Kristin Blamco & Jonathan McKenna (Collaboration post) - Springvale Outskirts:
"Sundowner/Monsoon"
[hr][hr]
Kristin's Perspective:
-
Well well well, what do we have here? Kristin thought to herself as she watched the landing of the so-called 'Vertibird'. The Princess of all-that-is-BlamCo watched with eager eyes to see what kind of clientele Miss Black had summoned upon their departure. Surely, if they could afford such extravagant means of transport, they had to be individuals of great affluence!
Kristin smiled to herself, feeling rather fortunate that she had stumbled across Miss Black with all her connections and whatnot. 'Tis a day for celebration, to a new beginning! Right! She would prepare a celebratory snack with Bob, the travelling Pugilist, as they would watch the sale from afar.
Yet -
Three figures, clad in full-body black power armor had exited the 'Vertibird'. The first had marched right up to Miss Black's residence with something in hand, however, the two remaining figures took to the standing just outside the house. They appeared to carrying matching...things. Kristin couldn't quite tell what they were at this distance, but just as cheese would pop with joy in the microwave, Kristin's pride practically exploded...internally. (Get your mind out of the gutter.)
Oh dear, oh dear, oh dear...
An assault on the newly christened Springvale BlamCo Branch? These weren't customers, these were the dairy-less heathens that the Blamco's fought against for generations!
Why was it that they wore helmets to conceal their faces? Protection? Well you would be right! But protection from what?! BlamCo and the Dairy Gods themselves! Yes, these godless heathens wore their masks out of pure and utter shame!
[HEADING=2]ABSOLUTE SHAME! BECAUSE THEY COULD NOT PARTAKE IN THE DIVINITY OF DAIRY![/HEADING]
[hr][hr]
Jonathan's Perspective:
-
"You, woman!", Bob shouted as he pointed at Kristin, the Pugilist making his authority known,
"You will carry me back to Lucy Black's residence, and you will do it NOW!"
Before she could agree or even explain, he continued,
"LISTEN TO ME! I will explain on the move. Do this and I swear on whatever gods you believe in; a lifetime of servitude!"
[hr][hr]
Kristin's Perspective:
-
Kristin, struck with a look of absolute shock at Bob's command and giddy excitement at his words, did not hesitate to hop down from the boulder. Pausing only to shift her hands to her hips, Kristin grinned at the Pugilist's enthusiasm.
"Very well, Pugilist of BlamCo!", Kristin grinned with excitement, pointing to Bob and then gripping the handle of her blade, merely lifting it and letting gravity do the rest of the work as it was raised above her head...the ground formed cracks upon impact. "I have no doubt! Those armored figures,
those soybeans that masquerade as fake dairy while they hide their deceptive faces under those helmets of shame, all of them...are enemies to the BlamCo name!"
Sheathing the monstrosity of a blade once more, Kristin looked upon Bob and spoke in a manner that demanded attention.
"As an agent of Dairy, I have been issued a strict divine edict to protect the sanctity of all that is Creamy.", In a rare moment of humility, Kristin took a knee before Bob and with her head bowed, she made a heartfelt declaration. "That now includes your life and safety, Bob the Pugilist."
As the moment passed and pride returned, she started rummaging through her bag. Kristin located a pair of latex gloves that she used when working with more questionable ingredients and shoved two cubes of the instant BlamCo Jawbreakers into her mini-microwave (The same variant used in Bob's cleansing bath). Setting the microwave to 'potato', Kristin offered the latex gloves to Bob, "Please put these on, for our attack to work, we will need to work together. Upon the heavenly ring, I will need you to reach within the depths of my bag, extract the ultra-hardening cheese while it is still warm and throw it at our enemies faces. We will blind them first and commence our attack!"
And then the BlamCo Princess turned her back to Bob and proceeded to squat, her fingers making jazz hands as she indicated for Bob to ride upon her back. "As warriors, we will ride into battle
and in BlamCo's stead, we smite Soya!"
[hr][hr]
Jonathan's Perspective:
-
"Cheese, woman?" Jonathan demanded, a hint of rage in his voice. They were about to face the most technologically advanced and disciplined force on earth, and she wanted to...
throw cheese at them?
"Have you any idea what we're about to deal with? We need a plan and firepower, do NOT mess around!"
