Juniper Holland's Story

Juniper needed a drink she hadn't gotten a job in about a month and she wasn't about to hop in bed with nobody to get some caps. She walked into the Lucky 38 hoping she can use the last of her caps to try to get some money. She went up to the bartender and ordered a drink as she was sitting there she heard the announcement of man calling himself Ringo and something about a trip to Neo York. The working girls came by and and almost said something to her "Take a second look girls, I think your barking up the wrong tree. Especially when you potential client has bigger tits then you, the whore flipped their hair and moved on to another man just down the bar from her.

She threw what was left of the watered down whiskey down her throat and walked over to the man named Ringo. "Listen if you don't have no qualms having a woman, that aint for yer bed then I'd be willing to go. I can put a bullet between a feral's eyes by less the 25 yards you need a good shot I'm your woman as long as I get paid good I'll do just about anything.

Ringo turned on his chair and grinned at the two newcomers, and he was honestly suprised people had been eager to go so quickly. Were people really this desperate in the Wasteland?

"Righto, you two, I'm givin' you a map to where we will be staying before the journey. We need a good sleep, and all my stuff to get there is there, so, yeah. Man, I need mechanics, soldiers and traders, you look like a soldier, so your hired. You girl, if you got anythin' to offer, head to my place later. Same for you man. However, before you go, I gotta couple of missions. Girl, I want you to go and recruit others to join us. Man, I gotta list of items for you to collect, they are not hard to fine. Come to my place when your done. Have fun you two, and before you go, can i get your names?"

He lent back in his chair, sipping his whiskey and smiling. A hot red head and a hardened soldier. What more could he ask for?

Lucas downed his third whisky before taking the list from Ringo. He hadn’t had orders in a while, something about it made him feel calm and rested. He had a job to do, he had superior, there was something comforting about that, nostalgia from the old days no doubt.

“Names Redheart sir, Lucas Redheart. And I may look like a soldier...”

Lucas hadn’t been called that in some time, he giggled at the thought of looking like a warrior, all the other brothers always told him he always looked to skinny to be intimidating.

“But I’m not too bad with a spanner either, did some mechanic work in my youth. Reckon I can still do the odd job here and there for ya’.”

Lucas tucked the list into a pocket before turning from Ringo to the Red headed girl that arrived after him. He considered making some half assed sarcastic comment to her, but decided against it. His intuition was telling him she was one of those women that didn’t take much crap, and he really didn’t want to find out if he was right. Instead he just smiled at her.

“So you’re a crack shot ay’? I can imagine you being good...with a rifle I mean, but if we were allowed guns in here I’d ask you to prove it. Maybe we can compare shots on the road?”

It was a friendly tone Lucas used, as if he was genuinely trying to be approachable. But he really just wanted to gage her reaction, if she was aggressive Lucas would know to keep an eye on the crazy girl with a rifle. He knew he shouldn’t really care, she seemed genuine, but it was built into him. He had been examining people with weapons since he was sixteen.

Before long others began to approach Ringo, he decided it would be time to leave his superior to his business.

“I’ll to a quick run with your list, I’ll meet ya’ back at yours then...which is where exactly?”

Iris

The bright shiny town scared Iris a little but she had to find something to eat, she found that most everyone was busy and ignored the small ghoul. She knew she was at one time a petite young woman but any resemblance of that was long gone. But that was okay cause she didn't like talking much anyway, she was digging around in an alley behind a tall building that was a little loud and had a big sign that said 38 on it. Iris could read numbers rather well but it was words that confused her. She noticed a man in a hood slip into a door not to far away her, she shrugged and continued digging through the trash.
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Juniper

"My names Juniper Holland" she said then she turned to the man who called himself Lucas when he challenged her to a shooting contest. "Actually Im very good at handling a "rifle". Im just particular about whose rifle I use is all, so if you think you have a chance Mr. Redheart. I'll take you up on that offer fer a bit of a contest, and if I win when we make it to Neo York you'll oh me a stiff shot of whiskey" she said with a wink and a smirk.

Juniper had never been the type to turn down a bit of friendly competition, and it would be nice to have a little more people to talk to other then open wastes. This trip would be a good opportunity for her. A chance to make a new life for herself, and maybe feel like she's accomplished something a little more in life the surviving on this dust ball of a planet.

When Ringo asked her to recruit along side the spunky little girl with the curls, she was slightly offended but not surprised, "Well if I'm gonna catch some attention Im gonna have to rely on other assets then my good shooting skills" she said with a chuckle. She took the map from Ringo, "Come on Curly Sue lets go hook us some travelers" she said motioning for her to follow.

