shelter in her first night here. Paint was peeling, cracks in the walls, a general sense of old age and decrepit was in full effect. The house seemed stable at least, but it made her think more about this world.
Why were they like this? Come to think of it, she had heard words like 'Old World' and 'Wasteland' thrown around. With her newly cleared mind, the implications of those words were far clearer and far more terrifying to consider. What happened here? What made everything like… this?
Well, fortunately, discussing this world in more depth would be a good thing to do. Granted, that would likely make her look far more odd than she already did, but that wasn't going to be a problem for much longer if she could help it.
Following the doctor down the hallways to another room, he limped over to another strange looking container like thing with a handle on it. Pulling it open Mitchell reached inside and pulled out a plate with what looked like some meat. The aroma, though slightly bitter, was enough to get her eager, her stomach rumbling again for her to start eating.
"Here. Some Gecko steak. Freshly cooked by Sunny. That dead bug is starting to attract scavengers, but at least were getting something good out of it. But before that…" He placed the meat on his table and right next to it was a bottle of an unknown liquid.
"This is Rad-X. This medicine will help increase your body's ability to resist radiation. I figured with that new job requiring you to be near people, it wouldn't hurt to have some extra protection. Not to mention protecting you while you eat some food. It should raise you rad resistance to just below that of an average Wastelander. For the time being at least. You'll still be absorbing rads, but at a much slower rate."
Louise stared at the drug vial in the doctor's hand. Really? That was all it took?
"If it's that effective, then why didn't you use that earlier?"
He sighed, and Louise suddenly felt a lecture coming, as if from a teacher.
.. she missed that.
"Because I don't have a lot of it. Louise, the most our town has ever had to deal with is the gecko and coyote bites, and the occasional radscorpion wandering into town. None of us ever venture into radiation hot zones. If I used this when you weren't going to be exceptionally vulnerable it would be a waste. You're going to have to be in close proximity around other people and we've already established why that's going to be a problem for you. Not to mention having enough to protect yourself while you eat and process food. I made a call to save this for when, for all intents and purposes, you will be going into a hot zone. The bar yesterday was fairly empty, but mornings are usually far busier. Traders usually come and go in that time to avoid the heat, and trade while they can and set off before the hotter hours of the day. And it is fairly expensive."
Oh. Of course it was. That was the whole reason of her getting a job after all.
"I can give you a small dose that should last for your entire shift. At least the morning part. Don't forget, we also got an evening shift to worry about."
Nodding, Louise silent held out her arm and let the doctor approach.
He dabbed the spot he was to prick with a cloth smelling of whisky and with just a little prick, the needle was In her arm and the substance injected straight into her vain.
Pulling the needle away, Mitchell smiled at her. "There. All done. Now how about getting some food in ya?"
Louise didn't need to be told twice. With barely restrained urge to grab the steak and simply stuffing the entire meat into her mouth, she picked up the fork and knife beside her and began carving the steak up into pieces. It was tougher than she was used to, the meat taking some effort to cut, of a gecko apparently and she only just realized what that bit of information entailed, IE larger than she was used to geckos. Nevertheless, she was able to get a piece more appropriate for her.
As soon as it made contact with her mouth, there were tears nearly sprung from her eyes, and her mouth began salivating a river. The smoked flavor was permeating her very being! Soon, she discarded the utensils and used her bare hands to hold the meat while she chewed with a strength she didn't know she possessed.
Mitchell meanwhile had a smile on his face and leaned back in his chair as he watch the girl eat with enthusiasm. She didn't really care how she appeared at the moment, she wanted food now!
"Not one for gecko meat myself. More of a coyote lover. Though I must admit, Gecko eyes are quite the delicacy. Too bad Sunny and Trudy like to eat them all..."
On any other occasion hearing that would have caused the girl to gag, but as it stood, her hunger was such that she kept eating. She had only heard the phrase 'hunger is food's best condiment' once before, but Founder above, it was in full effect.
It took a surprisingly short amount of time for the girl to finish the meat and looking quite surprised herself when she did. Her hunger was at least satisfied. But when she looked for seconds, she found her plate and barely used utensils being picked up away from her. Already the lingering smokey flavor and smell were making her stomach demand more.
"Sorry, but that's all for now. One more thing we gotta make sure is letting your body adjust to the all of the contaminates of the wasteland. Only one meal in the morning and one in the evening. Else there's a good chance your digestive system, and waste system could get an infection. Or possibly your kidney's giving out from the extra stress from filtering out the pollutants." Mitchell explained.
Louise looked wide eyed at the statement. Oh founder more medical problems? Next she would be hearing that simply breathing could be a problem.
"I didn't enjoy it when it happened to me, but it's-"
"Necessary. Right. I understand." She said, closing her eyes.
"Good." Mitchell said as he carried the plate over to the counter and began cleaning them off with some water.
As he did, Louise wondered how she should go about this. revealing her magic, and origins. She already decided that Mitchell was her best person to start with. Out of all the people in this town he seemed to trust her the most. And, well, he was the one who had the most authority on her medical state, something she sorely lacked. She still wasn't sure what everyone's reaction to her magic would be. Back home, everyone respected magic. It was a sign of being blessed by the Founder and with it, a innate duty to protect people.
But here? People were already on edge with her without magic. If it became common knowledge that this pink haired interloper could cause explosions at will, she could find herself in very hot water.
But she had to. Her magic brought her here and it was the only way she could see herself getting back home. She had to do it, and it had to be on her terms. Taking a breath she took her first steps toward it. She opened her eyes.
"Listen… Doctor Mitchell… I wanted to thank you." She began getting the man's attention.
"I know it must be very strange taking in some such as me, but I appreciate what you, and the town, are doing for me. I truly do."
He was looking at her for her to continue, so she did.
"I know I am strange and I feel as if I owe you some honesty about that subject but…" She sighed. "It is a complicated affair. But before we get to that I feel I should thank you… sincerely."
"You don't have to-"He began, but Louise cut him off.
"No I do. I may not know much about… well this 'wasteland' ,but I can understand the fact that taking in someone like this, especially with recent events, must be difficult and I want you to know I appreciate it."
"Well… you're welcome. I do admit, your rad resistance has been itching at my curiosity."
"About that. As I said, it is complicated. But after I finish my first shift today, I can tell you. I promise."
"Well alright. I appreciate that as well."
"I will." She said with certainty. She just hoped that when she did, it went as smoothly as it could. She was optimistic, Mitchell seemed reasonable, but there was always a chance that he could turn on her. She had not forgotten how he reacted when she told him of the NCR. Maybe she could do more with getting to know him.
