Erich is visibly relieved to hear that dustyn is still alive. "fucking madonna. of course she'd stil be alive. she didnt have any of her original parts back before all this." erich says shaking his head. erica immediately pipes up, " billy,thats not the real madonna. that is a synth....basically a robot that passes as human." she nods to erich. he would have to be caught up very quickly. erica and nina were fine with synths. they were fuckable and brought in the caps. erich loses his amused expression about madonna when billy completes his statement. erich was completely shocked when he heard that dallas and dustyn werent together anymore...AND blake was still in the picture. " well,i guess i wont give him a congratulatory hug. but i guess i can understand." erich says looking down. it was beginning to be clear to erich,nobody was immune to terrible things happening in this world. he assumes it wouldnt be like dustyn to react the way that erica and nina had.
"fucking brotherhood of steel. they should just call themselves nazis and be done with it. pure this,tech run amok that. " erica spats. she hated them and actually feared one day they would turn that airship towards goodneighbor. there would be fuck all they could do about it. most anyone else the harlots could stand against,but brotherhood totally outgunned everyone.
as they walk erich looks around at what had become old hat to his party. there was just so much devastation around them. not only broken buildings,but there were skeletons everywhere. he could only guess if they were old or new. perhaps they were people he knew.
"yeah, a total pussy raider gang." nina smirks. in reality,she had no idea who they were, but one had to had confidence in their own crew.
erich lets the news roll around in his head and looks at his company. " billy,why havent you killed this fucker yet?" he jokes darkly. if life was cheap as it seemed now,they should do this. he and billy should take vengeance for dustyn.

erica and nina look at each other and grin. "killing him is too easy and while fun,its like a total blue balling. you guys should let us have him." erica grins . "then you and billy could visit and watch poetic justice whenever you like."

ooc: fast travel.

the walk there was definitely not a walk through mr rogers' neighborhood for mr erich hess. but it did serve to get him acclimated to the idea taking lives. it was surprisingly easy..especially when they were attacking you. erich also managed to scrounge together some more bullets for his pistol and a battered sniper rifle that had seen better days. some moron cut the stock down to a pistol grip. the "it looks like a bomb went off here " joke was thoroughly ran into the ground as was nina posing rival raider corpses in funny positions. her crowning achievement on this journey was posing 4 bodies in the "ymca" dance. it was her way of making the wasteland a little more fun. for her. erich would normally want some of whatever billy was one when he spoke about the super mutants. it sounded like an absurd idea. but he had seen more than his share of flies that were the sizes of dogs.so he knew billy was telling the truth. "those things are rare,right? not like those ghouls running about,right? right?" erich says,looking around on high alert.he slings the rifle over his back and takes out the pistol. he's a far better shot with the pistol and he thinks the rifle's barrel is bent. it pulls waaaay to the right. oddly,erich was more disgusted by the idea of ghouls. the fact they used to be people unsettled him. how little he knows,right?

normally,at this point erica and nina would send their weakest companion out to act as bait the mutants,while they looped around. but they were rather found of erich and thought he had potential in their organization. they squat down behind a corvega and ready their guns. " i think we should take the long way around, circle back and see if we cant take the rooftops to diamon-" erica stops as soon as the cram can was kicked. inwardly,she thanked whatever god wasnt burned by atomic fire that it wasnt erich who did it. it was more excusable if it was billy. he had experience and wasnt being an idiot.
nina slides under the car and holds her gun. if she could take the mutants legs off,it would slow them down.
"we'll follow your lead. we'll start shooting after you." erica whispers to billy,nodding to erich. while nina and erica were fearsome in their own right..their forte was more squishy wastelanders and raiders. you couldnt shake a mutant by cutting off all the limbs of a their companions. mutants never got scared.

Erich made a face when Billy informs him that these mutant things were pretty common. But it was heartening to hear they mostly stuck to the city. Erich was more than content to frontier it out in the wasteland. "They fucking eat people?!" Erich asks,almost as if personally offended. " I'll show them,I'll eat one of the bastards myself!" Erich rants. Getting accustomed to the life here,he was getting his cavalier personality back . Erich pops open his switchblade and holds it along with his pistol. He was going to make good on cutting a piece off of and eating it.

