WAY BACK HOME

>Be Anon
>You were a resident of the Mojave Desert, in the year 2279.
>You were the son of two tribals, and stood at 6'2"
>When you had come of age, you had left the tribe to seek out your purpose in the world.
>That was 9 years ago.
>When you had first arrived in the Mojave you had taken up work as a Water Caravan guard.
>You did that for 1 year, and once your contract was up you tried your hand as a courier.
>After a couple years you decided that being a Mailman was one of the most boring things you had ever done.
>Seriously, all you did was walk around the desert and get shot at occasionally. Not the most glamorous job.
>For 6 years after that, you had pursued life as a scavenger and mercenary.
>You were a pretty good shot, and with your trusty Trail Carbine, there wasn't any problem you couldn't solve with it.
>After awhile though, you had grown tired of being shot at by Vipers and Fiends, so you had recently chosen a different line of employment.

>You were 27 now, and had been living the life of a hired hand on a ranch outside the great city of New Vegas for nearly a year now.
>It was hard work, but you were given a place to sleep, 2 meals a day, plenty of water, and even a meager salary, which was a lot more than many others in The Wasteland had.
>On any given day you either helped in the fields, or stood watch on the roof of the ranch house, scanning the horizon for raiding parties.
>Recently though, you've been having problems.
>What troubled you was that recently livestock had been going missing in the middle of the night.
>The owners of the ranch had already lost 3 Brahmin, and even a Bighorner.
>A search party had managed to find one of the Brahmin nearby in one of the hills overlooking the ranch, but it had been reduced to scraps.
>Poachers usually weren't an issue as you were fairly close to an NCR outpost, but once in a while this happened.
>Usually it was a gang looking for an easy meal, but this time it was different.
>Gangs were noisy, and rarely covered their tracks.
>These animals seemed to have disappeared without a trace.
>Being the most experienced gunman, the ranch owner had volunteered you to get to the bottom of this.
>And by volunteered, you mean he had told you to either stop whatever was stealing the Brahmin, or fuck off.

>It was a hot day, like every day, and you were standing watch on the roof of the ranch house.
>Suddenly, you hear a whistle from below.
>It was your friend, Walter.
>Walter was an Anthro Calico Cat, standing at 5'7". He was in his early 50s, and had decided to settle down as a worker on this ranch, as his eyes were starting to go bad.
>He was one of the first people you had met in the mojave, back when he was working as a fellow water caravan guard. The two of you had formed a friendship, and had helped you land this job in the first place.
>He yells up to you:
>"Hey, Anon! Lunchtime! Git on down here!"
>You nod, and climb down a ladder that was leaning against the roof.
>The ranch owner didn't buy his workers lunch, so you had to buy it with your own pay.
>Lucky for you, Walter owed you a favor, and so you got your lunch free from him today.
>You approach Walter, and he hands you a lizard kebab. 
>You didn't much care for the taste of lizard, but you had to admit that it was filling.
>As you chew the meat, Walter begins to talk to you.
>"Anon. You got any clue as to what is poachin' them animals?"
>You tell him you had been watching through the windows at the cattle pens for the last few nights, but 8t had been quiet. Nothing moving around, except for the occasional tumbleweed. 
>Walter nods, before stuffing a couple tobacco leaves in his cheek
>"Well, the way I see it, we seem to be losing one of the livestock each week. If we wanna keep being uh... Employed, we're gonna need a plan."
>You ask him what he had in mind, and he gave you a toothy grin, showing off what teeth he had left.
>"Well, I got a surprise for ya, Anon. Look at what I got myself here."
>He leads you over to a small ramshackle shed, and opens the rusty corrugated iron door.

>The shed was used to store spare equipment, and several familar tools were sitting on the shelves.
>Walter walks over to the shelf and holds up a couple nasty looking beartraps.
>They look to have been modified; having some old barbed wire wrapped around them, as well as having small spikes filed into it.
>"This shit'll stop geckos, so it should stop whoever or whatever is rustlin' them damn cattle."
>You tell him that you think this is a bad plan, but he just shakes his head at you.
>"Dammit, Anon, just listen to the plan. Here's what we're gonna do."
>"I'm gonna set these here  traps up by the cattle pens. I'll throw some sand on top of 'em to hide 'em."
>"All you hafta' do is get up on the roof and watch the pens tonight. If we're fortunate, we just might catch somethin'."
>You think for a second. It was a better plan than no plan, so you decide to agree with him.
>Walter smiles and gives you a satisified nod of the head.
>"That's what I like to hear, Anon. Now do me a favor and go inform Bill about our little plan."
>Of course you're the one who has to talk to Bill. Ugh.
>Bill was the owner of the ranch, and your employer. He was an Anthro Ram, and an absolute pain to deal with.
>He was quick to anger, and slow to forgive. Atleast he paid you, though.
>You sigh, and inform Walter that you'll be sure to go tell him right now.

>You leave the shed, and get a good look at the ranch.
>It was fairly large and consisted of a large field dedicated to growing maize, a smaller field dedicated to growing tobacco, and a couple animal pens with Brahmin and Bighorners.
>The ranch house was pre-war, but the homes for the field hands looked to have been hastily built out of corrugated metal and scraps of wood.
>There was a small fence surrounding most of the farm, but it didn't do much in the way of protection.
>Beyond the ranch, the surrounding terrain varied.
>To the east, there were hills, and beyond them was Lake Mead.
>To the East was the ruins of the old world buildings. Usually this was the direction you were watching while on the roof. Nine out of ten times, whenever you see trouble, it comes from this direction.
>To the North were more abandoned and ruined buildings, but you could also the the bright lights of New Vegas just on the horizon.
>You had never been inside New Vegas itself, as the bullshit Cap limit kept you out. But there was still a lot of fun to be had in Freeside every once and awhile.
>To the South was nothing but desert until you reached a trading outpost controlled by the NCR. And beyond that, you had no clue what the hell there was.


>Look forward, you walk towards the ranch house.
>You knock on the door, and are met by a gruff voice.
>"Open."
>You slowly open the door, hearing the centuries old hinge creak loudly.
>You see Bill sitting at a table near the door, writing something in the book he kept to keep track of finances.
>"Anon. What do you want? I'm busy right now."
>You inform him of Walter's plan, and he shakes his head a bit.
>"Eh... Alright. Just don't fuck anything up. If anyone besides the motherfucker who's been stealing my property gets hurt, It's on you and Walter."
>He puts his pencil down, and looks up at you.
>"Oh, and that reminds me! When you're up on the roof, stop shuffling around so much! You make so much fucking noise, I can barely hear myself think!"
>You tell him sorry, and next time you're on watch you'll bring a chair up with you.
>"Don't say sorry, just don't do it. You're lucky to have a job here with the bullshit you're always pulling. The only reason I haven't fired you is because you're a good shot."
>You nod, and tell him you'll do better.
>Bill looks back down at his book, and begins to write something.
>"Good. Now fuck off."
>You quickly exit, shutting the door gently behind you.

>Once you're out of earshot of the Ram, you angrily sigh.
>Bill didn't like humans. Walter had told you this before you came to live and work on the ranch, but you thought it wouldn't be too bad.
>What Walter didn't tell you, was that you would be the only human who worked on the ranch.
>You don't know why Bill didn't like humans, but you did know that usually you got the brunt of his rage whenever he was angry. And he was always angry.
>He seemed to always think you were up to no good, and it made you angry.
>You had never acted up too badly, or had done anything bad to anyone else on the ranch.
>But whenever you heard the door to the ranch house slam open, you always braced yourself to be yelled at by the tall Ram.
>Walter was really the only reason you had stuck around for as long as you have.
>He was pretty much the only friend you had in the Mojave. All your family was far to the northwest, situated in a valley in a region once known as Idaho.
>When you had met Walter, he had taught you to read and write English, and given you tips on surviving in the Mojave.
>He was like a second father to you, and you treated him as such.

>You head over to the animal pens, and you see Walter scooping sand on top of a bear trap.
>He looks over at you and says:
>"Careful Anon! I just put down the last trap. I told the workers not to come back here until we catch the rustler, so nobody should get hurt. If they do, It's their own damn fault."
>You tell him that you talked with Bill and he said the plan was alright with him.
>"Well, alright then Anon. We'll wait until tonight, and then you can keep watch."
>"If I was you, I'd a go take a nap. Don't wanna be falling asleep while on the watch, or Bill will tear your damn arms off."
>You agree with him, and head to your shack.

>You walk over to the shack you shared with Walter, and head inside.
>It was about 20 degrees cooler in here than it was outside, and for that you were thankful.
>All shacks were more or less the same. It had two rooms: A main room when you walk in, and then a small bedroom off to the side. 
>Two workers shared each shack, and they were responsible for their own furnishings and keeping it somewhat clean.
>In your shack, you had a small fridge (broken of course) to store food, a shelf to store various items, a table with a couple chairs, and some boxes in the corner containing whatever interesting junk the two of you had that wasn't worthless enough to throw out.
>In the bedroom, Walter had a proper bed with a mattress. You however, slept on an old military cot with a musty old bedroll spread on top of it.
>Also in the bedroom, was a small backpack that contained your belongings. In it you help a map, around 60 caps, some 44. rounds for your carbine, and a couple tribal mementos.
>On Walter's side, he had a small beat up end table with a radio sitting on it.
>You plop down on your cot, and take your boots off, placing them to the side of your bed.
>You toss your brown leather jacket onto the floor, and lay your head back onto the sleeping bag.
>You close your eyes, and exhale.
>Within 20 minutes you manage to fall into a dreamless sleep.

>You're startled awake suddenly by Walter shaking you
>"Wakey, wakey! Get up, Anon!"
>"It's almost nightfall! Time to get up on the roof."
>You tell him that you don't care how good of friends the two of you are, and if he ever wakes you up like that again you're going to beat the shit out of him.
>"Haha, alright Anon."
>He hands you your Trail Carbine.
>"Here. You should get going before Bill accuses you of slacking."
>You nod, and throw on your jacket and boots.
>You quickly lace the boots, and then you're out the door.
>You briskly walk over to the ladder leaning against the ranch house, and climb up.
>You lay down on the roof, facing the animal pens.
>Looking behind you, towards the West, you can see the sun is almost touching the horizon.
>You quickly load your gun, inserting 8 bullets into it.
>Maybe if you end this tonight and catch whatever the hell is messing with Bills profits, He'll go easier on you.
>Probably not, but it's nice to dream.

