Journey To Boise (IC)

[Flarbinia]

Beggar's Narrows. Nowhere else in St. Louis would you find a more wretched hive of crime, scum, and villainy. Black market vendors openly sell their goods without fear of arrest: real coffee, real burgers, real hot dogs, undiluted alcohol, cigarettes that have nicotine, and forged ration books. It was from one of these vendors that Jack Davis was buying fuel for his truck. "Hey, Tanya. Sorry for keeping you waiting, but I needed to head here if I want to get my hands on the genuine article, even if the price has gone up. The rationed stuff won't do my engine any good." Jack said to Tanya as he paid a courier his last two hundred Ration Cards to carry the whiskey to his vehicle. "Owen's one of the last few legitimate sellers still left in the neighborhood after it became Beggar's Narrows and the only game in town if you have an AK." Jack Davis said to Tanya as he escorted her into the building. "Hey, Jack. I see you got yourself some new muscle. I assume that Luigi didn't make it?" Owen said to Jack, the store owner staring at Tanya's rifle. "Yeah, I really shouldn't have brought a rookie on the Phoenix Run. How much for 7.62?" Jack said to Owen as he stared at the three magazines on the counter. "Three hundred Ration Cards a mag." Owen replied.

OOC: viewtopic.php?f=31&t=491189&sid=46e44ebcb4607170150bfbaa844c9432#p37640418

[Brettenwald]

Plugged into the commercial charge station, check. Solar panels charging nicely, check. Optimal tire pressures all around, no air or hydraulic leaks, radios fully functional, battery and motor cooling systems fully functional: check, check, check and check. Marcus ran through his pre-loadout checks with practiced efficiency. It did take a while, but complex systems like the ones on his rig required patience. The truck and trailer gotten the nickname-slash-radio handle of "Sacred Cow" during his last convoy from Mobile to here in St. Louis thanks to its slow, lumbering road manners, sheer size and weight, and usually being used for more valuable cargo. His current load was ripped-off water and medicine ration crates- well, they were marked for distribution and had the right paperwork, it's just that the relevant documents had been expertly forged. In his mind, if it looked like a duck, walked like a duck, and quacked like a duck the sumbitch was a duck, so as far as he was concerned the whole thing was perfectly legit. There were also a couple dozen pallets of compact solar panel-generator sets, and despite being boringly legal they were almost as good a money maker as the hot stuff.

It wasn't too bad here, honestly, if you kept your wits about you. Loud, dirty, and crime-ridden, but no worse than any comparable neighborhood anywhere else. At least it wasn't Chicago. A hamburger- a real one from a cow, not that lab-grown shit, two Jack and Cokes, a cold shower and a power nap in the sleeper cab made him feel fully human for the first time in longer than he cared to admit, but it was time to stock up on gear. Lessee here, definitely need 9mm ammo, and I could do with a ration card book or two. He climbed down from the truck's cabin, stretched a little, tucked his pistol into the waistband of his jeans, and sauntered down into the neighborhood. Thankfully, the store wasn't too busy. "Owen! How you doin'? Long time no see. Like Johnny Cash said, I've been everywhere, man. Listen, I'm gonna need two boxes of 9-mil ammo and the name of someone with fewer scruples than you I can buy ration books off of . . . I am so sorry, y'all, I didn't mean to butt in line," he said, addressing Jack and Tanya with a friendly grin. "Please, take all the time you need, I'm in no rush." His heavy Southern accent and extroverted demeanor tended to get him written off as just some dumb hick, but being underestimated was an asset sometimes.

[Flarbinia]

"Sorry, Marcus. I only have one. Price is still the same: one Ration Card a round. If you're looking for a ration book, you will have to head to the back and ask for Paulie. He has a crate of the genuine article that fell off a truck, if you catch my drift. They're more expensive than Forgeries, but they're worth every Ration Card. Just don't try to buy 'em with Counterfeits or you'll find some of his Atlantic City buddies waiting for you at the finish line with their guns loaded and their safeties off." Owen said to Marcus Lawson as he placed a three hundred round box on the table. "Do you need anything, Jack?" Owen asked Jack Davis. "No. Besides, I'm fresh out of Ration Cards." Jack said to Owen. "Spent it all on whiskey, didn't ya? I ain't surprised. Booze is becomin' more diluted because of the bad harvests and most dealers are stuck buyin' cheap swill from bootleggers. I just hope you bought enough for the ride to Boise. Your hired muscle always pay well for my wares." Owen said to Jack before turning his attention back to Tanya.

