[M] [IC] Fallout: Ain't That A Kick In The Head?

[Holocene]

Joe stepped back at the stranger's anger, but he kept his chill demeanor. "Alright Daddy-O! Whatever you say man!" he replied to Stephen's rather unwelcoming agreement. Joe quickly pulled a folded up map from his inside coat pocket, and started to unfold it. "Hay, Dani, you got some light?" Joe asked.

Joe then showed the map to Stephen. "Now, you'd be doing us a mighty crazy solid if you helped us get back to new Vegas from here," Joe said, pointing to where they were currently, "...But if you want to be one groovy daddy, you could help us get here instead," Joe said pointing to a place on the map, which lay to the Northeast, but was far closer than New Vegas was.

Joe didn't know it, and Stephen probably only had a vague idea of what lay in that direction, but it would be filled with much danger. Tribal headhunters, mutants, the frontier of the Legion were some of the many dangers that lay ahead of them. While not too much farther, especially compared to the trip back to New Vegas, it was filled with far more danger than they had encountered so far. Not to mention the untamed wilderness, lack of supply stops for food, and the never ending heat of the sun.

Joe knew they were going to face danger, but he also knew he wasn't going to turn back unless it was his only option.

[UserError404]

Nikola rolled over onto his back and looked up at the stars. They were actually going to do this. He didn't know how they were going to get there or why they were going where they were going, but he was instilled with a newfound confidence. He sat up and looked over at the confrontation between Joe and Stephen. Sure they could make it to their destination, but Nikola wondered what would tear them apart first; the wasteland or themselves. Granted, he only needed the partnership to last just long enough.

Nikola then noticed his arm and the Gecko that was chewing on it. He bopped the Gecko on the nose and it let him go. With his arm free, Nikola stood up, brushed off his coat, and slowly made his way over to Joe. After staggering over, he put his hand on Joe's shoulder to stabilize himself and barely managed to slur out a few words, saying "So, what's the plan? I think sleep is a pretty good idea right now, but hey, I'm open to suggestions."

[abbiejlee95]

Dani's spine tingled hearing the wanderer's animalistic growl. She could sense Joe's nerves as well but she followed his lead and kept calm. She focused her light on Joe's map at his request and glanced back at Nikola as he stumbled over to them. She agreed with his suggestion of sleep, but she feared what the wilderness had waiting for them. Her Raven landed gently on her shoulder as if he sensed her unnease. She leaned her head against his wing and sighed. She hoped they would all survive this adventure.

[LupusSilvae]

Looking over the area of the map Joe had indicated, Stephen eventually nodded. "Fine. From what I know of it, things aren't going to be getting any easier from here," he warned. "So you may as well pack up what survived that attack and rest some. You'll need it when you get moving again."

[Holocene]

"We're still in business baby!" Joe said to no one in particular. He folded up his map and proceeded over to what was left of their camp. He started looking through their supplies. Without the Brahmin, carrying much of anything would be difficult.

The rest of the night passed with an uneasy sleep, and once daylight came, the group gathered what supplies they could into backpacks. The bodies of the deceased caravaners were gathered up, stripped of weapons and ammunition, and then hastily buried.

They then set out to their destination, known only to Joe. He had found a Hunting Shotgun in a bag the raiders had not run off with, and was now carrying that with him. He had 40 12g shells to go with that, as well as 18 .32 rounds for his revolver. He had found a typical metal frame hiking backpack, and in it carried a sleeping bag, some basic supplies, and enough food for about a week. Water was a worse problem. The raiders took almost all the water, and each of the survivors carried only enough water for three days for themselves.

October 12th, 2281 1PM

They had continued along the I-15, forging northward. Joe was struggling under the weight of his gear, and was at the back of the group. He tried to keep a strong facade though, and quickened his pace to keep up with the others. He caught up with Nikola, and said to him, "Hey, things look down, but the dice of destiny are in our favor! Our scientist nerd, who we wouldn't be able to complete this mission without survived," Joe said, referring to Nikola, "and to top it off, this cat shows up out of the desert and is showing us the way! I've had worse luck at the casinos. We'll be there within a week, tops! Everything's looking us!"

Of course Joe failed to mention the unforgiving heat, their dwindling supplies, and the fact that he had heard rumors of this road becoming increasingly dangerous, and the traders going North to trade with the Mormons becoming increasingly wary.

