thecuriouscalcinecourier:

sergiothecyclops:

The deathclaw picked up the low whimper and raised her head up, her eyes locked onto Hanne’s curled and shaking form. Sergio saw it too and quickly stepped around Matilda and put himself between the girl and the reptile. “Stay.” He said with a firm tone, his hands raised up and moved to accentuate the command.

His gaze turned from Hanne back to Matilda, the girl was in pretty rough shape and visibly horrified - The reason was obvious. The bounty hunter walked up to the deathclaw. “Alright girl, head back home okay?” He flicked his hands in a shooing motion. “Let her be.” Matilda tilted her head at this, and rather than approaching the courier, she lowered her head and clamped her jaws around the brahmin carcass - tearing off one last bite and swallowing before she began to make her way back up towards the boulders.

The cyclops waited until his pet was out of sight before turning to the girl again. Crouching down, he placed a hand on the shaking girl’s shoulder and gave it a light shake. “Hey, are you awake?”

She pulled away with a start at him touching her. She looked at him then looked behind him and seeing the monster beginning to wander away she started to calm down and things began to return to normal. Her breathing began to slow down and she looked over at him a bit bemused. She continued to press herself against the car, unsure if she should trust him. 

She turned a bit towards him and shakily pointed at the gag in her mouth, signalling for him to remove it. She continued to look at him in a wary manner as she did so.

He looked at the gag and nodded in compliance, he moved his fingers around the back of her head to work on the knot. As his hands began to untie the knot, he looked over the girl, damn she was in rough shape. She had some nasty cuts on her shoulder and face, a few bruises were visible, and that’s not mentioning the huge burns on the left side of her face.

After some work, the knot came loose and the bounty hunter slipped the gag from Hanne’s face. He then drew his bowie knife. “Okay hold still, let me get your hands and legs loose.” He shuffled over to the bindings and began to cut through them.

travelinginthewastes:

sergiothecyclops:

“Yeah, that’s true enough. Maybe she decided to pack up and leave because of it, or the Mojave just wasn’t for her - It’s a shame though, I liked that girl.” Sergio replied. His guess for Billie’s disappearance was probably the best case scenario compared to others but he had really hoped that wasn’t the case.

“So, do you live here in Novac or are you just visiting? Don’t mean to be nosy but with what you’re charging for this repair, I can see myself coming back to you the next time something of mine’s broken.”

“I wouldn’t count on it.” She said, glancing up from her work for a moment. “I try not to stay in one place for very long.  Probably going to leave here right after I’m done with this anyway.” She looked around briefly before dropping her gaze. “Maybe if we’re lucky we’ll come across each other on the road or something.  It’d be nice to have consistent customers again.  Guess It’s ultimately my fault that I don’t in the end though.” The girl gave a little shrug.

“Hopefully, recently my luck’s taken a nose dive with the lack of work - Wonder if I can find a rabbit’s foot, a 4 leaf clover or other shit like that.” He shrugged. “I know how you feel, I can’t help but get a little antsy if I stay in one spot for too long - I’m considering leaving the Mojave just to see what else is out there, though I’ve got a few friends I wouldn’t want to leave behind without saying anything.” He coughed hoarsely for a bit before looking up from his magazine. “How is it coming?”

theblanchettwins:

sergiothecyclops:

“Oh yeah? Sorry to say that your face isn’t so familiar, usually I’ve gotten different dealers every time I play.”

“Something about those lines yeah, Sergio.”

He clicked his tongue, a mischievous smile playing on his lips. “S’all right pal- we all run dry’a caps sometimes. It’s been awhile since ya been on this side of town” He shuffled the playing cards in his hand, the quick fluttering noise they made making him exhale in content. 

“Sergio? I was right! good thing we weren’t bettin’ caps. I’da won that bet real quick. Now.” He stopped shuffling his deck to flash him a grin, raising his brow. “What can ol’Gio do for ya baby?”

“Yeah it has been a while hasn’t it? Normally I’d be here more often but like you said, I’ve hit a pretty lengthy dry spell - I should start looking for a more dependable line of work.” The cyclops rubbed the sweat off his brow with his arm.