When Billy actually kills one,erichs bravado does take a hit. These things are huge up close and personal. Erich runs along with a billy and ducks behind the base of a streetlight. True to his earlier words,he does cut the dead mutant's finger off and sticks it in his mouth like a cigar....well,that was his theory,it looks more like a green penis due to it's girth. "You guys taste like shit" he yells over the dirge of mutant speak ad gunfire. He hears a low howl and turns to see the ugliest damned dog he had ever seen. It looked like a gaping mouth and nothing but muscles. He empties his pistol at the thing,hitting it in the eyes and blinding it. With luck,it may bleed to death.

Erica narrows her eyes and lets out another burst from her Tommy gun. "Billy,I'd sooner become one of these mutants than ask diamond city security for anything. we're killing these,or die trying." She says,hoping to let Erich know failure wasn't an option. Nobody was saving them. Do or die.
From under her car Nina incapacitates the legs of the smaller mutants. She loads another magazine in her gun and prepares to finish the job.
"Quit playing with the dogs and help"she taunts erich. Who by this time was covered in mutant hound corpse. The thing had died while pouncing on him.

He wails and fires wildly at the mutants,managing to land shots in the torso.

ooc: with the amount i've been absent this week? balderdash. write away.

there was a lot going on. it was like hell itself had bubbled up and spilled all over the ground. there was blood and spent shell casings everywhere. there was so much blood that the brass didnt even *ting* as it fell to the once cobblestoned street. once things had died down,nina crawls out of her car fort and springs to her feet. there was no feeling like besting someone,or something in combat. a lone ghoul crawls out from under the remaining half of a block wall, "get fucked,love." she quips and shoots its legs off and one arm. she took these attacks personally and a ghoul had no business showing itself after a mutant attack. that was like having the best sex ever,only to have your mate slide a finger in your nose. it just was out of place.erica slings an arm around nina and the pair look around for their male companions. " whew,glad that's over. now we can shoot some med-x and just chill till dia-" erich starts,but is interrupted by billy's announcement of the suicider. she hated these things,something about the bondage chains always made her feel like they were mocking her missing friend,karoliena. she whips around the tommy gun,but doesnt fire. she isnt really...accurate. she subscribed to the spray and pray model of killing.

"i got this bastard. how dare he threaten suicide when there are 4 people who can send his ugly ass to hell right here." erich yells from behind his cover :a pile of milk machines and vim cola machines that had fallen of a truck. he operates the bolt of his sniper rifle and looks down the scope. he squeezes the trigger smoothly,aiming for the thing's head. the first shot takes half the mutant's skull off and it arcs to the ground. he slides the bolt out and back again,ready to fire. his second shot is more for show than to kill the already dead mutant. the thing falls to the ground harmlessly,mini nuke still flashing.
"nina,grab that. we can get a fortune for it!" erica squeaks.

"fuck you." nina replies,backing away. she hated the idea of mini nukes. what freak wanted such a thing to exist?


ooc:going old school. broke out my old 20 sided die for erich's shots. first shot? rolled a 19. second? a 12.

erich goes to follw billy's lead,snapping open his knife and looking to cut the mutant's thigh off. he figured meat was meat,so it would be the most like ham. but before he can,erica smacks his hand away. "ew. you will NOT be eating that. you'll eat mirelurk and radstag like a normal person! maybe some strange meat pies on the side,but no mutant!" she scolds erich,but looks to billy as well. " dont you know what eating those things do to you?! it turns you into them. and look under that mutant's kilt. is that what either of you boys want?" she says in a rather motherly tone. a mother who doesnt wish to see her children eat radiated humanoid flesh. "besides,diamond city has power noodles! cooked by a robot. you really want to fill up on this shit?!" erica ADORED the noodles in diamond city. they were an odd moment of sanity in this mad mad world

"but i havent had lamb in ages..." erich sighs,putting the knife up. he did have to admit,having the mutants finger in his mouth earlier,they seemed like they would be a bitch to eat. the skin was so tough.....though mutant rinds could be a good thing. he loved pork rinds. he mentally made a note to try this later. the lack of rule of law did open up all sorts of culinary possibilities.

