Forsaken: Chapter I - The Long Road Home

[Suraru]

Wtf antenna girl? Yup, I'm drunk. Not only are girls cute again, but I'm seeing freaking metal come out of their skulls! Time to restock on food and buy a bed so I can keep traveling tomorrow.
I, ignore the antenna girl, then look around for a general store. Assuming I find one, I spend the rest of my cash on some cheap food, probably enough for 5 days assuming the prices are right. After that, regardless of what I got, I go to look for general home, or maybe an alley, any place to sleep really.

[napsii]

I think everyone's looking at my metal parts... Cae thought.

It couldn't be helped, really. The first living things she'd encountered after she woke up from decades of stasis were a nest of mutated songbirds whose songs made them spit acid uncontrollably. It was then, as she was trying to avoid being reduced to scrap metal, that she realized that the humans of this age might take differently to a machine than a normal girl. So, vainly, she had tried a number of ways to conceal them, but one look in the mirror would break it. They were just too visible, and couldn't be removed. So she just dealt with it, and stapled on a stiff black band stretching across her head from one antennae to the other. It was crude, but almost every human mistook it for an eccentric headset. The android continued down the street, narrowly skirting those she passed. Those that weren't lecherous, drunk idiots were nervous humans who shared a like-minded glance with her as they walked by.

She adjusted her bag strap. Yeah, it definitely couldn't be helped. Criminals were a dime a dozen out here, and none of them would see anything more than a small girl ripe for the picking. Yet somehow, it was better than being singled out as an android. The presence of the Collectors placed her in a bad enough situation (because, to be honest, she didn't entirely trust them given their obsession with Pre-War tech), but she didn't want to attract lunatic scavengers trying to break her apart for her radically advanced components, or mercenaries trying to capture her so she could be reprogrammed into a servant. Androids were rare, and androids of her caliber were extremely rare. Reasons to come after her were a penny a... thousand? Million? She tried not to think about that scary possibility as she followed the neon signs toward the motel she'd spotted earlier. Not a very clever name, but in decent shape.

I can't wait to just lay down. she thought as she stepped up to the front door, pulling it open and stepping inside. Actually, Cae was never tired, but she was always consciously aware of her power levels. When she went into stasis -- sleep, essentially -- she could recharge. Until then, she might start feeling stiff and less acute as the flow of power retreated into more vital components, dulling her extremities. And right now, she felt like a walking brick.

She looked around the interior, wanting to check in so she could hit the hay ASAP.

[That_One_Guy]

Garian had looked back for a split second at the station when he saw Julia scrambling back up to the lookout. Raising an eyebrow, he started back, quietly and stealthily, towards the back of the station to see what she was doing, suffering from both Curiosity and Paranoia, he wanted to know what she was doing and why she had left her post for even the briefest of seconds.

[daxtinator396]

Dax blushed brightly as he realized what was happening. This was happening! The air around them is practically a maelstrom of emotions as they both realised how close to each other they were. Instead of backing away though he stayed and he was rewarded as Terri leaned in and missed him gently and he held it for the longest five seconds of his life until slowly it was broken and life began to flow on as normal. He blushed brightly and didn't really know what to do from there. He was by no means used to such emotions and now they were all around him and he was confused,overjoyed and scared. What did this mean for them? He swallowed nervously and said,"Well um... do you want me to leave... or should I.. um stay?" He blushes and looks away as he says this, too nervous to look in her beautiful eyes.

[Grape Me]

Millie

Spoiler (click to show/hide):

You sit back down by the dumpster picking up your can of beans. The sun is long gone, and the night sky is as dark and empty as ever. You start eating again. The beans are colder and more stale then they were previously, the interruption from Julia is probably the reason why. It's a decent meal compared to what most people eat out here.

You hear Julia walk over to the back side of the roof where you were. "Woah woah woah, friendly friendly." She's clearly talking to another person. You look over in the direction where she was talking to, seeing man looking over at you holding a Pistol. Not this again... can't I just eat a meal in peace?

Suraru

Spoiler (click to show/hide):

Walking out the general goods store you spent the rest of what you had of value on food. This should be enough to last 4 to 5 days. You take a look around, trying to look for a place to stay the night. Knowing that you just bought all these food supplies, it may be hard to afford a room at a motel. You see a run down shanty that you could probably stay at least tonight. Better then nothing or sleeping on the streets.