In the interest of building more of a rapport between them Louise asked about the elderly doctor. It also served as an effective way to pass time.
Mitchell, seeing as he would get his own answers about her began to tell her what he knew.
...
"You were kicked out of your own home!?" Louise asked with genuine shock. Mitchell had told her the tale of him growing up in an apparently underground complex in a city called New Vegas. The city's overseer, Mr. House ,having apparently been responsible for taking his home away. Given recent events, it wasn't hard for the Valliere girl to sympathize with the doctor.
The doctor nodded, a twinge of sadness here and there, but for the most part the doctor merely told it without much fanfare. "Yeah, nothing we could do. I myself was one of the few who wasn't a gambler, but that's how we settled things for so long I didn't see the harm. But luck was against us and House was quick to enact the terms. The entire lower section he filled with concrete and turned the upper parts into a hotel, after stripping out the computer systems. Some took it hard, and that was before the medical issues set in for most of them. Others were unhappy, but accepted it as it was. House was nice enough to let a girl who had lived there run the hotel, so there's that. I hear she's doing well for herself too. Lot of people wanting that innate security a Vault has."
Louise was on the edge of her seat, and this wasn't even a story with any action it. Just the things Mitchell had explained to her. Heck, even the base concept itself was amazing. An entire village like complex beneath the ground, enough to house over a thousand people! Granted, mages could eventually work their way to that themselves, but Louise was trying to picture how it would look with their style. From just what little she had seen of those odd objects on the Saloon and that… thing rolling around outside she imagined a boxy, utilitarian nature. Ugly, but still, she wouldn't mind seeing one for curiosity's sake.
There was another thing Mitchell had brought up, and the reason the Vaults were built in the first place. War. He didn't delve too deep into it, just calling 'The Great War' but it was enough. A war waged with weapons powerful enough to turn the world into 'The Wasteland' she had seen firsthand. One giant desert contaminated by radee ashon. Though maybe it was just the locale.
The Mojave seemed to fare unusually well, its city mostly unaffected by the war and its aftermath which was odd to her. House had it fortified and resided in a building called The Lucky 38 the tallest building naturally. A ruler had to have a throne in any world it seemed.
Mitchell explained that these Vaults were created by the Old World's governments in preparation for a war such as the one that had occurred, but it seemed that Mitchell had come across others in his journeys in the wasteland and they had not fared nearly as well. Some were overrun with creatures, others seemed to fail internally.
Only one other seemed to survive in the wasteland and they turned into a xenophobic isolationist group with powerful weapons and called themselves The Boomers. Cannons it sounded like. Really powerful cannons. What had he called them? Howeetzers? Mitchell had even said that in his final days of traveling, he had found a Vault with a sign outside warning others to stay way with the words 'The Plants Kill' being the only warning. All in all, Vaults were something that seemed to attract doom and if not that, something bad seems to happen because of them.
Louise shuddered at just what lay in that Vault and hoped it never crawled out. But still, the way Mitchell described the Vault he lived in was certainly intriguing. An underground city where people. It was her natural curiosity really. Even if it wasn't magic, she wanted to know about it.
For the moment though, she was more concerned on the doctors unfortunate eviction.
"How could he do that?" She asked shaking her head in contempt.
"Well, the Securitrons pointing their weapons at us helped." Mitchell snarked. "House has a problem with groups of people that cause trouble. Or could cause trouble. Or just ones that he feels like they need to if they have something he wants. That last one was use more than anything. He stripped the Vault of it's primary computer systems. Guess even he needs raw materials to work with sometimes."
Louise nearly gagged at the mention of those things, but it also caused her to pause and consider his words.
"Wait, one of those things? You mean like Victor? Isn't that a bit odd?"
He nodded. "It IS odd. Securitrons are the main method of peacekeeping House uses in Vegas. No other facility in the wasteland, as far as anyone can tell, has them. New Vegas is the only place you'll see them in large numbers."
Louise frowned. She didn't like the sound of that. She was already wary of that thing before but now, even as inexperienced as she admittedly was in the political field, it sounded like Victor really did have some ulterior motive. This House person did not sound like someone she wanted to cross. A king of the region she would do well to avoid angering. One more reason to stay here really.
"Why are you not more concerned about this? Why are you not worrying about that thing turning on you?"
"Because why would he? Goodsprings is an out of the way backwater even by wasteland standards. The only thing we got going for us is the uncontaminated natural spring just south of town. And even then, what could we do? If House really wanted to, he could send just a few more and wipe our town out. I do have my suspicions about Victor, but he hasn't done anything to us and we want to keep it that way. Throwing the first punch won't do anything useful."
That was… a really good point. She didn't even want to think about how many more of these things were waiting in this city of Vegas. Enough to keep the peace it sounded like. An army of golems against simple commoners with pitchforks and knives was an apt comparison. And these things likely had some form of advanced muskets hidden away somewhere. She had to be on guard around that thing.
"What about this House person. What is he like?"
"No one knows. No one's seen hide for hair of him since New Vegas was formed. His base, the Lucky 38, has been sealed for as long as anyone can remember. His Securitrons are his intermediaries."
Mitchell looked tot he window, seeing the sun becoming brighter. "But, I think that's all we have time for. It's almost eight o' clock. But before you go, let's go over how to use your Pip Boy. Didn't think you'd remember anything if I explained it to you yesterday."
She looked down at the thing on her wrist, completely forgotten to her, which as odd considering how much it weighed.
"Now, these buttons…"
...
Mitchell was right to hold off on the explanation until today. This Pip Boy on her arm was simple enough to operate, but Louise would not have had to mental faculties to remember everything.
Really the thing that gave her the most trouble was the 'screen'. That cursed shimmering eyesore. She didn't know what it was up with it, but looking at the screen with its unnatural light hurt her eyes somewhat and she had no idea why. It wasn't a major issue and it more an irritant than anything else, but still, even this thing wasn't immune from giving her problems.
Well, just another thing for her to put up with it seemed. She was pressing buttons and turning knobs on the thing, practicing how it operated as she walked towards the Saloon.
The main worry was her radee ashon levels which was under 'stats'. A few buttons presses and knobs twists and she was able to view whatever manner of things this object provided. Most of the other things, like this thing somehow knowing what she held, and several other features, wasn't much use to her at the moment.
She had to admit, for people with no magic, this was truly astounding. A device that could monitor the body's condition, reporting on any injuries or general maladies that could go unnoticed by the user. In her case radee ashion.
With a final button press she came to said screen, the amber outline of a stylized man with a smile on his face. She wish she could share that enthusiasm, even if it was a bit condescending to her.