The only thing Atlas could focus on right now was his hangover that would make anyone else's head spin, and the voice booming over on the other side of the casino. How he wished he could order some drinks to calm his nerves, but those hookers stole all of his money, literally. If he ever caught up to those two-timing sluts, he would wring their scrawny necks.

Just as he was considering mugging some random goofball for caps to fund his needs, he tuned into what the announcer was saying, which he liked every word of. The parts he was able to pick out of the noise in the busy and bustling casino was something about Neo York, a smaller and stronger team, expeditions, and a new start. Oh, how he needed a new start. A new start to let go of the previous years of his life.

He simply observed as the merchant (at least he looked like a merchant) step down from the stage and take a seat next to the bar. While he debated with himself to talk to the trader or not, he saw several different people approach him including a tough guy with long brown hair, some ginger dame, a VERY big guy shrouded in a hood, and a ecstatic ditz.

He finally concluded that without caps he would be on the street corner in less than a day, and this would probably be the chance of a lifetime (How many times has he said that before?). He got up from his seat, shoved his way through the crowd, and took a seat near the merchant.

"How much does it pay?"Atlas said cutting strait to the chase.

Lucas gave a playful laugh
“Sounds good Mrs Holland. Look forward to it.”
He nodded at her as she moved away with another girl. He smiled to himself before he turned back to Ringo.
“I like her. I’d put caps on her actually being as good as she says she is.”
With that he decided he had better go and get started with his new “mission.” That made him chuckle, he was on a “mission” again, it felt good to have orders. But he knew this wasn’t going to be like the old days, somehow doing the boss’s shopping didn’t quite compare with incursions into super mutant territory. But at least he had some direction now, something to work for.
With that thought he left the Lucky 38 casino, not before retrieving his weapons of course. Once outside he lit up a cigarette before taking a long drag of the toxic fumes. He stood outside for a while, watched as the men were led inside by the strippers and whores. One came up to him, but he knew looking all mean and distant usually got rid of them pretty easily. After awhile his cigarette burnt down to the filter and he flicked it into the rubbish heap close by.
“Well better get started...this Goodspring’s better have a comfy bed.”

Juniper

Juniper laughed at the enthusiastic girl "Alright Cadence you don't mind if I call you Candy do yah, and when I said other assets..." she took of her thick jacket and revealing a tight thin white tank top underneath. "I meant these assets dear, men can pass up red hair and nice rack" she laughed just then Candy ran off towards what looked to be a sickly child.

Juniper shook her head and jogged over to where Cadence had run off to "Good God girl you must be one of those hyperactive ADD types" at close range Juniper realized that was no sick little girl it was a Ghoul. It was picking through the trash "Hey there. Are you looking for food? I'm actually working now but if you want I can give you some caps to buy yourself something to eat inside."

Juniper got a confused look "What the hell are you thinking... she's a Ghoul and a puny one at that...", but maybe she might be of some use she thought. "Hey whats your name and do you know how to do anything other the dig through trash?" she asked.

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Iris

Iris jumped when a young human woman came up to her, she even flinched and covered her head "Please don't hurt me" she squeaked out.

"Hey there. Are you looking for food? I'm actually working now but if you want I can give you some caps to buy yourself something to eat inside."

Iris sheepishly turned to the girl with the dark curly hair, "I am hungry would you really give me caps for food..." she said in her usual mousy tone of voice. Her voice usually took humans by surprise, especially since she was a Ghoul and they typically had a gravely tone, but hers was soft and quiet.

Another woman with red hair came running up making Iris jump again and almost hid behind the trash can. The problem was the red haired woman had a gun, "Hey whats your name and do you know how to do anything other the dig through trash?" the woman asked.

Iris peeped up from her hiding spot realizing that the woman with the bright red hair had not come to shoot her "My name is Iris and yes, I can cook, sew, and clean. I learned it from Ms. Nesbitt" she said looking down at the ground.

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Juniper

Juniper nodded as she listened to the "little Ghoul" talk, she was surprised how clear her voice was even though she spoke very quietly. Juniper had to concentrate hard to hear her talk, but from her reaction and way of speaking it was obvious that Iris had not always been treated nicely. Now that was common with most people and Ghouls, Juniper really didn't care as long as they weren't feral and trying to kill her she was fine with them. "Well come on in I think we could use someone on a special trip that can do those sorts of things, and from what I seen Ringo don't care if your a Ghoul or not. Lets get you somthin other then trash to eat" she said.

