Cheyton Marketplace: Retail Therapy Advertisement
Tessa had the fortune of having an equally small, equally thin half-sister. With a slight height discrepancy, any clothing that fit to Tessa's body would look even better on her booksmart beautiful half-sister. Slightly miffed that she just couldn't blow all her caps on pretty dresses. She had to arrange a variety of clothing for them and their upcoming ventures.
Picking out pairs of each item, she found summer dresses, various pre-war shirts and pants, scribe robes, trader outfits fitted with innumerable amount of pockets, scarves, head-wraps and finally two formal black and white dresses fitted with a stylish belt.
Piled up all at once, the second-hand clothing trader was positively awestruck at Tessa's massive impulse purchase. "Ma'am, you do realize these are second-hand clothing or donations."
Pulling out one of the summer dresses stained with blood, Tessa pointed with a smirk. "I noticed. But it's nothing an auto-wash won't fix, right?" The trader reassured her that there was nothing to worry about and billed her after counting the items of clothing. 200 caps for the entire bundle. "Thank you very much!" beaming with joy, she made her way home with her large stack of clothing.
The Rabbit Hole: Boring Interlude
Tempted to try out all the clothing, she stuck the load in the auto-wash instead, which would finish automatically once the clothing was sufficiently clean. She counted her remaining caps in the meantime and pouted: "232 caps!? I'm becoming poor again."
Tessa did, however, don the scarf head-wrap and made her way into the market again. Time to lure out some knucklehead activity. Pocketing the caps and leaving her schoolbag behind, she needed to move uninhibited.
Cheyton Marketplace Roofs: Back To Your Regularly Scheduled Action!
Tessa found that the best way to scout alleyways was from above, people underestimate the ability to attack from above.
Now if these Knucklehead's had any sense, they would post scouts on the rooftops overlooking the market like Tessa had done with the Feral Rabbits of Freeside. Yet to Tessa's advantage and going off the Doctor's information, they could be found waiting in alleyways for easy muggings. Seriously, for organized crime, they made rookie mistakes.
[Silent Running][Finesse] Tessa kept low and made her way silently from rooftop to rooftop, watching any alleyways before moving onto the next.
Moving away from the marketplace, she moved towards the beginning of the slums and just before she was going to make her way back, the beginning of screams and a fight could be heard nearby. Hopping towards the source, she peeked over the edge and spotted a group of three large men, shaven heads with spiked knuckles beating a scrawny man senseless. Caps were hitting the ground with every kick before two of the men left while laughing.
Spiked knuckles...many gangs had trademark weapons. The Feral Rabbits were known for blades and shotguns...
Giving time as they turned the corner, Tessa silently descended to a second-story balcony. Positioning herself just above the Knucklehead who was viciously puncturing the man's leg. Tessa's drew her bowie knife and readied the blade in a downward motion.
The best way to get a drop on your enemy, is to literally drop down on your enemy.
Dropping from above and using the force of gravity and practiced positioning, she buried her bowie knife deeply just beneath the collarbone of the Knucklehead. Wrapping her legs around his waist, Tessa attempted to withdraw her blade for another attack but was grabbed by the shoulders and tossed over the man.
Landing sprawling like the most ungraceful cat, Tessa was surprised to see the large muscled opponent pull out her knife and throw it to the wayside. Meanwhile, Tessa was backpedalling for distance with a smirk on her face.
"Running away, little *****!?"
"No." Tessa activated her throwing knife dispenser. "Just going to make you my little *****."
[Loose Cannon] She sent the first blade soaring into the man's thigh, she started to close the distance and threw the second blade into the man's chest and finally she buried the last blade into his opposing thigh while dodging a wild swing.
Buckling to the ground in absolute pain, the Knucklehead collapsed face-first in agony, which only served to bury the blades deeper. Retrieving her bowie knife and pushing the man over with her boot, she mounted the bleeding man and pressed the blade point-first to his throat.
"If you move or even think of attacking me, this blade is going to pierce your throat." With a satisfied growl in her voice, she continued. "You're a Knucklehead, right? Answer with a yes or a no. Any head movement will kill you."
"Y-yes, you crazy bitc-!" The stammering Knucklehead managed to splutter.
Pressing the full blade against his throat, she was beginning to cause a shallow cut. "Spike-Knucks, that's your guys trademark?"
"Yes goddammit...w-we have to wear them!...Code!"
"Thanks Jackass, now I want you spread a message to your friends." This is the part where Tessa leaned back, twisted and pulled each knife out of his body. The man screamed like a girl, much to her delight. "Cheyton belongs to The Twisted Hares. You got that?"
With severe force, Tessa struck the man on the temple with the handle of her bowie knife, knocking him unconscious. He was bleeding out, but she was sure someone of his gang would cross his path. However, there was the trader that was being attacked earlier, a scrawny man who had crawled behind a dumpster during their brief fight.
"Not going to hurt you." She holstered her weapons and offered her hand. She was greeted by a sackful of caps and a scared plea instead.
"Take it, there's 300 at least left! Just please get me out of here! Draping the trader's arm around her shoulder, helping the man with injured legs back towards the safety of the Followers. Tessa offered caps for his treatment, but she was waved off and told that he had more. She was ushered off with one last thank you and a goodbye.
Tessa cleaned herself off, blades, blood and all in the Followers bathroom and made her way back to the Marketplace one last time.
532 caps today. Not bad for "honest" work.
She was exhausted, eager to share her intel, aching a little from the fight, hungry and she wanted to find her sisters.
And with a stroke of luck, she found her beautiful sister Mercy and the adorable Vera walking and hovering, respectively in her direction.