“Oh I’m just here to get something to eat and drink, I’ll have to wait till I get more caps before I hit the cards again. You guys still have Texas Hold ‘em right?”

eadaointhewanderer:

sergiothecyclops:

eadaointhewanderer:

Eadaoin grips the man’s hand firmly, but lets him do all of the shaking.

“Restless feet, and tales of a pre-war city, untouched by the War.” She smirks, her hand lingering on his as the handshake ends. “I was unsure how much truth to credit those tales, but it seems as though they are largely truthful, even if the omitted the current war happening here.”

“It’s untouched enough if you ask me. Almost as if it’s a new little world in it’s own.”

Sergio noticed the woman’s hand as it held onto his for a little bit, this woman seemed rather flirty, almost suspiciously so. “So, what’s your name?” He asked.

She tilts her head to one side, curiously, batting her lashes at him just a bit. “A new world, hm? Interesting. I am called Éadaoin, Éadaoin Ceawlin.” She clasps her hands behind her back and rocks her weight back on her heels, looking him over. While there’s a certain predatory gleam in her eye, her words are innocent enough.

“Perhaps you would be willing to tell me something of this place?”

“Hmm, that’s a pretty name, Miss Ceawlin. Hopefully I’m not mispronouncing it or anything.”

Sergio retained a calm and casual demeanor, but something in his gut warned him about the way the girl was looking at him. At least the subject of conversation was comfortable. “Well what isn’t there to say about this place? The city of sin and opportunity, it’s an oasis for some men and an open trap to others - If you ask me, I see it as more of the former than the latter.”

travelinginthewastes:

sergiothecyclops:

Charlie, that was an odd name for a girl. Granted so is Roscoe, and Sergio’s an uncommon name in general - He flipped through his magazine as he waited, his thoughts going from the girl to the repairs and to the fact that he needed to get some more reading material. “Good thing I ran into you when I did, 40 caps is a helluva steal and most others are willing to charge much more.” He said, breaking the silence between them. “There was this one girl that was in your same profession that I used to rely on for this stuff, but I haven’t seen her around.”

Charlie didn’t react much when he broke the silence.  People who stuck around often felt the need to, especially when it wasn’t necessary.  She usually minded but a little conversation now couldn’t hurt, she supposed.  

The girl scratched at the side of her head with her gloved hand briefly as she spoke. “I don’t need much right now.  Just money for food.  So I don’t see the point of charging you more.” She dropped her hand and got back to work.

“There’s tons of people with the same profession.” She said curtly.  She didn’t want to comment on the fact that not seeing someone around in a while usually hinted at bad things.  He probably knew that anyway.

“Yeah, that’s true enough. Maybe she decided to pack up and leave because of it, or the Mojave just wasn’t for her - It’s a shame though, I liked that girl.” Sergio replied. His guess for Billie’s disappearance was probably the best case scenario compared to others but he had really hoped that wasn’t the case.

“So, do you live here in Novac or are you just visiting? Don’t mean to be nosy but with what you’re charging for this repair, I can see myself coming back to you the next time something of mine’s broken.”

theheavenlyshepherd:

Ah, that… is strange. [He sounds rather disheartened.] Perhaps I’m asking the wrong person then. I would have thought well-traveled people would help, but perhaps you’re simply toowell-traveled. I’m looking for someone in particular, but with only a vague description, and I can’t imagine someone who’s seen as much as you being able to recall the small details I’m looking for.

No offense. Sorry to have bothered you.

[Though he was getting a cigarette from his duster, Sergio’s interest piqued upon hearing the stranger talk about that certain someone in particular, it sounded like a potentially lucrative opportunity. He raised his hand to get his attention.] Now hold up for a sec, mister.

[He put the cigarette in his mouth before turning back to him.] Now I may not know who you’re looking for off the top of my head but it doesn’t mean I’m the wrong person to ask, in fact you came to the right man. My name’s Sergio, I’m a bounty hunter so if you need a certain someone found, I’m your guy - But I’m going to need to know more about this person.

theblanchettwins:

“There’s a familiar face. You played at my table once’a twice before! Not bad with a deck if I do say so myself.” Giovanni mused. He fought the temptation to comment on how his gambling prowess was better, as well as his eyepatch. 

“Don’t remember your name though. Somethin’ cowboy-hero-western-y soundin’ I imagine.”