Juniper

Juniper smiled as the young Ghoul woman's eyes went wide inside the Lucky 38 they went up to the bar where they were before with Ringo and the others. It was obvious that he was busy in the back room so Juniper just went ahead and ordered a small meal with one of the waitresses. She noticed the the one that Ringo had hired before as a bodyguard standing outside the draped off back room area.

She remembered that Ringo had offered him a chance to enjoy the "pleasantries" with him he must have refused, but he seemed aggravated. As the waitress came back and set the food on the bar, Juniper motioned to Iris to dig in. She walked over to Ringo's bodyguard "So whats your real name bodyguard I doubt it's Hoody" she asked.

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Iris

Iris looked around the casino in wonder she had never seen so many fantastic sights in her life. They sat down at the bar and the red haired woman named Juniper said something to another women and she went off. "Miss Juniper it's awfully nice of you and Miss Cadence to do this for me, if I could cry I would", said Iris quietly. When the waitress came back and set down the food, Iris could hear her stomach growl with anticipation, the waitress eyed the ghoul and raised an eyebrow. But she shrugged as long as she got paid she didn't care who was eating the food. Everything looked so good Iris was speechless, "Everything looks so wonderful" she said then she looked back to Juniper who nodded that she could eat. Iris went to work on the plate trying to savor each bite. It wasn't much by normal standards but to Iris it was a gourmet meal.

Atlas simply watched as his now employer got up and walked up to a hooker before motioning to atlas and handing her a pouch full of caps. He was soon led of by a different dame to be.... entertained.

He couldn't believe his luck. 7000 caps? It seemed too good to be true, maybe it was. Something about this trader didn't seem right. His smooth voice, the way he walked, it just had a different vibe than usual. Atlas gut feeling told him so, and his gut feeling was rarely wrong. And besides, it didn't look like he had a very great team either. But for even the promise of 7000 caps he would jump into a pit full of starving deathclaws.

Just then he became aware of the tense feeling radiating off the big guy with the hood. He could tell the guy didn't like or trust him, and wanted nothing to do with him. Taking a closer look, atlas could see that the big guy didn't want to be seen or have any attraction drawn to him. Usually what someone that's in hiding avoids.

Just then he became aware of the other hooker that was beckoning him to a more private room for a good time.

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Atlas lay motionless, exhausted by the past half hours events.True, He wasn't as quite healthy as he once was, but he could still get the job done, and do it right (especially to a woman). He could also hear that what's-his-name had finished up and had wandered out to the ensuing chaos in the lobby.

After getting dressed and saying thanks for the good time, he sauntered out into the lobby. After scanning the lobby for his so called team, he noticed them crowded around some little boy. Scratch that, little girl. Scratch that, midget women. After examining the group for quite some, he noticed one slight detail-she was a ghoul.

He really wondered what that bozo was thinking,thinking of bringing someone like that along. It wasn't like she was going to be worth the caps to pay her, not to mention having to feed, clothe, and drag her sorry ass to and fro. He was sick of helping people, taking care of people, just to have it blow up in his face. He promised him self a long time ago that he would stop doing that whatever the cost. And that was a promise he intended to keep.

"Some team I have." He muttered to himself before he slipped outside to have a smoke and get some fresh air.

Iris
She smiled Cadence "Your both so kind", she was so overwhelmed by it all and then a man came up and started talking to them.

Iris looked down at the bar top when Ringo spoke to her "Iris...mmmy name iis Iris, I can cook annnnd clean and sew" she said. She smiled slightly when the man called Ringo ordered her some more food, this had to be her lucky day. Never had she been around so many kind humans before.
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Juniper
Juniper was a little concerned about his reaction when she asked his name, and after a moment he finally spoke.

"Hrm, Will. Names Will... "What's with the little ghoul?""

She smiled "Well nice to meet you Will" she looked back over at Cadence and Iris "As for the little one, her names Iris we found her out in the alley eating out of a garbage can. So we brought her in to give her a proper meal, probably will have her come along on the trip she says she can cook, clean and sew. We might just need someone who can do that sort of thing for us. Would have brought her any way though even if I had to give up part of my own for her, I can't stand to see someone in such a state, ghoul or not. Ghouls aint as bad as so many other people make them out to be. The only reason the ones go feral cause they just go plum crazy from not hav'n no body to talk to. Hell anybody would go crazy if they are cut off from people too long even a smooth skin, but some people just get scared and stupid cause they don't know no better. I can't say I've never shot a feral... cause I have but when you know someone's about to kill ya you don't think about it you just act" she said looking back at Will.

