Moriarty's Saloon (Megaton)

((OOC: Edit: Cont. from here.))

It was around noon when Khasen made her way to Moriarty's and plunked herself down at the bar. Gob, who had learned that Khasen wasn't much for conversation, handed her a bottle of whiskey without comment. Khasen put the caps on the counter, not wanting to touch his hand. It wasn't that she was racist or nothin', but she'd had a bad experience with a feral when she was a kid, and she supposed it'd be fair to say she has a bit of a phobia of 'em.

Khasen opened her whiskey and lit herself a smoke, ready to drink herself into oblivion for a while.

Calico burst into the dingy bar with a whoop, the dust that usually drifted lazily through the sparse sunbeams kicked up into a frenzy at her sudden, aggressive entrance. She made a b-line for the bar and leaned confidently against the marred, uneven surface, saluting Gob with an overdramatic flourish. "Heya Skippy! Miss me?"

The ghoul started then chuckled nervously and reached for the bottle of whiskey he knew she'd be asking for. "Sure drunky. You're a little late this morning."

"Well I found myself otherwise entertained... Don't you worry though, I wouldn't miss out on any potential customers. Believe you, me." She added in an almost pleading yet comedic whisper, "You haven't noticed any yet, have you?"

His smile grew as he poured her drink. Glancing up and down the bar in an exaggerated fashion he shook his head and spoke flatly, trying to imitate her tone, "No."

Khasen started noticeably at Calico's rather boisterous entrance.

'Goddamn noisy kids,' she grumbled internally while shooting the girl a grumpy look.

Calvin's entrance was much more subdued. He took a quick study of the place when he went in and was surprised to see a ghoul behind the bar. He nodded to the man, who seemed equally surprised, and dug some caps out of his pocket, placing them on the bar. He wasn't close to rich, but it was money he'd intended to waste on the doctor anyway.

"I'll take a pour of your highest-proof poison when you've got the chance," he said. "Oh, and the rest of this crowd's on me, too."

"Sure thing," the other ghoul said, looking from Calico to Calvin with confusion or suspicion in his eyes. Jarek's warning came to mind and Calvin stepped back from the bar, waiting until the scarred man was close enough for him to whisper a question.

"Is that Moriarty?" He inclined his head toward the ghoul behind the bar, keeping the movement casual. The ghoul seemed harmless, but anyone who lived for long in the wastes knew not to put much stock in outward appearances.

Jarek walked into the Saloon closely following the others.
He scanned the dingy interior, hoping not to catch a glimpse of Moriarty.
I really can't be bothered with him today he thought.
Not seeing any sign of him, his gaze shifted to the bar and he smiled when he saw Gob. He was serving the merc girl and the ghoul fellow. Jarek looked at the merc, why did she have to be so loud,
and he noticed she seemed pretty familiar with the ghoul. Jarek figured she couldn't be all that bad if Gob was friendly with her.
Approaching the bar, he heard a whisper to his side.

"Ah no, sorry, i should have mentioned earlier", he said quietly, "no that's Gob, the guy has practically been Moriarty's slave for years, although Moriarty has him in 'debt' to him, it's pretty fucking clear what's going on. Gobs a good man," he said, "probably one of the best I know."
Sitting himself down next to a girl at the bar who seemed to be shooting the merc girl daggers, he continued.
"You'll know the self satisfied, evil bastard when you see him. In fact, he'll probably be in here soon and will no doubt have to come and announce his presence." he said, turning back towards the bar.

Lex slid in behind the others, quietly closing the door behind her. A few of the darker corners of the establishment were occupied with some of the usual drunks. She quietly took the seat in the corner of the bar and the wall, next to the radio. she automatically slipped a cheerful grin to Gob who she hadn't seen in months. Satisfied not to draw attention to herself, she settled her back into the wall and crossed her legs in a very unladylike way. Lex could never rightly call herself a lady, what with her mother dying shortly after her birth and being raised by her father. As kind as he had been, there was no replacement for the knowledge passed from mother to daughter.