Scanning the information she eyed the part most relevant to her at the moment. Her radee ashon levels. The tiny 'click click clik' of the thing on her arm was irritating when she brought it up, but it did confirm she was absorbing the invisible poison. Though Mitchell said, without and extra source like a piece form a bug, it was going up far slower than it was before. Still a problem, but what could she do?
Earn money for medicine came to mind. She practiced the motions a few more times, periodically bringing her head up to see where she was going.
However as she was about to enter the Saloon, a sudden voice caught her off guard.
"Howdy little lady."
She jumped, that phrase instantly making her think of that accursed machine, her heads rapidly turning to the voice.
An older wrinkled man, was sitting in a chair next to the door, an a mused smile on his face as he watched Louise jump . His skin color was similar, but this man had a bright white bushy beard with a some noticeable speckles of dirt here and there. His wrinkled face spoke of years under the sun, and the movement even in his old age spoke of dealing with threats should they arrive.
"Hello." She said, trying to save face.
He chuckled and tipped his hat, a gesture Louise actually found herself recognizing. "Morning young lady."
Well, this was unexpected. A person with curtsy.
However, his face was coming back to her. Wait a minute… it finally clicked."It was you who threw those odd explosives at the monster yesterday wasn't it? I never got around to thanking you for that." best to try and make a good impression, she remembered.
"Ah, I'm only responsible for throwing the dynamite at it. The real hero is inside, just fixing to set out." He said simply.
"Regardless….thank you." She said bowing slightly.
Nodding silently was his only response. With one last curious glance towards the old man she opened the door and stepped inside.
At the very least the sun wasn't as bright as it was yesterday and it wasn't as bad as going into a darker building. Still ad to wait for her eyes to adjust though.
"You sure you're feeling good enough to travel?" A female voice said.
Blinking a few times, Louise focused her attention forward, where the voices where coming from.
"Yes. I haven't had a dizzy spell since yesterday, all of my limbs are functioning. I see no reason to linger around here."
'Well as long as you-" The blonde woman stopped talking as soon as she saw Louise. The man lazily turned to her, suggesting he was already aware of her as she walked inside.
"Oh there she is. Louise right? I'm Sunny Smiles." The woman introduced. Her blonde hair was in a loose bun, strands of hair sticking out the back and her face still had a fair amount of dirt on it. The woman herself gave a vibe of a woman who spent her days mostly outside and cared little for how she looked. The dog by her side helped her outdoors girl impression.
"Ah, hello." She greeted, here eyes moving over to the man and taking in his appearance.
He was tall. At least six feet. His skin was dark, dark as the older man outside, but his face didn't have the amount of wrinkles as the previous man, though she definitely could see some, and more on the way, but some youth seemed to stubbornly hold on. His head was mostly shaved, except for an odd choice of hairstyle that Louise had never seen before. It was a strip of hair right down the middle of his head. Then again, in a desert environment, it made sense to keep one's hair as short as possible. He had a mustache under his nose and a scruffy beard on the bottom of his chin. His dark brown eyes almost caught her attention, where it not for the miscolored flesh on the side of his head. It was a knob that gave a painful feeling in her own head just by looking at it. And this man survived it? She was starting to wish she hadn't noticed it at all…
She must have been staring at it, because the man mentioned it. "Is my brain leaking out?"
That imagery was not needed. "W-what? No!"
"Are you sure?" He asked, rubbing his wound for emphasis. Louise was never one for wounds, really who was, but seeing him picking and prodding it was too much for her. It brought up some unpleasant memories for her, and she found herself gagging soon.
"Oh Founder stop!" She exclaimed, bringing a hand to her mouth.
He brought his hand away revealing it to be fine. She knew that dammit, they were misunderstanding her displeasure! Regardless, both adults present began laughing. Well, the woman did. The man was chuckling mostly, and he had a bright visible smile on his face.
"That was kinda low." She said, in between giggles.
"Maybe. Still funny though." He said grinning.
"Oh definitely." She said with a smirk, her dog barking in agreement.
"No, That wasn't funny!" The mage exclaimed, nearly stomping her foot in protest.
"Two against kid" A bark sounded off. "Sorry, three against one. It was funny."
She was still fuming, but she had enough sense to bottle it up when she noticed the other patrons at the tables giving her a look. She remembered that she needed to build a rapport here. She exhaled deeply through her nose in an attempt to calm herself down.
"Well, on that entertaining note, I'll be taking my leave now." The man said.
"You're heading to Primm right?"
"Well yes. They must have another job opening by now. They won't like to hear what had happened but-" Sunny cut in, a surprised expression on her face.
"Wait… you're not gonna chase down the man who shot and robbed you? The hell were you carrying, spit soaked dirt?"
"No. The package was certainly a loss, but it was my first one in quite some time. My pride is wounded just as bad as my head to be honest. This was hardly the first package that got bushwhacked in the wasteland, and I never made letting ambushes make a habit of robbing me. Only one other time in my ten years working for the Mojave Express did I get robbed. And that turned out to be a bomb anyway. The one who took it had just enough time to figure that out roughly the same time I did, judging by the look on his head when it landed next to me. That lead to some interesting things down the road."
"Wait seriously?" Sunny asked incredulously. Louise had to admit, as morbid as it sounded, that truly was an intriguing sounding tale.
"Yes. But I digress. The point is, my track record is good enough that I won't be docked too harshly for this. Probably have to take up some extra jobs to make up for it, nothing I can't handle." He said.
"Well good. Hate to have Doc put all that effort into saving ya, only to be shot again by your employers."
"Rest assured, from here to Hub, I have a reputation as a trustworthy courier. Might have to regain some of that, but, ah well. Such is life in the wasteland." He said shrugging.
He paused, seemingly in thought. "Then again… the price was good money. I might still set out after it. I'll see how my opportunities play out." He said.
"Well good luck. And thanks again for driving off those Powder Gangers. And watch out for their friends. They got to be getting desperate for supplies from what I hear from traders so keep an eye out."
The man nodded silently. He grabbed a nearby backpack off the table and he began walking towards her, his belongings jangling somewhat. Looking closer at his pack, she realized there were some traps she had seen before strapped to the side. A trap with sharp metal jaws. She had seen those before... and their effects. On animals only, but the dried blood on them looking brighter than old blood was. Mitchell did say he had a brutal way of dispatching some of those Gangers. She was suddenly glad she wasn't around for that.
His destination was the door. He wasn't paying any attention to her at all.
Despite that prank earlier, Louise still felt she should express her gratitude. He was the man who had come running in to her rescue after all. When he was right next to her she spoke up. "And thank you… for saving me." She said.