She could tell he was a ghoul but she wasn't gonna make a big deal about it, "Well Will nice talk'n with ya maybe we can do it again some time during the trip iff'n you aint hav'n to cover Ringo's ass the whole time. She smiled and winked at Will then walked back over to Candy who was all a dither about the caps that Ringo had just tossed to her. "I'll be damned I haven't seen that many caps at once in a long time" she said to Candy.

Ivan had recently finished clearing out a group of doped out fiends from a cave. The two men who had hired him for the job and agreed to assist him were both dead. One caught by a fiend with a flamer that ambushed him as he walked around a sharp corner. His other associate had taken four rounds to the legs before taking a fire axe to the side of his head.

'Lucky for me' he had mused 'they payed me half up front and the guy with the axe in his head had the rest on him'. He had dragged his loot for what felt like half the Mojave before he reached it. New Vegas, in all its glory.

After removing his gas mask and breathing in the smells of cigarettes and garbage, his first stop was Mick and Ralph's where he dropped off a bunch of weapons, ammunition and supplies. He also restocked his own. In total he made around 150 caps. It would have been more if he had the time and parts to fix up some of the weapons. But when there's alcohol to be drunk and hookers that needed fucking, fixing up some two bit smg was the last thing on his mind.

His second and final stop being the strip. He always let out a deep breath when he got in. He was always afraid the bots would notice his pass was a forgery that he acquired for a few hundred caps from Mick. Luck was once again on his side as he walked right past the bots. Breathing a deep sigh he headed towards the Lucky 38. He had met the owner once or twice. Went by 'The Courier', god knows why. Ivan had heard rumors that he had been shot in the head. If he hadn't seen the scar he would've called the rumors complete bullshit.

He had entered the Lucky 38, just to hear some guy who was finishing talking about a place called 'Neo York'. Ivan had more important things on his mind. His gas mask dangling about his neck he sat at the bar and ordered a beer. Some blonde bombshell wearing a nice skimpy skirt was showing off around Ivan. Then Ivan noticed that the man who had been talking on stage had sat a few stools down.

A bunch of people began talking to him. He was to busy checking out the blondes ass and drinking beer to really listen in. Although the the red head with the big tits caught his attention. While they were busy chatting up the man Ivan began talking to the blonde in the skimpy skirt. She gave him her fee which he gladly accepted. Taking her to his hotel room where they fucked for hours.

Ivan had put only on the essentials. That being everything. He had a habit of always wearing his armor, one never knows when someone could go postal inside Freeside or even The Strip. His gas mask always dangled around his neck, just in case something was to happen. His gas mask hooked up to his bag where his Chinese assault rifle was hooked to the side. His other various weapons were on different parts of his armor. Seeing the hooker out he went to seek out the man he saw earlier. He managed to find him and decided it was the best time. He thought he heard the man mention him only staying here for a day or so.

Upon spotting the man Ivan walked up to him with a smile, showing off his perfectly white teeth. Which always seemed out of place to people, what with his rough face, slightly crooked nose and large scar running along from behind his left ear down along his neck.

"Hello, name's Ivan," Ivan announced cheerfully to the man knows as Ringo, in his Russian accent, "I heard you talking about someplace called 'Neo York' early. Care to explain where it is and how do I get there? I know I'd love to be in DC rather than this dust bin. Because if it's any better than here, I'm heading straight for it," Ivan finished while scratching his scar.

Juniper

Juniper smiled after the caps were split between she and Candy "Hey that was some easy money wasn't it" she said with a slight chuckle. She looked back at Will wondering if he had eaten recently, when a man came up sporting a gas mask and a Russian accent. It was an odd thing to hear for Juniper she'd heard accents before but Russian was a little scary.

When your taught as a child, that all of this happened because of the Cold War and the communists it was a little unnerving for her. She decided she would feel safer by Will and Ringo, so she slid her caps into one of the pockets of her pants near her boot and walked over to Will once again. Keeping an eye on the new guy she was sure Ringo would take the guy in the caravan. She leaned and whispered at Will "Have you eaten anything recently?" she asked with genuine concern for him.

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Iris

Was busily eating her meal when another man came up and talked to Ringo, she didn't think much of him other then he was armed with a gun. But that was common among everyone around her right now. She had a gun in the ragged sack she had with her, but she didn't have any ammo never the less it always made her feel safer.