>As you stare at the animal pens, the sun sets, and darkness shrouds the land.
>It's a bit hard to see the animal pens in the darkness, but you're confident that you'll be able to see any movement.
>You had heard that the NCR were trying to get the power on at some sort of "solar plant" recently. You're not sure what the hell a solar plant even is, but they must be doing a pretty piss-poor job at getting it running.
>There were lights on the farm from before the Great War, but most of them were broken.
>The ones that DID work were only turned on during emergencies, such as midnight raids.
>You peer into the darkness, wishing you had one of those fancy helmets you've seen NCR Rangers wearing. Rumor is that they had night vision, and you believed it.
>You would settle for a bottle of Cateye though.

>You don't know how long you've been sitting on the roof, but the moon is almost at its highest point in the sky, and there's been no signs of movement.
>Fuck, you're going to waste the whole night up here. To make matters worse, you really have to piss.
>After about 20 minutes, you tell yourself that nothing will happen in the 5 minutes it's going to take you to relieve yourself.
>You slowly get up, and stretch. You were a bit stiff from sitting in the same position for several hours.
>You climb down the ladder, and step behind the house.
>Leaning your Carbine against the house, you unzip your pants and relieve yourself onto the dry sand.
>After a couple minutes, you zip up your pants, grab your gun, and turn to go back to the ladder.
>Right before you climb up, you look back to look at the animal pens, and your blood runs cold.
>No. That's impossible.
>You stare at the pens with your jaw hanging open. There's only 2 Brahmin standing in the pen. There were 5 in there when you had first went up onto the roof.
>In the span of 5 minutes, something had managed to silently steal away not one, not two, but THREE of the two-headed cattle.
>The first thought that flies into your head is simple, but terrifying.
>Bill is going to kick your ass.

>In the morning, you and some other ranchers are still trying to figure out what exactly happened.
>You sported a fresh black eye.
>The confrontation you had with Bill when you told him that you had let 3 of his Brahmin get rustled on your watch while you were out taking a piss had not gone well at all.
>Looking at the fence, it appears that one of the weaker sections had been knocked over, and it lay in the sand.
>The bear traps had been dug up and pushed off to the side. They weren't even triggered.
>Whatever motherfucker had done this must've been watching Walter when he was setting the traps.
>You can see the Brahmin tracks heading in the direction of the hills, but the tracks fade after about 50 feet away when they had moved off of the sand, and onto the dry, sun-cracked dirt.
>Goddamit it, this was bad. The ranch needed those Brahmin to keep running.
>Remembering what had happened to the missing Brahmin that had been found in the hills, you think to yourself that you were probably never going to see those Brahmin ever again. Well, alive anyways.
>As you stand there, as shadow is suddenly cast over you.
>Oh shit.
>Turning around, you see Bill standing there.
>He looks infuriated, and he's holding your Carbine. You had left it in his house when you told him about the cattle.
>Before you can say anything, he thrusts the gun into your arms.
>When you try to say something, Bill suddenly yells:
>"I don't want to hear a SINGLE fucking word out of you! You let THREE BRAHMIN disappear on YOUR watch!"
>"I want you to do ONE thing for me, Anon. You're going to find the motherfucker who's trying to ruin me, and you're going to put a fucking bullet in his head."
>"And then when you get back, you can grab your belongings and fuck off. You heard me. I can't deal with this kind of irresponsibility on MY ranch."
>"If you can come back and provide proof that you killed whoever is doing this, then I'll give you your last paycheck."
>"But if you don't plan on bringing me back anything, then don't even bother coming back. And if I ever see you again on this ranch ever again after that, I swear I'm going to fucking kill you, you furless waste of space."
>"Now fuck off, and get off of my property."
>And with that, he leaves, storming back into the ranch house and slamming the door as hard as he can.
>Well, shit.

>You're standing in what used to be your shed, packing up your few possessions.
>Walter is leaning on the wall, frowning.
>"Wow, we really botched this one, huh Anon?"
>You tell him that wasn't the time for joking, and he apologizes.
>"Shit... Sorry, Anon. I just... Damn, how did the fucker manage to get the Brahmin out so quickly? Those damn things barely trust ME, and I've been here for 4 years!"
>You tell him you don't know. You tell him that what you DO know however, is that you were going up in those hills to the East and you weren't coming back down until you found whatever it is that just fucked you over.
>"Anon... We're friends. And as a friend, I hafta' tell you that you're gonna git yourself killed if you go up there."
>"If that... Person, thing, whatever it is, can manage to steal 3 Brahmin in 5 minutes without being seen, then I can't imagine what it could do to a lone Human."
>"Not that you being a Human gives you a disadvantage or anything."
>"Look, I'm just trying to look out for you here. Take your savings and head up to Freeside. They're always looking for mercenaries up there."
>You thank him for the advice, but there was no way you were letting this go. You intended to kill whatever did this to you, and then you were leaving. You didn't know where'd you go, but anywhere was better than here.
>Walter looks at you silently, before nodding.
>"Here, Anon. If you're really leaving, then I want you to have something."
>He walks over to his bed, and lifts up the side of the mattress a bit. He pulls a sheath with a knife in it out and holds it up near his face.
>"When I was younger, I ran with a gang. This is the knife I used. It kept me safe all those years, and never failed me once."
>"I want you to have it. I'm too old to be gettin' into knife-fights anyway."
>He sets the knife down on your cot, and you pick it up.
>It's a pretty good looking knife. It's in damn good condition, too.
>You thank him for the gift, and clip the sheath on to your belt.
>The weight is somehow comforting, and you resume packing your stuff.
>It doesn't take you long to pack up your stuff, and you roll up your bedroll, tying to your pack.
>Walter gives you some food and water, and then you leave.
>As you walk past the animal pens, and towards the hills, you look back at the ranch.
>Bill is watching from the window, and shakes his head at you.
>You turn around, and start your journey towards the hills.

>After a few hours, you reach where the hill starts to form out of the ground, poking up high into the sky.
>The sun is at the highest point in the sky, and you sigh, sweating dripping down from your forehead as you traverse the steep slopes up the hill.
>The heat from the sun is beating down on you hard, and you suddenly wish you had a hat.
>You decide that the first thing you're going to do once you get paid for killing this Brahmin poaching faggot is buy the best damn hat Caps can buy.
>You spend the rest of the day walking along the sides of the hill; looking high and low for any signs of Brahmin.
>Other than sun bleached bones, there's nothing too notable.
>Eventually, it starts to get dark and you set up camp next to a ledge.
>You unroll your sleeping bag on the dusty ground, and sit down on it.
>You're worried that if you start a fire you may alert your quarry, so you sit in the darkness.
>You were always surprised how cold it got out here at night. You would think that with such hot days, that the nights would be just as bad.
>Sadly, this wasn't the case, and so you sat with your arms around your chest, freezing your ass off.
>You open your pack, and pull out a large strip of jerky, chewing it slowly.
>The food comforted you a bit, but did nothing to alleviate the cold.
>After you finish the strip, you take off your boots and plant them right next to your pack, about 2 feet away from you.
>You take your carbine, and set it right next to you. You plan on being ready if something tries to surprise you in the night.
>You've never heard of anything worse than giant mole rats in these hills, but you weren't taking any chances.
>You decide to keep your knife on your belt, and take your jacket off, draping it over your pack.
>You slip into your sleeping bag, and it takes some of the edge off from the cold.
>You head may be a bit cold, but it was atleast bearable.
>Your eyes close, and you eventually manage to fall asleep.

>When the sun begins to poke out over the horizon and shine on you, you awake.
>Looking next to you, one of the worst sights of your life greets you.
>Your stuff is gone. All of it.
>Your Trail Carbine, Your pack with all your possessions, food, and water is gone. The fucker even took your damn boots and jacket!
>You're now thoroughly pissed off.
>You get out of the sleeping bag, looking at the empty spot where your stuff was sitting last night.
>To your surprise, there's a note written on an old scrap of paper.
>You grab it, and quickly begin to read it.
>The handwriting is shaky, but mostly legible.
>"turn back human!"
>"i have taken your belongings"
>"consider it a warning"
>"leave now or i will take your life also"
>This motherfucker.
>Now that you knew it was an actual person you were after, your anger increases tenfold.
>It had the audacity to steal all your stuff, then tell you to piss off.
>The only thing you have to defend yourself is your knife, and you had no way of carrying water or food.
>You weren't going to last long out here. The closest area that was settled that you knew of was the Ranch, and you would get killed by Bill anyways if you went there.
>The only option you really had left was to find wherever the man who took your stuff had taken it.
>And then kill the son of a bitch.

>You take a moment to try and calm yourself down. You had to look at this rationally.
>Looking over what little you had, you see you still had your bedroll, Walter's Knife, and the clothes you went to sleep in.
>You were wearing a pair of old socks, some sturdy canvas pants, a leather belt to hold them up, and a thin white shirt that had been partially eaten by moths.
>Looking around, you can see two sets of tracks. You recognized one as your boot-print, but the other one was unfamiliar.
>It looked more like a footprint, with claws at the end.
>So you were after an Anthro. That complicated things a bit.
>Anthros were usually stronger than humans, and most were better equipped to living in the desert.
>Remembering what your Tribe had taught you, you look closer a the footprint.
>Based on the shape of it, you were likely facing a canine. Maybe a Coyote or something similar. They were the most common Canine species of Anthro that you had seen in the Mojave.
>The tracks lead further North up into the hills, and you prepare yourself to leave.
>It was going to be a bit painful traversing the rocky cliffs wearing only socks, but you would manage.
>You roll up the bedroll, and hold in under your arm. There was no way for you to comfortably carry it with no pack, and you weren't just going to abandon it.
>Making sure the belt is secure on your belt, you begin to head North before the sun rises fully and it starts to get too hot out.

>It had been 3 hours, and you hadn't found anything.
>You cursed the Anthro for taking your boots. The cliffs were rocky, and you had already cut on of your feet on a stone that was poking out of the ground.
>The sun was beating down hard, and you were a sweating mess. The only water you had seen was in a big muddy pit full of trash, and there was no way you were going to take your chances with it.
>You were hungry and thirsty, and had no way to sate either of those desires.
>Just when you were about to give up, you saw something.
>You were standing on a ledge overlooking some smaller hills, and the glint of metal had caught your eye.
>You move carefully down the dusty crag, and head over to what you saw.
>It was under a small overhang of rock.
>Someone had built up a door around a small cave entrance.
>It was made of wood, with rusted sheet metal nailed over it.
>It was mostly in the shadow of the overhang, but the sun was still relatively low, and the sun was glinting off of one of the nails attaching the metal to the door.
>You sighed in relief. Another hour, and you would have never found this place, as it would have been entirely in the shadows.
>Looking down, you could see claw marks in the sandy dirt.
>You smiled, and your heart began to race.
>This had to be it! It was the only man-made structure you had seen in the past day, and the claw marks only further cemented your belief that this was the Anthro's den.
>You tried opening the door, but it wouldn't budge.
>You frowned. It was locked!
>You look around for a way to open it, but then you remember that it was made of 200 year old wood and some rusty metal.
>You put your bedroll around your arm to cushion it from the jagged metal, then charge the door.
>As you throw your weight against the makeshift door, it caves in and you stumble in the cave, landing on your face.