[UserError404]

As the group walked the long I-15, Nikola was busy thinking. While his mild hangover proved somewhat distracting, he began running through some designs for an experimental weapon he had in mind. That is, until Joe came up to him and began spouting something about how Nikola was a vital part of the mission. He turned to Joe, and said, "It certainly seems the dice of destiny are in our favor. Hell, if we can keep lady luck on our side, this scientist nerd just might be able to get us through this."

Nikola then cautiously made his way over to Dani to see if he could get a few words out of her. He walked besides Dani and began to softly say, "So, you seem a little on edge. A stiff drink could work some wonders. But that will have to wait until we get back to Vegas." After a short pause, Nikola continued "Don't worry, I'm not here to bother you with petty small talk. You seem to be a good judge of people's personality. What do you think of this new guy? Do you trust him? Just curious. Either way, he seems to be good luck so far."

[abbiejlee95]

Dani walked along in silence. Keeping her eyes on the new guy. She grinned bitterly as she listened to Joe praise the hungover scientist trailing behind her. She glanced back just as the aforementioned scientist sidled up beside her. She rolled her eyes at his suggestion of a drink. As if she'd still be anywhere near him after they got back to New Vegas. "Don't worry, I'm not here to bother you with petty small talk. You seem to be a good judge of people's personality. What do you think of this new guy? Do you trust him? Just curious. Either way, he seems to be good luck so far." Annoyed at his persistence but not one to be rude to someone who was fighting alongside her, she answered, "Well simply based on the fact that he was minding his own business before he jumped in to help us, he seems to at least have a heart. But it is better to be cautious. We should not put our every hope in one human man." She tried to swallow her instinct for sarcasm but she couldn't help but add, "And as for that drink... I'd rather eat the severed penis of a Brahmin."

[LupusSilvae]

Stephen kept ahead of the others by a few paces, ignoring them in favor of their surroundings. He could not allow himself to slip, and he was not keen on being ambushed. The territory was growing less and less familiar as they walked, as he had only bothered to make a few trips this far north. Rhea seemed to feed off of his anxiety, keeping her head low and tongue flicking to catch scents on the wind. Vaguely, Stephen could make out the voices of the others behind him, but he did not so much as turn around. They could talk and whisper all they wanted - he only had to deal with them as far as their destination, or ideally, another caravan on the road.

[Holocene]

A Caravan on the road is exactly what Joe hoped to find too, though he didn't know that's what Stephen wanted. Then again, Joe didn't generally care what other people wanted, which is probably why his love life didn't have the greatest history. A caravan going north they could follow with until they reached their destination, and that would be a lot safer. Although Joe estimated they were only another day from where they needed to be, he wasn't sure what would happen after they arrived.

Joe pushed an extra burst of energy to make it to Stephen, unaware Stephen didn't desire his company. "Hey..." Joe said, breathing hard, "When you think a caravan will appear? This road is traveled a lot by people from the NCR and people down south trading with those Mormon cats. We should bang into one soon, right?"

As Joe was talking, a gas station came into the view in the distance. The I-15 ran along a pretty deserted route in this area, even before the war, so this was likely one of the only stops they'd make for the day. "Hey, let's stop there for a breather," Joe said, still gasping for breath.

[UserError404]

Nikola wasn't going to let Dani's harsh words get to him. If anything, he could see the comedy in her sarcasm. After hearing her counter-proposal, he did his best to hold back a laugh as a smile crept across his face. The smile soon grew into a snicker and then into a full on laugh. His laughter caused his pace to slow, but he made his way back to Dani as he composed himself. After formulating his response, Nikola said, "I think you and are gonna get along!" and promptly slapped Dani on the back. He then picked up his pace to put some distance between him and Dani. After getting a few feet ahead of her, he turned around and began walking backwards, and gave Dani one last thought. "Oh, and about that Brahmin thing... I could arrange that, but our Brahmin are MIA, so once we get back to the city we can get that drink, and then I'll hook you up with the Brahmin penis. Sound good? Alright!" Nikola raised his hand in the air, turned back around, and continued walking.

As they approached the gas station, Niels ran towards the building and began to chase after a radroach digging through a dumpster. The radroach fled and Niels chased after it, disappearing over a small hill. Nikola sighed and said "Alright, let's take a break."