[Xichung]

tanya

She stared at them, the gaze of her mask showing no emotion as she pulled out her ration book “the reason why I can keep up my lifestyle is because I know how to hunt instead of needing these things” she said as she put enough down for three magazines “the boy was a fool who shoulda kept his head down, now then if any of these are duds you know well you put yourself at risk” she said coldly as the mask she wore started to seem more sinister then just a mask. She then placed an additional 200 “charcoal filters, keeps the unwanted bio matter out, my last one got snapped” she then pocketed her rather thick book in her jacket’s inner pocket. “Also jack, you would live better if you didn’t drink your life away” she said as her gaze moved from Owen to Jack, his face reflecting off her lenses. She then rested her hand on her side arm and waited for Owen to fill her order.

[Mercatus]

Tex, Beggar's Narrows

The imposing man strode by the many vendors who had set up shop in this dump of a city, barely glancing at each of them before continuing on. Of course, because of his unique headwear; a blood red sweatband and a pair of highly reflective aviators, anyone could recognize who this man was. It was the man only known as Tex, referring to the state he was from, which is the only piece of personal info anybody knew about him. Everything down to his name, his relatives, and even the look of eyes was a complete mystery. His reputation as a brutal and effective killer seemed to radiate around him, with the inhabitants of this shabby area giving him a slightly wider berth than other people. Tex was fully kitted up, his stockless AR-18 slung over his shoulder and magazines in his rig, fully loaded. He carried an 840 round can of 5.56mm M855A1 ball ammo, which generally came at a lower price than other kinds of ammunition because of the commonality of firearms that used 5.56 or .223. In his other hand, he held his 500 remaining ration cards, and he looked around for creature comfort items, such as cigarettes or dip. He already had plenty of .45 Auto, a mix of jacketed hollow points and steel core rounds intended to go through light armor. Tex noticed a small stand selling mixed tobacco products, the name "Marks Smokes and Chew" was posted on a sign beside the stand, and from the looks of it, the guy was selling real shit, not rationed junk. He quickly made his way over, asking, "Hey, this stuff has nicotine in it, right?" The vendor, a portly man with a bald-shaven head, replied, "Sure does, dip cans come at 50 cards for two, and if ya buy two products that cost 50 or more you get a free pack of cigs, pricing is same for cigs, however, cigars are gonna cost ya more. 75 for 5, and there aren't any package deals on them." Tex examined the various products for a bit, and then told the vendor, "I'll take 8 cans, no flavoring. Also, I want two packs of cigars, the hand-rolled ones ya got there look well-made. Thats 350 cards total, plus I get the two free packs of cigs." The vendor was grabbing items off of the various shelves he had, putting them on the counter in front of him. Tex handed over the cards and picked up his goods, putting them in an empty 500 round 5.56 can that he had marked "TOBACCO" with a marker and a piece of tape. He then left the area, going to find the convoy crew that he would be escorting to Boise.

Tex found them near the stand of one of the only local AK builders in the entire city. He made little noise as he approached, almost seeming to suddenly appear behind them. He then made his presence known, saying, "Greetings, motherfuckers." in a rather loud voice. He immediately followed with, "Jesus fucking Christ, I can't believe you people just go through life paying through your assholes for everything. Sounds like a pretty worthless way to live if you ask me." He looked around at everyone, determining what kind of people he'd be working with. He saw the lady in the gas mask, and then eyed the rifle she had with her, "Damn, I admire your taste, going for the real thing instead of a PSL or Vepr. I respect that." Tex said after noticing that the rifle was in fact a Dragunov, specifically an Izhevsk Tiger, instead of another 7.62x54r AK-platform weapon.