>Standing up slowly, you happily sigh.
>It was way cooler in here than it was outside.
>The cave was flat up here, but looking further in, it seemed to slope down, and then wrap around a corner.
>It was dark, so you waited for a few minutes to let your eyes adjust.
>You didn't hear anything, so it seemed you were all alone in here. Good. You could wait for the Anthro to come back and you could ambush him.
>Looking at the door, it had completed separated from the lock and hinges, and was laying on the floor.
>You leave it lying there. It's not like you could fix it anyways.
>Heading down deeper into the cave, you walk down the slope.
>Heading around the corner, the caves opens up into a sizable chamber.
>There's a small fire smoldering in the middle of the chamber throwing light around the cave
>The fire is almost out, so you decide to work quickly.
>Looking around the chamber, you can see a large tent set up the corner to the right.
>Next to it, is a pile of crates. On top of one of them you can see your pack!
>Rushing over to it, you check over your stuff.
>To your good fortune, everything seems to still be here.
>You grab your canteen out of the pack, and chug half of it.
>You put the canteen back in your pack, and leave it sitting on the crate.
>Looking around, you see your Carbine as well.
>Checking it over, you can see it's still loaded.
>You find you boots as well, and slip them on. Your foot you had cut still hurt, but you could deal with it later.
>Looking around the other side of the cave, it looks mostly empty.
>You had no clue what had happened to the Brahmin, but you didn't really care at this point.
>Bill could go fuck himself. There was no way you were ever heading back to that ranch.

>You step over to the tent, and cautiously peer inside.
>Empty. You step inside, and see a simple bedroll similar to your own, a small lantern, and several loose hairs sticking everywhere. Yep, it was a Canine all right.
>A more curious sight, you also see what looks like bits of old shed snakeskin.
>You see your jacket lying on top of the bedroll, and slip it on.
>Ugh, it's covered in hairs.
>Shaking your head, you lift the tent flap and exit the tent.
>You take a tin of Cram out of your pack, and begin to chow down on some tasty two-century old processed meat.
>Looking around, you also see a bottle of Nuka Cola™ sitting on one of the crates.
>You crack it open, and give it a sip. Damn you loved the taste of Nuka Cola™. You could see why it had been so popular before the Great War.
>You quickly eat the meal, and toss the garbage over into the other side of the cave.
>Deciding that you should set up your ambush, you go over and extinguish the fire; kicking dirt into the smoldering bits of dead brush.
>You head behind the crates, and wait.

>Hours pass, and just when you think that she isn't going to show up, you hear something.
>You hear the unmistakable sound of claws clacking on stone.
>You ready yourself, double checking to make sure your gun is ready.
>Peering over the crate, making sure you're hidden in the shadows, you see a figure standing in the mouth of the spacious cave.
>From what you can see, he stands at about 6'5". Canines were often pretty tall, and this one was no exception.
>You can't make out what he looks like, but you know for sure that is has to be the bastard who rustled the Brahmin.
>He turns around quickly, and steps back up the slope leading to the outside.
>As he turns, you can see the outline of a tail. But something about it looks... Off.
>You shake your head. He was probably wearing some tail armor or something. Tail armor was widely used by Anthro NCR soldiers, and sometimes sets of it found it's way into civilian hands.
>A couple minutes pass, and the canine makes it's way back into the cave.
>Suddenly, it speaks and you almost fall on your ass when you hear the sound of it's feminine voice:
>"If anyone's in here, I want you to know two things!"
>"ONE! You're a fucking ASSHOLE for breaking my door!"
>"TWO! I'm going to do BAD things to you for this, you motherfucker!"
>Okay, so it's a female. Whatever. You've killed women before.
>That sounds kind of sinister when you think about it out of context, but it was just as common to see female raiders and bandits as it was to see male ones.

>She walks slowly over to the fire, and crouches to look at it.
>Now's your chance!
>You pop out from behind the crates, and fire your gun right at her chest!
>At least you try. When you squeeze the trigger, you're greeted by a click, and a strange fizzling noise from the receiver.
>Motherfucker. The one time you had managed to take someone by surprise, and your fucking carbine misfires.
>You didn't remember who sold you this .44 ammo, but you hope that whoever they are, they get eaten alive by giant ants.
>While this is going on, the canine jumps back up onto her feet, and pounces at you.
>Before you can crank the lever to cycle the gun, the canine pounces at you and pushes you against the cave wall.
>You had dropped your Carbine, so your first instinct is to start punching the furred faggot as hard as you can.
>It seems that she was anticipating this though, and catches your fist before it can connect.
>With her other hand, she punches you in the gut. Hard.
>As you double over, out of breath, she delivers a swift uppercut that knocks you flat on your ass. Damn it, you could feel one of your molars pop out from that one.
>You spit the bloody tooth out of your mouth, and tell her you're going to kill her.
>She laughs at you, and you're filled with rage.
>She leans over you, and says:
>"Scared, huh? You should be."
>Suddenly, you remember Walter's gift, and you quickly whip out your knife and slash it at the woman.
>She yips in surprise as the tip of the knife catches her on the stomach.
>To your dismay, it only cuts her enough to cause pain, and not to do any real damage.
>You ask her if she likes the sight of her own blood, and she growls, clawing at your face and drawing some blood from your cheek.
>You fling another fist at her, and this time it connects.
>She stumbles back a bit, and you get up as quick as you can.
>She hisses at you, and gets in a fighting stance.
>She quickly advances, throwing punches.
>You manage to block two of them, but one catches you in the jaw, causing you to drop the knife, and sending you reeling back.
>Suddenly, she pounces at you again, and this time she manages to pin you.
>Inches away from her, you manage to get a clear look at her face and it horrifies you.
>Her head has the shape of a Coyotes, but her lower jaw and the middle of her head has scales on it.
>What the fuck is this thing?!
>She hisses at you, and bites your shoulder hard.
>You gasp as you feel thin, pointed teeth puncture your leather jacket and shirt. They dig into your shoulder, and you yell out in pain.
>Suddenly, your shoulder feels really tingly. And cold.
>You try to struggle, but you feel really tired all of a sudden...
>She lets go of you, and stands up, chuckling a bit.
>"I'm going to have some fun with you..."
>"I hope you enjoy how my venom feels..."
>You panic a bit upon hearing her mention venom, but she quickly says:
>"Don't worry. I didn't give you enough to kill you. Just enough to paralyze for you a bit and knock you out for a while."
>You try to get up, but your legs just won't cooperate.
>"Why are you struggling? You're just wasting your energy. Just let sleep take you..."
>Following her advice doesn't seem so bad... You're so tired...
>NO! You have to stay awake! You don't know what this hybrid freak is going to do to you, and you don't intend to find out!"
>She laughs upon seeing you struggle, and she leans back over you.
>Her forked tongue darts out of her mouth and sweeps over your forehead, coating it in a thin film of thick saliva.
>"Haha, still awake? You're a fighter, aren't you?"
>She gently pats you on the head, and you don't even have the energy to be pissed off.
>You fight to keep your eyes open, but they're just so heavy...
>The second your eyes close, you  know you've lost the battle with her venom, and the last thing you hear before you pass out is her lightly chuckling.

>You eyes open slowly as you wake up.
>You had a terrible nightmare... About some sort of snake dog... You think you were fighting her?
>You feel really thirsty, and you begin to try and stand up.
>It's pitch black, and as you try to get up you all of a sudden realize three things:
>That was no dream.
>There's some sort of hood on your head.
>Your hands are tied behind your back.
>You writhe around a bit, trying to free yourself, but it's no use.
>You must still have some of her venom in your system, because you still feel really tired.
>You can hear someone walking over to you, claws clacking against the smooth rocks.
>It stops close to you, and you can feel a clawed finger jab you in the ribs.
>"Hey, asshole. You awake?"
>She sits you up and yanks the hood off of your head.
>You're sitting near the fire.
>You squint and try to look down as your eyes adjust to the light.
>She grabs your chin and makes you face her.
>You a look at her in the light, and gasp at what you see.
>She has the body of a canine, but what you can see of her arms are covered in scales.
>Her head is canine, but her lower jaw, as well as the middle of her head and face, is scaled.
>Looking at her tail, it was entirely covered in scales, along with a rattle on her tail.
>Shit, she really is half-snake or something.  
>"Good morning, sunshine. Sleep well?"
>You call her a bitch, but she sadly shakes her head at you.
>"Awww, don't hurt my feelings like that! Be nice or you won't get any breakfast."
>She lets go of you, and sits down near the fire.
>There's a small spit sitting over the fire, and some sort of meat is roasting over it.
>The smell is enough to make your mouth water. You haven't had a decent meal since you left Bill's ranch, and it's taking a toll on you.

>You look over at the strange woman to get a good look at her.
>She's dressed in some faded Anthro jeans with a hole in them for her strange tail.
>For her top, she's wearing a tattered trench coat, a sandy beige in color, the same as the hills outside.
>The trench coat isn't buttoned, and she's wearing a shirt similar to yours, except it's black.
>Through the holes in the shirt, you can see she's wearing a bra underneath the shirt.
>Suddenly she notices you staring at her, and she gives you a toothy smile.
>"So. Tell me your name. If I'm going to have you tied up in here, I'd like to at least know who you are."
>"I know you work, or DID work at that farm down a ways from here."
>It's not like you have anything else to do, so you tell her that your name was Anon.
>You also tell her that you were the one who was supposed to be guarding the Brahmin that she had stolen.
>She lets out a laugh and responds:
>"Hahaha! What did the ranch owner say when he found out that you let his dumb cattle get stolen?"
>You wink at her with your black eye, and she says:
>"Awww. Did big bad Bill hit you? Poor, poor Anon."
>You ask her how she had even managed to make 3 Brahmin disappear within the 5 minutes it had taken you to piss.
>She smiles, and stands up all of a sudden.
>"Watch this. You are going to LOVE this shit."
>She goes over to the pile of boxes and crates, and pulls a small machine out of one of them.
>She looks up at you, then back at the strange device.
>She fiddles with the device for a second, and then she disappears before your very eyes.
>You blink in confusion, wondering what the hell just happened.
>You shout into the cave, asking what she just did, and where she just went.
>You look around, and all of a sudden you notice something in front of you.
>The air looks... Weird. Shimmery, sort of.