Limping back to his things, he pulled out an ammo belt for the rifle and holstered his pistol behind his back.
"Unless you want Lucy Black to die, I suggest you start taking this seriously!" he shouted, pointing at her once again, a hint of urgency in his voice
[hr][hr]
Kristin's Perspective:
-
Kristin raised her eyebrow at his distrust, standing and turning around in place, the BlamCo Heiress pointed back at the Pugilist with her reinforced bumper sword. "Do you not remember what the ultra-hardening Dairy did to your body mere hours ago?", Kristin raised her chin with pride, "You will have the opportunity to render our opposition blind!"
"
And a plan!?" Kristin grinned maliciously and far too eagerly, trying her absolute best to stifle the laughter. "Do you not lust for the thrill of battle?" One-handedly planting the sword into the ground with significant impact. Kristin sighed at Bob's anxiety. "But if it is a plan you desire, speak your mind, Pugilist! So long as my blade is within the reach of these Shameful One's, our glorious battle will begin! Surely our tactics will be complementary?" Kristin pointed at the hunting rifle with her bumper sword, highlighting the contrast between the weapons.
Kristin draped the reinforced bumper sword across her shoulder, her appearance looked absurdly casual. Yet the tapping of her foot and the biting of her lip had betrayed her true emotions.
"
Don't dare mistake my enthusiasm for indifference! I am rushing into battle, willing to die by your side, in order for us to save Miss Black...and secure the future of BlamCo!"
Kristin puffed out her chest, "If it is a Warrior's demonstration that you require,
oh Pugilist, then you will not be disappointed!"
[hr][hr]
Jonathan's Perspective:
-
"And I of all people managed to break through it! What will your cheese do against power armoured soldiers? Nothing! And I haven't this...lust for battle as you so put it. The only reason I'm not running the hell away is because the Enclave is after Lucy!"
Having filled his ammo belt and loaded the rifle, he scratched his chin as he contemplated the possibilities.
"First of all...? he started, pointing upwards,
"we'll...need to make certain that Lucy is safe. We can't just rush them. That would only put her in more danger."
But then again, they may already be on to her.
He fought back the want to just rush headlong into battle. But it wasn't sensible.
"Before we attack, we survey the battlefield. Assess the enemy strength. Make sure Lucy isn't endangered by us attacking."
[small]
"But how do we do that?"[/small], he muttered to himself, trying to come up with a way to find out Lucy's status.
[hr][hr]
Kristin's Perspective:
-
Kristin grew increasingly exasperated by the Postman's talk of assessment and safety.
"But...
the helmets...
they need them to SEE...the cheese will obscure their vision...how else will we nullify their accursed eyes?"
Kristin sighed, rechecking the Jawbreaker BlamCo in her mini-microwave and then she attempted to survey the battlefield. Ruins, ruins, dirt, Miss Black's house and more burned out ruins...
...
...
...
*DING!*, chimed the microwave that was her brain.
"Why don't we traverse the edge of Springvale, use these burnt out ruins as cover while we move and approach the Miss Black's home from behind or the side? You get to do your precious assessment and I get to face the opposition if Miss Black is in danger."
Kristin turned to face Jonathan with her hands on her hips, significantly more serious than before. Combat was something she enjoyed, but she considered it the highest form of glory and therefore it was a serious matter.
"Tell me, in combat, how would you describe your fighting style, Postman?"
[hr][hr]
Jonathan's Perspective:
-
"I..." Jonathan sighed, a bit of shame being evident in his voice,
"...am not much of a fighter. I'm a worse than average shot, and I can't fight in close quarters. I'm pretty competent at sneaking, but with my leg..."
He eyed the stimpack hanging from his backpack.
Perhaps...
At the thought of sticking it in his leg, though, fear filled him.
N-no. Last resort.
"L-let's just...get going. You sure you can carry me without raising a commotion?" he said as he picked up the last of his stuff.
[hr][hr]
Kristin's Perspective:
-
Kristin smiled at Bob's self assessment, it reminded her much of her younger days when the weight of a Bumper Sword tied to her leg felt like an immense challenge during training.
"Don't sell yourself short, Pugilist!", Kristin clapped a hand on Bob's shoulder in a jolly manner, "I could sense the spirit of a true warrior within you earlier. Besides, there is some merit in sneak attacks, perhaps I will perform one for you soon.", her voice had a strange sense of admiration. Odd.
