𝓢𝓪𝓰𝓮

It's all she can manage not to flinch away. As it is, she grimaces under the gesture.

What to do? Send him away and wonder where he might turn, who he might answer to? Keep him close, knowing he might recognize her?

"Wait.

I think there is one thing you can do."

[She should not have spoken up. Why did she speak up??]

Someone else?

Well-

yes, certainly you seem fine. But the statement was about another.

I was not talking to you.

Perhaps deservedly...

Not so sure about that one...

The fire that burned within me only kept the others warm while it hollowed me out.

Fear is safer than anger. Easily hidden. Silent.

||twirls my hair hiiiiiiii

ㅤㅤㅤ . 　 * ✵ 　 　 ✦
ㅤㅤ · ✦ 　. *
ㅤ 　. · ·
ㅤㅤ 𝑺𝒈𝒕. 𝑹𝒐𝒄𝒌 𝙞𝙨 𝙜𝙤𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙤 𝙝𝙚𝙡𝙥 𝙢𝙚
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ㅤ⠀𝘔𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘨𝘪𝘳𝘭 𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘦,
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ㅤ⠀𝙆𝙚𝙚𝙥 𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙨𝙩𝙤𝙤𝙙 𝙞𝙣 𝙡𝙞𝙣𝙚.ᐟ
ㅤㅤㅤ . · * * · .
ㅤ ㅤ ·　ㅤ　 · ✧ ·

𝘕𝘦𝘸 𝘋𝘦𝘴𝘪𝘨𝘯𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯: 𝙺-𝙻-𝙴-𝟶; '𝘒𝘭𝘦𝘰'.
𝙁𝙪𝙡𝙡𝙮 𝙞𝙣𝙙𝙚𝙥𝙚𝙣𝙙𝙚𝙣𝙩 𝙨𝙢𝙖𝙡𝙡 𝙗𝙪𝙨𝙞𝙣𝙚𝙨𝙨 𝙤𝙬𝙣𝙚𝙧.

||kleo kleo KLEO KLEO

After a few moments of silence, she finally looks him in the... screen.

"I- what, literally?"

It's going to be okay. It's going to be different.

"No."

Clipped, cold. Even if her discomfort deserved to disrupt them, favors from [this] machine are the last thing she needs.

"I don't need anything from you."

Can robots lie? God, when did worry become paranoia?

"N-nothing, just getting fresh air. It's a little loud, but there's not much to be done about that, is there?"

Oh, Mary...

"Is... there something I can help you with?"

She looks different now. It won't recognize her, it [won't.]

Noisy - but a warmer evening than there's been in a while. She's outside for the moment.

She's stepping outside a while, at least until the festivities begin in earnest.

She'll just have to brace for all the sounds of wasteland "fireworks," and hope it's not too reminiscent of pyrotechnic displays of days past.

New Year, new noise. There's no good way to soundproof a hotel room....

When occasion required it, she would accompany vital partners to the Tops' business dealings, using her charms to secure contracts when necessary.

And until Benny deemed her debt repaid, she would never again leave the Strip.

She would set aside her freedom and wanderlust and join the roster of entertainers finding their way to The Tops. As she worked, she would listen and barter for secrets he could use to better his position over the other families and companies and to gain favor with House.

Few saw more drastic change than the young woman. Not long after their arrival, Benny dropped all pretense of friendship and called in his favor: From that day on, she worked towards his goals alone.

Life changed quickly from there. The Riders became the Chairmen and took residence on the Strip. The NCR arrived shortly after they did, and the caravans weren't far behind.

The fight exploded between them, but when the smoke cleared, his knife protruded from their leader's throat.

And with no one, now, to stand between him and his goals, Benny took leadership of the Riders.

The Riders struggled to come to a consensus. Their leader resisted change while many saw opportunity. Once again, the man spoke up; this time, his clever words provoked anger in their leader and baited the larger man into attacking.

The following day, twenty more securitrons approached. The Boot Riders had little choice but to hear House's offer:

In exchange for food, shelter, and supplies, the Riders would settle down, renovate the Tops Casino, and work with House and two other 'families' to establish the city of New Vegas.

Summer came and the Mojave Boot Riders found their stride once more. A securitron approached the tribe on behalf of Robert House. It was promptly destroyed.

Tempers cooled and the tribe began to recover in the days that followed. The man was quick to remind the woman that his help had saved her, and that his guidance could have saved their fallen.

Over the course of the following weeks, he subtly pressed his point home: She owed him, always.