>You're startled all of a sudden when you're nudged in the leg by an invisible foot.
>Holy shit, ghosts are real!
>You hear a laugh in front of you, and something thud down next to you.
>A scaled hand rests on your shoulder.
>What the fuck? Did this bitch just turn invisible?
>You ask her what the hell is going on, and she responds:
>"It's called a Stealth Boy. I found a bunch of them stashed in this cave."
>You've heard of something called a Stealth Boy before, but you didn't know what they were.
>You tell her this, and she responds:
>"Yeah, I didn't either. Imagine my surprise when I was messing with one and all of a sudden I turned invisible!"
>"I sold some of them to a merchant who knew what they were, but he didn't give me much for them."
>"So instead, I discovered what other wonderful uses they had. Ever wonder what you could do while you were invisible?"
>"Let me tell you. You can do A LOT of stuff."
>Like stealing cattle, apparently.
>When she hears you say this, she frowns.
>"Hey. It's not like I was hurting anyone. And I don't give two shits what Bill thinks. Dude's an asshole, as I'm sure you know."
>You ask her how she knows Bill, and she answers:
>"I met him a few years back in some casino inside Boulder City. This was before the NCR blew the whole fucking place to smithereens, of course."
>You ask her how she managed to get inside a casino looking how she did
>She seems a bit insulted, but nods knowingly after a second, and answers:
>"I was wearing a long coat, with gloves. A hood and a mask, too."
>"When they asked me why I wore the mask, I told them it was because I was disfigured."
>"They asked me if I cold take it off, and I said no. They asked me if I took it off whether or not I would die, and I said it would be extremely painful. Fuckers actually believed me."
>"Anyways, the motherfucker had sat down at the table I was at. I had been doing pretty good that day, and I had almost doubled the money I had originally arrived with."
>"We were playing Poker. By the end of the next hour, he had taken every single Cap I had. I accused him of cheating, and the casino guards said they would look into it."
>"They eventually found out that he was, but he was long gone before they could confront him"
>"Due to some bullshit "policy", they said they couldn't give me any compensation for what I had lost, and that it was a matter between me and him."
>"That was five years ago. I had almost forgotten about the whole thing, until I had heard word of his ranch from a travelling caravan."
>"When they told me it was run by some pissed-off tall ram, I knew exactly who it was."
>"So for the past couple months, I've been stealing his animals and selling them."
>You ask her how she managed to sneak them out with no trace, and she tells you:
>"Oh, it was pretty easy, actually! I just duct-taped a stealth boy to any Brahmin I wanna steal, and switch it on. Works like a charm. They can be as slow as I want, and it doesn't matter."
>Shit, that explained a lot actually.

>Suddenly, there's a loud fizzling noise, and the woman is visible again.
>She scooches back over to where she was sitting by the fire, and pokes at roasting meat with a clawed finger.
>"So. Anon. How do YOU know Bill?"
>You tell him that you were one of his workers. Or you used to be, anyways.
>She frowns.
>"Used to? What happened? Was he that angry that the Brahmin got stolen under your watch?"
>You tell her yes.
>"Damn. I was hoping to... Um... Ransom you to him. I'm guessing that isn't an option?"
>You're a bit pissed upon hearing that she had intended to sell you back to Bill, but you answer her honestly that he wanted nothing to do with you ever again. And that if he DID see you, he would kill you.
>"Well, fuck. So you're not heading back to the ranch?"
>You tell her no, that you really hated Bill too, and how he hated you in particular for being human."
>"Well, see? I did nothing wrong after all. All I did was steal from a lying, cheating, asshole, bigot."
>She gets up and goes over to one of the other crates, taking out a couple dinged up metal plates.
>"Here. Have some meat. I can't have you starving to death on my floor. You'll stink up the place."
>She cuts off a piece of meat and puts it on a plate. She puts it on the floor next to you.
>You ask her how she intends for you to eat this with bound hands, and she shrugs.
>"I don't know. You'll think of something."

>You look down at the food, and sigh.
>She's going to make you eat like a Brahmin out of a trough.
>You're too hungry to really care, so you lean down and bite at the meat, eating it quick.
>The Canine woman laughs as you eat, before telling you to stop.
>"Haha, I didn't think you'd actually do it! Here, allow me."
>She spears a piece of meat on a fork, and holds in front of your mouth.
>You glare at her, and say you'd rather eat with your hands untied.
>"Sorry, Anon. I'm not saying I don't trust you, but I really don't trust you. Also you broke my fucking door, and I'm still pissed about that."
>"I knew it was you when I saw the door was broken, by the way. I could smell it."
>She points to your foot. The one you had cut yesterday.
>"You left a scent trail all around the hills with that injury. I could smell drops of blood by the door, and I knew they had to be yours."
>You ask her how she was able to detect droplets of blood with her nose. You knew Anthros had a good sense of smell, but you were calling bullshit on this.
>She smiles and flicks her forked tongue out at you.
>"That would be the more... Reptilian side of me."
>You ask her what the hell reptilian means, and she chuckles.
>"The snake part of me, you idiot. I'm sure you've noticed my strange appearance by now."
>"Before you ask what I am, let me tell you. I'm technically a mutant."
>She sighs.
>"They call us Night Stalkers. We're the result of some eggheads from a place called "The Big Empty" playing God. They wanted to see what happened when they spliced Coyotes and Rattlesnakes together. We were the result."
>"We're a lot like normal Coyotes, except we have scales, a tail with a rattler on it, and a mouthful of venom."
>"Usually, we're more active at night, but I like to get out in the daytime too."
>You finally bite at the meat sticking on the fork in front of you, and begin to chew it. It was just some standard Brahmin meat, and was pretty good.
>"There you go, Anon. Now stop asking questions, and just let me help you eat your meal."
>You tell her you have one more question for her before you eat.
>She seems annoyed you won't just shut up and eat
>"What, Anon?"
>You ask what her name is.
>She smiles, and says:
>"It's Maggie. Not that you need to know it."
>You're about to ask her what she means, but she hisses at you before the words can leave your mouth.
>"Shut up and eat already! I want to eat before it gets cold, you dick!"
>You're about to respond, but she glares at you.
>Not wanting to risk getting bitten by her again, you nod your head and let her feed you the meat.

>After awhile, the two of you finish your meals.
>It was the most satisfying meal you've had in a couple weeks.
>Back on the ranch, Bill didn't let anyone eat the Brahmin meat. He either sold it all to caravans or ate it himself.
>You were provided with a meager breakfast and dinner, but lunch was on you. The local merchants knew this, so every day a small group of merchants would come to the ranch trying to sell whatever they had.
>Too bad most of it was pretty overpriced.
>Looking at your current situation though, you supposed that getting your ass kicked, given a mild poison, and being tied up wasn't much worse than paying 7 caps for a can of Cram.
>Looking over to Maggie, you ask her what time it was.
>She looks over at the cave entrance for a moment, then back to you.
>"I'm not sure. Wait here, and don't try to move. I'll go check. If I come back and you try to shoot me again, I'm going to bite the shit out of you."
>You comply, and sit there while you wait for the Night Stalker woman to come back.
>After a couple minutes she returns, sitting a bit closer to you this time.
>"It looks to be around 4 or 5 I think."
>You ask what she plans on doing with you now, and she responds after a few moments.
>"Ehh... I don't know. I don't think I'll kill you, if you think I was planning on doing that."
>"I know I left you that note, and then you broke my door down... and you tried beating me up... and you cut me... Actually, you know what? I think I just might."

>Your eyes widen, and as you try to scooch away from her, she laughs and puts her scaled hand on your shoulder.
>"Hahaha, I'm just kidding! I think I'll keep you around for awhile. You seem strong and capable, so maybe we could work together."
>You raise an eyebrow at her and ask what she means.
>"Well, we both hate Bill, so we have SOME common ground at least. Also, you told me you were out of a job. You seem strong, and I'm sure I could find something for you to do."
>You consider the surprising offer for a moment.
>You look at her and ask her what you would get for your work.
>"Well, food, for one. If we did jobs involving Caps, then you would of course get a share. How does a 65/35 split sound? Me getting the majority of the Caps, of course."
>Well, you've taken worse jobs as a mercenary.
>You agree to her terms, and suddenly Maggie sits up straight, and her tail starts to rattle a bit.
>"Woah, really? Cool. I didn't think you would accept."
>You eye her tail cautiously, and look at her with an unsure look.
>"O-oh. Don't mind the tail. It, uh... Rattles. I told you, that's just something I do. My tail still shakes like any other Canines does. It just looks different."
>You tell her it's fine.
>You also tell her to please untie you. Your arms are starting to cramp, and you've had an itch on your face for the past 5 minutes.
>"Haha, okay Anon."
>She leans you forward, and undoes the knot holding your arms together.
>She backs away cautiously, and eyes you as she sits back down.
>You bring your arms around, and quickly scratch at your face.
>You look at her and ask where she put your gun and knife.
>She seems a bit unnerved by the question, but answers.
>"They're... Over by the crates."
>She doesn't seem to trust you fully.
>Fair enough, you think. You don't trust her fully either, and you DID try to kill each other yesterday.
>You stand up and stretch. You catch Maggie eyeing you as you do this, but she quickly shifts her gaze back to the fire.
>You stand up and grab your knife, slipping it back into the sheath on your belt.
>You tell her you're going out real quick to "relieve" yourself.
>She stands up.
>"I'm coming with you."
>You ask her why, and she answers:
>"To make sure you don't try to run off and tell Bill where the person who's been trying to ruin him lives."
>You tell her you intend to never even look at Bill ever again, but you tell her it's fine if she wants to make sure.