Kristin adjusted the bumper sword on her back and opened her backpack so she could have easy access to the emergency Jawbreaker BlamCo. Bending down to allow Jonathan to make her way onto her back, the dynamic duo would start their hunched movement around the outskirts of Springvale.
"Bob, I cannot promise absolute silence, but
by the Gods I can try! If we are discovered,
I will make you descend upon our enemies in an act of divine punishment."
Kristin adjusted her weight, at best she could break out into a light jog, but her mobility was limited with this piggyback ride. "Now, can you be my eyes and ears and inform me of the situation as I navigate these ruins?"
[hr][hr]
Jonathan's Perspective:
-
Descent? Did she just say she would throw me at them?
"R-right. Leave it to me. Navigating ruins is all I've been doing the last ten years." He told her nervously as they started, trying not to imagine his face being plastered on impact with a power armored soldier.
Hold on, Lucy. We're coming.
Kristin was, to his surprise, extremely compliant to his orders as they went through the ruins. She would stop when told to, make sure to traverse ruins the way he told her and to top it all off, she remained silent unless spoken to. What really impressed Jonathan though, was that she was quick to learn all the hand gestures he used as he guided her, quickly leading to him not having to use speech to direct her; something that would come in handy for when they would get closer to the house. Perhaps, under all the cheese nonsense, there lay actual intelligence in her head.
"I...promised to explain certain things," he started, rather hesitantly, as they went through one of the old buildings, using hand motions to guide her in the mean time,
"The people that we are dealing with are the Enclave. They are the remnants of the old U.S. government, setting out to reclaim the Wasteland...rather violently."
He motioned her to stop, and then to lie with their backs against the wall, which she did rather violently, causing his back to hit the wall rather violently. Barely containing a yelp, he motioned her to slowly advance to the corner, from which Jonathan took a good look of the outside streets. Upon making certain that the coast was clear, he again motioned her to move forward.
"As I was saying, they are rather forceful with their reclamation, and have the technology to prove it. Compared to them, the Brotherhood of Steel's technological level is very nearly obsolete. It would be like fighting Line formations with sticks."
[hr][hr]
Kristin's Perspective:
-
Kristin, focussing rather intensely on making a good first impression for her second acolyte, chose to follow his navigational lead. If this method of guidance had a name, Kristin's respect for Bob had peaked once more, because whatever he was doing was rather skilled in her eyes.
"Oh? The 'Enclave' and The Brotherhood's territory extend to that of the East Coast as well?", Kristin whisper was layered with disbelief and curiosity. "Where I'm from,
New Vegas, the Brotherhood is all but dying out. The cowards choose to hide within a bunker, they reject help from me and my peers within the Follower's of The Apocalypse and they cling to a false religion that contains not a drop of dairy - ..."
Kristin hushed as Bob made a quick motion for her to advance, trying to keep the duo as small as possible, she had committed to hunching over. Admittedly, Kristin was having more fun than she had originally thought. This 'stealth' business carried a certain thrill as they stalked their prey. Once they had moved to a position where Bob's physical grip on her had stopped tensing, she knew it was safe to talk.
"It is not the first time I have encountered enemies with such armor. The silver armor crumples under the slam of my sword, yet the darker armor...that is more resilient.", Kristin whispered in a pained manner, not physically, instead to the perceptive ear it would appear that the Dairy Queen was recalling a painful memory. "My siblings have fallen to their unique brand of...weaponry."
Briefly stopping to adjust Bob for greater comfort, her curiosity got the better of her. "Do you have personal experience with them, this 'Enclave'? Strange name..."
[hr][hr]
Jonathan's Perspective:
-
The mention of more people dying to Enclave weaponry made Jonathan tense up, which made Kristin mistake it for a signal to halt.
Even her, huh? Everyone's been hurt by the Enclave, it seems.
Of course, Jonathan's stance on the matter was entirely unreasonable. Kristin hailed from the other side of the country. The Enclave branch there was, as far as he knew, completely cut off from the Capitol one. As such, the possibility of her siblings dying to one of his creations was less than realistic. Still, what he felt guilt about was not something he could quite control, and he felt the strangest urge to confess, despite it not being the best of times or place.
