Noelle and Boone: First Meeting
It was a night of celebrations. Boone, Rex, and I had cleared the Legion Settlement. It was great, the whole time we fought, the legionnaires didn't have a shot at winning the second we showed up. We liberated a whole town, freeing slaves and shit! It was awesome! Boone and I, back to back with our dog Rex at our side, surrounded by growling mongrels and their masters, guns trained on us! It was a gruesome battle. I mean, I can't imagine anything as glorious as standing on a pile of dead hounds and legionnaires, the blood of our enemies decorating our skin, basking in (one of their) livers-strewn Triumph! We were heroes! But then one of the NCR officers "dropped" their wallet, and a bottle of whiskey I may have "borrowed" fell out of my pocket. Yeah... Not so welcoming then.
"It wasn't a single bottle Noelle. It was half the shipment of whiskey in the Inn." Says Boone, arms crossed and a blank expression on his face.
"Aw, come on Boone, can't I get a little bit of ignorance? It was a glorious battle! We deserved that whiskey!" I shout, tossing a small rock at his shoulder.
The campfire flickers and I quickly feed it some twigs from a tumbleweed. Rex is curled up at my side, happily occupied by a bone oh so generously supplied by the Legion.
"What kind of bone is that anyway?" I ask, pointing to it.
"I don't know, do I look like a doctor?" Says Boone. Then smirking he mutters "I just pulled it out of the pile of dead legionnaires. who cares which bone it is?"
I roll my eyes and toss him a bottle of whiskey. I can't see where his eyes are focused behind those large dark sunglasses of his, but judging by the tilting of his head it looked like he was staring into the fire. I take a large swig from a new flask of whiskey, emptying it instantly. For some reason the sunglasses were really starting to piss me off. "Hey." I say, standing up. Boone's head moves and he frowns.
"Uh, Noah you're kinda swaying." He says. Craig was right, I could hardly find my balance. It was like a baby trying to stand for the first time.
"Ooh, reeeally? I had'nt noticed!" I said, words slurring. My thoughts are fuzzy but dammit those sunglasses are coming off of him. "G'got a proslem with my swayin?! Can't you handle my wobbling?!" I challenge. My foot slips, instantly Rex is up and under me, supporting me with his back. Rocks wobbled in the distance, swaying like a flag in the wind, my eyes trained on them. I look to the sky, the stars twinkling so fast like light bulbs turning on for the first time in a year. The stars were strewn across the sky in pretty patterns, mesmerising me. My hand finds another bottle of whiskey laying askew on the ground. I pop off the cork and take a long drink. The bitter tasting liquid just flowed right past my tongue and guzzled down my esophagus.
"those sunglasses are really starting to piss me off." I mutter under my breath. Boone glances up from the fire. "Whats the deal with those damn sunglasses?!" I shout. My legs refused to stand, so I crawled furiously over to a very surprised Boone. His peach caucasian skin shimmered in the fire's light. But I was after the sunglasses. "Its like you dont even care enough to look at other people. Are your eyes always trained on the ground? why is that?!" I felt like slapping him, but instead of my hand connecting with his cheek, I find his sunglasses in my grip, and my eyes locked on a gorgeous emerald gaze.
"Craig..." I say, my arms suddenly go limp. followed by the rest of my body and I fall face first. I headbutt him at the center of his forehead, but my eyes never looked away from the dazzling rich green coloring of his.
I laid paralyzed on my side in the dirt. Staring at Boone as he sat up, holding his forehead. His other arm reaching towards me, his hand probing my hand, removing the object that I later realized are his sunglasses. I blink as he suddenly searches for the red beret he wore as a souvenir from his tour on 1st Recon with the NCR. He wipes the dust off the beret. Through my woozy vision and tingling nerves "Man its only my sixth bottle and already I'm getting a hangover." Although the words apparently came out more slurred. My eyes squint like I was trying to see into the distance. The alcohol taking full effect.
Rex was licking my face and my short blonde hair fell onto my cheek. I couldn't push the dog away, my arms missed and waved in various directions. I feel soft hands gently grab my shoulders and sit me up. I am unable to move as was a side effect of the whiskey. These days whiskey is made with Radscorpion venom, which if you drink too much of, can paralyze you temporarily. The hands move down my body and straighten me out so I was sitting on my butt. I was able to control very little of where I swayed so I end up falling back onto the sturdy shoulder of Craig Boone. I feel myself blush from the alcohol.
"Hey, Boone?" I say, feeling a big stupid grin crawl across my face. It has been ten minutes since the poison had taken effect and the paralysis was wearing off. I was swiftly sobering up, which I admit, I hated. If there's one thing I hate, it's getting sober before the night is over. Craig and I sit there, Rex the dog curled around us, head by my right knee. I leaning on Craig's shoulder, sitting crosslegged and staring up at the stars. Boone smoked a cigarette as the only music station in range played on my gauntlet. Mojave Radio of the Mojave Wasteland. The song's name was long forgotten. But I remembered it.
"What." He says.
"Do you remember when we first met?" I say quietly.
"Not really." He replies. I dig my elbow into his side.
"It was at the Inn in Novac."
"Oh right." grunts Boone. "What about it?"