[Brettenwald]

"You got a deal, brother," Marcus said, ripping three hundred cards out of his book. "300 divided by 13 . . . 23 mags should last me a good long while, that's for damn sure. Better safe than sorry, anyway. Oh, and don't worry, I know better than to mess around with Paulie." The flashy types who were all bark and no balls, that was something Marcus could deal with. The nice guys were who you really had to watch your step with. The chick in the black jacket and gas mask was giving off some major "absolutely 100% not to be fucked with" vibes, so he decided to give her a wide berth. Politely, of course. "Any of y'all know where this convoy out to Boise is meetin' up?" He'd haul the ammo back to the truck and fill a few clips after dealing with Paulie.

[Flarbinia]

"The western gate." Jack Davis said to Marcus as he turned his attention to Tanya. "The whiskey is not for me. It's for my truck. Solar panels are unreliable on a cloudy day and the batteries have to be constantly changed out. Switching to electrical only adds unnecessary weight and vegetable oil tends to burn out too quickly for my taste." Jack said to Tanya as Owen took the Ration Cards and handed her the magazines. "Paulie's sellin' two small Ration Books for the price of one medium. Not surprisin' for a man who is sitting on hot goods that need to be sold as quickly as possible." Owen said to Jack and Tanya as he before turning his attention back to Marcus. "If you want some extra meat for the trip to Boise, head to the butcher shop up the street from here. Harvey has great deals on Sheep Steaks and Goat Ribs, provided that you don't mind pouring sauce made from Jalapeños and ground up rat meat on your food." Owen said to Marcus.

[Flarbinia]

"I'm a gun shop owner, not a tour guide. If you're gonna walk in here and act like a jackass, at least buy somethin'. I have other customers." Owen said to Tex as he stared him down, noticing his sidearm. "I see that you favor the .45 over other firearms. Luckily for you, I still have a box left. Only twenty-five Ration Cards per round." Owen said to Tex as he placed a twenty-round box on the counter. "I've gotta head to the butcher shop to see if Jessie is there. His lunch break is almost over and I hope that he has some left for the road." Jack Davis said to Owen as he stared at the clock. "Your boss hired two guards for this trip?" Owen nonchalantly asked Jack. "Three people with guns can protect a shipment better than two guys with a gun and my boss is not taking any chances after what happened to the California Convoy." Jack said to Owen right before he headed out of the shop.

[Westeastern Dicantia]

The vast, empty tranquility of the interstate was crushed, pulverized, bruised, beaten, shattered, and torn violently into microscopic bits by the holy shriek of a big block V8 on the barest threshold of its own destruction. For hours the monstrous station wagon and its haplessly trailing camper had been sprinting across the Midwest en route to St Louis. The driver, a young woman, had long grown tired of the distance and focus required to keep the arrangement from unceremoniously ending her journey in some corn field in the middle of nowhere, and yet, her determination was slowly reaching its highest. Indiana was miles and miles behind her and the city was coming into view at last.

Even more time passed before the gas pedal finally lifted free of the carpeted interior and sprung smoothly back into the air. The hulking brute of a car shed its speed and the righteous bellow of the 455 collapsed in on itself before finally relaxing into a simmering idle as Luna guided it gently to a stop in front of a nondescript storefront somewhere downtown. The high beams blinked on for a moment and extinguished themselves before the engine itself coasted to a stop. She shook her head and chuckled to herself for hitting the high beams instead of the parking brake again as she clutched back in and left the car parked in 1st gear.

