Maida Buckner was torn. From one side, she had more work this night than pretty much ever before and too many people that she didn't want to see were present, and that made her want to scowl even deeper than usual. On the other hand, business was also better than ever before and for once, her none-too-bright brother Torr was all help and no hinderance in his duty of bringing foodstuffs and (mostly) drinks from the back rooms as well as dragging or carrying out passed out or troublesome guests - that almost made her smile. Sulik was also here, released from his debt by the stranger, and he seemed to enjoy the attention he got when he spoke of the battles with rats and geckos alongside his fellow tribal.
Whiskey Bob was blissful. He had brought out and sold all of his stash, mostly to the Buckners but some also to the Golden Gecko (albeit in secret, as Sajag didn't want to admit buying from his old enemy). He was richer than he had been in a while, and was celebrating that with his own alcohol while scratching his beard, trying to make sense of the world around him through the thick, alcohol-induced mists.
Sulik and his audience were so engrossed in his stories that almost nobody noticed as the dark-haired and tan stranger quietly slipped out of the door. Tala felt she had had enough of hero-worshippers, children and adults alike, for today; she was also more drunken than she cared to admit, as she never did handle alcohol too well. Her tribe seldom had any alcohol, and even then it was mostly spirits used as medicine.
Tala staggered a bit and leaned against the red brick wall of Buckner's bar with a sigh, rubbing her forehead and eyes with her knuckles. Klamath had far more reasons for celebration than she did, even if Klamath's victories were all hers. But the purpose of her coming to Klamath was unfulfilled. Vic was not here, and had not been here for a while. No one here knew anything about the GECK, nor about Vault 13. The only further lead she had was knowledge that Vic often traded in a place called "Den".
She needed a walk, Tala decided and stuffed her fingerless-gloved hands deep into the pockets of her new pants, more or less matching her one-sleeved leather jacket. The night was still warm, as was fitting to early August, but not hot enough to make the brunette tribal uncomfortable. There was no way Tala was changing back into the ancient blue vault suit, no matter how revered and important it may be to her tribe.
After a bit of aimless wandering and slight sobering, Tala decided to look up Jenny, who had claimed to know Vic and talk to her some more. Finding Big Nose Sally's bathhouse took her longer than necessary due to some drunken misdirections, but eventually, she reached the right building. Peeking in from the window next to the door, Tala saw no sign of the older woman and guessed she was at the party at Golden Gecko. The only people sitting around the table at the front room were the blonde that Tala recognized as Jenny and a brunette woman with her back turned towards the door. It was surprising that none of the drunken trappers or traders were here, but Tala wasn't questioning her luck.
With a quiet squeak, the front door opened and both women almost reflexively took a more inviting pose while sitting. The black haired girl looked somewhat similar to Tala herself, she noticed, and seemed like a tribal, as well. But she was of little interest to Tala, who focused on Jenny. The beautiful blonde looked less tired today than a few days ago, the acclaimed hero of Klamath noted.
Tala suddenly felt small and dumbfounded as she tried to come up with a way to start the conversation so as to not give it a double meaning. She didn't really know how long she was standing there at the door until Jenny arched her eyebrow with a light smile and asked:
"Can we help you with anything?"
"Uhh, yeah, actually," Tala finally said. 'Nice going, idiot,' she chided herself mentally. "I wanted to talk to you, actually."
The other "bath attendant", seeing Tala's gaze firmly locked on Jenny, smiled and muttered "We're all grown-ups here you know."
Jenny's smile widened slightly, but The Chosen One barely registered the other one. "Talk about what?" the blonde asked.
"Vic. Vic the trader. You said you know him, right?" Tala replied, getting over her shyness which she couldn't really explain.
"Yeah, I know him. But we already went over it. I don't know where he is," she shrugged.
"Yeah, I know," the tribal nodded. "I'd like to hear everything you know about him."
"Services cost, you know," the other "attendant" inserted.
'Sticking up for one another? Good,' Tala thought before shrugging and pulling out her money. "I am not without funds, you know."
Jenny raised her hand. "Put your money away for now. A little conversation doesn't cost, though if you plan to keep me for the whole night..." she trailed off, but without any suggestive smile that Tala had been half-expecting to see.
"Right," Tala nodded. "Well, I... Do you mind going for a walk? I'd like to discuss this in private," she asked, then added to the other girl, "No offense, by the way."
Jenny shrugged, took her jacket and followed Tala outside. The two walked in silence for a while, the almost-sober Chosen One leading them away from the so-called central square, around which both bars were and which had a fair share of people sitting outside as well. Probably also walking across whoever's crops were growing there.
"So... Vic..." Tala finally started.
"Before we continue," Jenny interrupted, "Tell me why you're looking for him. He... He's not in trouble, is he?"
"Not as far as I know," the brunette shook her head. "No, I believe he has information that require."
"About the Vault... what was it again?"
"Vault 13."
"Right," the blonde nodded and pushed her hair back behind her ears.
"Yes," Tala mirrored the nod, then looked around. They were at the edge of the small town and closer to the forest-covered canyon steps. "I need the GECK - that stands for the Garden of Eden Creation Kit, by the way - to save my village from starvation. It's a long story, all in all, though."