As you move along a young and attractive prostitute approaches. She softly runs her fingers along your right arm and smiles at you. "Hey there handsome. You look a little lost." She was surprisingly good looking, better then most women in her line of work. She had long red hair, light skin, great curves , and about c-cup breasts. She had a revolver holstered on her left thigh, obviously for protection. She wasn't as young as most of the girls who work on the street or night clubs, probably in her mid-20s. "My name's Scarlet, and who might you be?" she asks in an alluring voice.

appearance of Scarlet:

Garian Jorell

Spoiler (click to show/hide):

Turning the corner to the back of the station, stealthy and carefully, you see a stranger sitting by the dumpster. It looks like they're eating out of a can. What a stranger? Any activity going on was supposed to be reported to the people in the gas station.

While observing the stranger you see a shotgun laying next to them close by. The cloths the stranger is wearing conceal most of their appearance but you can tell they're not democrat.

Julia finds you over by the side of the building peaking, noticing you clinch your Pistol defensively. "Woah woah woah, friendly friendly." Julia moves over to your side of the building and the stranger looks up seeing you. So much for stealth. What was going on here?

Cae

Spoiler (click to show/hide):

Entering the motel you see a counter with a younger gentleman sitting behind it. He was slouching in a chair asleep. Brown hair, top of his shirt was unbuttoned casually, jeans, tan/slightly burnt skin. A sawed-off shotgun lay in his lap.

Looking around the motel you could tell it was poorly made, but better then most places. The walls had a lime green wallpaper, where in a few places, was peeling off. A single oil painting on the right side of the room was hanging on the wall. The details were of trees and magnificent foliage, it reminds you of the time before the war, when the earth was still covered with the beauty of nature. In the back of the lobby there was a staircase that led to the upper floors.

You make your way over to the front desk.

Dax Sierra

Spoiler (click to show/hide):

The sweet taste of her lips still lay upon yours. She blushed a little deeper and looked down nervously and then back up at you. "I...would..." she didn't know what to say.

"Would-would you like to stay with me the night Dax?" She nervously looked down, worried of how you would respond. Emotions were running wild through both Terri and Dax, it was... romantic.

Claire Jones

Spoiler (click to show/hide):

Mr. Winter thinks for a moment before responding. "Well I know Riko might be able to help you on this one, I considered hiring him for the job as well. Just remember, if you want him to help, you will be splitting the reward 45-45 (10% of reward goes to Mr. Winter).

"If you were to go this alone I would recommend infiltrating, possibly from the sewer system that runs bellow. Maybe not the cleanest way to travel, but sneaking right in shouldn't be a problem. You could try getting captured, it could end-" he pauses for a moment "badly." "It may be high risk but it could get you a chance to get closer to Lester himself, and you would already be in their camp.

"If you went with Riko, knowing him, taking the stealth approach or going in gunning would be the most recommended options. There are, however, 17 raiders. Taking them head on would be suicide, so picking them off one by one would be smart."

Mr. Winter reaches across the table, opening a cigar case. He puts the cuban in his mouth, lighting it with a match from his coat pocket. After taking one deep inhale of the smoke and breaths out, then turning his attention back to you, he continues. "The file doesn't say anything about the other raiders, only taking out the bikes and Lester will give you a reward. Just slash open the tanks and light em' up." He reaches over towards you trying to give you the matches he just used.

[SugarCookie]

Millie stares at the man, but continues her beans. Slowly. While keeping one eye on the man with a gun. It seems like they know each other, or maybe are on the same side if she is yelling "friendly", either way, just because one person was nice, doesn't mean someone else will be. Which is exactly why Millie bottoms up on the can to try and eat as fast as she can. It's a bit messy, and now she'll have some sticky bean juice around her mouth, plus some beans dropped on her coat and some on the ground, robbing her of about a handful of them.
Her stomach is full now anyways, she can normally only finish about three quarters of a can, the rest she normally saves for morning. Listening to the rest of the conversation, and assuming nothing else happens other then talking, she stands up leaving the beans by the dumpster, with her up and open in front of her, signaling she is unarmed. Hopefully this man is as friendly as the girl.