The requisite inhalation of renewed confidence she was so accustomed to did little to settle her stomach as she stood on the sidewalk. AUTO PARTS said the window to the right of the glass door in large, hand painted letters. Luna again took a big breath and pulled the handle. A rush of musty air greeted her as she entered and passed through the shelves towards the counter. The space was remarkable in its normalcy, all the shelves were stocked and the usual variety of items presented themselves to her as if it hadn't been a decade since the collapse of society at large. It was comforting, in a way, to see something from her memory, but the stale air betrayed the time that had passed. She gave the bell next to the register a firm tap and broke the silence with a metallic cry for attention. She looked around again, to steady herself, and set her elbows down firmly on the counter just like dad used to do. Some time passed before a man finally showed himself from out of the back of the store. She smiled and made eye contact as he approached, his decidedly annoyed demeanor unchanged. "Something I can get for you?" he said. "Yes," she replied cheerfully, "a case of 20W50 oil and 8 spark plugs for a 72 Vista Cruiser." A stare of miscomprehension was the man's response. She sighed, "You have a parts book right?" The annoyance washed back across his face as he produced a binder and asked, "What's it for again?"
"A nineteen seventy-two Oldsmobile Vista Cruiser 455 V8 with a 4 barrel carb."
He thumbed through the binder for a moment, "I can't go back that far."
"Okay, give me eight 14 millimeter copper spark plugs. Two sets of four."
The man closed the book and disappeared again for several minutes, returning with two boxes of spark plugs riding atop the case of oil. He set everything down on the counter and stated dryly, "That'll be one hundred and sixty-seven Ration Cards."
"mmh alright," she replied, producing cards she hoped would work here. The man took the stack of cards without question, pocketing them and scooting her things towards her, "Have a nice day," he added as she picked up the big box of oil in both hands.

Oil checked and engine re-fired, the Vista Cruiser meandered through the city, eventually rumbling into Beggar's Narrows. Her presence thoroughly announced, Luna parked the car again and approached a group standing around an arms dealer's stand. Quietly, she stood behind them and waited for them to finish their business. "Excuse me," she interrupted one of the men, "did you say you were headed to Boise? I-I'm moving west and that's my next stop. I just need a couple things before I go."

[Xichung]

Tanya

She looked at Tex, her lenses reflecting his face back at him with a slight glint coming off them. She still had her hand on her pistol ready to shoot him if he tried fucking with her “Damn and you would have been a headless chicken if you didn’t pipe up.” She said with a slight hint of annoyance in her voice. “So I’m assuming you’re a part of the convoy heading to Boise, what’s the vehicle?” She said before a young woman spoke up

She stared at her, the gas mask giving off no emotion as she studied her, trying to determine what’s her business. “This a delivery convoy to Boise, best head the other way if you’re not a part of it” She said before noticing jack leave. She gave a quick look down on the girl “you look like a snack” she said before laughing and leaving with jack.

[Flarbinia]

"Sorry, I'm all out of .44 Magnum. I have a box of .22, if you're willin' to part with a one hundred and fifty Ration Cards. I will even throw in this map for free." Owen said to Luna as he placed a ten round box of .22 and a rolled up map on the counter. "If you're lookin' for body armor, the store across the street should have some in your size. I must warn you that the more durable armors may be out of your price range. As for headin' west, there ain't many places left for folks to move to." Owen said to Luna before turning his attention back to Tex. "Are you gonna buy your ammo or are you just gonna stand there, takin' in the scenery?" Owen asked Tex as he stared at him.

[Brettenwald]

"Thanks for the tip about the butcher, too, but this is one of the rare occasions when I've already got enough decent stuff in the mini fridge. Pleasure doin' business with ya, Owen." He was about to head back to the truck and drop off the ammo, when . . . "Greetings, motherfuckers."
Ah. Tex. That guy. Mean, murderous and crazier than a gator in heat, if the rumors were true. He definitely looked the part even though he had to be four years younger than Marcus, who preferred a friendly, unkempt anonymity to Tex's distinctively Terminator-like bearing and uncouth cockiness. It ain't gonna be me, sunshine, but some day you're gonna meet someone bigger and badder with less patience, and you're gonna learn the hard way you best keep your trap shut.

"Excuse me, did you say you were headed to Boise? I-I'm moving west and that's my next stop. I just need a couple things before I go." A tall, reasonably good-looking redhead joined their little group, albeit nervously. Couldn't blame her for that, with Tex making his presence very much known and Tanya heading out. "You heard right, little lady. Leaves from the west gate in . . . damn, forgot my watch in the truck. How long till the convoy hits the road, Owen?"