After Calico's amazingly raucous entrance, things seemed to be quieting down. Lex allowed herself a contented, if crooked, smile and did as she had been raised to do; she listened, watched, and learned. She could hear the half whispered exchange between Calvin and Jarek. Saw the way the somber girl a little way down the bar was glaring at Calico. Lex could even pick up the tension from Gob after Calico's exaggerated display. No doubt Moriarty would be coming out to see what all the din was for. She had no kind words to use about him, he was scum of the earth, and she had no doubt that he knew it too. Looking around she noticed that Calvin was still standing, a self safe distance from the bar. With a slight dip of her head and a sweeping hand movement she offered the seat between her and where Calico was standing.

"No matter how fast radiation heals you, I think you might want to let that leg get a little rest." She said with a crooked smile. Lex decided then that she liked the Ghoul, he probably got her more than the younger members of the odd group. Though she was still young by his example, like him, she had experienced much of what the wastes had to offer.

When Khasen heard the dry crackle of a ghoul's voice, she immediately tensed up. Her trigger-finger twitched, but otherwise she made no movement.

'Another one? Goddamn half-rotten bastards must be breeding or somethin',' she thought.

Her tension was not eased when Jarek sat down next to her.

'Plenty of other seats in this room, friend...' she muttered in her head. Just when she had decided to get up and move to a different seat, Lex sat where Khasen would've moved. Khasen sighed unhappily and took a deep drink from her bottle, which was now about half empty.

The radio crackled softly as the last notes of an ancient ballad petered out.

"That was the First Lady of music herself, Miss Ella Fitzgerald, telling us that “Into Each Life, a Little Rain Must Fall.” Ain’t that the truth sister. Ooh, Capitol Wasteland! This is Three Dog, Awooo! Coming to you loud and proud from Galaxy News Radio! Ahh yes, time for the news.
It seems the town of Grayditch has gone quiet. Residents haven’t come out to trade with the caravans and those who try to make contact have been met with… silence. So if you’re out by Grayditch, you may want to pop in and see what’s what.
Until next time, this is Three Dog, Awwoooooo! And you’re listening to Galaxy News Radio, bringing you the truth, no matter how bad it hurts. Now, some music!"

(OOC: It's gone pretty quiet in here and i was going to wait until someone else commented, but i will try and kick start it again! Apologies for crapness, i'm slightly drunk!)

Jarek looked at the radio as Three Dog's howls gave way to the music and shifted uncomfortably.
He knew why Grayditch was so quiet and he didn't like to think about it too much. Fire and death. Not something he really liked to dwell on when combined.

Coming out of his thoughts for a moment he looked up, noticing Gob and grinned. "Hey, Gob good to see you."

Gob looked at Jarek, snapping out of his confused stare at the group and smiled. "Hey friend, it's been a little while. Did you find out what you needed to know?"
Jarek shifted in his chair again and studied the pitted surface of the bar. "i guess so" he said quietly, resting his scarred arm on the counter.
"Still, i might need a little help". He glanced at the merc girl briefly. "We shall see".
Gob handed him his drink.
"Damn i need this" Jarek said, drinking deeply from the tankard. "So," he said, turning to the group, "i don't think i caught anyone's name and i wouldn't like to stay a stranger to those i share a drink with...."

Lex turned her attention to Jarek with a lazy smile. Gob placed a drink near her elbow and she nodded to him briefly in thanks.

"Name's Lex." she answered nonchalantly. she kept her eyes on him, noticing the way he tensed at the mention of Grayditch. Lex knew that tenseness all to well, that unconscious tightening of the jaw when something hits close to home. The kid'll talk when he talks. she thought to herself, Lex was never one to pry. She ran an absentminded finger over the scar on her face, tracing it often when a silence turned awkward. No one had said anything in a good long while, and she'd noticed the way Jarek eyed that scar. She didn't really want to get into that story yet, maybe after a few more drinks. Lord knew, she had plenty of others she could tell.

The question was whether or not anyone wanted to listen.

(OOC: Sorry for my quietness. My work schedule just picked up and I've been feeling like my head's stuffed with packing peanuts. Yay!)