[Suraru]

"Me? I'm not interested, nice to meetcha" Suraru said as he continued to walk, then stopped as he almost walked away "Unless you can show me where I can get a free bed for the night?"
Normally, he isn't really interested in plowing girls, but being a bit drunk changes that a little.

[That_One_Guy]

Garian looks at the person and then at Julia, "How do you know the person's friendly?" He asked her and then back at the person, glaring, but lowering his weapon slightly, "What's his faction? Certainly not one of ours, that's for sure." He asked and began to step closer. He wanted to see who the person was for himself, making sure the bandana was over his face so that it wasn't visible, he didn't want the person to see who he was, in case it was an SA in disguise. "So, who are you?" He asked.

[daxtinator396]

Dax blushed deeper and gav her another kiss and whispered,"Yes. And you look stunning." He managed to say with a very warm face and he could swear the tips of his ears were candles. He wasn't sure how to get farther than this though. He had imagined it plenty of times but it had never gone this far and now it was happening. He didn't know what to do so he just kissed her again loving the taste of her sweetness.

[TheDaughterOfHades14]

Claire sighs. "I have no problem splitting the money. I'd rather split the money than have my head getting split. How much is the reward anyways?" she asks. She starts to think for a bit. "Riko you said? And, do we have anyone working inside yet? Like a spy?" she asks. Claire looks over at the matches and then grabs them. "If Riko is up to it, here's the game plan. I could be the distraction. Get caught, learn things from the inside and such. Riko can then sneak in and damage the bikes. He frees me, I'll take out Lester, or he can. Light the bikes up. Boom." she says. She begins thinking again. "What's their base look like? Is it just a building with walls around it? If so, we can set up the bikes by a wall, and blow our way out. Get creative." Claire says. She smiles and then looks around. "So, first thing tomorrow huh?"

[napsii]

Cae looked around impassively.

To be honest, anything with four walls and a roof is luxury. she thought sardonically. She walked around quietly, not wanting to disturb the sleeping clerk until she was one-hundred-percent with staying here. The structure wasn't in danger of collapsing -- at least, not this year -- and it wasn't filthy. It was good enough. The android's eyes wandered to the worn oil painting, unsurprised that it had weathered the war; cheap decor like that was so common in the Pre-War era that few people ever noticed it. But Cae's eyes were fixed to it. It had probably never been a masterwork to begin with, but in this war-torn era, such scenery was alien. She felt the power core that was her heart throb heavily in her chest. Unconsciously, she wished for the time when she could step out and be greeted by flowers, birds, bugs and the grass. Now, everything had been painted gray and beige with rubble, sand and debris. It was depressing, and one of the reasons she had opted to wear brighter, more vibrant clothes. She would rather be crucified for breaking the first rule of camouflage than completely surrender to the drab of the Great Ruins.

Not wanting to have herself brooding for the rest of the night, she broke away from the picture and stepped over to the front desk.

Just from a look-over of him, Cae knew that the clerk didn't exactly make a fortune off of the motel. Judging from the shotgun, too, he had obviously dealt with dangerous tenants and robbers before. Every corner of Fairtown was the bad end of town, but given how close this place was to the local bars and some of the alleys infamous for their raider presence, she imagined a lot of his tenants were drunks, nervous travelers like herself or drug dealers looking for a place to do business. The android hoped she wouldn't be bothered by such characters. She tapped the worn desk a few times, trying to rouse him awake.

"Excuse me? I'd like to rent a room." she announced, leaning forward on the desk.

[Grape Me]

Millie

Spoiler (click to show/hide):

"So, who are you?" asked the man. He stepped a little closer to you to get a better look, pulling up a bandana during his approach. Before you have a time to respond or react Julia interrupts.

"He's not SA that's for sure," she says looking over at the man and back at you. "I think he's a mute."

Suraru

Spoiler (click to show/hide):

Scarlet formed a small smile along her lips. "Why yes of coarse," she said holding out a hand. "If you come with me I can bring you somewhere nice, warm, and comfy for the night. I think I can make it free, just this once." They way she spoke was comforting.

Garian Jorell

Spoiler (click to show/hide):

During your approach you can see that the mysterious person is wearing a coat with a hood. It's almost impossible to distinguish any features. As you come closer this new stranger wolfs down the rest of the beans they're eating, stands up, and then signals that they're unarmed. Before your question is answered Julia interrupts.

