West Virginia

Yen smiled and launched into the story telling with gusto. "Well, for sixty-four years I've been here repairing, like I said. But I've been around longer than that. In fact, it was..." he stopped and thought. And thought. "Around 240? Yeah. Around 240 years ago that I started my adventuring career." He laughed. "You know, 240 years ago I would have said that no one could live to be over 120. And now here I am. Living proof that that ain't so. Does that seem right to you? Anyway, there I was, thinking that I was the only living soul left in the world. Until I found the, uh..." He paused for a moment. "Tribesmen." He figured that this man wouldn't take too kindly to a person who had helped the Raiders. "I helped them as an expert hacker and repair man for a good 156 years." He laughed again. "I guess it was pretty funny when I figured out I wasn't going to die of old age. I just kept thinkin', 'anytime now,' but nope. I just kept on living like nothing in the 'verse could stop me. At first I was pretty freaked out, but then I got accustomed to the thought." If this were an awards ceremony, Yen would probably be given the 'Best-Sport-in-the-Galaxy Award,' but he didn't seem to know it. He just lived, and was happy with that, no matter how long it took for him to finally die. "But then..." His eyes grew pained and the smile disappeared from his face. "I, uh... betrayed one tribe. I chose to skim some of the loot. They didn't take too kindly to that. They, uh... Well anyway, that's how I lost my ear." The grin returned. "I know exactly what you're thinking. 'Which ear, Yen? Aren't they both missing?' Yeah, the other one fell off." He guffawed. "You know, before the war, I never thought I'd be able to say that. 'My ear fell off.' Ha! Oh, that's too good." After a moment of calming down, he continued. "I escaped from them one day and made my way here. I gotta say I was surprised. I didn't think settlements existed anymore. But they patched me up and so I set up shop. Ever since, I've been wanting to get back out there, you know?"

Yen then realized that he'd been yapping for quite a long time and quieted down. "So, you're thinking of joining up too?"

Niklas stared at the rusty blade, unsure what to say to the male. "It's broken beyond my repair. I would ask Yen - He's far better at that than i ever could be. Actually, better than anyone, i think." He muttered, starting to listen to Yen's Story.

The look on Niklas' face was one of astonishment and suprise. He had never truly listened to Yen before. He tapped Yen on the shoulder, and decided he owed him an apology. In a quick movement, unmasked himself and pulled his hood down. "Yen, i must be honest, you're far more interesting than you let on. I haven't been totally truthful to you, so i'll let it out. I'm Niklas Amsler, one of the four Swordsmen of the Apocalypse -See what we did there?- and i'm Not German. English, actually. I'd like to apologise for my constant disguise, and would like to make it up to you. How about i pay for the next few rounds of beer, eh?" He laughed, his English accent coming through thickly.

"Now, i apologise for intruding." He smiled, extending a hand for Yen. Mainly for a handshake. "Still dislike me?"

Sean listened carefully, he was always fascinated by the stories that ghouls had to tell. A combined age and wisdom always made for great listen.

He scratched the side of his face, then realized how grizzly his facial hair was getting, months without a shave was certainly making a difference to his appearance.

"I guess I can't say you're grinning from ear to ear then..." He muttered jokingly.

"Well you have a very interesting story friend. And yes, I am hoping to join as well." He gave a nod, then glanced over to the man removing his mask, giving Yen a seemingly heartfelt apology about something.

Yen nodded in thanks at Sean, then looked up in surprise at Niklas. This was a turn of events that he had definitely not forseen. For once the talkative ghoul was completely speechless. Now he understood why the proud swordsman kept up his disguise, and why he was so overconfident. It was all an act. Well, some of it. He was glad to know about the accent: that had been bothering him. And though Yen usually didn't drink, he would gladly take a few rounds on this apologetic fellow.

'Now, i apologise for intruding. Still dislike me?'

Yen blinked in surprise. Then he opened his mouth to speak, but didn't really know what to say. He wasn't used to being apologized to. So he just shook his head and shook Niklas' hand. "Thanks." he managed to croak. Then he recovered his composure and stuttered a little. "Um, uhhhm yes, fantastic. Uhhhm thank-you. I'm sorry for um, being so hostile. Um, yes. Fantastic." Completely recovered now, he stood up and grinned, shaking Niklas' hand more strongly. "I had no idea I was speaking to the Swordsman of the Apocalypse. And yes, I love the reference."

Niklas smiled warmly at the two. "Alright. I'll be back in a second." He laughed, standing up. "Hey, Mister." He smiled, talking to the other fellow behind Yen. "Care for a round?"

He walked off towards the bar, and smiled at the Barman. "Three Glasses of Whiskey, mate." He grinned, dropping 75 caps on the table.

He shuffled back, and put the Glasses down. "To new beginnings, Eh?"

Sean smiked warmly.
"I'll drink to that." He said, scooping up a glass, then let some of the warm whiskey down his throat.
"Pretty good," he commented, "even after a few centuries and a nuclear apocalypse."
"And I never caught your name." Sean said, turning to the Bladesman.