The man stopped. He looked at her for a few seconds. He nodded, and then proceeded out the door, it closing behind him with a thud.
Only pausing for the briefest of seconds Louise turned back to the interior. The woman, Sunny, along with her canine companion, were watching her.
"So, you're Trudy's new busgirl huh? You really came out of the middle of nowhere just to do that?"
"Well, I need money for Radaway, and I don't feel like I'm ready to go back out into the wild just yet." She stated.
"Yeah, Mitchell told me about that. Said you needed some help with learning how to shoot too. Well if you want, I could show you how to handle some guns in my spare time."
"Really? Well… I would like to, but I am not blind to the costs of doing so. Surely bullets cost money... and I think I might need a lot of practice." She said.
"Well if you're planning on sticking around like you said, just pay me back when you can. Coyotes and Geckos are pretty damn plentiful around here, so a few hunting trips should make up the difference pretty quickly."
That sounded doable. Not pleasant, but she knew she would have to get used to such things quickly.
'Anyway, we can talk business later. Gotta get to work getting that bug cleared outta town's range. Still trying to find all the pieces from the explosions that got scattered about. Come one Chyenne!" She called out, the dog by her side suddenly up and trotting after her.
With that business taken care of Louise walked to Trudy's bar. Walking around the corner, Louise came into the bar area of the saloon. It was mostly deserted, save for one person seemingly slumped over asleep. Behind the counter stood the woman, her black hair looking still a bit bedraggled. Her clothes seemed... nicer. At least, it seemed it may have once been of high quality, but now she could see the patchwork keeping it together. The woman herself seemed more kempt, but she still had a feel of 'dirty'. Louise didn't judge too harshly though. She knew she was well on her way to that state herself.
She turned to face Louise once she saw her approaching.
"Ah good morning Louise. Gotta admit, I had some doubts if you'd show up today. Though you might be too sore and tied from yesterday. You don't really strike as a girl who's in to wandering."
She sighed. "You're not wrong about that. Yesterday was... an off day for me, let's say. I need to get started as soon as possible. This poison isn't going to wait for me, and I can't wait around."
A smile appeared on the woman's face as she said those words. it wasn't a mocking one however. It was one of respect. "Well good. I like that attitude. If you pull your weight around here you should no trouble fitting in."
Nodding at her first official job she set off to work.
...
It was a few minutes before people started coming in, about half an hour, but not long after the first one entered the saloon, quite a few more entered. Various men and women began walking in, dust, well, dusting the floor with... dust. Picked up from their long walks here copious amounts of dirt and sand was soon was on the floor.
Quite a lot of people for a supposedly backwater town. But then, she had heard that some of the normal trading routes we're being blocked off and traders were forced to find business where they could, which was good for the town. And for her. Sadly, the smell of various dirty people in an enclosed space was not a pleasant one. She dare say, she would rather spend time in stables. Sweat from exertion, and more than a few passing of gas, from men and women, from a bunch of rough looking people with weapons strapped to them was the dominate atmosphere for the pink haired girl as she worked. Smelly, she could say, was a gross understatement.
Her legs were protesting all the while, but she persisted. But Founder above they protested oh so very hard. There were a few times she had to grab something to keep herself from falling over, but she succeeded every time, so there was that. She was glad she had foregone her cape for work. It most certainly would have gotten tangled in the mess of people here.
Louise had mainly been responsible for bringing out drinks and food to patrons and washing dishes. She just wished people would stop gawking and gossiping about her hair the first few minutes they laid eyes on her. It was rather irritating feeling eyes on her, but thankfully it never lasted long. Soon they always returned to tales of their own goings on's and general business. She tried her best to be friendly, and she did at least manage a few smiles here and there despite herself.
The one odd thing was though that she was often handed extra caps from a lot of the males. Females sometimes too, but males were the dominate ones. She wasn't experienced whatsoever in this field, but she knew that usually mean that one thing. Being handed things for free. She had Zerbest to thank for that lesson.
Did they… find her attractive? Bah, how could she think that? She had no breasts, no behind, no height. Out of the kindness of their own heart? Maybe, but they were traders, merchandise and money was their ultimate goal in life and they would pursue that without falter. Besides, her skin was hardly in it's prime at the moment.
She shook heard at the thoughts. Whatever the reason, she was making a fair amount of money just from these extra handouts alone. She chose to go along with it.
For the moment everybody seemed to be satisfied. Everyone had food and drink at the moment, and the building was filled with the chatter of the all the people in it, supplemented by that odd game of 'pool' she had discovered, the clacks of impacting balls irritating her even through the rabble. She managed to take the glowing box that had people's voices in it better than she thought she should have. Better as in she only stared at it for about two whole minutes rather than running outside screaming her head off. This world must already be starting to rub off on her.
Regardless, she set to work. There was a tub of water and some surprisingly clean looking pieces of cloth. She began wiping them down, doing her best to get them clean. At least this allowed her to rest her legs, so she jumped on this whenever she could. Founder, it felt like they might fall off. Considering the pain they were giving her, Louise considered encouraging them. Regardless, she wiped down dished and glasses, and soon enough there was a pile ready to be used again.
Her work was interrupted when Trudy, who had been preparing the food, and talking with traders to find out what was going on in the wasteland, walked behind the counter with her and spoke. "You're doing a great job kid. I mean it. You've been on top of every order, every pick up, cleaning dishes, and you've provided some entertaining conversation. People really like talking about your hair. They keep bringing it up whenever I talk to them."
Louise nodded in appreciation, but blushed slightly at the mention of her hair again. Why did she have to get sent to a world with such a limited color pallette in regards to hair?
"And I see you've been making some extra caps on the side. Lotta tips from the young men huh? Well that'll help. Should have expected this in hindsight. Pretty girl like you, people can't help but be a bit more loose with their money."
That caused the girl to fumble her dishes she held, thankfully none of them broke at least, and turned towards Trudy.
"W-what?"
She raised a confused eyebrow. "What do you mean 'What'? Good looking girl like you, with exotic hair and accent to boot, I think we might just more people coming here just to check you out once the traders start telling stories. Both ways apply to that statement." Trudy said smirking.
Louise, for her part, had another layer of red coming under her skin.
"M-me? Good looking? Surely you jest!" She wasn't good looking by anyone's standards, least of all herself. She was plain, average, flat chested… sunburned...
The older woman gave her a look that oozed disbelief. "… you serious? Kid, I don't where you came from, but by Mojave standards, you're a damn beauty queen, even with the sunburns. And that skirt and long socks combo ain't doing that any harm. A little trashy for my taste, but hey, it works. that's what matters. Though I think you're supposed to bend over just a bit more to get the most out of it." She said grinning.