>The two of you walk into the tunnel leading to the surface. When you get around the corner, you're met by an unexpected sight.
>There's daylight peeking out from the doorway.
>When she said it was 4 or 5, you had assumed she had meant in the morning.
>Shit, you had out for like 10 hours. The last time you had slept that long was when you had went on "vacation" up in Freeside.
>You had to get back to the Atomic Wrangler sometime. The gambling was good, the taps were always flowing, and the women were nice. Even if they were all Anthros with varying degrees of either drug addiction or radiation poisoning.
>You stand by the doorway, and look at what was left of the door.
>Wow, you had really done a number on it.
>You hadn't busted the door itself, but instead the hinges had busted.
>You looked over your shoulder at Maggie, who was close behind you, and apologized for the door.
>"Consider your first job getting it fixed. Quick as you can, too. I don't want some fucking gecko wandering in while we're sleeping and chew my face off."
>You nod, and step outside the doorway into the sun.
>It takes a couple seconds for your eyes to adjust to the bright light, and then you get a better look at your surroundings from the entrance of the cave.
>Looking to your front, you saw a sandy rockface jutting out about 30 feet in front of you. You had initially spotted the cave from the top of it.
>To your right was nothing, just a huge wall of rock that was too steep to climb. Beyond that wall was the rest of the Mojave.
>To your left was a small slope, and from the top of it you could see a small highway running alongside the banks of Lake Mead.

>You step over to the right, and plant your feet in front of the rock wall.
>You look behind you, and see Maggie standing expectantly.
>You ask for some privacy, and she responds:
>"Oh! Sorry. I'll just, uh... Turn around while you, uh, Piss."
>You wait until she turns around, then you face the craggy wall in front of you.
>You unzip your canvas pants, pull down your underwear a bit, and start to piss.
>You sigh in relief, and after a couple minutes, you zip your pants back up and turn around.
>Maggie is standing with her arms crossed, facing away from you; Her large triangular ears focusing on your direction like a satellite dish.
>You say her name, and she looks at you.
>"You done, Anon? I want to show you something. Outside."
>You nod, and she points at the sandy slope she was facing while you pissed.
>"Up there."
>The two of you walk up the slope, and look down at the lake.
>"I've never had like a... Dedicated partner before. I want to make our partnership official. I saw this on an old Holotape one time. Hand me your knife."

>You cock an eyebrow at her, but hand her the knife anyways. You hope she knows what she's doing.
>She takes the knife, and looks at the blade closely.
>"Who's... Walter?"
>She was looking at the small engraving on the top of the blade signifying it's previous owner.
>You tell her that he was an old friend of yours, and had given you the blade after Bill had kicked you off the ranch.
>"Oh. I was thinking he was your... Uh... You know. Lover, or some shit like that."
>You shake your head in annoyance at her. You shoot bullets in men, but never your dick.
>"That's... A really stupid analogy. Is that even an analogy. Whatever, it doesn't matter."
>She takes the blade, and to your surprise, she runs it across her hand.
>"Give me your hand, Anon."
>You reluctantly give her your hand, and she makes a small cut on your left palm.
>She grabs your bleeding hand with hers, and shakes it with a firm grip.
>She smiles at you, before wiping her bloody hand on her faded jeans.
>"Well, Anon, looks like we're partners now."

>The two of you had went back inside the cave, pausing at the entrance of the cave in order to lean the door across it's frame. It was only a temporary solution, but at the very least it would keep larger creatures out.
>You had sat down next to the fire and chatted for awhile, before getting into a more serious discussion.
>You were currently discussing your plans for the immediate future.
>You currently had 3 goals in mind:
>Repair the door was first on the list.
>Second was to better furnish the cave the two of you called home now.
>Third was to secure some work. You were to act as a liaison between Maggie and potential employers. She was worried that her appearance might scare off any clients.
>You had wanted to disagree with her on that last point, but it made sense. 
>You certainly couldn't remember the last time you had seen a half-coyote, half-snake hybrid.
>But there was no way you were saying that to her face.
>"So here's the plan, Anon. The first job is pretty simple. There's some ruined suburbs just west of here. We're going to go down there, and get some hinges to fix the door. And maybe some light furniture, because I'm starting to get tired of sitting on the dirt here."
>You tell her you'll probably need some tools also if you're going to fix the door, let alone try to make this place more livable.
>"Good idea, Anon. I hadn't thought of that. Ok, so we'll go get the hinges, we'll get some tools, and try to find a couple chairs. Think you can handle that?"
>You tell her you were a prospector for nearly six years, and that hinges were some of the easiest things to find. Just find a ruined house and dig near the doorways.
>"Well shit, Anon, Why didn't you tell me before?"
>You shrug, and tell her you were busy being unconscious.
>She cringes a bit, before saying:
>"Ok, let's not talk about what happened last night anymore. I'm sorry I kicked your ass. I'd ask you to apologize, but all you did was graze me with a knife. I mean honestly, that punch you threw at me? I've had hangnails more painf-"
>You cut her off, and tell her you got the idea.
>She smiles.
>"Alright, Anon. Before we set out, we should probably get some sleep. It's starting to get dark out, and I don't wanna be scavenging with someone who can't see in the dark that well."
>"You can put your bedroll in the tent with me, but just keep your distance."

>You agree, and the two of you head into the tent.
>She leans down and lights the lantern with a lighter from her pocket.
>She moves her bedroll closer to the entrance of the tent, and you unroll yours on the other side of the tent wall.
>You take your boots off, and put them at the foot of your bedroll.
>Suddenly, Maggie pipes up:
>"Oh. Uh, Anon. This is going to sound weird, but I prefer to sleep in just my underwear. Is that okay with you?"
>You're not even fazed. Walter did the same thing when you had shared a room with him.
>You tell her it's fine, and that you had planned on doing the same thing.
>"Alright, Anon. Just don't look at me while I'm undressing. I refuse to share a tent with some degenerate who likes to peep on girls."
>You shake your head at her, and turn around, getting undressed yourself.
>You slip into your bedroll, facing away from the Canine woman.
>You can hear Maggie slip into her own bedroll, and she says:
>"Goodnight, Anon. If you wake up before me, just shake me or something. I want to head out early."
>You tell her you will, and you tell her goodnight.
>She blows out the lantern, shrouding the tent in darkness.
>You close your eyes, and fall asleep within 10 minutes.

>It's been a couple weeks since you first partnered up with Maggie.
>You had managed to fix the door, and get some simple furnishings such as chairs for around the fire, some coolers for storing food, and the two of you had somehow been able to lug a sofa up into the cave.
>You had even managed to scrape together a workbench.
>Maggie had even managed to secure some jobs with some men in Freeside.
>It was simple stuff. Usually it was just kicking junkies out of buildings, prospecting for scrap, or delivering packages.
>Maggie handled the finances. She was pretty good with numbers. You could count, but Maggie looked like Mr. House when compared to you.
>You and her had a nice bit of savings built up. She still had all the money she got from selling Bill's cattle.
>Today you were on a new job.
>The men you were working for in Freeside had decided that it was time to let you and Maggie do some more dangerous work.
>You had to take back a small roadside stop from some raiders who had taken it over.
>They were Fiends.
>A gang of drug-addicted psychos who treated Outer Vegas as their own personal playground and shooting range.
>It was safer near Vegas, but once you went past Camp McCarran, it was a madhouse.
>You were unfamiliar with the location, as you never had a reason to journey out here.
>To your surprise, Maggie knew the area pretty well. She must have grown up around here.

>You were standing in a ruined building. It was early morning, and the sun was just starting to come out.
>Maggie was sitting behind you, sipping water from her canteen.
>You were peeking at a semi-fortified gas station 50 feet away from you.
>It used to be an small independent trading outpost. But it had been sacked by a large group of Vipers a few weeks ago. They left nobody alive.
>With nobody home, and a fortified location free for the taking, the Fiends had quickly set up shop there.
>Looking at the gas station in the morning light, you got a look at the Fiends roaming around. There looked to be around 10 or 15 of them. Some of them looked already high, and some looked looked half-asleep.
>The majority of them appeared to be a combination of both.
>You jump a bit as you feel a hand on your shoulder, but you quickly realize that it's just Maggie.
>"Anon, we should make our move soon. A lot of them should still be sleeping."
>You nodded, and readied your Trail Carbine, aiming it at a small sentry sitting on the roof of the gas station.
>"Do it, Anon."
>You fire, and hit the Fiend right in the chest.
>He's thrown off of the roof, and lands head-first onto the ground.
>Some of the more aware Fiends are grabbing guns and running to defend the compound.
>Meanwhile, Maggie is unloading on them with her 10mm Sub-machine Gun.

>The Fiends are unable to put up much of a fight, and the two of you quickly wipe them out.
>"Wow, Anon! That was a lot easier than I thought it would be."
>The two of you were walking around the courtyard of the gas station. It was littered with corpses, the smell of blood in the air.
>"Okay, Anon. I'm going to check around out here for anything interesting. Can you check the inside of the gas station? If they had any good shit here, it would be in there."
>You nod. The people who had contracted for the job had told you that you could take whatever you wanted from the Fiends you killed.
>They told you to consider it your bonus for a job well done if you succeeded.
>You enter the gas stationm, leaving the door open, and grimace.
>It smelled like sweat, shit, and piss in here.
>This must be where they slept.
>There's junk everywhere, with sleeping bags, tattered mattresses, and old needles littered on the floor.
>You're pretty sure the building is empty, so you step behind the counter.
>Yep. As you expected, there was a small safe back here.
>You lean your rifle against the counter and crouch down to examine the safe.
>Oh cool, it's unlocked.
>You open it, and frown.
>Damn. Nothing. Fiends must have sold whatever was in it to the Great Khans for more drugs.
>You hear some quiet footsteps shuffling slowly behind you, but you assume it's just Maggie.
>She liked to try and sneak up on you and scare you.
>This time though, you were going to turn around and try to startle her.
>You smile as you hear the footsteps stop right behind you.
>You turn around quickly, but before you can say anything, you suddenly feel a sharp pain in your side.
>Oh shit, that isn't Maggie.

>You fall to the ground, a knife sticking in your side.
>The Fiend stands over you, a wicked grin on his face.
>"HAHAHA, I GOT YOU FAGGOT!"
>He bends over a bit to shout at you, flecks of his saliva shooting on your face.
>You're holding your wound tightly around the knife. You were smart enough not to pull it out.
>"You killed my fucking FRIENDS, man..."
>"I'm going to enjoy killing you."
>You think about 
>Suddenly, you can hear someone walk through the front door.
>"Anon, I-"
>The Fiend looks at Maggie, a terrified look on his face.
>His only weapon was currently buried in your lower abdomen.
>"W-wait lady, don't-"
>His head explodes into a cloud of red mist as Maggie unloads half a clip point blank into his skull.
>She peers over the counter, and looks horrified when she sees you laying there with a knife in your belly.
>You moan out that you need help, and she rushes to your side.
>She's yelling.
>"Anon, What the fuck happened?! Are you okay!?"
>You tell her you're pretty certain you are NOT okay, and that there's a goddamn knife sticking out of you.
>The pain was starting to become excruciating. With every breath you took the knife bobbed around in the wound, widening it.
>Your clothes were soaked with blood. Your blood.
>You're starting to feel dizzy. Maggie is yelling something at you, digging around in her pack for medical supplies, but you barely register it.
>You're bleeding fast, and Maggie can't stop the bleeding without taking the knife out.
>But if she took it out, you would just bleed to death anyways.
>She grabs you by the head, and gets your attention.
>"Anon, I have to do something. You have to trust me."
>You give a weak nod of the head, and her jaw all of a sudden clamps down on your shoulder.
>You can feel her sharp teeth pierce your skin, and you feel your head swim.
>What the Hell, why did she just inject you with her venom?
>You can immediately tell she injected you with A LOT more than she did when you had first met.
>Your whole body starts to feel numb. On the bright side, your wound doesn't hurt as much now...
>Damn, you feel so sleepy, too...
>The combination of blood loss and venom practically forces your eyelids shut.
>Maggie is still yelling something at you, but you're beyond the point of comprehending words at this point.
>You let out one last breath, then fall unconscious.