"He's not SA that's for sure," she says looking over at the you then back at the stranger. "I think he's a mute."

Cae

Spoiler (click to show/hide):

The clerk was startled awake. "Huh?" He almost jumped back in his chair but managed to regain his balance, sitting up straight when he saw you. He griped the shotgun tightly, never can be too careful.

"You want a room?" he asked starring at you tensely. When you gave a nod in response he relaxed a little, slouching back down in his chair. He scratched the back of his head, his messy hair letting out some sort of dandruff from his dry scalp.

"Well, what you got to trade?" he asked a little coldly, clearly a little upset from being woken.

Dax Sierra

Spoiler (click to show/hide):

Terri kissed Dax back, blushing deeply. After making out for sometime in the hallway, during the kiss, Terri led Dax into her room, shutting the door behind them. They made their way over to the bed, laying down on it. They just stayed there for awhile, kissing, touching. It could not have been that hot, but it felt like a furnace.

After a few minutes Terri broke the kiss, looking into Dax's eyes. "I umm, I'm a little dirty," she said looking down nervously, "maybe I should take a shower?" She was blushing from embarrassment.

Claire Jones

Spoiler (click to show/hide):

Mr. Winter reopens the file taking a look at the details. "Well... says here that reward for taking out Lester includes 4packs of military rations, and 150 Creds." He looks up from the file at you. "Creds are a new system of currency Division is trying to incorporate intro society, isn't really working though. They're practically useless. However, those military rations could come in handy, that's little well over a weeks worth of food." He looks back down at the file. "If you take out the bikes as well then it's 10 military rations, 500 Creds, a pre-war Kel-Tec SU-16C (It's an economical carbine with an underfolding stock, a forend that converts into a bipod, and takes AR-15 magazines) that could sell for a lot if you don't want it, and a Division Citizen Pass (with a DCP you can get into areas only certain Division personnel can go to).

Mr. Winter throws the file back on the table, takes another puff of the Cuban, and give you a smile. "No spies inside, sorry. It's not a single building, It's basically a makeshift camp with several tents around it. The bikes are set in the middle of the camp. If nobody is distracting the raiders, they can easily see somebody tampering with their motorcycles and respond with violence.

He leans back in his chair and blows the smoke into the air. "You will have to ask Riko bout the plan yourself hun, I'm just your boss." He shoots you a smile. "If you want his help you can find him on the 11th floor (same floor as you). When you're ready you can start whenever you like, you have a week starting tomorrow to get the job done."

[SugarCookie]

Millie points her thumb at Julia in a approving manner. Then scratches in the wall "Miles" before putting away her pen. She left this personally vague for them, that word could mean many things. It's also the male version of her name, but it has more symbolism then that. Such as the fact she has walked many miles, or she is miles away from home, or she is looking for more miles to walk. Basically walking miles, her parents really did think when they chose her name.

[Suraru]

Oh joy, a place to sleep my drunken ass away, and possibly screwing a pretty girl. Nice.

Suraru follows Scarlet wherever she leads him.

[TheDaughterOfHades14]

"Alright. Thanks Mr. Winter. I'll be on my way." Claire says. She smiles and stands up. She stretches and then walks up to Buck. She looks up at him and smiles. "Bye Buck." Claire says. She turns back and looks at Mr. Winter. "Bye Mr. Winter." she says, and then walks out. She looks down the hall way and then resumes to walk down towards the elevator. Claire reaches the elevator, sighs, and then smacks herself in the forehead. She turns around and walks back to Mr. Winter's office. Claire then knocks on the door. "Mr. Winter? Can you let me in please? It's Claire. I think I should grab the file. That way Riko can understand the mission better from reading, rather than me telling him." she says. She stands there and waits for the door to open.

[napsii]

Cae shirked but slightly when the clerk startled awake. Humans were jumpy by nature, and when there were firearms in their hands there was no telling if they'd take a wake-up call as something to blast at. She was already pulling her bag off of her back even as he posed his question, fishing for an item to trade for. Doing so, she just couldn't help but notice the atrocious state of his hair. She knew it was a trivial thing to linger on, but she had always found the mannerisms of people in general to be a little.. gross. One of the most sorely missed features of the Pre-War world was the chance to bathe. In the Great Ruins, terrible hygiene and disease killed just as many as bullets and knives. Of course, she didn't hold it against him: a single shower could run for as much as a week's worth of food. That did not stop her from doing so where possible, though. She was immune to the horrors of dandruff, rotten teeth and disease, but she didn't like to smell like an abandoned fish market if she could. She shuffled through her items, looking for something he might like.