[Westeastern Dicantia]

Tanya
She stared at her, the gas mask giving off no emotion as she studied her, trying to determine what’s her business. “This a delivery convoy to Boise, best head the other way if you’re not a part of it” She said before noticing jack leave. She gave a quick look down on the girl “you look like a snack” she said before laughing and leaving with jack.

Luna blushed, "Heh. I like your gas mask," she added awkwardly at the last second as the pair left. She swiveled back around.

"You heard right, little lady. Leaves from the west gate in . . . damn, forgot my watch in the truck. How long till the convoy hits the road, Owen?"

"Oh great, uh let me finish up in here and I'll follow you guys out if that's okay? And we can talk convoys then. I'm a mechanic," she said, approaching the counter.

"Sorry, I'm all out of .44 Magnum. I have a box of .22, if you're willin' to part with a one hundred and fifty Ration Cards. I will even throw in this map for free." Owen said to Luna as he placed a ten round box of .22 and a rolled up map on the counter. "If you're lookin' for body armor, the store across the street should have some in your size. I must warn you that the more durable armors may be out of your price range. As for headin' west, there ain't many places left for folks to move to." Owen said to Luna.

She raised her eyebrow at him, "a box of number 9 patches and oil is all I need," she interrupted, taken aback slightly at both his correct guess of the ammunition she carried --both guns were in the car-- and whatever joke the .22 and a map was supposed to be. "I don't need armor either, and I think I'll find out for myself what's out there," she said, in her best attempt to hide her rising annoyance. I can't fucking wait to get out of here, this guy must think he's hilarious, she thought for a moment. "Actually add to that a replacement set of iron sights for a Ruger 44 carbine if you have them, since they stopped making em in '85 that might be hard to find, I can bring it in if you need me to I just need another set," she said, taking another pass through her mental inventory of spare bits she didn't have on her. Since she had left home the thought of not having a spare something incase her car or her guns or her trailer or whatever broke had nagged at her relentlessly. Freshly broken habits die hard.

[Mercatus]

"Nah, I'm fine on .45 ammo. I've got enough pills to last for when I need them." said Tex to Owen. It was soon after when the lady in the gas mask spoke up, saying that he'd be a "headless chicken" had he not made that comment about her rifle. She walked away before he had a chance to respond. "Well, had she made a move I'd be collecting my first trophy of this trip before it even started. I've taken far too many scalps lately, how does a pair of arms sound?" Tex said to anyone still sticking around. He gave a somewhat maniacal laugh afterwards, probably having just succeeded in alienating pretty much everyone around him. A woman who looked not to be much younger than him had seemed to just materialize out of nowhere, and with everyone having pretty much made fun of her by now, Tex decided to chime in with his own choice remarks, "Damned mask lady was right, she may indeed be a literal snack for the kinds of people we will be seeing on this journey. Maybe they'll start with the arms. A mechanic, huh? She's got a brain. They'll save that for last, must be pretty sizeable." Tex thought that was pretty damn funny, and a maniacal chuckle escaped his lips, hinting at how deeply the apocalypse had messed him up and turned him into what may be the human embodiment of the devil, or perhaps the reincarnation of some deplorable figure from history. If one peered at his face for long enough, they may almost be able to see the flames of the towns he had razed and the faces of the people he had slaughtered reflected off of his perfectly polished aviators. People called him crazy, insane, having no empathy for anyone ever.

And to him, the labels were compliments.

[Flarbinia]

"Are you sure you want to move west without a map? A lot of folks ended up dead because they got lost in the wilderness. As for iron sights, your total is forty Ration Cards." Owen said to Luna in a concerned tone as he placed the box of .22 and the box of .45 back under the counter and placed two pairs of iron sights on the counter next to the map. "The convoy leaves in four hours. I hope you've got enough ammo for the trip. The road from here to Idaho is one of the most dangerous routes a driver can take." Owen said to Marcus before turning his attention to Tex. "If you tried anythin', Jack would've plugged you between the eyes and left you dead in a pool of your own blood. Now, if you ain't gonna buy anythin', get the Hell out of my store." Owen said to Tex, the rage in his voice indicating that his patience was running out.