erich was rather happy to have his friends here with him. even billy whom his relationship could have always been described as " complicated". he was sure without billy,he'd have already been a ghoul bride or something. perhaps the meal at a ghoul wedding or something. erica felt conflicted about having people outside of nina with her who knew her before all of this.they knew her before she had lost her humanity and she felt guilty for having lost it. but such was life. she sliced the left ear of all the mutants of and stuck them in a glovebox of a car. nina was probably the colder of the two. she didnt even see their victims as things to take pleasure in killing. she'd feel the same if she was slipping a grenade into someones pocket or shooting a car until it explodes. there was herself,erica. then everything else.

erich looks around in wonder at the outside of the stadium. he'd been here many times before the bombs. it was surreal to see it as it was now. suddenly,he wondered if graceland was still standing...if it was...HE COULD HAVE IT! it'd only be like a year's journey or so. the guards dressed as catchers did make sense. if the gear could protect against a fastball,it'd work against anything not a bullet. clever. erica's scowl grows deeper when the stadium lights start to illuminate the area outside diamond city. she loved the noodles,but hated most everything about the place. she found the idea of big settlements like this absurd. fucking savages pretending to be civilized people. she wants to glare at the security they pass,but doesnt. she doesnt want to draw any undue attention to their party. they were thrown off when the guard greets billy. the guy looked as out of place as erich did. probably even more so. erich was covered in dried mutant blood and looked comfortable with the pistol in his waistband and rifle on his back. this guy looked like he would drop his weapon if you yelled boo at him.

nina looks down briefly when she sees its reuben. he was too sweet and innocent to be lumped into this world. but maybe it was better than the alternative,which everyone in the wasteland was familiar with. but she eventually looks at him and smiles a weary smile. " a fucking narc now,huh?" she says lightly to tease him,making sure to mouth the words perfectly. she wasnt sure how his hearing was now. "its really good to see you're still here." she says warmly. she wants to hug him,but doesnt. if his fellow guards saw him hugging a harlot,it could lead to lots of explaining on his part.

erica turns away and pretends to look at the skyline behind them,but whispers to nina. " a fucking guard?! what the fuck is he going to guard?! he cant hear! they should put him in the ticket booth where he can at least see people who approach.its like they're trying to get him killed." it was harshly worded,but it was the truth of erica's feelings. while most in the wasteland were just victims to erica,most people she knew from before got a pass. they were once like her,they didnt know how this world worked...unless she ran across nicole shade. she would put that bitch's head on a pike as soon as look at her. erica turns back around and smiles at rueben as warmly as she can.

it was nice seeing billy have someone that he knew from before. but erica and nina knew instantly what reuben's reply to billy meant. for all they knew,their crew had been responsible for rueben's loss. unless whomever he lost was in diamond city. they never hit diamond city other than the occasional kidnapping to resupply their stock. erica and nina stop and shake their heads. " thats ok,rueben. we'll stay outside here." nina pipes up.
"yeah,if we go in there,im not getting locked in one of those dugouts again." erica says defiantly.


erich vaguely remembers seeing reuben on tv when the helmet comes off. but really couldnt place him. so he waves to rueben and grins. probably the most un-wastelander thing to do. but erich did need a moment of levity. the reality of having been on the menu for super mutants is starting to dawn now that the adrenaline stopped pumping. "have you seen karoliena summers? shes about ..i dunno,my height? dark black hair. probably with another woman and 4 kids?" erich asks reuben. the man seemed to know billy,and did look to be in some sort of position of authority. maybe he saw her come through.

Ooc: back to the grind. I'll be here at my normal times again .

Erica and Nina sit in the bed of a pickup truck. Nina takes a pack of cards out of her backpack and starts dealing. "You guys had better come back.we don't have all day. Busy schedule and all,loves." She says,not looking up as she deals to Erica.
",Yeah,and don't come back without noodles." Erica chimes in. They weren't pleased about waiting outside,but there was still enough memory of their deeds amongst security.