"I...used to be part of it." He started with a heavy sigh, bracing himself for her reaction.
"Born into it. Wasn't given much choice in the matter. I hated it. Yet, I didn't have much of a choice other than live with it. After spending the majority of my life doing their work, I managed to escape when their headquarters were destroyed. Bob is...a cover. My real name is Jonathan Aristotle McKenna."
[hr][hr]
Kristin's Perspective:
-
Not only was Bob a postman by day and a pugilist by night, but he also lead a secret life known as a man named Jonathan. What a truly magnificent individual!
"Jon-a-than.", Kristin peered over her shoulder at Bob. "I suppose you do look like a Jonathan."
Kristin sighed. Unlike Miss Black, she was not prone to spilling the beans regarding her personal life. Yet for the two people she had met on the East Coast, both seemed very intent to give the BlamCo Heiress their life story.
"Mister Jonathan, if I am understanding you correctly, you are no longer affiliated with those that hide their heads in shame? To be perfectly honest, that suits me just fine. You are still the same person, just with another name. Besides, there is much that I have not told you."
Kristin rolled her eyes at this wishy-washy emotional business. "I abandoned the New Vegas BlamCo branch out of spite. Condemning the entire city to a lifetime without my family's business and legacy. I have come here to find a better path for the BlamCo name. I believe that we are all trying to brighten our futures after our past has lost its light. Now..."
Kristin raised her head as she heard what would seem to be the sound of Enclave soldiers bursting through Miss Black's front door.
"...can we focus on the task at hand?"
[hr][hr]
Jonathan's Perspective:
-
"Yes. That...is best."
Best not mention the fact that I created weapons in the first place.
They were getting closer now, close enough that talking was a risky endeavour. From the building they were at, one could well see the vertibird, along with two guards standing in attendance, guarding the door inside. Jonathan had expected the sound of gunfire, but there was none, which was potentially good or bad. Good because perhaps the fighting hadn't started yet, bad because it could already be over.
No sign of Lucy. I don't like this. So few people when she gave them this much trouble? There must be more inside.
If that were the case, an assault right now could be disastrous. Not only was there no knowledge of enemy movement, but the there was also the possibility that they were interrogating (or torturing) Lucy. Attacking now could give them enough cause to kill her.
Hmm...
There were more derelict and abandoned buildings connected to this one. One could, potentially, sneak through them and hopefully enter the house through a window in the back or the sides.
Motioning Kristin to put him down, Jonathan tested his wounded leg. The result being a barely contained groan.
I could never sneak in with a leg like this. Unless?
He remembered the stimpack. Doing so sent shivers down his spine. He couldn't use that. Anything but that. But if he didn't?
This day just keeps getting better and better, doesn't it?
Hesitantly putting it out of his backpack, Jonathan turned to hand it over to Kristin, fear plain in his face.
"I need you to use this? to fix my leg." He said as he lay down.
"And keep my mouth shut. Because if you don't, I'll likely scream." He closed his eyes, and tried to mentally prepare for what was about to happen.
[hr][hr]
Kristin's Perspective:
-
Once
Bob Jonathan was awkwardly laid on the ground, Kristin arched her back and stretched in an overly-animated manner. Making sure to loosen up before combat, the Heiress grew oddly excited at the prospect of being near enemies that were unaware of their presence.
This stealth business was not for her, but that did not mean that it did not have a certain predatory appeal. So despite the incongruent approach, Kristin felt inclined to go along with how her Postman Scout/Warrior Pugilist handled this particular conflict. He was, after all, reborn from Dairy and further care will take place under her bosomy path.
Turning around, Kristin was presented with an offering; Her stimpack from earlier and request for medical aid.
"Very well.", Kristin replied flatly as she palmed the stimpack and loosened the steel vambrace on her left arm. "Are you that afraid of needles? You were quite literally swimming in them earlier. Oh well..."
Kristin twirled the stimpack in her hand, ready to jab the healing juice into his injured leg. However, before the Heiress decided to stab, she offered her forearm for the fearful man to bite into.
"Fret not, Pugilist. Think of this - ", Kristin shoved her forearm into his mouth without warning, pushing the man's head against wall in the process as she jabbed the stimpack into his wounded leg. "...as a bonding experience. As agents of Dairy, we share our pain."