>You awaken, opening your eyes.
>It's dark, and you can't see anything.
>You try and sit up, but you can't.
>Fuck, did you die?
>You hear something shuffle around near you, and you let out a small groan.
>The shuffling stops immediately, and you hear a yip.
>A bright light invades your sights, and you roll your head to the side, trying to shield your eyes.
>"Anon! You're awake!"
>You see Maggie sitting over you, a wide smile on her face.
>Her tail is wagging like crazy, making a loud rattling noise.
>"I didn't know if you would make it or not, but it looks like you pulled through!"
>You ask her what happened and she explains:
>"You got stabbed by some Fiend..."
>"He nicked an artery, and you were bleeding pretty badly."
>"I'm sorry Anon, but I had to bite you."
>"My venom slowed your heart rate enough so that you didn't bleed to death, but you also sort of... slipped into a coma."
>"Just a small one though. And you even woke up, too!"
>You tell her you still feel really numb.
>"Oh... Sorry. I injected you with A LOT of venom. Borderline lethal, actually."
>"I had to keep giving you smaller doses while the wound sealed. To keep you from bleeding to death."
>You ask her how the wound was, and she answers:
>"Lucky for you, the knife seemed to have missed any of your organs. As far as I can tell, atleast."
>"I managed to drag you into this house. I'm sorry, but I had to leave you for awhile to get medical supplies."
>She leans down and flicks her tongue out across your forehead.
>"Looks like I managed to patch you up pretty good, if I do say so myself."
>You tell her you feel half-dead, and she solemnly nods.
>"I'm not going to kid around with you, Anon. You almost fucking died."
>"But you're on the path to recovery now."
>You tell her you think you're think you might go back to sleep now. Her venom is still in your system, and It's making you tired.
>She gives you a small hug around your shoulders, and whispers into your ear.
>"Yeah... Go ahead and sleep... I'll keep you safe while you recover... Then we can go back to the cave..."
>You try to think out a proper response, but you're out like a light before the words can leave your mouth.

>It's been 3 weeks since you got stabbed, and you were almost fully healed.
>You were still a bit tender, but you were doing small jobs again.
>Low danger stuff though.
>Maggie had you improving the cave once again, as she didn't want you to leave just yet.
>She had been almost motherly in the way she cared for you as she nursed you back to health.
>You had a nasty scar running on your side, but you didn't care.
>You were just happy to be alive.
>Maggie was sitting in the cave, supervising you as you finished putting together a more permanent room in the cave for sleeping.
>The tent had served the two of you well, but it was time for something that wouldn't fall over if someone brushed up against it too hard.
>Using some spare wood Maggie had collected from the ruins to the West, you had constructed a small shack.
>It wasn't very perfect, but it was better than the tent.
>Maggie comes over to inspect your work.
>She smiles and nods, putting an arm on your shoulder. Her tail was wagging again, making that rattling noise.
>"I like it, Anon. It's bigger than the tent."
>It was about 10 feet by 10 feet, and 8 feet high. Comfortable enough to stand up and move around in.
>Maggie pulls you by the shoulder a bit, urging to to the entrance of the shack.
>"Let's look at the inside."
>Inside, you had you and Maggie's personal belongings sitting on a small shelf.
>Maggie had gotten the two of you mattresses and some blankets, which were a lot better than the tattered old sleeping bags you had been making due with.
>Maggie turned on the small fission-battery lantern, illuminating the space.
>"I like how you did, Anon..."
>Maggie turned to face you, smiling.
>"It's way better than that stupid tent, that's for sure."
>"C'mon. Let's cook some dinner."
>The two of you leave the shack, and sit by the small campfire.
>She tosses on some gnarled wood you weren't able to use on the shack.
>Instead of a spit, you now had a grate sitting over the fire you used to cook on.
>In a pan she had a special treat cooking for the two of you.
>Bighorner steak.
>She had gotten it from a trader in return for guarding his caravan as he passed through Outer Vegas.
>She hated to leave you alone in the cave while she was out, but it had been worth it.

>The two of you silently enjoy the meal, until Maggie clears her throat to get your attention.
>You look up at her, and you can see her looking at you with an unsure look.
>"I got some news for you, Anon. Big news."
>You ask her what's going on, and she quickly replies:
>"So, I secured a new contract for us while I was out "running errands" a couple days ago."
>"I wasn't sure how to tell you, but now seems like an okay time."
>Uh oh. Usually Maggie was happy, almost excited, to tell you about new contracts. This was a strange change of pace.
>She must notice your reaction to her tone, as you can see her slouch a tiny bit, her large ears folding down onto her fuzzy head.
>"It's... A pretty big contract. For you, at least."
>You cock an eyebrow at her, asking her what she means.
>"Well... I know you haven't really been outside of the wastes of the Mojave since you first got her, and the contract I signed us up for takes us all the way out of NCR Territory."
>You were a bit surprised. You had been in the Mojave for around 10 years, and you had thought that you were going to live out the rest of your life here.
>Just as you're about to ask her if she thinks this is a good idea, she blurts out:
>"Oh! Uh, I have another surprise for you too!"
>She sets her plate on the ground next to her, then reaches behind her to dig inside of her pack.
 
>"Here it is! This is just for you, Anon!"
>She pulls a strange looking piece of technology out of her pack, and hands it to you.
>"It goes on your wrist. Here, let me show you how to put it on."
>Before you can protest, she unlatches the mysterious machine and puts your hand through it, closing the latch once it's on your arm.
>She presses a button on the machine marked "POWER", and the machine starts making whirring and beeping sounds, the screen lighting up with a series of numbers and letters.
>She sits down right next to you, her body pressing against you as you turn your wrist around to get a good look at the device.
>"It's called a Pip-Boy! It's an old piece of tech from before The War. It's sort of like a portable computer, complete with medical diagnostic technology so you can see how to best treat any wounds you get, or how many Rads you've taken. It's got software that helps you to easily take stock of your inventory... Oh, and it even has a radio!"
>You tell Maggie that you didn't even know what most of those words meant, and she chuckles at you.
>"I'll explain it better later."
>You've heard of something called a Pip-Boy before, but you had never known what it was. You had always thought that it was either some sort of food or another term for faggot.
>You eye the Pip-Boy on your wrist, inspecting it. Growing up in Idaho, you had always been told by the village elders to be wary of unknown technologies. You were a bit wary of it, but Maggie seemed pretty happy. You could even hear her tail rattling, a telltale sign of her happiness.
>She gives you a warm smile, leaning towards you a bit.
>Not wanting to disappoint her, you thank her for the gift, telling her that you would treasure it.
>"Yeah, I got it as advance payment for the trip."
>You interrupt her, asking for more details about the trip.
>The joy she was displaying disappears in a moment.
>"Oh. Well, um..."
>"It's a caravan consisting of around six Brahmin, and 10 merchants. They make this trip yearly to trade with settlements far up north."
>You ask her where the caravan is headed, and how long the journey would take.
>"The merchant who I got the contract off of told me that it usually takes a month or so. Usually a bit less."
>"As for the destination, it should sound a bit familiar to you."
>"We're heading to Idaho, Anon."
>Oh, shit.
>Pretty much all reservations you had about the trip instantly leave your mind.
>You had always told yourself you were going to head back to Idaho one day and return to your people, but you didn't expect to make the journey anytime soon.
>You eagerly ask her what part of Idaho you're going to, and she responds:
>"Well, I'm not too sure, actually. He told me that we were heading to a settlement right outside of Boise, but I have no clue where exactly that is."
>You smile, telling her that you knew about Boise. Your tribe had made its home near there.
>"Oh, really? Well that's good. I knew I remembered you telling me that you were from Idaho."
>"The caravan leaves in two days, just after nightfall. Just enough time to get everything ready."
>You ask her why it's leaving at night, and she just shrugs, saying:
>"Why would I know? Maybe they just want to leave under the cover of night or something."
>"Now, let's finish this steak before it gets cold."
>You nod, and cut off a chunk of the huge Bighorner steak to chew on.
>It may not have been very professionally prepared, but it seems like no matter how you cooked Bighorner meat, it was always good.
 
>The two of you don't chat much as you finish the meal, and it seems like the two of you devour the food in an instant.
>"Let's go get some shuteye, Anon. We're going to have to do some work tomorrow to prepare for the trip."
>You yawn as an agreement, and the two of you head off into the tent to get some sleep.
>Maggie sits down on her mattress, slipping under her the blankets she used.
>You walk over to your own mattress, sitting down on the thin sheets.
>"Get the lamp, Anon. I can't sleep with all that damn light."
>You turn take off your shoes and shirt, before shutting off the lamp and lifting your single wool blanket over yourself.
>You only had a thin blanket, but Maggie used a couple nice ones that she refused to share.
>Her reasoning was that she needed the extra heat since she was part reptilian.
>You thought she just didn't want to share.
>It didn't matter, though. The cave and tent kept you pretty warm.
>You close your eyes, trying to find sleep.
>It's hard to fall asleep though. You're too excited about the prospect of returning home, and dozens of ideas and memories about Idaho are swirling through your mind.
>You open your eyes, staring at the "ceiling" of the tent.
>As you think about your homeland, you can start to hear Maggie shifting around in bed. She must be awake too.
>It sounds like she's mumbling something too...
>You call out to her, and she freezes.
>"Uhhh... Y-yes, Anon? I was just, um, getting to sleep..."
>You can hear the obvious nervousness in her voice. She sounds like she's just been caught doing something she wasn't supposed to be doing.
>You're thinking of how to respond when suddenly the unmistakable smell of her arousal hits your nose.
>Shit, you must have caught her while she was trying to get herself off.
>Dammit, couldn't she have waited until you weren't laying 5 feet away from her?!
>You've got to think of something to say before things turn awkward.
>You blurt out the first thing that pops into your head, saying that the weather in Idaho was usually pretty nice.
>Fuck. Smooth one.
>"O-okay, Anon... That's, uh, good to hear... I'm going to sleep now... Um, goodnight."
>With that, she goes silent.
>Dammit.
>You pull your blanket over your head, in a desperate attempt to block out your embarrassment.
>You shut your eyes tight, and eventually you manage to fall asleep.
 