Hmm... I don't have much left. Some ammo for my gun, some rations... spare parts... I doubt a human would have much use for parts like these... she considered. As much as she hated giving up her rations and ammo, she knew that they were powerful bargaining tools. She withdrew some of the pistol-caliber ammunition that fed her submachine gun and some of the military rations she kept on hand as food. Although they tasted mediocre at best, the rations were completely non-perishable and easy to store making them very popular food items for anyone who wasn't rich. This would be good for at least a night's stay, and if it wasn't, then she'd have to trade a service instead. It wasn't exactly uncommon to trade a helping hand instead of an item: often times, people were short manpower (or humanpower, as Cae called it) just as much as they were the basic necessities. She laid the items out on the table, having carefully counted what she thought would be enough. It wasn't as convenient as Pre-War money, but it was impossible to complain.

"Is this enough? The ammo is really good quality and can go through most body armor in my experience. It'll work with nearly any pistol or SMG." she said. The rations were self-explanatory.

[That_One_Guy]

Garian only watched them before putting away his pistol, "I'll trust you, for now." He said, seeing the mute fellow write out 'Miles' and thought it was just the length he had walked. "Alright, take him inside to get something to eat, I'm going to scout ahead, maybe find something worth while and blow it up." He told them and smiled through his bandana before walking away again, back towards the nearest SA Outpost.

[daxtinator396]

Dax relished the feeling of her lips on his as they kept kissing, the passion growing between them as Terri begin to move and led them into her room and shut the door behind them by pushing him back against it before pulling him along to her bed. He couldn't believe it was really happening as she laid down on the bed pulling him atop her and the kiss continued and then his hands and hers began to move as well as they roamed across their bodies and he discreetly picnhed to see if he had fallen asleep waiting for her to come back to her room and he was having an incredibly lucid dream. He felt the sharp pain of the pinch and went back to exploring her body with his hands determined to feel every inch of her when suddenly she stopped. Had he gone to far he wondered briefly as hr panicked slightly in his brain lost in the storm of passion that brewed and roiled around them. He was relieved to find that she instead felt bad about her dirtiness with the grease that now stained them both and he blushed as well,"Um... I think we could both use one now. I kinda got grease all over me too..."

[Grape Me]

Millie

Spoiler (click to show/hide):

Julia gives the man a nod. "Alright, just be safe out there," she says as both you and Julia watch him leave. When he is no longer visible she turns her attention over to you. "That's Garian," she forms a polite smile on her face, "he means well. Just a heads up, we're all dems, so that's why knowing if you're SA or not is important." Julia then jumps back off the roof, on the dumpster, and then on the ground. Julia pats the dirt off her jeans and looks back up at you, making a gesture with her head for you to follow.

"Come on, get your things. You're not sleeping out here."

Suraru

Spoiler (click to show/hide):

Scarlet gives Suraru a smile and then holds his hand, leading him to a sort of run down apartment complex. Being drunk, it's hard to tell exactly where you're going, everything is a blur. You can tell you're moving up several flights of stairs, almost tripping several times except Scarlet was there to support you up. Finally you both stop at the front of a wooden door.

Scarlet jiggles the handle a few times and the door opens, she gives you a gentle smile and allows you to enter first. When you walk inside it's very dark, but you're able to make out a bit of the room from the dim candle in the corner. You hear Scarlet shut the door behind you as you take a look around. There seems to be a bedroll on the floor, a table with a few chairs, and a broken mirror hanging on the wall. When you reach the side of the bed, just starting to get comfortable, you hear the click of a revolver being cocked at the back of your head, the cold steel pressing against your scalp.

"Don't move or I'll blow your brains out." It was Scarlet's voice, what is going on?

Garian Jorell

Spoiler (click to show/hide):

As you turn to walk away you see Julia give a nod. "Alright, just be safe out there," you hear in the distance as you make your way to the nearest SA outpost. The closest SA outpost is South, so when you're finished you can just follow the North star and easily find your way back.