Calvin was repulsed by the concept of slavery, but at least the ghoul behind the bar wasn't wearing a collar or shackles or anything else too overt, other than what might be a number of bruises on what was left of his skin. It could be much worse.

Calvin thanked Lex with a nod and slid into the seat she indicated. Gob slid him something dark and rank that might have been bourbon back when cows had only one head, and Calvin knocked it back. It took real persistence and a load of caps for a ghoul to get drunk, but Calvin found comfort in going through the motions anyway. He cast a glance at the other woman sharing the bar, noting the discomfort almost visibly radiating off of her.

Roy would have a couple of choice words for her. Me, I guess I can't blame her much.

"I'm Calvin," he said to Jarek after Lex spoke. "Cal's fine, too. And her?" He pointed a thumb at Calico, a smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. "I've heard tell she's called the Bearslayer in some parts, and after the mess she made of those yao-guai, I believe it. But I'll leave her to tell her given name."

The radio caught Calico's attention and she stared at it severely until the broadcast finished. Hm... sounds dodgy. Could be something worth looking into. On the other hand... if the town's quiet it's probably empty, and an empty town means no pay check. She set the thought aside for the time being, the mention of 'bearslayer' catching her attention.

"Oh Calvin, you glorious bastard. You flatter me!"

Extending her arm down the length of the bar to Jarek she flashed him a devious smile and set into her usual sales pitch, "Calico Borgia, freelance merc at your service. You've got a problem, I've got a solution." She tapped her hunting rifle, as she usually did, but the movement was awkward due to the angle. She trudged on, but without her usual enthusiasm, "No target is too small! From Molerats to Mirelurks, Radroaches to Raiders. I'll kill it all."

Jarek smiled at Lex and Calvin. "Glad to make your acquaintance" he said and then reached towards Calico, grasping her outstretched hand with a firm shake and listened to her sales pitch.

"So I've heard. Good to meet you too Calico, i see we follow the same profession" he said, tapping his hunting rifle with his other hand to mimic her, a playful smile on his face.
"And as you mention it, you may be in with a job if you're interested. I have a few things i need to take care of and to be honest, i could do with a bit of extra help."

Jarek took another swig from his tankard, finishing it off and waited for a reply.
He glanced at Cal and Lex, wondering if they would want in on the deal as well. They both looked like they could handle themselves that was for sure.
Jarek wasn't entirely convinced this was all a good idea even so. Still, he didn't have much choice in enlisting some help if he wanted to do this. In fact he needed to do it, he had to find some closure and hell knew they deserved what was coming to them.
I hope I've enough caps to cover this he thought to himself. Still, perhaps he could offer his own services as well. After all, he was itching to get back out in the wastes and perhaps these guys had some unfinished business of their own.

Her expression darkened for a moment when he suggested he was also a merc, but the job offer put an enthusiastic grin back on her face. She took a wincing swig of her whiskey, "What kinda job we talking about here?"

A young wasteland Doctor had approached her a few days ago requesting an escort to Arefu. Sure it seemed like a waste of her time, but he was paying good caps. They were due to leave tomorrow but if Jarek's job was more fun and better paying she'd blow the Doctor off. What kinda lame ass can't walk from Megaton to Arefu on their own anyway?

While the others talked, Khasen had been keeping quiet, maybe sending a wary glance about once or twice. She had also finished her bottle. She tapped it on the counter, which Gob had learned was Khasen-ese for "more whiskey". But Gob was busy pretending to wipe down the bar while he listened to the group's friendly conversation. Khasen exhaled impatiently.

"Oi, ghoul! What the hell're you bein' paid for?" Khasen questioned belligerently, these being her first words all day.

Gob jumped at her sudden interruption to his concentration. To his credit, he managed not to scowl at her as he came over to where she was sitting.

"What do you--"

Khasen slammed the bottle down to interrupt him and raised her eyebrow as if to suggest that the answer to the question was obvious.

'Goddammit, why do people always gotta ask such stupid goddamn questions?' she questioned the universe silently.

Gob held back a sigh as fetched Khasen another bottle without comment, knowing that her attitude would only get worse the more she drank.