“Oh yeah? Sorry to say that your face isn’t so familiar, usually I’ve gotten different dealers every time I play.”

“Something about those lines yeah, Sergio.”

Hmm, a new greeter huh? Alright, just heading in for a drink and a smoke though.

thecuriouscalcinecourier:

sergiothecyclops:

thecuriouscalcinecourier:

To any other observer Matilda would have been a completely terrifying sight. To Hanne she was a horror beyond description. A smoking figure with glowing nostrils and eyes. Dripping with a most horrible concoction. Her horns were smoothed and sharpened obsidian formations. Hanne began to hyperventilate under the gag and tried to push herself back in the sand with her feet.

She tried to get her breathing under control but the world warped around her into a terrifying and alien landscape.

Matilda lumbered closer to the scene, her eyes scanning for the source of the new scent. It had gotten a little stronger, though it largely remained overwhelmed by the brahmin carcass. At least her old meal was still available, no longer fresh but still edible.

Behind the deathclaw, a duster-clad man jogged behind her, slowing down as he got closer. Sergio caught his breath as he walked beside the massive reptile, patting it’s sinewy arm and looking up at it.

“Damn, you’re fast.” He commented, chuckling a bit as Matilda’s nuzzle nearly knocked him over. “What is it hm? Do you smell something?”

Hanne could barely make out the man. He simply warped into the rest of the world around the lumbering monster. She scoot back a little more and bumped against a car. She whimpered a little and curled up into a ball, shutting her eyes tightly as she began to shake.

The deathclaw picked up the low whimper and raised her head up, her eyes locked onto Hanne’s curled and shaking form. Sergio saw it too and quickly stepped around Matilda and put himself between the girl and the reptile. “Stay.” He said with a firm tone, his hands raised up and moved to accentuate the command.

His gaze turned from Hanne back to Matilda, the girl was in pretty rough shape and visibly horrified - The reason was obvious. The bounty hunter walked up to the deathclaw. “Alright girl, head back home okay?” He flicked his hands in a shooing motion. “Let her be.” Matilda tilted her head at this, and rather than approaching the courier, she lowered her head and clamped her jaws around the brahmin carcass - tearing off one last bite and swallowing before she began to make her way back up towards the boulders.

The cyclops waited until his pet was out of sight before turning to the girl again. Crouching down, he placed a hand on the shaking girl’s shoulder and gave it a light shake. “Hey, are you awake?”

thecuriouscalcinecourier:

sergiothecyclops:

The raider’s plan had worked. From beyond the junkyard and behind the boulders, a large shadow had begun to stretch across the sand. The caster of the shadow had been here before and eaten her fill on the brahmin before taking her leave , but the noises that came from the junkyard and her own stomach drew her back.

The setting sun stretched the shadow farther and farther across the ground until Matilda’s hulking form stepped out of the boulders and into view. The deathclaw had begun to show signs of sexual maturity: Her skin was now a dark blue, keratin buds jut out the sides of her tail, new horns had grown in the place of the old ones and are beginning to sweep backwards - Most notable would be her increasing independency from her caretaker.

She raised her massive head in the air and caught a new scent in the air. It wasn’t the brahmin she killed a few days back, this was blood from something different, fresh blood.

Hanne’s blood.

To any other observer Matilda would have been a completely terrifying sight. To Hanne she was a horror beyond description. A smoking figure with glowing nostrils and eyes. Dripping with a most horrible concoction. Her horns were smoothed and sharpened obsidian formations. Hanne began to hyperventilate under the gag and tried to push herself back in the sand with her feet.

She tried to get her breathing under control but the world warped around her into a terrifying and alien landscape.

Matilda lumbered closer to the scene, her eyes scanning for the source of the new scent. It had gotten a little stronger, though it largely remained overwhelmed by the brahmin carcass. At least her old meal was still available, no longer fresh but still edible.

Behind the deathclaw, a duster-clad man jogged behind her, slowing down as he got closer. Sergio caught his breath as he walked beside the massive reptile, patting it’s sinewy arm and looking up at it.

“Damn, you’re fast.” He commented, chuckling a bit as Matilda’s nuzzle nearly knocked him over. “What is it hm? Do you smell something?”