Louise's face was nearly the color rivaling that of her sunburns, and Trudy's smile now that the implications had sunk in was like a second sun.
"This is a uniform!" She tried to explain. She didn't want people thinking she was like that!
"Well no shit." It didn't turn out well.
"No! That's not what I, ugh, Please can we drop this?" She pleaded, desperately trying to get back at the dishes. How could people think that this school uniform was immodest? It was very modest! Only that damn Zerbest could corrupt it! She stole a glance at her cap bag.
...But she was getting a lot of money... Oh Founder, was she sending out signals? Did all those traders really think she was a w-
"She ain't lying." Said a voice, a smile audible despite it being invisible.
"Gah!" She jumped in place. Sunny had walked uo to the bar, a bottle of a drink in hand. She was leaning against the bar , and she had a smirk on her face.
"Just saying, from an objectively aesthetic viewpoint, you're a babe." She said winking. Founder above, she needed to stop blushing.
An indignant huff was her visible response. Well, Louise would be lying to herself if she didn't enjoy the compliments, or the extra money, on some level... but she just wasn't that type of person.
"Or maybe it's just Trudy trying to keep you around. You really do negate the natural eyesore around here." She said winking towards Trudy.
"Oh shut up you little desert rat." Trudy said, tossing a rag at Sunny. It bounced harmlessly off her.
Sipping her drink in amusement, and Louise trying furiously to hide her face in her hands.
Taking another sip, her expression became slightly more serious. "Still, you still get some looks around here Trudy. Wasn't that Irish badboy, Lorcan, chatting you up more than anyone else around here?"
At the mention of the man's name Louise stopped what she was doing. She turned to face Sunny.
"Lorcan Teauge?"
She raised an eyebrow."Yeah. You know him?"
Louise nodded. "Well… yes. I ran into him on my way here."
"All the way out there in the Wastes? What the hell was that man doing?"
... Should she? She wasn't sure if she should. Telling them her encounter might cause problems. But if they found out she was hiding that from them, that could be worse. She decided to risk it. "He and his cohorts were battling a group called the NCR."
Sunny winced. "Oh damn. Should have known. Lorcan was hardly one to hide how he feels about them. You didn't get involved did you?"She asked her eyes narrowing slightly.
Louise shook her head in the negative."No. The most I did was be present when he executed the last person alive."
At that both women grimaced, Trudy in particular looking a bit pained. "Did he? Well… shit. I don't know if it's right to judge him though, as bad as it sounds. I really don't think the time he spent around the NCR did him any favors."
"That can only justify so much Trudes. Sooner or later, you have to take responsibility for your own actions." Sunny countered.
"I know I know. But you know the NCR has its share of problems. Problems that tend to blow up into even more problems and then they send people away and hoping things turn out well." Trduy said rolling her eyes.
"Do you think the NCR could come here?" Louise asked. Both woman looked at each other, uncertainty on both of their faces.
"Well, it's hard to say. I'm assuming Lorcan wandered off in another direction to not implicate Goodpsrings?"
She nodded.
"Good. They still might notice your tracks though. But, the NCR is mostly benevolent. There's good people in there, a lot of them actually, but nobody denies they got a pushy streak. And they've been mighty incompetent as of late."
"Oh? How so?" She asked. They were her main worry at the moment, so it was in her best interest to find out as much as she could.
Trudy began explaining. "Well for one thing they're spread too thin across the Mojave, that's how I see it at least. They got all these outposts watching everything, but they barely have enough manpower to keep themselves safe, let alone do much of anything for the rest of us. The roads around here have been clearer because of them, but even that is starting to go away. Becoming infested with critters again. I even heard stories from traders, just in today, that a bunch of them went rogue not too long ago. Got their hands on some serious Pre War tech too. A working vehicle, with a mounted gun to boot. Heading towards the Mojave, and they've done jack all to track them down." Trudy explained shaking her head in frustration. Louise shared that sentiment.
Vehicle? Did she mean carriage? No, she had to think in their world's terms, but nothing really came for her to compare it to. Regardless, she knew what mounted gun meant. A dangerous amount of firepower. That was mobile. Was the NCR really that incompetent? What? Why would they do that? I thought the NCR had an interest in keeping people safe." Louise asked.
"They do, but like like I said, they've been stretching themselves to the point where they can't even keep complete tabs on some basic needs. That's how the Powder Gangers came into existence. They used to be prisoners the NCR had locked up, re purposed into demolition workers and construction crews. But I hear they kept pulling guards away from the prison where they were at. The prisoners sensed the weakness, they took over, and now they got a solid base in that prison, along with all that dynamite. Fortunately our courier friend scared them off. Though to be honest…. "
She looked thoughtful for a moment at the mention of the man, and Louise waited for he to speak. But she shook the thought on her mind away. "Nevermind. He killed a group that came into town looking for trouble. Barely even needed us for anything. Hopefully, they'll see Goodsprings as more trouble than it's worth to sack. But we'll still keep an eye out."
Louise still felt her head ringing from the stupidity. The NCR let criminals run amok in the countryside, and let a gang steal what she presumed to be some kind of war machine. She was starting to see where Lorcan was coming from when he ranted about them earlier. These people didn't seem fit for ruling.
"And we don't need anyone else dragging us into problems." Same a sudden voice, causing all the females to turn to the source.
A man in dirtied overalls, with a black mustache, greasy slicked back and dirtied hair was sitting at the bar. He appeared to be a simple farmer.
He was eyeing the pink haired Louise with disdain. "Ringo caused us enough problems. We don't need somebody else's."
Louise held the gaze and heard Trudy sigh. "Kenny, she's hardly being hounded by killers." Trudy said.
"But she ain't normal. Her hair, her medical needs, her eyes. Am I really the only one who noticed they were pink? You can see the damn things a mile away!"
At the mention of the iris color both Trudy and Sunny. Their eyes widened when they realized that, yes, she had pink iris.
"We already took two in, and that led to a fight. That Courier... we got lucky. That was only after his fight. Every time we take someone in, trouble follows."
Sunny scoffed. "Kenny, those Gangers were coming either way, like the bunch of hardheaded and hothead fools they were. They know now that we won't be an easy target for them. And with all these traders and their guns around these days, I really don't think we have to worry about them. The town is hardly overcrowded and she's pulling her weight so far. I an't gonna be the one who throws her out for paranoia." Suunny said, Louise turning her head to her in shock. She was... honestly touched that the woman she had barely spoken to was standing up for her like this.