Jarek was just about to reply to Calico when he heard the strange girl next to him shout at Gob and slam her bottle down.
What the hell.. he thought, seeing Gob scurry away.
He turned towards the girl who was sat next to him and glared at her.
"Do you have some kind of issue with him?" he said, a challenging tone in his voice.
He didn't like people being aggro to Gob and he was already getting wound up thinking about the task ahead. It especially wound him up when he thought about the fact that Gob wasn't actually getting paid to do this shitty job.
His jaw clenched as he looked at the girl.

Khasen turned her attention to Jarek, with a look on her sun-lined face as though she smelled something foul.

"Mind yer own business, crispy," she spat.

OOC: Missed the last two posts while I was writing, allow me to rectify that.

Lex visibly tensed, She barely knew Gob, but taking a jab ad Jarek was completely uncalled for. Without so much as a word, she rose to her feet and came to stand beside him. She automatically -and completely against her better judgment- placed a protective hand on his shoulder. Giving the girl a steely glare she lowered her voice, making it gravely from years of smoking.

"This one bugging you Pal?" she asked Jarek, though she kept her eyes completely focused on the girl. With her hand on his shoulder, Lex could feel just how tense he was, though whether it was from the girls comment or her hand Lex wasn't sure. But she was in too deep to back off now, it was really up to Jarek to decide what she did next.

And here Calvin was just settling into his relaxing drink... Tension was heavy in the air, like the minute just before a rainstorm. Just a few minutes peace, and already the fighting was kicking up again.

"Hold up a second," he said, his voice soft but clear. "For all we know this woman might just be havin' a shitty day and sportin' the attitude to match. Nothin' unusual there." His tone became more gentle, and he shot a sympathetic glance at the other ghoul. "And if Gob's even a quarter my age I'll bet he knows how to let a couple rude words roll off his back."

He looked slowly from the woman to Lex and Jarek, his expression neutral. "So you all tell me: is there a way to settle this besides trashin' the bar and leavin' Gob to clean it up?"

Damn pacifist robot is rubbin' off on me.

Calico watched the exchange with a dark smile. It'd been ages since she was in a decent bar fight and looking at the crowd in Moriarty's tonight it would be one hell of a brawl. Of course she felt bad for Gob, knowing if things got dirty he'd be the one cleaning it up at the end of the night. She watched the others hungrily, waiting for someone to reach their limit.

As a rule she didn't take sides unless someone was paying her to, after all you never knew who's side you'd be on next. She bristled when Lex stood to back Jared. Bitch is making me look bad...Fuckin' hell.

On one hand, if she stepped in she'd be showing a bias ...Bad for business... but if she sat idly by she risked looking cowardly or fickle. Of course she didn't owe anything to these people, but if Jared was a potential client she wanted to establish loyalty.

Luckily she was spared from the decision by Calvin. She turned to face the others, propping her arm on the bar and resting her chin on her hand, "As much as I love a good scrap, Cal's right. I'm sure we can..." a visible shudder, "...talk this out."

The words hit Lex like a psychoed up Yao-Guai. It was impossible for her to hide the astonishment in her features. God knew she hadn't been looking for a fight, just standing up for one of the first people she'd considered "friend" in a long while. She retracted her hand and crossed her arms nonchalantly, Cal was right, she might have had a bad day. Still, Lex doubted it. Already she didn't like the stoic girl, lashing out at Ghouls -while she hated to admit it- was understandable for some people; but insulting someone like Jarek, in front of her, was a bad, bad idea. She drew herself up to her full height, a-not-too-terribly-imposing-five-foot-nine, and tried her best at a battle weary scowl. Lex didn't really feel like fighting, the day had been going so well, awfully strange, but well all the same. But she had marked her ground and she was going to hold it, no matter what happened.

"That is, of course, if our brooding friend here want's to talk. She seemed just content to keep her not-so-friendly trap shut, till she ran out of booze that is." her tone came out a bit more harsh than she'd meant it to, probably not a good thing. Yet, some part in the back of her mind was still -amazingly- wondering where the hell Moriarty was. She sighed and pinched the bridge of her crooked nose for a moment.