[hr][hr]
Jonathan's Perspective:
-
At the feeling of his leg getting pierced, Jonathan's entire body spasmed from the fear as he bit deep and hard into the Princess' arm, and Jonathan could taste blood as the pain passed and Kristin removed her arm along with the stimpack. Taking deep breaths, Jonathan gradually regained his stature and pushed the fear away.
"Shit. I'm sorry I didn't mean to bite so hard, I-"
The Princess raised her hand and smiled a warm smile at him, as though telling him that his apologies were unnecessary. Deciding to not push the matter and instead focus on what actually mattered, Jonathan recollected his thoughts and got up. The stimpack's effects were already made apparent: He no longer felt any pain coming from his leg.
That's better, but I hope I'll never have to go through it again.
"Alright, here's my plan:" he whispered as he tested the leg.
"We don't know how many more of them are there, or how Lucy is. So, I'll sneak in from the side and take a look inside. When I find Lucy, I will signal you. The guys outside should get distracted, and you'll get your chance to close the distance before they realize you're charging them and shoot you down." Hopefully. "Afterwards, come find me and Lucy. Timing will be of the essence."
[hr][hr]
Kristin's Perspective:
-
"Our signal will be simple:
'In Heaven's Stead, We Smite Soya'." Kristin clapped a hand on Jonathan's shoulder to chase away his worries, small flecks of blood that was drawn through his bite had landed on his attire. "Very well, Pugilist. But first you will need this..."
Kristin carefully removed the Limited Edition BlamCo Mini-Microwave from her bag and placed it in Jonathan's hands. The timer was already set and Jonathan merely needed to press a button with a gaudy smiley face to start cooking.
"You will have about 10 seconds to warm the Jawbreaker BlamCo and another 10 seconds before it hardens.", Kristin informed him as she reapplied the steel vambrace. Shrugging off the inconsequential bite in the process. "So don't forget the gloves, unless you have a particular hatred for your fingers."
Drawing her sword and gripping the blade with two hands, the Princesses preparatory stance shifted to indicate her overly-eager nature. At last! She longed for combat!
[hr][hr]
Jonathan's Perspective:
-
Jonathan sighed in irritation. Even at the most critical moment, the Princess wouldn't let her cheese fantasies go. Still, Jonathan
had felt the results of her alchemical brews for himself, and they were potent enough as it were.
This may be crazy enough to work
"Very well. When I shout *sigh* 'In Heaven's Stead, We Smite Soya'", Jonathan said this in the most deadpan way possible,
"You come running." And with that, he disappeared, holding the mini-micro with his arm.
As he made his way through the abandoned buildings, he felt a sudden rush of adrenaline flow through him. He felt himself becoming, no,
wanting to act recklessly and daredevilish. The feeling only grew as he continued, and he barely held himself from going all out on the soldiers. Could this be a side effect to the usage of the stimpack? It was rather...different in some ways to the regular ones. Whatever the case, Jonathan held back, for in his mind he knew that Lucy's safety was paramount.
Upon finding a window at the side of the house and looking over to make sure the coast was clear, Jonathan entered as quietly as he could -a task made harder by the microwave he was carrying. As he entered, he heard a voice.
"Once upon a time, there was a girl who lived in a small settlement near Lanta..."
A woman was talking to someone. Jonathan guessed that that someone was Lucy. Good. That meant she was still alive. As he slowly made his way through the house making sure not to be seen by potential enemies, he listened to her tale. In different circumstances, he would have felt a large amount of sympathy for her -and he did, to a degree-, but her view of the world was misguided, and from what her actions showed, dangerously so. Hero worship never gets anyone anywhere.
"Your friend is still alive and has been released from Enclave custody. For how long he remains healthy is entirely upon you." #411 stated as she spoke into a small device,
"Vulture E32. Target subject Thomas McGee. Fire in 20 seconds if no further commands by Enclave Intelligence Specialist #411 are forthcoming."
Shit.
Jonathan put down the micro-micro and pushed the smiley faced button. He was now behind the counter, opposite to where the female Enclave trooper was facing. With quick glances, he pinpointed where he would have to throw the cheese at her to disarm her. If Lucy's friend was to be saved, he'd need to pacify her while also leaving her mostly intact. And so, he was aiming for the weapon. He put on the gloves, and...