The man shrugged finishing off his beverage, and leaving the caps on the counter. "Well, when we're knee deep in the dead over this girl, don't say I didn't warn ya. And I an't the only one who thinks that way." He said Turing and walking out the door to his left.
Louise was wringing her hands. She had nearly forgotten that, when it came to Goodsprings, she still had a ways to go before she was completely accepted yet.
"Louise, don't worry about it. Me and Sunny ain't Kenny in case you didn't notice. You work for me, and unless I say otherwise, you're staying right here. Just keep doing what you're doing, and people will come around."
Louise bringing her head to face the woman offered a small smile.
"Thank you."
"Don't mention it. Just sit down for a few more minutes, and enjoy the rest of your-" She was cut off when the door opened, the ball atop jingling as it did. In walked a man with a grey bushy beard, wearing what appeared to be a similar sun protection hat around here. He was a bit fatter than most people here she noted, though that could be due to his older age. Louise could already tell something was wrong. The man seemed... dazed. As if he was having trouble focusing on things.
"Can I have everyone's attention please?" He called out, the entire congregation of people giving him their attention.
"The road north out of Goodsprings has been infested with Cazadores."
The noise level in the room raised at the mention of these Cazadores , the various people looking at their partners in concern.
He continued on, though nobody urged him to. In fact, considering what followed, she wished he hadn't."They came flying down so fast. We barely raised our guns. Dave... they stung him He screamed... so loud. Dragged him off... had to use all of my grenades just to..." The man just seemed to be rambling at this point, staring through the entire room full of people. Some began turning away awkwardly, others giving the man a sympathetic look.
"Oh hell… fucking bugs" Sunny breathed out. Louise didn't blame her. This was severely uncomfortable. But that odd choice of word didn't match up completely with the story. it sounded like bugs attacked. But that word. That word was hanging her up.
Hunters? There must have been something she was missing here. Simple bandits? But that didn't account why the people around her suddenly looked nervous. There had to be something she was missing.
The man who made the announcement wasn't standing any longer. He had walked to a unoccupied chair and sat down, his legs almost creaking with the chair with how weary he looked.
Out of her job obligations, but also out of curiosity, if she was going to be staying here it was best to know what threats she might have to worry about, she walked over to the man and spoke to him.
"Can I get you anything sir?"
He didn't hear her at first, just staring ahead. When her words reached him however, he jumped a little, his eyes locking on her. They seemed to stare at something behind her before focusing on her again and then he spoke.
"… full bottle of whisky. All of it."
Nodding, but not having a good feeling about it she went back , got his drink, and delivered it. He paid what was due, and soon he was throwing the bottle back. As Louise walked back, Trudy was watching with sympathy.
"I don't blame him. I've only seen the aftermath of Cazador attacks and I never ever want to relive that. And those were the ones were they recovered the bodies intact and not desecrated."
That didn't sound good. She was probably going to regret asking this question, but she had to. If they came here she wanted to be prepared.
"What exactly are these Cazadores?" Are they bandits? Why else would one use hunter as a way to describe something. It sounded vaguely Gallian. Maybe it was a translator issue.
And she just realized that she somehow knew their language. But what Sunny said, overshadowed that revelation by a wide margin in her books.
"Cazadores are giant wasps. Giant blackish, blue wasps with orange wings. You'd do best to avoid them Louise. Before they mutated, they were tarantula hawk wasps. Much smaller, but Mitchell says their sting was the second highest on the insect pain scale rating. Again, when they were smaller. Can you imagine what that must be now that they're size of a damn car?" Well she didn't have a reference for the word car, but she was still nervous regardless. Those giant scorpions provided her with all the scale she needed.
Trudy spoke up. "You really don't want to see the victims faces…" Trudy said, becoming slightly glassy eyed herself.
Louise said nothing. She turned back to the man. Louise felt herself shudder. These people were far more experienced with the wasteland and all it had to offer, and they still got worked over by it. She had envisioned the people here to be brave and used to it, but seeing that man men, his eyes... it reminded her that even these people, tough as they were, were just as vulnerable. The now quiet general area gave her sense of dread. The once active atmosphere of the saloon, now seemed just as dead as the victim of those bugs.
Sunny however had gained an even more worried expression. "Damn. If they're this close to town, I better haul ass and get the rest of that scorpion out of here. We really don't want to attract those things into town. Catch you later Trudes!" She called out as she jogged out of the room, her dog following her and tossing some caps on the table just before.
"Damn. We may have fought off the danger, but it's still out there." Trudy said biting her lip. There was a look of intense uncertainty, the woman looking like she was thinking about something.
"What is it?" Louise asked
Her gaze snapped to Louise.
"Hm. Oh... just worried for a friend of mine. Hearing about the area getting dangerous again these days, and now with hose Cazadores... I'm just nervous about her that's all." She paused. "Look, I know this will sound strange, but If you see a woman with a weird red headpiece on, could you come get me? She's a really close friend and with all that's been going on around here... I'm just worried alright? Just keep an eye out for her and if you see her, tell me right away. I'll pay you fifty caps extra if you spot her first."
Well, it wasn't any of her business to pry into that further, and the extra pay was incentive enough. Louise nodded, causing the dark haired woman to smile.
"Thanks. I'm probably worrying about nothing. I know's she's capable, but still. I'd just like to know."
As she walked off Louise got back to her own work.
...
The rest of her shift was not too long. After the travelers got their full of drink and food, they began to set off. Some in groups of two, some larger, but always in groups. They gathered their packs, and their two headed cattle, which Louise actually found to be a tamer thing than it should be. But it seemed friendly and wasn't a bug so it's case was helped immensely.
She checked her Pip Boy, the screen flickering to life as she checked her radee ashon levels. As expected it had gone up, but by a far less amount than she had feared. That Rad-X had done its job then at least, she wasn't in danger of dying by it's invisible grasp… yet.
She did make good money as well. A hundred and five caps in a single shift! And all because of her 'good looks'. Despite her pride as a Valliere, she honestly doubted that. She just wasn't by any standards, least of all her own. Her mother and sisters had the claim to that... and she forcefully pushed those thoughts aside. She didn't need to feel that for another couple of hours.
But nevertheless, it was time to return to doc Mitchell. She still had business to deal with after all. She had asked Trudy for a break. She had said yes, but only if she was back before the next round of people were due. She needed to sweep the inside of all the dust that had gathered from everybody. A fair deal. The ranchers would see to the various droppings left by the Brahmin and Louise had absolutely no objection to that.
Opening the door to his house she found him sitting on a chair, reading a book. He looked up at her, setting it down.
"Afternoon Louse. How was your first day hauling drinks around?"
