Daggers and Sparks

He did remember reading, or being told, somehow he knew, they had been experiments, those creatures. Humans were responsible for a hell of a lot of evil in the world.

West up from the table a little suddenly heading back to the bar, not wanting to think about those creatures again. Or the fact that he was suddenly thinking about aliens destroying Earth and how it was probably deserved if they did. Or more accurately thinking of the strangely lit dull white rounded rooms that he knew to be alien. He’d been taken. That was a memory not his imagination–

“You have that look… Did you come to see me, mi amor?” Santiago spoke low, and concerned, waving James over as West clearly did want something.

West swallowed hard, shaking his head and flashing Santiago an apologetic smile, “No. Not tonight. I’m here with a friend. But–” West didn’t want to get into whatever his and Mairwen relationship was. Even he wasn’t so sure. He barely knew her. She knew enough about him. Or so she claimed. But he trusted her. He was determined to trust her and not doubt himself into paranoia. “Thanks. Maybe next time.”

“Another beer?” James asked, raising an eyebrow, already annoyed West wasn’t hiring anyone tonight from the look of it. But as long as he and his pal kept drinking.

“Yeah. And a bottle of whiskey?” West nodded, pulling caps from his pocket to pay and a few NCR dollars. James delivered the goods and West went back to their table, sliding the beer to Mairwen. He liked the Atomic Wrangler. Santiago was fun and didn’t demand much, the Garretts didn’t get into anyone else’s business and the rooms were cleaner than most places.

And they reminded her of what the experiments in her own vault could have been, had they been instructed to go with genetics instead of cybernetics. Their sister vault had, and they had come up with some terrible things of their own.

She watched West as he walked over to the bar to get more drinks, noting the way James looked first at the other man, then the glance at her. She raised her glass a little bit in a salute, smirking at the man. Mairwen took the bottle of whiskey from West after he took a swig, pouring herself some as he began to speak again.

And they reminded her of what the experiments in her own vault could have been, had they been instructed to go with genetics instead of cybernetics. Their sister vault had, and they had come up with some terrible things of their own.

She watched West as he walked over to the bar to get more drinks, noting the way James looked first at the other man, then the glance at her. She raised her glass a little bit in a salute, smirking at the man. Mairwen took the bottle of whiskey from West after he took a swig, pouring herself some as he began to speak again.

Though... that's not to say the slight zing he felt along his flesh from her touch wasn't tempting.

Cicero was a bit surprised. Though he was no stranger to charming the already owned women of the camp, he hardly was approached himself.

"So you have nothing to give," He grins widely, not moving from her hand, "I'm becoming increasingly suspicious that this request doesn't come from your Master at all. But from you. Considering how eager you are to avoid involving him in all this."

Cicero's own fingers twirl a segment of her fiery hair.

"Tell me the truth of it, woman. What's so important that you'd offer me comfort despite the fact that I'm well aware of your disdain for me?"

She tilted her head, narrowing her eyes at him as he twirled a bit of her hair between his fingers, trying to decide how much to tell him. Both about what she needed his help for and about her 'disdain'.

❝The disdain isn't for you in particular, don't fret.❞ Mairwen shrugged at the admission. She made a face before continuing. ❝It's for the way I'm treated in the Legion. My perceived 'uses', as it were. I have other skills, after all.❞

❝Which is exactly why I don't want to get him involved.❞ She intentionally didn't call him her 'Master' or 'Husband' or anything of the sort. Not even bothering to use his name. ❝He suggested I sleep with the item's owner and kill him that way.❞

Her words were... Mostly true. A bit of an exaggeration in part, but not by much. She didn't mind that the man who "owned" her [and most men in the Legion] underestimated her and only viewed her as a sexual object. She did hate that her 'master' always suggested that as a way for her to solve his issues, however.

The picking of his knife comes to a halt, and grey eyes finally look to her from his lazy position leaned against the log behind him on the ground. They're sharp, calculating, roaming.

"An agreement," He grins, those sharpened teeth of his glisten in the firelight as he sits up just a little straighter.

Vulpes looked down at Mair with a bit of a enthusiastic face. "Mmm is there anything you can say without being a little brat." He does chuckle a bit.

He places his hand on the side of her cheek, his thumb gently rubbing the side of her face as he leans down and gently kisses her.

❝ The world’s a little blurry, or maybe it’s my eyes ❞ Mairwen frowns as she stares into the glass of… Was it whiskey this time? She couldn’t remember. She sighed, knocking the rest of it back and throwing the now empty glass behind her, leaving it to crash against the floor of the Cocktail Longue. ❝ The friends I’ve had to bury… They keep me up at night ❞

{ He didn’t think twice about Mairwen’s invitation. High up, above the dirt, the Lucky 38 was almost paradise. Air conditioning and silk sheets, luxuries only barons and presidents enjoyed, now enjoyed by Mairwen. She earned it, every bit. }

{ Yet despite this skyscraper palace, she seemed down. Despite the scotch, or whiskey, Scratch could see and feel the sadness. He could relate with her words. Sitting aside his crystal glass, Scratch sat upright, near Mairwen. He expressed empathy, despite his scars. }

Fiona looks up at Mairwen and tilts her head to the side.

"Why does it feel like your always tryna kiss me?" She giggles a bit. "Are you not getting enough attention too?" She sighs and stands on her toes to reach Mair better giving her a sweet kiss.

He thought of asking her what her 'enhancement’ was. But he wasn’t sure she’d want to share. He didn’t want to press or make her uncomfortable or… god forbid scare her away. He liked Mairwen. Really liked her. She’d been one of the few people he was okay with being guarded. Because for some reason he still trusted her, still believed she cared about him and didn’t want anything in return. It was strange, in this new world, to take someone at face value again.

“…Do you think all of the Vaults had an experiment going on? I don’t know if we did. Ours seemed so normal… Maybe… Letting one guy in twenty years ago was it? Maybe…” Wes looked at the pork and beans bubbling in the pot and gave them a stir, shaking his head. “Maybe that’s why they all… fucking hated me when Dad left. Why they killed Jonas for helping him… I don’t know.” Wesley shrugged, then after a moment looked to his friend.

“You don’t have to tell me, if you don’t want, about what happened to you… in there. When you were a kid or later. But if you do… I’ll listen.”

She held it open like that for a moment, tilting her hand this way and that so he could get a better view before she quickly closed her fingers to a point and dropped her hand, smirking a little bit as she shook out her arm.

❝Electroshock weaponry, basically.❞ She explained, holding up her hand again, this time without the electricity. ❝From what I understand, most of the vaults had experiments. Except a few control ones. The Canadian vaults were honest about it. Maybe because we'd been annexed anyway. They knew going in that there were going to be experiments.❞

@fiona-inculta: Fiona looks up from the chair as she was filing her nails, fixing the sharp points on them. "well that depends on what kind do you want or need? I got some under the bed." She points with the nail file. "Or over there in the little chest.... I do think Vulpes desk has some of the strongest shit we have." She grins. "Who ya killin?"

❝It's one of those White Glove guys.❞ Mairwen explained, trying to decide which poison would be best for what she needed. Heading to the chest, she checked there first, rifling through various poisons found there.