>When you wake up, Maggie is still sleeping, air gently puffing in and out of her nose.
>You groan, standing up.
>Mornings had always been your least favorite part of the day.
>As you put your shirt back on, you notice Maggie start to stir.
>"Eugh... What time is it?"
>You tell her you've got no clue.
>Maggie gives you a tiny smile, and tells you to check your Pip-Boy.
>Confused, you look at the screen of the wrist-mounted device.
>Oh, it had a clock. Neat.
>You tell her the time was 8'o Clock.
>"Shit, we slept in a bit... Alright, I'll make us something to eat, then we're going to leave. Alright? We need to go get a few things from Freeside and I'm taking you with me."
>You say that sounds like a great idea. You always loved going to Freeside.
>Once you got past the gang members, starving children, and crazed tweakers, it was a pretty nice place.
>You sit down next to the campfire, and add some dried brush.
>Might as well start it up now, so Maggie doesn't bother you about it later.
>You light the fire, and start to stoke it, adding a couple larger pieces of wood.
>You set an open can of Cram over the fire to heat up. Maggie may hate the stuff, but you've kind of grown to like it.
>Maggie walks out of the tent, yawning.
>Before she sits down though, her body suddenly goes rigid, and her ears start swiveling towards the entrance of the cave.
>"Oh shit..."
>You're about to ask her what's going on, but she presses a single finger to her lips.
>"Hide. I think someone's here... I can hear something at the door..."
>Fuck.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
>Be Amber.
>You were an Anthro Night-Stalker, created in the Big M.T.
>You traveled the Wasteland with your Human mate, who you had taken as yours after saving him from his injuries (that you inflicted).
>The two of you were up in some hills near the Colorado River, hunting for a raider that was presumably hiding out up here.
>A very angry Anthro Ram named Bill had given you the contract after a string of Brahmin thefts.
>He told you that the last person he had sent to kill the rustler had never come back, and he couldn't get any sleep while they were still out there.
>It had taken a while, but with your superior sense of smell, you had managed to locate a cave hidden among the rocks. If anyone was hiding out in these hills, it had to be here.
>You walk slowly up to the entrance of the cave, your human mate standing next to you.
>You look over to him and speak up:
>"This place smells of other night stalkers. Perhaps it was a nesting ground once?"
>The entrance to the cave has a door on it, so you doubt that the night stalkers were inside unless this was that crazy raider that was apparently trying to raise baby Night-Stalkers as pets.
>You get onto all fours, and begin to straddle the rocks around the cave entrance, smelling around as you look for any signs of other night stalkers.
>You tell your mate to head inside. You tell him if the target you're after is in there then to call out for you. You reassure him by telling him that a single raider probably wouldn't kill him outright. Around here they liked to hold you for ransom, and squeeze as much money out of your relatives as possible before they either released or killed you. Usually the latter.
>He frowns and looks up to you, watching as you leap down and land next to him from the rocks above.
>You comfort him by telling him that if anyone ever tries to hurt him, you'll put them in the ground.
>You give him a gentle kiss on the cheek, and he hugs you for a moment.
>After a moment the two of you pull away, and you slink off to look to see if there's any other Night-Stalkers around.
>As you sniff around for danger, your mate fiddles with the door.
>After few minutes he suddenly gives the door a good, solid kick that sends it flying wide open.
>The cave is now open to be explored, and he pokes his head inside, seemingly searching for traps.
>He looks up at you, telling you that it looks clear to him.
>He whistles at you, motioning for you to hand him his gun, so you toss it down to him, and you smile as he catches it in the air.
>A while back he had exchanged his old, busted up Laser Pistol for a prototype model.
>He called it his "Compliance Regulator" as a joke.
>A fitting joke though, as every man who had it pointed at him had always done as your mate had asked.
>He holds the small energy weapon in his hand as he walks into the cave.
>As he walks down into the narrow cave, your tongue darts out of your mouth to smell the air.
>It smelled of Night-Stalkers, with a hint of smoke and roasted meat.
>A tell-tale sign of habitation, whether it be Anthro or Human.
>You're about to call out to your mate to ask him what he sees, when all of a sudden you hear the sounds of struggling.
>You freeze, listening intently.
>Within the span of 10 seconds, you hear the sound of something heavy falling to the ground, an energy weapon discharging once before hitting the ground, and the sound of a lever-action rifle being cocked.
>Then the horrifying sound of your mate calling out to you in a panic.
>"AMMMMBBBBBEEEEERRRR!!!!!"
 
>Not wanting to waste time, you quickly rush into the entrance of the cave.
>You hear voices, and so you turn yourself invisible to avoid detection.
>Being a freak of nature had it's perks. Nobody ever expected an invisible half-copperhead, half-wolf Anthro to attack them. Especially not an invisible one.
>You enter a large chamber, seeing a fire and some furnishings.
>Most importantly, you see your Mate being held captive by another human, and to your surprise, another Anthro Night-Stalker.
>A stream of blood is slowly trickling out of a small wound in his neck. That bitch tried to poison him with her venom! Lucky for him, he's had so many doses of your own venom, that he had built up an extreme immunity to pretty much all toxins.
>Not allowing yourself to hesitate any longer, you let out a loud hissing snarl, and charge towards the Man with the Rifle, kicking up a cloud of dust.
>The sight of a cloud of dust rushing towards him must startle the man, as he fires directly at you.
>Or he tries to, anyways.
>The fire simply clicks, and you see his face make an expression of surprise as your arms wrap around him, knocking his gun to the ground as your claws dig into his arm and chest as you grab him from behind.
>You uncloak yourself as you bare your fangs, hovering them just inches above his soft neck.
>You greet the other Night-Stalker, who currently has a knife to your own mate's neck, an expression of intense anger on her face.
>You choose to greet her. Maybe there was still time to defuse the situation.
>If she didn't back down though, you were going to pump so much venom into her friend that he would die before he could even blink.
>"Greetings, sister. I am Amber of the Big Mountain. You have a choice to make with how this confrontation continues. We can either both discuss why someone wants you and this human dead, or I can sink my fangs into your friend's neck and then torture you for DARING to put a knife to the neck of my mate!"
>You hear her hiss at you, her fur puffing out at you in rage.
>She responds:
>"Why should I speak with mercenaries sent to kill us? Much less a fake Night-Stalker.
>You're pretty offended by her calling you a fake Night-Stalker. Sure, you may have been made in a lab, but you could still kick more ass than anyone you knew.
>Your tongue darts out at her, and a familiar scent reaches you.
>Your fangs drip several thick drops venom onto the neck and shirt of your prisoner.
>You respond:
>"I am as real as it gets. I may be different in what snake and canine I am, but-... Wait a second..."
>You sniff the air with your tongue once more, before smelling the Human you're holding with your Canine nose.
>Oh shit, he has her scent rubbed all over him! He must be her mate...
>You laugh, and you hear the other snekdog hiss at you once more.
>"I can smell your scent on him, sister! This Human... You've been marking him with your scent, haven't you?"
>The Night-Stalker woman loosens her grip on your mate for a moment, seemingly flustered at the accusation.
>She shakes her head, vehemently denying the accusation.
>You smile at the other woman with a devilish grin, taking the moment of confusion to try and broker peace.
>"Sister, let us talk. You, me, and our mates. There's no need to be hostile towards each other."
>Your grip loosens on the human you're holding.
>"Here, allow me to make the first move for you. I'll release your Human."
>You release the Human fully from your grasp, turning yourself invisible once more as you maneuver over to the other Night-Stalker.
>The human you released seems confused by the turn of events, staying still, startled at how you're able to make yourself disappear into thin air.
>You stand behind the other woman, and she sighs, her knife leaving the neck of your mate, and sliding back into it's sheath on her belt.
>Her neck puffs out in anger, but she walks over to her Human, looking around the cave as she does so.
>"Fine, sister. My name is Maggie... Let's talk this out."
>Before you can respond, the woman, named Maggie, quickly says:
>"But first thing's first! Don't plan on staying here for too long!"
>"And don't even THINK about trying to go into our tent!"
>As Maggie checks her Human for injuries, holding him protectively, you pick up your mate off the ground, making sure his neck was unharmed.
>There were a couple of pricks from Maggie's fangs, but luckily her venom had no effect on your mate. It was a good thing you had been nibbling him so much, or else he would have been dead a long time ago.
>You turn visible, and your mate sighs, relieved.
>You kiss him softly on the neck, gently rubbing your forehead against the side of his head.
>You reassure Maggie that you'll stay away from her tent. If you end up staying in the cave for the night, you could always make your own nest like you've done many times before with your mate.
>"Don't worry, Maggie. You can have your nest all to yourself and your mate~."
>The Snekdog woman angrily puffs her neck out, but relents.
>She pulls her Human along with her on a small bench near the fire, sitting down with him protectively held in her arms.
>She looks at you with a look of distrust, and says to you:
>"If we are going to talk, then let us talk. If not, then leave."
>You smile, trying to show your good intentions.
>"Yes, sister. Let's talk."
>You sit down on the bench opposite to the other pair.
>Maggie didn't seem to trust you, but you were confident that you could defuse her anger.
>After all, you were both Night-Stalkers. How hard could it be?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 
>Be Anon
>You're currently  sitting next to the fire, staring at your "guests".
>Maggie is sitting closely next to you, your sides pressing against each other.
>Across from you sat two people you had never seen before.
>One was a Human Man, just like you. He was wearing some decent quality Mercenary gear, wearing an armored leather jacket, canvas pants with shin guards, and having his laser pistol strapped to his waist in a simple holster.
>The other one however, was a Night-Stalker like Maggie. She was wearing a tattered robe that appeared to be homemade. Under it she was wearing a simple white shirt, and a plain pair of jeans with only a few holes in it. She didn't wear armor, probably relying on her invisibility, agility, and venom to fight.
>Even though she was a Night-Stalker, she looked very different than Maggie did. While Maggie was a mixture of a Rattlesnake and Coyote, Amber appeared to be a combination of a Wolf and a Copperhead. Unlike Maggie, whose tail was completely covered in scales, Amber's tail is covered in fur, except for the small rattle on the tip.
>For the last couple minutes, you had all been sitting there quietly, just looking at each other, unsure of what to say.
>Before things become any more awkward, Maggie breaks the silence.
>"Tell me what you two are doing in MY den. And don't lie, or I'll know."
>Amber's tongue flicks out at the air, before answering:
>"Me and my Mate are doing a job. We were sent to kill you by a Ram named Bill. He told us that someone up in the hills had been stealing his cattle from his Ranch."
>Maggie gives Amber an understanding nod.
>"Yeah, that makes sense. I guess Bill is still pretty sore about me fucking up his livelihood. Old bastard had it coming, though."
>Amber changes the subject by lifting a clawed finger, pointing at you.
>"Tell me, sister. How did you come to possess a Human mate like me?"
>Maggie violently shakes her head, vehemently denying that you're romantically associated.
>"Anon is just here to help me do jobs! We're just friends!"
>You didn't consider the two of you to be "together", but for some reason, her saying that the two of you are just friends still hurts a little.
>"But sister, why is he covered in your scent? I can barely smell his scent through yours."
>Maggie shifts uncomfortably, her arm brushing against you.
>"We, uh, live in close proximity... I'm not surprised my scent is on him considering how close to each other we always are..."
>Amber shakes her head, a knowing smile on her face.
>"Well sister, just know that I don't blame you. Humans can be very... pleasurable."
>Maggie gives an angry, but short, hiss at Amber.
>"Stop calling me sister! You aren't even a REAL Night-Stalker! You were made in a damn lab!"
>Amber seems upset by the outburst, and the mercenary looks pissed at the insult to his mate.
>"Sist-... Maggie. Please. There's no need to be upset. Me and my mate-"
>Maggie cuts her off, raising up a hand to tell her to be quiet.
>She sighs.
>"Listen... Sorry for the little outburst there. I'm just PISSED that you guys broke into my home and threatened me and my... Friend."
>"Look, you can tell Bill that we won't be bothering him again. I already got all of his cattle, and that's really all I was going for. Tell him I'm dead or something, maybe you'll still get paid."
>Amber speaks up, responding:
>"The Ram wanted us to bring back proof of your demise. To be specific, he requested your head."
>Maggie lets out a quick laugh.
>"Well, I'm kind of using it right now, so I guess you're shit out of luck there."
>The Mercenary asks Amber how they're going to get paid, and she just shrugs.
>You speak up, saying you have a solution.
>You gesture to the fire.
>You tell the pair that since the Mercenary is using an energy weapon, just take a jar of ashes back to Bill and tell him that the body got disintegrated. If they're lucky, then Bill will fall for it.
>Amber looks unsure, but the Mercenary is smiling. He says that he might as well give it a try. Worst case scenario, they just don't get paid.
 