You walk for quite a distance, legs nearly aching as you did so. The area is relatively familiar, you've walked these wastes during your time with SA so you know you're in their territory. The gas station is far back, impossible to see from the distance you've covered. During you travel you didn't encounter anything hostile, a few mutated creatures here and there but nothing worth your time.

As you make your way up a hill you think of a few options on how to proceed.
1. Go to the nearby SA outpost (well defended).
2. Try and look for their trade routes nearby. Maybe you can revisit it in the morning, ambushing their caravan.
3. You hear a few shots being cracked in the distance. but not towards the SA territory. Should you investigate?

Cae

Spoiler (click to show/hide):

The clerk leans forward in his chair slightly to get a better look at your offer. He seemed... unimpressed. He slouched back and looked down at his sawed off shotgun and back at you. "I don't think that ammo is going to come in handy," he commented with a smirk. He looked back down at the rations however, and up at you, he raised an eyebrow and gave a slight smile, but almost unnoticeable. "Tell ye' what. I'll take half those rations and..." he looked you top to bottom, "something else... something you can do for me."

Dax Sierra

Spoiler (click to show/hide):

Terri gave you a smile and a giggle, then she leaned forward and continued to kiss Dax. She seemed more relaxed, she was in the moment. After kissing again for sometime both Terri and Dax made there way over to the bathroom. Every once and awhile they would bump into something but that didn't stop them. When they made it inside the bathroom doors shut behind them and they both stood in the shower, kissing passionately. They pressed against the glass, kissing there for awhile, and after a few minutes Terri slowly took off her top. She blushed and moaned lightly as they were in there kissing.

Claire Jones

Spoiler (click to show/hide):

As you approach the door you were able to hear Buck and Mr. Winter talk about something, but it's hard to make out what. It seemed like they were talking about... you. "...ou' think she's ready?" that was Buck. "Ready as she will ever-" Mr. Winter cut himself off when he heard your voice.

Buck reopens the door to allows you to enter the office, he gives a grunt and a short smile, that was the closest thing to "good mood" you could get out of Buck. He probably thought it was funny you coming back to the office after just being here. You come back inside and Mr. Winter is holding the file. "Of coarse hun, here," he extends his arm for you to take it. He seems to avoid trying to let his eyes roam along your body, trying to remain professional.

Ziba Devorka

Spoiler (click to show/hide):

The single bloodsucker stalked Ziba in circles, as if a predator was stalking a prey. Ziba had known something was following her, her keen senses made that obvious, but with the camouflage a bloodsucker possesses, it only just came into view. The features were disgusting, some parts of the body ripped and torn. It's testicle mouth hanged lazily down as it walked around you, it's blood colored eyes staring you down. Just as the bloodsucker was starved though, your carnivorous hunger made you just as hungry as this feral mutant. Maybe it could provide as a meal... It would not be an easy fight but it's an option should Ziba wish to take it.

Currently Ziba and the bloodsucker are in the capitol Cheyenne, underneath the city in the metro station. Although the station is usually infested with mutants, it does provide protection from humanity... mostly. The metro was nearly pure darkness, Ziba's keen senses can make out most of the environment around her though.

Looking around the tunnel, behind you is a staircase leading upwards toward the Southern exit, you could always use that as an escape route. Straight ahead is the bloodsucker stalking you, behind it leads deeper into the metro tunnels. To the right of you is a door labeled "Maintenance Office," that would be the quickest, and safest way to run should you choose to avoid this conflict.

Looking at the mutant you can see that it's not only hungry... but lustful as well. It seems your Psychic abilities are affecting it slightly, but not enough. The mutant is still too well in shape for it to full have an effect on it. Maybe if you weakened the mutant...

It seems the bloodsucker is now done stalking it's prey... you, and is taking action. It quickly rushes forward towards Ziba, it's tentacle mouth opening wide so it can attempt to latch itself onto you.

What do you do?

[TheDaughterOfHades14]

Claire walks in and smiles and Buck. She grabs the folder and smiles at Mr. Winter. "Thank you sir. Now I will be on my way." she says. She smiles at the two men and then walks out. She walks down to the elevator with the file in her hand. She thinks to her self "What was that about? Why were they talking about me?". Claire presses a button and waits for the elevator. When it eventually reaches her, she steps in and presses the button for the 11th floor. She then waits for the elevator to reach the floor.