[Westeastern Dicantia]

"Well, had she made a move I'd be collecting my first trophy of this trip before it even started. I've taken far too many scalps lately, how does a pair of arms sound?" Tex said to anyone still sticking around. He gave a somewhat maniacal laugh afterwards, probably having just succeeded in alienating pretty much everyone around him.

Luna gritted her teeth, her discomfort succumbing to the rising tide of anger. She was about to speak up, when

"Are you sure you want to move west without a map? A lot of folks ended up dead because they got lost in the wilderness. As for iron sights, your total is forty Ration Cards." Owen said to Luna in a concerned tone as he placed the box of .22 and the box of .45 back under the counter and placed two pairs of iron sights on the counter next to the map.

"Let me get my gun and we'll see if these fit," she eyed them suspiciously, "I know they're pretty simple but eighty-eight year old Ruger parts aren't easy to come by--"

Tex decided to chime in with his own choice remarks, "Damned mask lady was right, she may indeed be a literal snack for the kinds of people we will be seeing on this journey. Maybe they'll start with the arms. A mechanic, huh? She's got a brain. They'll save that for last, must be pretty sizeable." Tex thought that was pretty damn funny, and a maniacal chuckle escaped his lips.

"You really think you're hot shit don't you?" Luna let out as she turned and glared directly into the man's eyes, "if you and your one-man dick measuring contest are in the convoy, them I'm out." She pivoted back around, "I don't need the fuckin' map I'm going back to Indianapolis if this idiot is gonna keep talking like this." Again, she leaned on the counter and faced Tex. "When the rest of these guys kill you in your sleep because you think it's funny to threaten them with scalpings or cannibalism or whatever the fuck, I'll be nice and cozy in my camper, a thousand miles away, laughing my ass off because you wanted so badly to prove to them just how tough you are." She shook her head, standing up and walking over to him. "I want you to go to the rest of them, the girl you just insulted and her friend, and tell them they lost a decade of experience fixing people's beat to shit cars. And when one of their engines gives up, I want you to be the one under the hood with nobody to ask for help," she made for her car just slowly enough for someone to change her mind, "if you're alive next week, send a postcard to me, Luna Callahan in Indianapolis, with the story of how you became a man and learned to cooperate with others."

[Flarbinia]

Jack Davis saw Luna leave Owen's Guns And Ammo. "Let me guess. Tex was being an asshole again. I swear, one of these days, his attitude will get him plugged between the eyes or tossed onto the pavement. Don't hesitate to pull the trigger if he tries to do anything to you. Hell, I'll put an extra round or two in him if the first shot ain't enough to do the job." Jack said to Luna as he walked up to her. "Judging by your armament and vehicle, I can safely say that you're heading west. If things go smoothly, I will be heading to Seattle with the next shipment. Unless my boss convinces me to agree to contract extensions, I won't be hauling ore after that." Jack said to Luna as he glanced at her weapons and car.

[Xichung]

tanya

She was standing next to Luna’s car inspecting it before She noticed Luna “oh hey there, orchid, this your masterpiece?” She pointing at the car “she looks like the real deal, we could use a mechanic like you, especially after our lat one was eaten alive” she said jokingly “if you want I can stay with you and your vehicle to keep, my little orchid safe” she said teasingly as she slowly approached, taking a step with each word. “And maybe we can have some fun...” she said only a few inches away from luna’s Face before snickering and laughing “so beautiful, what’s your name, I prefer not to call you by pet names unless we are together”

[Canis Rex]