"Ah." Niklas muttered, directed towards the male. "The name is Niklas Amsler, but you can call me Niklas." He laughed, drinking some Whiskey.

"And you, friend?" He smiled towards him. Something is different about this one. I hope we can maintain a friendship. He thought to himself, a grin forming on his face. "I'll be back in a minute, hold on."

He returned around three minutes later, in a new getup. He had a white shirt, missing one sleeve, and a leather vest over it. With black trousers and boots. The missing sleeve showed his Metal arm, which thankfully Yen had made. Probably out of spite. He also had his long, blonde hair tied back, with a perfect fringe.

"Yen, did i ever thank you for making me this replacement? It's so much more useful. Remember, explosives aren't a joke. Although, i learnt that the hard way."

Yen lifted his glass in salute then took a swig. It had been a while since he had drunk and the whiskey burned his throat, making him cough. When he recovered, laughing at himself, he saw that Niklas had gone and returned with a less ridiculous outfit. "Yes, I believe you did give me some snarky but grateful response." He smiled, his eyes still wet with tears from coughing. "You never did tell me the story, though. Of how it happened, that is."

Em slid her pistol over to Yen as he spoke,

"Don't feel rushed to look at it, just whenever you get the chance."

she whispered in a low, alluring voice. She grabbed her shot glass and took the shot, she was feeling a little more than tipsy now, having finished off at least a bottle of whiskey by herself, if not more. The rumble of all the voices in the place kind of annoyed her, she was becoming somewhat angry with everyone outside of her table, the booze only intensifying the fact. The table she was apart of all had their little back stories, and she'd tried to keep up with who was who and what story belonged to who, but it was hard for her to make out faces, the alcohol made everything more blurry than her fading eyes did, combined everything was just a bunch of colors mixed together. It made her kind of dizzy.

She pulled a folded up piece of paper out of her back pocket, backing slowly away from the table. After unfolding it she headed to the guard outside of her VIP room, that held the rest of the Reix and handed it to him. It was her application that she'd filled out earlier. More of a blank piece of paper more or less that she'd filled out herself describing her. She couldn't talk about herself very well without feeling awkward as hell, but she could write like no tomorrow.

The supermutant stared at the paper for several minutes, trying to decipher the foreign words on the page;

" Ah fuck, don't act like you can read. Just let me go in already."

The supermutant looked taken aback at such a small, skinny girl saying something so bold to someone as big as him and let her in. Trent, the ghoul that had sat at her table originally stood and followed her into the room. She wanted to get this show on the road.

"Ah, well." Yen said to Niklas, smiling. "Another day, perhaps. A day when we're out on the road with the Reix!" He lifted his glass once more, downed the rest of the whiskey, coughed, and then set the glass on the bar. Scooping up Em's pistol, he put it in his backpack - the same old backpack he had had with him since high-school. "Wish me luck." He said with a nervous smile, then took out his application and walked to the door of the VIP room. Handing it to the guard, he waited for him to read it. And waited. And waited. And waited. He cleared his throat uncomfortably. "Uh, look, can you actually read that thing?" The super-mutant looked up at him and nodded, obviously lying. Yen didn't catch it, though. "Okay." he said. And waited some more. "Um. Yeah. I don't think you can, 'cause I didn't write that much. So could ya just let me in now?" Yen started to walk forward, and the super-mutant pushed him back.

'You no go in 'til I say.'

Yen put up his hands. "Okay, I don't want a fight."

'Then go home.'

Yen looked chagrined, then angry. "Nevermind, I do want a fight. Lemme in, you scumbag!" He pulled out his pistol, trying to look tough.

The super-mutant smirked, then pushed open the door. 'You go in now.'

Yen spluttered for a moment, then put his pistol away, smoothed out his shirt and walked in as coolly as he could.

Niklas laughed when Yen was denied entry, but then frowned when he got in. "Aw. I wanted him to not get in, so I could be a good friend and let him in." He groaned like a five year old, standing up and shuffling over to the V.I.P. Room. "Oi, big boy. Yes, you."

The super mutant stared at him, and he handed him a small book, with no front or back cover. He spent a good twenty minutes staring at each of the pages before Niklas lost his cool.

"You can't read it, can you?" He groaned, the Mutant shaking his head slightly. "Well, let me in."

His response was blunt, but straight to the point. "No."

Niklas wasn't in the mood for it. He taunted the Mutant slightly, waving his arms in a sort of "Come at me, then." Action. The mutant didn't waste any time, and it grabbed his arms. It leaned down to head butt him, and the word strange came into play with Niklas. He kneed the mutant in the gut, with great effort, I may add. Then He leaned up, and sunk his teeth into the mutants neck. The mutant responded by lifting him up by the throat, and flashing him a playful grin. "Same as ever." It laughed.

"You so foolish. Go in, human." It laughed, smiling warmly at Niklas. He was let go, and he skipped like a little girl into the VIP room. "I don't know about you, but i'm familiar with him, and he just kicked my ass."