Erich nods. "Yeah, let's stick to Dustyn. He at least knows what karoliena looks like. " Erich says to Reuben and Billy. He felt it would be easier than trying to describe her to someone. For all he knew she dyed her hair black and could actually be blonde. He didn't see any salons around,so hair dye probably was rare. "Thanks,but no. I think I'll keep going in the wasteland." Erich replies at the thought of getting a place in diamond city. He really didn't want to be separated from Erica....even if her life seemed a bit rougher than what would be found here. "Geneva sounds like a pretty name though,far to pretty for this world." Erich muses. While certainly a culture shock,he was still a man with needs.

"Thanks.and good luck out there." Erich tells Rueben as they are let in. He meant it as well. So far it seemed like there were two reactions to reality now. Be hard asses like the girls and Billy,or be in over your head like Reuben was. That was clear even to Erich. Inside,Erich was astounded at the sheer scale of the city. In it's heyday,it was a huge structure anyway. Now, filled with buildings,it seemed even more massive. It was a good idea for a city though,thick walls meant security. The ground seemed permanently soggy with what he hoped was water.

As they walk,Erich makes idle conversation to Billy. "So what makes you different than our little psychos out there?" Erich nods towards the gates. "Better pr department?" He laughs. He turns down a paper from some little girl. He had no money and didn't want to be in anyone's debt. Even for a paper.

"oh.so do it for profit or justice,just don't enjoy it?" Erich says to Billy as they walk around. Some guy selling baseball bats catches his eye for a second. He thought it a bit stupid. Who would want a bat when firearms practically littered the streets . He left several small guns just lay on the ground. They weren't even worth picking up. It could have been because Erich had nothing in this world,we could be the appeal of the harlots' way. He took out a bottle of whiskey and started drinking it. He doubted seriously that public drunkenness laws were a thing anymore. He offers it to Billy when they turn a corner.

"You've got to be shitting me. HE made it,but only three of the hess clan did?!" Erich says when he hears the familiar sound of Joshua grimmie.he didn't even have to look to know it was him. He had no idea what a synth was,but the way Joshua was going on bout it ,it must have been some marginalized group that probably didn't ask for his help. "How much are your services?" Erich asks Billy flatly. He just shakes his head,oddly furious that Joshua Grimmie was here and barely any of his friends were .

"Totally sure. I thought for sure the Tumblr troops would have perished long ago." Erich says, narrowing his eyes. "The fuck is a synth, anyway?" He asks, barely taking note of the reaction his question got from people around them. People were stepping away,as if the institute was going to pop up right then and there.

Erich pondered what Billy said and could see the idea behind it. Erica seemed to take everything personal. Who'd have thunk Billy Khan would ever be the voice of reason?! Can't wait to kill one of those bastards. Erica says they're rather tasty. I do love crab,and human sized one sounds like a challenge I'm up to." Erich replies gleefully. He did adore crab and lobster,so that sounded far more appetizing than mole rat or something like that. He let the synth thing go. He'd ask Erica later. Erich did wonder just how good a replica a synth would be. Could you fuck one? At the building that was Dusty's home,Erich looks it up and down. Yup. A far cry from the good life long ago,but it looked safe at least.

Dallas was risking reprimand by coming to see Dusty like this. The brotherhood frowned on relationships that didn't grow their Numbers. So there was little companionship like this to be had there. But, Dallas really thought the brother Hood was the best hope for getting things back to how civilization used to be...even if they were a little more:"the ends justify the means" than he would like. Which,maybe he will was too. After all,he sacrificed his real relationship with Dustyn for brotherhood duty. Maybe there would be hope one day for them,but until that time...it was sporadic old world booty calls for them. When the door suddenly opens,dallas is on his feet and holding a plasma pistol. Dallas was far from the soft man he used to be. He was typical of brotherhood paladins: built almost as well as his power armor. " Oh." Dallas mumbles, zipping up his jumpsuit. "'im starting to think you like bursting in on us." He says with a shake of his head. He was surprised security would let Billy into the city. But , here he was.