Jenny nodded thoughtfully. "Well... Vic is a trader, as you know. I haven't really asked him about his travels more precisely, but I know that he often goes north and west to trade with tribes, and southeast to the Den, which is not a pretty place. He also mentioned New Reno, in conjunction with having to take a leave from there over a misunderstanding," Jenny smiled as if over some inside joke. Tala had a feeling she knew what he had meant by 'misunderstanding' and dreaded the possibility that this "Vic" person might be a reckless crook with a talent of collecting enemies.
"Anyway," Jenny continued, barely noticing as Klamath was left behind and they entered the dark woods. "He dealt in all kinds of stuff. Most of it was useless or broken down junk as far as I saw, but apparently, some were genuinely working things, too. I think he mentioned having a good deal in Den, about selling a set of radio equipment to someone. That was the last time he came to me before leaving. I hope he's fine, though. He... nevermind," she smiled with a hint of melancholy.
Tala nodded, digesting the information. She sat down by a large boulder that blocked the view from Klamath and nodded. "I hope he is fine, too... For your sake and my villages."
Jenny sat as well and they were quiet for a while, both deep in thought. Eventually, Tala fished out her water flask - of the Holy 13 - uncorked it and took a small sip. "Want some? My own brew," she offered to the blonde, who shrugged and accepted it. "Careful, it's hard stuff," Tala added.
Jenny took a sip and looked at the brunette questioningly. There was no taste of alcohol and no effects that she could sense - in fact, it tasted like water with a bit of raspberry jam. But the tribal merely smiled, although it was barely visible in the darkness. "Just let it settle for a while. The original taste is terribly, terribly bitter, so I added some flavouring. But... back to Vic. Did he ever mention the sources where he got his things from?"
"No," the blonde shook her head so that her long curly hair came loose again. This time, she didn't care. "Well, some things like gecko pelts and such he traded for his 'antee-queties' as he called them... but as for the shiny stuff itself, I have no idea."
Tala nodded again. "Makes sense. He often traded us things for gecko pelts, herbal concotions and other such. The last time he came, he brought this canteen," she said, taking another sip and handing it to Jenny, who followed suit. "It's from the Vault 13. Legend holds that our tribe is descendant of the people of Vault 13, and I'm sure they'd have the GECK for us... or at least information about where we can find one."
"How did you come to know of that, anyway? I only know that there were vaults in which people survived the war and some that survived outside... But I don't even know where my roots trace back to," Jenny shrugged.
"The old disks spoke of the item, the Garden of Eden Creation Kit," Tala said, her eyes taking a dreamy look. "It is said it can bring life to the wastelands. The disks were passed to us along with this," she continued, tapping on her ancient PIPBoy device. "Brought by the Vault Dweller, who once saved the world from a great evil... Though I do not know the exact tale of this evil and the struggle with it."
"Wow... And how did you end up searching for the GECK alone?"
"I am the Chosen One of Arroyo - that's my tribe's home. I do not REALLY know why, but I was the one chosen to enter the Temple of Trials. It's a colossal building built inside a mountain, filled with dangerous traps, locked doors and mutatant creatures. It was a struggle for every single step, really. Avoiding scorpion tails while trying to kill them was bad enough, but there were also swarms of gigantic ants. Eventually, I emerged pretty much unscathed, though, so I had proven myself as the Chosen One," Tala said with a dreamy smile as the drink from the flask was getting to her. She then snorted. "Of course, as soon as I turned out to be the One, everybody suddenly needed my help. My cousin's missing dog, lost somewhere beyond a whole bunch of geckos. Hakunin's garden with the killer plants. Hakunin is the village shaman, by the way. And so on... But... Here I am, sitting with you and no Vic in sight..." she sighed.
"Your story certainly sounds more interesting than mine," Jenny said, her words slightly slurred from being unused to the herbal drug's effects. "Me? Nothing more than a whore in a two-bit backwater hellhole," she said bitterly.
Tala took another sip and passed it to the blonde while staring at her face. "You're pretty, though..." she reached out and brushed the blonde locks from Jenny's face. "Why do you stay?"
The "bath attendant" stared back into the tan face of the tribal woman. 'How old is she, anyway?' Jenny thought, but then shrugged. "I don't know. I gotta make a living somehow... I'm not a trapper and there aren't many ways to support myself."
"But you could leave! Come with me and see the world, or settle down if we find a place you like. You... you could take your friends, the other girls, as well, and we'd all set out. Or... or I could..." Tala ranted, wildly and emotionally from the drug, when Jenny finally put her hand over the brunette's mouth.
"Hush. Listen to yourself, you're being unrealistic... I don't know WHAT you've got in here, but it's... making you say stuff," she spoke. The tension escaped from Tala and she collapsed against Jenny as if exhausted. Everything was silent for a long while, with only a few night sounds breaking the monotony.
Eventually, when Jenny thought the Chosen One had fallen asleep finally, the brunette spoke. "Jenny?" She turned her dark eyes upwards and looked into the other woman's blue eyes.
"Hmm?"
"Stay with me tonight?" Tala said in a demi-pleading voice, reaching a hand upwards to caress Jenny's cheek. There was no more to say for the night.