Ghouls and Names

Summary – Scarlett asks a surprising question, and Larry gives a surprising answer.

Note – After Season 2 Episode 6

Disclaimer – I do not own or pretend to own anything from either the Fallout games or from Nuka Break, the web-series (but I'm very happy to be a huge fan!)

"I've gotta question Larry." Scarlett's voice broke the thick desert air, gathering the attention of their entire traveling group.

"Yeah?" The ghoul in question squinted over at her, the desert sun in his eyes. "Shoot."

"I'd be careful with that phrase." Interjected the Ranger warningly, his fingers touching his gun in its holster as he stopped to stare at the yellow ghoul. "Someone might take you up on it."

"I wouldn't." Twig immediately volunteered, and Larry looked around at the rest of his traveling companions - Scarlett's poker face, James in his unreadable helmet, and Bonnie with very little sympathy in her eyes.

"Right." Larry bobbed his head, scratching at the back of his neck. "Noted." He had wondered if the Ranger blamed him for Ben's death, and with this recent reaction...

"Anyhow," continued Scar, "what's the deal with you and names?"

"Huh?" Well, this was not the question he was expecting. Something like 'what do you remember?' was usually the first question, after a scream for the first sound.

"You used Ben when you ambushed us, and then you said Benj when he..." Scarlett trailed off, her voice choking up for a bit.

"It's a ghoul thing." Larry said quickly, trying to back pedal from the none too distant memories. If that...incident...was indeed making the Ranger twitchy, it would be best to change the subject, and quickly.

"Really? How so?" Asked Twig, looking genuinely interested.

"Names are important to ghouls." Said Larry, moving closer to the vault dweller. Maybe some of Twig's luck would rub off on him. "They say what we're thinkin', what we're feelin'."

"So, when you attacked us..." Twig trailed off, not quite sure on the emotion. "It wasn't about the money?"

"Oh, it was." Reassured Larry.

"Thanks." Muttered Scar.

"But I got angry 'cause Benjy was siding with pets instead of an old buddy."

"Pets?" Echoed three voices in various tones. Bonnie had remained silent.

"Uh - Smoothskins." Larry quickly backpedaled, trying to take back what he had just said.

"No, you said 'pets'." James helpfully reminded, removing his helmet to watching the impending fireworks. From the look alone on Scarlett's face they were going to be great.

"Shit." Larry tugged nervously at his dusty jacket. "Look...it's just...you Smoothskins don't live as long as us, that's all. Nuthin' to it."

"I am NOT someone's pet." Growled Scarlett, her hands clenching. Larry was suddenly very happy that she didn't have her energy gun.

"Neither am I." Added James. And while she didn't have her energy gun, he still had all of his weapons.

Then, as he thought about their reactions, something in Larry snapped and he turned to them, his white eyes looking at each of theirs in turn - colorful, unclouded; skin unbroken and whole.

"And what do you call us? Burn bags." He saw Scarlett squirm a little at that dig. "Zombies. Ghoul itself isn't exactly a great name, now is it?"

"He's got a point." Bonnie chimed in. "Leon called them 'people too dumb to know they're dead'."

"See?"

"So you were angry at Ben, and that's why you called him Ben." Recapped Twig. "But why not call him Ben from the beginning?"

"'Cause when I first met him, he was going by Benjy. We both shed most of our names then. Something about the Stables doesn't make you want your full name out and about."

"What about if a ghoul doesn't call you by name?" Asked James, thinking about the short time he and Ben had had together. 'James' had been used exactly twice; once when he was in the infirmary and the second time right before Ben died.

"Like what?"

"Like 'kid', or a nickname of the person's name."

"Somethin' like Jimmy or Jimbo?"

The Ranger twitched ever so slightly.

"As an example, sure."

Larry gave an inward chuckle. The big, bad Ranger might be able to hide his thoughts from the others, but to a ghoul with plenty of years and people for practice, heh. Easy peasy. It was kinda cute - the kid was worried about how Ben had thought of him.

"Depends. If they use that all the time, then they're comfortable with you. If it was used once or twice, then they'd be angry at you or somethin' you did."

James looked like he was mulling on that thought, and Larry decided he was going to push a little bit more - possibly not his best idea, but he had lived through worse ones.

"If you were the Jimmy being talked about - just if," soothed Larry, holding up his hands placatingly as James tensed up. "I'm not saying it was, just if."

Scarlett snorted off to the side, sharing a glance with Bonnie as even Twig shook his head. Fine, so subtlety wasn't his strength.

"If that was you, he didn't ask you what you wanted. He would have called you nicknames in the beginning, but once he got to know you, you would have been James."

"But what about me?" Asked Twig. "He almost never called me my name."

Larry could already feel the daggers from Scar digging into his back. As much as she made fun of Twig, no one else had better do so.

"What's your name?"

"Twig."

"No, that's a name forced on you by others - he wouldn't have wanted to call a friend by that type of name." Larry scratched at his cap. "We get enough of that type of shit." He muttered as an afterthought.

"And what was I? A gecko? Ben had no problem calling me Scar." Scarlett stood still, one hand on her hip, letting the others pass her.

"Yours is part of your name. And you like it."

"And me?" Larry came back to the Ranger.

"Honestly, he would have called you anything that makes you twitch. And saved your name for the important times."

"Really?" There was a heap of skepticism in that glance. More than a heap, an ant mound.

"Yeah, really. You were the son he never had."

"He had a son."

"Fine, the one he never got to raise then. Besides, watching someone with a large stick up their ass twitch is always amusing."

"Wha-?"

Larry smirked as the others laughed. "Like that."

"Are all ghouls pricks, or just you and Ben?" snapped James, squeezing at the bridge of his nose.

"Hang around, see stupidity for more than a hundred years and let's see what you become." Larry shot back.

"Don't bother." Scar added, a grin stretching from ear to ear. "It's in his blood. Right Jimbo?"

James groaned.