"You were sitting at the counter talking to the lady."
"I shot her." He mutters.
"And I heard her say your name." I continue. "You were the guy I was supposed to talk to before I left Novac. To be honest you looked like such a stick in the mud I didn't even want to go near you."
"Well that helps my self esteem."
"Shut up." I elbow his ribs again. "You took me to the sniper spot up in the Dinky Dinosaur. I was wondering what the hell you wanted 'cause it seemed pretty important.
"The radio was still playing on my pip-boy." I tap the gauntlet. "You told me about your wife being sold off like that. To the legion and all. I wanted to help you right away. I mean, before I was shot in the head, I had a husband and kids. While I was away, they were taken by the legion. I mean, I dont remember them at all so I dont really care that much. But when I found the recipt of the transaction, for some reason I felt so very angry. Thats the first time I can even remember feeling angry. But I got so excited I couldn't wait to see the Inn keeper's head explode. Bitch deserved it." I say taking a swig. "But then, back at the counter when I found you the next morning. There was this song playing on the radio."
I will guide you...
Trust in me.
You didn't have to save me,
You could have left me where I'm standing,
You caught me when I fell.
"I was drunk, I think." whispers Boone.
"You were." I grin. "I tugged on your shoulder and asked about the payment. You said you'd pay me. But you were totally wasted." I stifle a laugh. "We talked for a while and you told me some stuff about Carla, your wife."
"She's dead. That's all you need to know." Boone said. His green eyes trained on the fire behind his dark glasses.
"Oh please." I say, shaking my head. "And then that powder ganger walks in, I'm behind the counter, trying to get you to talk to me."
"Yeah. You pretended to work there. Took his order. He sits down." Boone keeps his stony expression. Unable to smile unless he's killing legionnaires. Even then, it's not him smiling.
"Rhetorical question!" I laugh, thrusting my fist at the stars. Punching an imaginary powder ganger.
I was lost until you found me
You didnt let me choose my ending
You melted my heart straight away~
"As the guy fell, he grabbed your shirt and you started to fall with him." I say.
You caught me when I fell.
"And I reached out and grabbed your hand." I smile.
"I still don't entirely understand why you did that." Boone says.
"How'd you feel after agreeing to go travel the wasteland with me?" I ask, curling up into a ball and placing my face on my knees.
Boone looks away as he took a deep breath from his Cig. after the smoke blew out of his nostrils he says "Like an big idiot." I turn on him.
"What? What the hell Boone!" I shout, pounding my fists against his chest which knocks him down. "I thought you liked traveling with me-"
"You didn't have to save me. You could have left me where I was standing. You caught me when I fell."
I get off him. Dumbstruck. "Craig..." I whisper. He sits up and gently grabs both my hands.
"I was lost until you found me. You could have let me choose my ending, You've brought me all this way." He continues. Slowly guiding my hands to his glasses and taking them off. So I could gaze into the soft green. His face was stone blank emotionless. But his eyes were soft and I could see all the scars of his past. I brush my blonde bangs aside and untie the white bandana that I wore around my forehead.
"Boone I think your drunk." I say, noticing the small mound of empty glass bottles.
"Not drunk enough." He says, closing his eyes sleepily. The Radscorpion venom takes effect and he falls forward into my bosom. I move him so he falls to the ground with a large THUMP
"Don't do that Boone. You'll hate yourself even more if you did." I mutter. Boone looked peaceful as he slept, not moving from the paralysis. I smile hoping he was having a dream about shooting legionnaires.
Staring into the fire under the stars.
(END OF CHAPTER)
. -BONUS PART- (Not applicable to above.)
Boone was out, sound asleep. I guess it's time to put the fire out. Hmm. Whiskey looks like water so it should do the trick. I say, taking a bottle and tossing it into the fire. "OH SHI-" I shout as the fire begins to bubble. "REX!" I shout to the dog and start to lift boone up on my shoulder, frantically trying to drag him away. Rex grabs his hat in his jaws and cowers behind a large boulder. "Brilliant Idea dog, take the damn hat and RUN!" I shout. Rex pops his head from behind the rock. Beret in jaw and wearing Boone's glasses on his snout. I'm gonna kill that mutt. Then the fire Explodes, tossing me and boone 30 feet forward.
I land in the dirt, face first. The fire climbs the air, catching several more bottles left on the ground. A normal person would wait for the explosions to be over. But I load my plasma rifle from my Pip-Boy and open fire on the fire. Blasting several more bottles of whiskey to prevent an explosion. Rex was running around in circles behind me. Barking happily. "What are you so happy about?!" I yell. "Last time I checked you HATED hats." Rex barks in reply.
- THE NEXT MORNING -
I stare into the small mirror. I looked like a mess. more so than usual. My short gold hair was soiled black like charcoal. I looked like a coal miner. My hands are burned and skin blackened in places. I don't think I'll be able to cover up the giant fucking crater. What do I say? I saw a cat and threw a frag grenade at it? That might work. I Hate cats with a passion. Yeah, I'm a genius! The cat did it! With a fresh smile upon my face from my genius, I load my bandana from my pip-boy and wet it with dirty water and I begin to clean my face.
(END OF BONUS)