She shrugged. "As well as it can be. I made quite a lot more than I anticipated. Mostly in tips believe it or not."
"Really?"
"Everyone keeps saying that... I'm attractive apparently." She said, fumbling her words at admitting that. It felt weird to be discussing this again.
He chuckled. "Cause it's true. Wastelanders were never picky, but here comes along a nearly immaculate beauty, and a hairdo you only find in the city? Louise, you learn to play your cards right, and you really might not have to worry about medicine for a good while. Normally I'm one for preserving one's decency, But I ain't blind to your needs. You just might need this edge. You don't have to sleep with them, god no, but you should practice some... 'feminine persuasion'. Lord knows my wife got us out of a lot of trouble with that." He said chuckling.
Louise found herself blushing again. This subject matter was not her favorite one. And she was hardly an expert in it regardless.
At least she had something to move on to. 'Maybe… but that is beside the point. I want to keep my word and explain some things about myself."
The mirth was gone int he doctors eyes."You sure you want to? It's you business after all."
"Yes. I don't think I would be able to keep it a complete secret anyway."
She closed her eyes, and took a breath, clasping her hands in nervousness. Of Founder here it goes.
She opened her eyes. "I'm from another world."
It sounded just as awkward and inane saying it as It did bouncing around her head. She felt herself grimace when her words reached her ears.
When they reached his, Mitchell's eyes widened, though by far less than she thought they would. The words still seemed to be causing some trouble though."Ah… hm… that's… well..."
She sighed. "Absurd? Impossible? Ridiculous? Believe me, I know. I know for a fact it's true, and even I'm having trouble accepting this."
Mitchell said nothing. Mitchell was silent for a good while, leaning back in his chair. Only his breathing and eyes blinking provided any indication he was still alive.
Finally he leaned forward. "Well, it WOULD explain some things about you. And I really doubt you would tell such a far fetched lie in the first place. But you said you also have some more proof. If you can provide that, I think I could buy what you're telling me."
"Of course. But not here. It's… something I'm not sure I want to reveal to everybody. I don't know how well everyone would take it just yet, and I don't want to scare anybody. You see..."
...
Louise and Mitchell were walking away from the town. He had suggested they head into coyote territory a bit east of it. It wasn't that dangerous, and when Louise told him what was to happen when she showed him her 'specialty' he had entailed. Mainly a crater.
He was at least taking what she had told him so far well enough. That she had magic and from another world. If she were being told that, she didn't know if she could accept it. A part of her still wanted to not accept it.
But the sky didn't lie.
It had taken her some time to actually look up at the odd sky. This world only had one moon, a white one, compared to her home's blue and red twin moons. Maybe it was out of some deep desire to try and find something to deny the reality of the situation. But seeing the sky told her all she needed to know. She truly was on another world.
She sighed in grief. She wanted to go back so much. Well, that was why she out here with Mitchell. To try and get started on that.
They had walked for about five minutes. They had just gone behind some rocks a fair ways away from the town, but Louise was sure they could still at least hear them if they made any loud enough noises. That was also why Mitchell had elected to bring along two grenades. If anyone asked, Mitchell was sure he could come up with something.
The elderly doctor looked as if he had walked far longer than he did, and looking at his limping form, Louise couldn't help but feel a pang of guilt. She didn't like doing this, but it had to be done. Though she considered that her legs screaming for walking in rough terrain again to be fair karma for it. Oh Founder...
The doctor sighed, wiping his sweat covered forehead. "Alright. Now, I hope you didn't make me walk all the way out here for nothing. Let's see what you got."
She nodded, eager to get back out of the sunlight as soon as possible as her burns were flaring again.
She raised her wand, and pointed it in front of her facing away from the town. She took a breath an chanted her spell.
"Fireball!" As the spell quickly formed and condensed on the tip of her wand, she felt a sudden sense of warmth encompass her being. Her Pip Boy suddenly started making an odd noise, an... odd sounding counter or whatnot, and by the Founder her head! it felt as though she had just been punched! Even the spell was different.
It seemed to be suffering the same effect as her first attempt at the summoning spell here. It was going through rapid color shifts, from red, to blue, to green, and to purple, even sometimes a brilliant rainbow. And all of that happened during the two seconds it had been building up on her wand.
Whatever the oddities were they did not detract from the results. In fact, she dare say it increased it. The explosion was loud as it impacted the ground, causing it to shake slightly,and sending dirt and rocks flying. She had aimed farther away to prevent that, but some sizable chunks landed dangerously close to them, Mitchell even having to step back to avoid a smoking rock falling from the air. Mitchell had seen her magic firsthand. The old doctor, having a genuine surprised look on his face eyed the crater she made.
He didn't say anything at first, simply continuing his observation of the freshly cooked earth, a little bit of steam rising from the crater and pieces that had flown away. He just continued staring. Until he started to turn back to her."Well, you got me convinced completely now. Only other option is you being some sort of mutant, but even then, your rad sensitivity is only held by people not adapted to the wasteland. And… hey you alright?" He only just now noticed that the girl had taken a knee.
She was breathing like she had just finished jogging."I'm… fine. Really." She said in between breaths. It was more the shock of that head pain than anything else.
She waited until it was back to normal before she spoke. She stood back up, a perplexed expression on her face.
"But that's been happening to my magic since I first tried my attempt to get back home. It feels… off. Like something is corrupting it. Interfering with it."
He put a hand to his chin in contemplation. "You did hear that Pip Boy go off right? Might wanna check your rad level. I think that might have something to do with it."
That clicking... Oh no.
Sure enough, going to her status screen, her rad level had shot up. Not by a large margin, or even that dangerous, but it suddenly gave her a very bad feeling. That was from using her magic.
"But that means…" She trailed off, already knowing where this dreadful train of though t was leading.
"Using your... 'magic' gives you radiation." Mitchell summarized, a thoughtful hand on his chin.
"Magic is about using the elements. If everything is contaminated, that might explain how it gets combined with the spell. Or maybe ... maybe my willpower has been corrupted by the contamination...' She tried theorizing the how's and why's of this odd magical phenomenon, but in this state she couldn't do much if it. The one painful fact she had just learned was making sure of that.
"Oh Founder. I can't even practice the spell that brought me here without poisoning myself! How am I supposed to get back my world now!?" She cried out in anger and melancholy.
"Now Louise just calm down. I know this situation just got a lot less ideal, but it isn't hopeless. You still got a job, you still got a place to live, you still have a means to get your medicine. We just have to-" Mitchell had tried looking on the bright side of things.
That was until a sudden voice rang out.
"My oh my. That was quite a light show. And what's this about you being from something other than the good ol'e us US of A?"