The rumble of the mustang growled through the air as Marcus pulled up to Owen's, slowing until eventually coming to a stop in front of the shop. Marcus was a fairly regular customer here since the owner was one of few he had met able to procure the ammo needed for his rifle more than once and since the gun was essentially the tool he lived and died by, he had tried to be on good terms with the man. The freelancer steps out of his vehicle, pulling his Zastava across his shoulder by the strap and snatching up the briefcase his current employer had tasked him with handling. He thought it unlikely anyone would try and steal the thing straight out the car with him being right in the shop, but he was not keen on letting it out of his sight for a second. Not when it was very possibly the key to a step up in life for Maria, himself, and their unborn child.
He keeps his head down, brushing by the conversing couple of people outside and nudging his way through the front door. Seemed there were already people here, in front of the counter to boot. But he needed ammo, this was an important trip, and a dangerous one given their route. He politely steps to the back of line, quietly trying to convey his urgency to those in front.
"Um, I need to buy-" He tried, unfortunately not really raising his voice above what it would have been if he were talking to a singular person.

[Flarbinia]

"Ah, let me guess. You want some twelve point seven by one-o-eight for your rifle and some three fifty seven magnum for your revolver. You're a frequent customer, so ya get the fifty percent discount. That's one hundred for the .357 and three hundred for the 12.7x108mm." Owen said to Marcus Brix as he placed the boxes on the table. He then placed the sights and the map in a bag on the back of a Great Dane, writing a letter and placing it in the bag before zipping it up andsending the dog outside. "Convoy leaves in three hours and thirty minutes, Mister Brix. That should be plenty of time to stock up for the trip to Boise." Owen said to Marcus Brix as the dog ran towards the three people outside. "The guy in the cowboy hat is Jack Davis. His boss lost several good men and an entire shipment when the California Convoy get wiped out. The woman in the gas mask and the coat is one of his new guards. The other one is at the butcher shop up the street from here, either getting some extra meat for the trip or trying to win some extra ration cards at the poker table. The third one is headed west. Ignore the jerk. He was just leaving." Owen said to Marcus Brix.

[Westeastern Dicantia]

"Let me guess. Tex was being an asshole again. I swear, one of these days, his attitude will get him plugged between the eyes or tossed onto the pavement. Don't hesitate to pull the trigger if he tries to do anything to you. Hell, I'll put an extra round or two in him if the first shot ain't enough to do the job." Jack said to Luna as he walked up to her. "Judging by your armament and vehicle, I can safely say that you're heading west. If things go smoothly, I will be heading to Seattle with the next shipment. Unless my boss convinces me to agree to contract extensions, I won't be hauling ore after that." Jack said to Luna as he glanced at her weapons and car.

"I'm headed that way too, anything to get out of the fucking midwest. And yes, if he's in this and refuses to change, his attitude will get him shot because I'm gonna do it." she said, approaching Tanya and her car.

tanya

She was standing next to Luna’s car inspecting it before She noticed Luna “oh hey there, orchid, this your masterpiece?” She pointing at the car “she looks like the real deal, we could use a mechanic like you, especially after our last one was eaten alive” she said jokingly “if you want I can stay with you and your vehicle to keep my little orchid safe” she said teasingly as she slowly approached, taking a step with each word. “And maybe we can have some fun...” she said only a few inches away from luna’s Face before snickering and laughing “so beautiful, what’s your name, I prefer not to call you by pet names unless we are together”

"I'm Luna," said Luna, utterly failing not to blush, "I uh--heh. I mean I do have a decently sized mattress in there if you don't mind sharing a bed. I think the couch also folds out but I haven't tried it yet. I only stole--borrowed it a couple days ago and I don't know what everything does." She opened the passenger door and took out her pistol from the glove box, "Don't worry," she chuckled, making sure the hammer was down while she lifted her shirt to holster it, "I'm not gonna kill that Tex guy yet but I do want to have this on me. Say, is there anywhere around here I can get methanol? I can run her on ethanol if I need to but the ecu doesn't have a good map for it... Actually," she made eye contact with both of them and smiled confidently, "I can start this thing and open the hood if you really want to see my work."