*DING*
[HEADING=3]"IN HEAVEN'S STEAD, WE SMITE SOYA!"[/HEADING]
The sound of the Micro-Micro not only readied the cheese, but also released all the adrenaline that had been piling in him. Holding both cubes, one hand each, he threw one at the trooper girl's gun and turned to throw the other one to one of the trooper's helmet, splattering upon impact and rendering him blind.
Now, normally Jonathan would duck for cover and wait for Kristin to deal with the rest. But, for one, if he wanted to save Lucy's friend he hadn't the time, and more importantly, his feelings were getting the better of him. Blind to everything else going on around him, Jonathan grabbed his custom laser handgun and pointed it towards the female with a devilish grin on his face and a hint of madness in his eyes.
"Ya know, it's rude to talk behind someone's back. Hello! I'm Bob! A postman of the highest degree! And if you wanna live to learn more about me, then you had better signal your vulture to release this Thomas McGee."
[hr][hr]
Kristin's Perspective:
-
~"IN HEAVEN'S STEAD, WE SMITE SOYA!"~
Indeed we do! Kristin replied internally as she bounded around the corner and into the entrance of Miss Black's house, making her way directly to the source of her mighty Warrior's summoning shout.
[HEADING=3][Super Slam!] [http://fallout.wikia.com/wiki/Super_Slam!][/HEADING]
-
[HEADING=3]"Remain blind, Carrion of the Wasteland!"[/HEADING]
With the black armor of the Shameful One's in sight, the raging Berserker Princess raised the modified Bumper Sword above her head, prioritising the one that wasn't scratching at his helmet and leapt a few good feet into the air before sending her Blade of Divinity crashing down upon the helmeted skull of an unsuspecting heathen.
Fret not! For even during combat, the Berserker Princess still found time for a mid-battle speech.
[HEADING=3]"Before mine eyes, Fake Dairy walk! Soybeans that have forgotten that we, the Paladins of BlamCo, are now the ones that stand in thine way!"[/HEADING]
With a wide grin, Kristin spun her body and capitalised on her momentum in order to send another thunderous downward strike upon the helmet of the
Shameful First,
crushing the floorboards in the process.
In the heat of battle, the Berserker Princess threw aside the need for self-preservation as she recklessly rammed shoulder-first into the Dairy-Blinded
Shameful Second, merely sending him a few steps backwards into a nearby wall and unintentionally throwing off his aim. A wide burst of plasma fire was expended from the soldiers shiny trinket a hair's breadth from the lightly-armored-in-comparison Princess. One of the rounds had seared through the uppermost tip of her right steel pauldron.
Lacking finesse, but making up for it in sheer brutality. Her reply was anything but gentle as she swung the blade like a baseball bat into the abdomen of the soldier.
[HEADING=3]"As Connoisseurs of Cheese, in a rank of Three, we will strike down your cowardly means!"[/HEADING]
Kristin roared with bloodlust as her modified Bumper Sword smashed down upon the two-handed weapon that had damaged her armor.
[HEADING=3]"In doing so, BlamCo will expose your faces that you hide in shame!"[/HEADING]
The soldier pulled the trigger in a futile attempt to open fire once more, to which the Berserker Princess could only break down into mad laughter.
[HEADING=3]"Is this truly the best that you can do?!"[/HEADING]
Kristin launched into a flurry of quicker strikes aimed at the legs, forcing the soldier to drop his weapon and fall to his knees.
[HEADING=3]"Now I bestow upon thee, agent of Soya..."[/HEADING]
*CRUUUUUNCH!* went the bones within the neck of the downed soldier.
[HEADING=3]"My utter disappointment!"[/HEADING]
Kristin had taken a devastating two-handed swing at the man's neck.
With two opponents dispatched, Kristin BlamCo turned on her heel and slammed her blade into the floorboards as a warning to the Third. A maniacal grin was spread across the Berserker Princess's face as her eyes darted from a pistol-wielding Jonathan to a shocked Lucy and back to the unknown Third.
The Heiress to the BlamCo Empire bellowed one simple declaration with the pride of a thousand burning cheesecakes.
[HEADING=3]"REST IN PEACE!"[/HEADING]