The electric tinged voice made her snap around, already dreading who, or rather, what it was. Mitchell voiced her thoughts for her. Standing a little ways away was the blue abomination itself, it's stylized shimmering face smiling back at them
"Victor! What are you doing here!?" Louise turned her head towards the doctor at his harsh tone. She was surprised that he could actually sound angry when he wanted and not just look angry. But she wasn't that far off from feeling that way herself.
The abomination 'spoke'. "Just out for a stroll. Heard something go boom over yonder, and I may have been guilty of hearing some personal information about the misses here. Truly sorry about that little lady."
It rattled off in that cheery tone again, but Louise just felt like someone had frozen her midsection with an ice spell. This thing had seen her... THIS THING HAD SEEN HER! Fear coursed through her.
It soon began melting away, being replaced with a sort of anger she hadn't felt in a while. "What!? You little, this is just, gah!" Those words were spoken, and that description used lightly, as the pink haired girl devolved in an angrish language lost to time.
The thing managed an imitation of holding it's arms up in a placating fashion. "Now hold your horses and cool your heels little miss, I ain't gonna go blabbing to everyone in town, I promise. I understand this is something you wanted to keep between you and the doc. Well, ole Vic ain't gonna tell anybody in town!"
She didn't believe him. This monstrosity... she didn't trust nearly as far as it pieces could fly when she blew it up. It followed them out here, and now it was going to spread her secret! She very nearly raised her wand in a pure fit of rage when Mitchell roughly grabbed her shoulder, holding it.
"Louise, do you remember what we talked about this morning?" Mitchell said, giving her a stern look. A look one would give a parent scolding a child.
She... did unfortunately. Any action against this thing would definitely garner some sort of response from that House fellow. But that didn't change the fact that this thing knew about her. If it did manage to get back to House, then she was worried about his response regardless.
She bit her lip in anger. Why did this have to happen? Why couldn't things just go as planned? Dammit...
Sadly, she was forced to take a chance on something that might happen versus something that would happen. "If anyone else finds out about me before I'm ready to tell them, I will turn you into scrap heap myself." She said glaring into the thing's fake face.
"Fair trade by my book little miss. Liars deserve to be strung up by their feet, no matter flesh or metal. You got my word." The thing replied without a care in the world.
Only pausing for a few seconds the machine eventually turned around and began rolling back into town, Louise having the urge to blast that thing into pieces.
She was still reluctant about it, but she knew that she would just have to hold that thing to it's word. If she acted too rashly, then she without a doubt would doom herself.
But, if it came right down to it, a little more radee ashon would be worth it to get rid of that grating tone it had.
...
Not long after Victor left, both Mitchell and Louise walked back, along the way discussing some things. Mostly her just telling him some details about her home. Not the whole history of Halkegenia or even just Tristain, but just general information. It felt good, to finally tell someone just something about herself. Her true self. And it was quite something to explain the magical system to.. well a commoner. That and though he hadn't said much about it, she could tell he was just as rattled by Victor knowing about her as she was.
They had entered his house and walked into the living room. "So back in your home there was an entire group of people that could use… ah 'magic', but you couldn't?" He asked sitting down. The walk wasn't too long, but the older man looked winded. She could relate. Going over that terrain had made her legs wish they could stab her. She was sure of it.
She averted here eyes briefly. "Yes. I was Louise the Zero. The magicless girl." She bitterly said.
"You call slinging explosions without a grenade launcher magicless? That's more than anyone can do here."
She shook her head. "There is more to magic than just combat. Transmutation, base spells for all elements such as making candles that one can control at will, levitating heavy objects. And I couldn't do any of it."
"Well, you launched yourself into a new world little missy. You still like calling yourself a failure?"
She gave him a flat look. "Yes. The summoning rite was supposed to bring me an animal companion. Instead I end up on a world where I'm slowly dying due to an invisible poison because I'm more vulnerable to it. How exactly is this not a catastrophic failure?"
Mitchell had to admit, she had a fair point.
She closed her eyes. "And my family is probably worried sick about me. But it's my middle sister, Cattleya I'm most worried for. She was ill, and she must be taking this hard. I'm worried with all the stress she's probably going to have with me gone that her condition will get worse. I just… oh Founder why did this have to happen!?" The tears were already building at the first thought of her older sister, they burst completely again by thinking about her suffering.
"Yeah… she probably is. Which is why you need to stay calm and work with what you got."
"But-"
"Louise, do you remember what I told you this morning? How I was forced from my home?" He told her getting her attention at least. She nodded, tears still dripping.
"I went through similar. People I knew and cared about started getting sick. House didn't offer much in the way of help, only helping some find jobs at bare minimum.I'll admit, I was pretty overwhelmed at the time. I did what I could. I helped work out plans and even deal with the locals too help them get the medicine they needed." He sighed, his memories flashing in his eyes.
"I can't tell you how many times I wanted to break down. When I saw people begin to vomit. Some losing their hair, their skin. Some so far as their minds. But… I stayed the course. Had to deal with every new malady that came up. It took a good long while tending to all their needs, and mine, but I managed."
"My point is Louise, people are counting on you. Your family is counting on you getting back. It's not going to be easy, but it's something that has to be done. Now just take a deep breath, and put things into perspective. Are you really that much worse off?"
The speech and the intensity of the older mans gaze made her tears stop.
She calmed herself, and took a breath. She thought about her situation in detail, her mind categorizing over facts as if she were in school again.
"… I suppose the only thing that has changed is the time it will take. My magic is my only way home, but it also increases my radee ashion levels. It's still possible. It's just going to take much longer."
She paused, her shoulders sagging.
"…That isn't a more pleasant reality you know…"
"No one has ever said that reality is a pleasant mistress. Well, other than the people thoroughly detached from it. What you just said is the harsh truth of matter Louise. It's gonna take longer. A lot longer. But it's still possible, and still achievable. That is what you have to focus on."
She didn't say anything and only continued to stare at him.
"Now come on. We can have another meal to calm ourselves down in full and talk about the fine details. And what to do if House comes snooping around here." He got up and began walking towards the kitchen.
She stayed in her seat for a few moments longer, the events of the day rattling in her head. The revelations and recent speech being the most prominent.
She brought her head up, a determination in her eyes, got up and followed Mitchell into the kitchen.
...
Who would have thought just having a normal job was on the table when going to a new world?
Now, correct me if I'm wrong, but I think the summoning ritual automatically grants a person the ability to understand foreign languages. I think so. I've heard that thrown around a lot.
Well it seems everything working out well for our little Zero right now. But how long will this peace last? Who knows now that a certain somebody found out about Louise's magic.
