Courier decides, inexplicitly, to change their plans and head straight to Jacobstown. The farther up the mountain they get, the colder the air and the worse it is on her. She tries to stifle her coughing, and the others strike up conversation to cover the sound of her wheezing.
“So, who wants to have a snowball fight when we get up the mountain?” Veronica asks cheerfully, and Arcade can almost kiss her for her exuberance. “I call Courier.” Courier laughs, and starts hacking again, but the smile doesn’t leave her face. Boone is by her side, as always, and this time she leans into him without a fuss.
“We can bake cookies,” Lily cheers, and Courier nods.
“Of course, grandma,” she rasps. “Any kind of cookies you want.” Lily coos at her, and sweeps her up into her giant arms, much to Courier’s chagrin.
“Little Jimmy needs to take a breather. He knows how much the cold aggravates his asthma.” Courier opens her mouth to protest, only to be cut off by Veronica.
“Yeah, Jimmy,” she says, grinning. Rex whines, and sits down. Cass leans over to pet him, murmuring soft words of encouragement.
“I’m going to scout for a place to for us to stay,” Boone says. He takes off his coat and holds it out to the Courier. She smiles weakly and Lily takes it from Boone, wrapping Courier up in it tightly. “I’ll be right back.”
“I’ll come with you,” Raul says. “Couldn’t hurt for you to have another set of eyes, even if they are half blind.” Raul and Boone take off, Boone’s red beret becoming a speck in the distance. They all sit down and Veronica tries to start a campfire, finally filching some of Cass’ whiskey to use as fuel.
Cass doesn’t pay her any sort of mind other than to make a face at her. She’s busy talking to Rex, and Arcade thinks her voice is the softest he has ever heard it.
“Poor thing. You and Courier are just about dying on us, aren’t you? Too bad we can’t get her a transplant to fix whatever’s wrong with her.” Rex whines, leaning into Cass’ hand, and she says, “Shh, I know it hurts, boy. You can make it. Hell, I’ll even carry you if the going gets rough, all right?” She looks up to see Arcade staring up at her, and says defensively, “What?”
“I,” Arcade says, not sure what to say. “You’re a hell of a lot nicer than you let on.” Cass snorts, patting the spot next to her.
“Siddown, pretty boy. No use in freezing your ass off by yourself,” she says, and he plops down next to her. He strokes Rex’s flank, ignoring the faded red bull painted on it.
“I always wanted a dog,” he speaks up suddenly. Cass lights two cigarettes, passing him one. He takes it without complaint.
“Oh yeah?”
“Yeah,” he says. “Always thought they were amazing when they weren’t feral.” He leaves out the part about having a dog being as American as baseball and apple pie, and wanting to live out the American Dream as preached by the Enclave.
“I had one once,” Cass says. “His name was Sour. A left over from before my old man took off.”
“Did you like him?”
“He was mean as fuck to anyone but me and my ma. But yeah. He was a damned good dog,” she says almost nostalgically, scratching Rex behind the ears.
Boone and Raul make it back, and lead the group to a shack built into the side of the mountain. Arcade finds his eyes looking toward the Remnant’s Bunker, and he feels almost ill at the thought of being so close to it. He takes deep breaths, telling himself that even if the others did find it, there was no way they would know what he used to be. No way to tell by looking at him.
“You ok?” Boone asks worriedly, eyes darting back and forth between him and Courier. Arcade swallows.
“Fine,” he says, forcing a grin. “Just a little tired.”
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timeasmymeasure
Keep Your Composure 11/?
Date: 2011-11-27 01:09 am (UTC)Courier decides, inexplicitly, to change their plans and head straight to Jacobstown. The farther up the mountain they get, the colder the air and the worse it is on her. She tries to stifle her coughing, and the others strike up conversation to cover the sound of her wheezing.
“So, who wants to have a snowball fight when we get up the mountain?” Veronica asks cheerfully, and Arcade can almost kiss her for her exuberance. “I call Courier.” Courier laughs, and starts hacking again, but the smile doesn’t leave her face. Boone is by her side, as always, and this time she leans into him without a fuss.
“We can bake cookies,” Lily cheers, and Courier nods.
“Of course, grandma,” she rasps. “Any kind of cookies you want.” Lily coos at her, and sweeps her up into her giant arms, much to Courier’s chagrin.
“Little Jimmy needs to take a breather. He knows how much the cold aggravates his asthma.” Courier opens her mouth to protest, only to be cut off by Veronica.
“Yeah, Jimmy,” she says, grinning. Rex whines, and sits down. Cass leans over to pet him, murmuring soft words of encouragement.
“I’m going to scout for a place to for us to stay,” Boone says. He takes off his coat and holds it out to the Courier. She smiles weakly and Lily takes it from Boone, wrapping Courier up in it tightly. “I’ll be right back.”
“I’ll come with you,” Raul says. “Couldn’t hurt for you to have another set of eyes, even if they are half blind.” Raul and Boone take off, Boone’s red beret becoming a speck in the distance. They all sit down and Veronica tries to start a campfire, finally filching some of Cass’ whiskey to use as fuel.
Cass doesn’t pay her any sort of mind other than to make a face at her. She’s busy talking to Rex, and Arcade thinks her voice is the softest he has ever heard it.
“Poor thing. You and Courier are just about dying on us, aren’t you? Too bad we can’t get her a transplant to fix whatever’s wrong with her.” Rex whines, leaning into Cass’ hand, and she says, “Shh, I know it hurts, boy. You can make it. Hell, I’ll even carry you if the going gets rough, all right?” She looks up to see Arcade staring up at her, and says defensively, “What?”
“I,” Arcade says, not sure what to say. “You’re a hell of a lot nicer than you let on.” Cass snorts, patting the spot next to her.
“Siddown, pretty boy. No use in freezing your ass off by yourself,” she says, and he plops down next to her. He strokes Rex’s flank, ignoring the faded red bull painted on it.
“I always wanted a dog,” he speaks up suddenly. Cass lights two cigarettes, passing him one. He takes it without complaint.
“Oh yeah?”
“Yeah,” he says. “Always thought they were amazing when they weren’t feral.” He leaves out the part about having a dog being as American as baseball and apple pie, and wanting to live out the American Dream as preached by the Enclave.
“I had one once,” Cass says. “His name was Sour. A left over from before my old man took off.”
“Did you like him?”
“He was mean as fuck to anyone but me and my ma. But yeah. He was a damned good dog,” she says almost nostalgically, scratching Rex behind the ears.
Boone and Raul make it back, and lead the group to a shack built into the side of the mountain. Arcade finds his eyes looking toward the Remnant’s Bunker, and he feels almost ill at the thought of being so close to it. He takes deep breaths, telling himself that even if the others did find it, there was no way they would know what he used to be. No way to tell by looking at him.
“You ok?” Boone asks worriedly, eyes darting back and forth between him and Courier. Arcade swallows.
“Fine,” he says, forcing a grin. “Just a little tired.”