"Still, she was here before us. probably enjoying a quiet marinade before we barged in and occupied most of the bar." it seemed the logical thing to say, though admittedly logic had often failed her in the past. Lex decided that she'd said quite enough and waited for someone else to talk.

She wasn't damn near drunk enough to deal with this shit.

Khasen had been listening to everyone's comment on the situation with only moderate disdain but then Lex spoke again and Khasen's scowl deepened.

She ignored the comments on her alcohol consumption. If she wanted to drink herself into a stupor, it was her own business. And while it was clear that Khasen was outnumbered, she was just drunk enough that she could pretend not to notice.

After all, it's cheaper to pass out on the wrong end of someone's fist than to drink your way there.

"Ain't nothin' to talk about," Khasen said to Lex, "I was jus' havin' a conversation with that lazy barkeep," she nodded her head at Gob for emphasis then turned her attention to Jarek, "when scarface over here seemed to think that rubbin' his nose where it don't belong was a good idea."

She took a swig from her new bottle of whiskey, and turned her attention back to the group.

"I was simply expressin' to him my displeasure when you lot decided to stick your noses where they didn't belong. Goddamn, don't anyone mind their own business 'round here?"

The venomous words fell from the girls mouth hitting Jarek and he felt rage start to build within him. His eyes narrowed even further and did not waver from her drunken face.
Clenching his fists he opened his mouth to respond, but stopped as he felt the hand on his shoulder. Turning, he saw Lex stood there.
His anger subsided slightly in surprise.
Not many people would have backed someone in this situation, never mind someone he had only just met and in Moriarty's of all places.
Another first, he thought to himself. His liking and respect of the woman increased considerably in that moment.

Jarek's surprise was furthered when he heard Calvin and Calico speak. He'd thought Calico would have reveled in a confrontation and her words to let it lie threw him off guard slightly. Not that he had expected anyone to stand with him on this, Jarek couldn't always control his temper that well and would react the same on his own.
I guess they're right he thought to himself. I've heard a hell of a lot worse from someone a whole lot more sober and Gob doesn't deserve the backlash.

Calvin had hit the nail on the head and Jarek knew it. Gob would be the one to have to 'clean it up' which effectively meant when Moriarty found out (and he always did) he would take it out on the ghoul. This was the main reason Jarek had never caused any trouble directly with Moriarty or any of the other overly abusive patrons who frequented the Saloon. In fact, he generally didn't rise to any trouble in Megaton at all. It was easy enough to catch up with the offending person elsewhere if he so felt the need (aside from Moriarty, the bastard never ventured outside the gates much to Jarek's anger) and besides, he was on good terms with Simms and liked to keep it that way.

Looking over at Gob, an almost pleading expression on what was left of the ghoul's face made Jarek finally back down.
Fuck thought Jarek in frustration. He could barely stand it, but he knew he had to, it just wasn't worth it. He knew him and Gob had taken a lot worse over the years, but still, the girl had seemed to be itching to start something from the moment they walked in.

"No matter" he said to the drunken girl, anger still present in his tone but his fists unclenched, "you're not worth the trouble anyway."

Khasen barked out a mirthless sound that may have been related to laughter.

"Don't you know better'n to start somethin' you can't finish? Ain't your mother ever teach you nothing? Damn!" she replied with equal parts amusement, disappointment, and anger.

She looked at all the eyes focused angrily on her and figured that maybe it was time she made herself scarce. What if that ghoul got in on the action? Close combat with a ghoul was on Khasen's list of "Top Five Things I Would Rather Eat Glass Than Do".

Khasen sighed and made to get up and grab her bottle.

Jarek couldn't help himself.
As the girl got up to leave he jumped up from his stool and blocked her path.
"I never said i was finished" he said, leaning close, his voice low and angry. "Outside of this town, if our paths cross again, I'll finish what was started."
His eyes flashed with what was almost hatred.
He didn't know this girl, but he knew enough to want to take that look off her face. His temper always got the better of him some way or another.