[Canis Rex]

An audible sigh of relief left Marcus when it became apparent Own had managed to notice him. He navigates his way around the group and to the counter, swapping out the ammo for the appropriate number of ration cards.
"Thanks." He gives a grateful nod. "I owe you one for that discount, trying to be tight with money right now. Guess that means Davis is a major figure for the convoy if his boss is funding it then. I'll go say hi to them. Appreciate the ammo. And give the dog some pats for me. See you."
The freelancer slips away, pushing the door open with the toe of his boot and easing through before going straight for his car. He moves to the passenger side first to lay his rifle on the downed seat, sliding the briefcase into the floor underneath. The door is shut and he walks around to the driver side, giving a wave to who he guessed was the Davis and guard duo. Third person might have been the one going west, he didn't think he'd seen them before.
In any case he had made his version of an introduction, pulling out his speed loaders and rifle magazines from the back seat and trunk to top off with the bought ammo. He sets the parts on the hood of the mustang and goes to work while leaning against the side of the car.

[Mercatus]

"You really think you're hot shit don't you?" Luna let out as she turned and glared directly into the man's eyes, "if you and your one-man dick measuring contest are in the convoy, them I'm out." She pivoted back around, "I don't need the fuckin' map I'm going back to Indianapolis if this idiot is gonna keep talking like this." Again, she leaned on the counter and faced Tex. "When the rest of these guys kill you in your sleep because you think it's funny to threaten them with scalpings or cannibalism or whatever the fuck, I'll be nice and cozy in my camper, a thousand miles away, laughing my ass off because you wanted so badly to prove to them just how tough you are." She shook her head, standing up and walking over to him. "I want you to go to the rest of them, the girl you just insulted and her friend, and tell them they lost a decade of experience fixing people's beat to shit cars. And when one of their engines gives up, I want you to be the one under the hood with nobody to ask for help," she made for her car just slowly enough for someone to change her mind, "if you're alive next week, send a postcard to me, Luna Callahan in Indianapolis, with the story of how you became a man and learned to cooperate with others."

"Listen lady, if any of those fucking fools tried to kill me, they've got another thing coming. I've killed far more people in one fight than they have ever killed in their lifetimes." Tex said as Luna walked away. He decided to leave some closing remarks as well, "Should an attempt be made on my life by any of them, count on a postcard coming with some... ahem, choice souvenirs of mine and a picture of me with a sweet new rifle. I don't need to fucking cooperate with anyone, and my manhood was secured years ago when I started my lot in life." Tex then left the shop, going in the direction of Jack and mask lady, overhearing Jack's comment about his attitude, which of course Tex mentally dismissed as a pile of horseshit. "I heard that, asshole." he said as he caught up to Jack.

[Flarbinia]

"You think you scare me? Don't make me laugh. You're not the first hardened killer I've put in the ground and if you try to do anything to me, you won't be the last. Unlike the rookies, I'm smart enough to know that Tex ain't the Terminator. That a round between the eyes will put you down as easily as any other man. 'Sides, there's a million Ration Card bounty on your head, so back off if you want to keep it attached to your body." Jack Davis said to Tex as the Great Dane growled at Tex, Jack unzipping the bag and removing its contents, handing the map to Tanya. "Looks like your iron sights are coming out of Jessie's winnings." Jack said to Luna as he handed her the two pairs of iron sights, crumpled the letter, and tossed it into the garbage can, the wad of paper igniting in a matter of seconds. "C'mon, Tanya. We need to introduce Luna to Jessie." Jack Davis said to Tanya as he stared at Luna.

[Xichung]

tanya

She looked at the car “I would love to hear her purr” she then looked at Luna “I would love to hear you purr” she giggled “don’t worry about Tex, it takes a lot to kill me” she laughed “so maybe we can...”

She then stoped in her tracks as she looked at Tex. She immediately put her hand on her gun and pulled the hammer back, her eyes not leaving him even if the mask looked like she wasn’t watching him “I don’t know what your deal is, nor do I know how many you killed, but I don’t care.” She began pulling Luna behind her “I do know one thing, your not fast enough to dodge a bullet nor survive one.” Jack then spoke, she kept eyes on Tex and nodded. She then waited for Jack to lead the way