Erich was restrained in his reaction to Dustyn. He certainly remembered what Billy had said earlier.He really didn't want to make things worse and really didn't know how to handle it. But he let Dustyn do all the hugging and lightly squeezed him in return. " You look great,dust. You'd hardly know an apocalypse happened to look at you." Erich grins at Dustyn just like the old days. "I love you too,dust. I just got here few days ago. Billy has been a god damned saint. I'd have been some bleached bones on nordhagen beach if not for him." Erich says gracefully. He would buy Billy many beers when he got the Caps together. He recognized Dallas,but didn't like what he saw. He didn't know anything about the brotherhood,but Dallas had the look of Authority about him.

"nah. We got plenty of room up there,but warm air rises. So all the wasteland farts get stuck in our roof." Dallas lightly replies to Billy. Out of respect for Dustyn,he wants to keep things as pleasant as possible. Even if it was Billy we were talking about. He let's the mention of his jumpsuit slide . Nobody looks good in them.they were also very hot. Whomever thought up the idea of wearing them in the wasteland was a moron. "Josh Grimmie can get fucked. Possibly by one of those machines he thinks are people." Dallas bought into the brotherhood as whole heartedly as any of them. The synths were there to sow dissention among humans and needed to be destroyed before they caused society to crumble. How could a person trust their fellow man if they were secretly a machine?

Erich hugs Dustyn tighter since he seemed to be ok with being hugged. It was great to have Dustyn here.he could have hugged him forever. "Dustyn,I was worried about you. I'm so happy you aren't dead or worse." Erich says softly. He ddidnt think he could take Dustyn being so drastically different like everyone else seemed to be...well,aside from Billy. Dallas in some military thing? This was weird. "I don't know if Dr pepper will make a comeback,but we could go find the recipe and MAKE it happen. We'll use Graceland as our base of operations." He schemes. The idea that treasures of the old world were free for the taking was intriguing to him. "We could live like Kings returning Dr pepper to the world!"

It was bizarre to Erich that kids were around. How could anyone grow up in this hell hole?

Dallas returns Dustyn's look. Their original plans were dead in the water,but it was kind of nice having so many people from the old world in one room. It helped with what Dallas knew he had to do later....which was "procure" supplies from local farms for the brotherhood. It was slightly more honorable work than raiders.but only because the brotherhood energy weapons offered a quick death upon refusal to contribute.

Erich runs a hand through his hair. suddenly he realized pomade may be in short supply. He'd have to find something to substitute. There was no way he was losing the pomp. It was definitely like Dustyn to offer a place to stay. But Erich had to refuse. " Thanks Dustyn,but I can't. I have Erica and Nina waiting outside. And I get the feeling they aren't the sort you leave waiting. We really stopped by to see if you have ever seen karoliena? I think she'd be somewhere that's you know,not the wasteland. I can't see her being someplace not air-conditioned. But who knows. We have Dallas looking like a line backer,Erica is apparently feared by many, Reuben is a guard. Only you and Billy still seem the same." Erich says in exhaustion.

"oh,I think we're all the height of post America fashion." Erich grins to Dustyn while looking around at the general scruffiness of them all.aside from Dallas. He assumed that the brotherhood must have clothing manufacturing or something. Dallas' clothes looked newer and in good repair. " I don't know if Billy is nicer,per se. I think the world became more billy like." Erich jokes to the scowling Billy. Dustyn was right though. Maybe Billy really had found his place in this new way of life. There was a whirlwind of locations named and it made Erich's head spin. But he was relieved to know karoliena at least did live at one time. " I'm assuming Cassie made it out too." Erich states while playing with a bottle cap left on a table. " I think if something happened to Cassie or the kids....I think she'd join up with Erica." If karoliena was anything like he remembered,she was the sort to make others feel her loss. In the back or erichs mind,he did wonder if his own daughter was still around. He hoped not and that her death was quick.

Dallas bristles at Billy's implying that the brotherhood took the airport from them. "The airport was full of ghouls and raiders. We did you guys a favor." He says pleasantly,but clearly not meaning it pleasantly. He also raised an eyebrow at the mention of Erica and Nina. They had been on the brotherhood's radar as well. Some brotherhood had met their fates at the hands of the harlots. Dallas ponders the thought of joining these...people. he could do without billy and Erich,but maybe things might feel semi normal with Dustyn out and and about. The journey could be explained to the elder that he was searching for more supplies. " Ok,dust. I'll do it. " He says as if he has reservation.