>Things had calmed down between the four of you, and you sat around the fire making small talk.
>You and Maggie had learned how the Mercenary and Amber came to be together.
>After the Mercenary had taken a contract to "take care" of the snekdog, they had a violent confrontation.
>Instead of one of them getting killed though, they ended up fucking each others brains out.
>Amber had explained that part in disturbing detail, a dreamy smile on her face, much to the protest of the Mercenary.
>The Mercenary had explained a pretty interesting detail about himself, though.
>He had been bitten and pumped full of Night-Stalker venom so much by Amber, that he was immune to both Night-Stalker toxins and most other toxins. Not even rad-scorpions or cazadores bothered him anymore.
>Amber suggested that Maggie try doing the same thing to you, but Maggie seemed almost embarrassed by the suggestion, saying that it was too weird.
>The day slowly crawled by as you all talked, and the skies were beginning to darken.
>The four of you were sharing a small meal consisting of Cram and potatoes, all fried in a skillet over the fire.
>It may not taste the best, but it sure was filling.
>As you eat, Amber asks the two of you a question.
>"So sister- Oh! Sorry, I meant to say Maggie."
>Maggie waves her hand at Amber, saying that it was alright.
>"I have something to ask of you. You have been -mostly- hospitable to me and my Mate so far. Would you mind if we spent the night here?"
>Maggie freezes, her fork clinking against the metal plate she was holding.
>She seems to ponder the question for some time, her scaled tail flicking behind her.
>After a minute of silence, she answers.
>"Well... As long as you don't touch any of my stuff, then sure. You can't sleep in the shack, though! That's for me and Anon only."
>Amber smiles, nodding.
>"That will be fine, sister! We have our own bedrolls."
>Maggie narrows her eyes at the other woman.
>"I apologize. I will not call you sister any longer."
>You quietly ask Maggie why she doesn't like the other woman calling her "sister".
>Maggie leans in close to you, her scaly tail slapping against you, and whispers in your ear:
>"Well, look at her. She was made in a lab. Me? I'm the REAl deal. One-hundred percent naturally born right here. She can't call me "sister" if she isn't even the same thing as me..."
>Amber looks at the two of you, tilting her head questionably.
>"Me and my Mate have finished eating. We will set up our bedrolls next to the fire. Is that ok?"
>Maggie nods quickly.
>"Come on, Anon. Let's get in our bedroom. You must be tired."
>You try to tell her you're still pretty awake, but she isn't having any of it.
>She grabs you by the arm and practically drags you into the small shack you had built in the cave, your empty plate dropping to the floor as you stumble along with her.
>You catch a glimpse of Amber looking at the two of you with an amused look.
>Maggie deposits you inside of the shack, and shuts the door behind her.
 
>You sit down on your mattress, while Maggie sits next to the entrance to the shack, one of her large triangular ears pressed against the fabric, listening intently to the muffled voices outside.
>After a while, the voices cease, and Maggie sits down next to you with a sigh.
>"Just making sure they weren't plotting anything, Anon. Gotta keep us safe, you know?"
>You nod. You've dealt with betrayal in the past. It was sadly pretty common in the wasteland.
>You didn't think those two were going to try anything, though. You're pretty sure that you had all come to an understanding.
>The two of you get ready to go to bed.
>You strip down to your underwear, and climb under your wool blanket.
>It might be itchy, but at least it was warm. Sort of.
>Maggie keeps her shirt on, but takes her pants off. She was wearing a light blue pair of boxer shorts.
>You reach over and turn off the kerosene lamp, bathing the small bedroom in darkness. There were gaps in the food, but you had covered them with leftover bits of the tent's fabric, and no light could get in.
>You're about to close your eyes to go to sleep, when all of a sudden your blanket lifts up and a warm body slides in next to you, a pair of scaled arms wrapping around you.
>"Hi, Anon. I'm sleeping here tonight."
>You stammer out in surprise, asking what she's doing in your bed.
>She leans in close to you, wiggling a bit as she gets comfortable.
>"I just don't trust those two... If anything happens, I want to make sure I'm close to you."
>You can feel her scaly tail wrap around one of your legs.
>"You know. So I can keep you safe."
>You tell her she was full of shit, and she tells you to shut it.
>"Ok, so maybe I like how warm you are. That has nothing to do with this, though."
>"What happened the last time I wasn't there to protect you?"
>"Oh yeah, you got fucked STABBED!"
>"No fucking way am I letting THAT happen again. I just gotta keep you close from now on."
>She had been pretty clingy since you got stabbed, but this was on a whole new level.
>You ask if she can lessen her grip a bit.
>"No."
>Well, damn.
>"Now go to sleep. I'll wake you up if anything happens."
>You tell her you aren't sure if you can fall asleep like this, and she huffs at you, shooting warm air into your hair.
>"Try. We have work to do tomorrow, and I'd rather you get a full night of sleep. Don't want you stumbling around all tired and shit."
>You sigh, and close your eyes, trying not to focus on how nice it felt to be held.

>Several minutes pass, but you're still awake.
>You open your eyes, quietly yawning.
>Based on how Maggie is lightly snoring into your hair, you're pretty certain that she's fallen asleep.
>So much for her "making sure nothing happens".
>If you were being honest with yourself though, you had to admit that this felt kind of nice.
>You hadn't been with anyone since you had met Maggie, and sleeping next to someone just felt... Right. You didn't care if she was technically a freak of nature. She was your friend, and she had come to care for you.
>Maggie's arms suddenly shift, tugging you even closer to her.
>Her face nuzzles into your shoulder, the scales on her head rubbing against your cheek.
>Even her tail tightens around your leg a bit.
>It seems like you won't be getting her off of you anytime soon.
>No way you were messing with her while she slept, either.
>You knew better than to piss off something with a mouth full of venom.
>You sigh, and settle in for the night.
>You close your eyes once more, and drift off to sleep.
 
>You wake up the next morning with a faceful of fur.
>You're momentarily confused, but then you remember that Maggie had slept next to you.
>You could feel her arms still wrapped tightly around you, her claws pressing lightly into the skin of your back.
>Her legs were tangled with yours, and her tail was tightly coiled around your thigh.
>She must have rolled you on your side while you slept.
>You lean back a bit to get your face out of her neck.
>When you try to scooch away from her though, her grip on you tightens, and you hear a small growl come from deep within her closed muzzle.
>Your face is forced back into her neck, and she lets out a content huff from her nose, the warm air washing over your short hair.
>It seems like you won't be getting up until she does.
>This must be what Amber meant when she said that Maggie's scent was all over you.
>You slowly slide out one of your arms from her grasp. You gently try to shake her shoulder to wake her.
>It has the opposite effect you wanted though. Instead of her letting go, she hisses louder this time, and you can feel a drop of something drip out of her mouth and down your neck.
>Based on the tingling sensation it leaves as it slides down your neck, you're pretty certain that it's venom.
>Fuck. You don't want her to bite you, so you cease resisting her grasp, letting her hold you tight against her sleeping body.
>You might as well get a bit more sleep out of this...
>After all, it WAS kind of comfortable... And she smelled pretty pleasant if you were being honest.
>You sigh into her neck, and close your eyes.
>You were still tired from waking up, so it doesn't take long for you to fall asleep once more.
 
>When you wake up again, the first thing you notice is the absence of Maggie's grasp. You almost miss it now that it's gone.
>You slowly sit up, groaning. Maggie's tight grasp might have been comforting, but it didn't do many wonders for your back.
>You grab your scattered clothes and sleepily toss them on. It was probably a good idea to wash them soon. They were covered in a mixture of dirt, dust, and loose Night-Stalker hairs.
>Opening the door to the shack, you see Maggie, Amber, and the Mercenary all sitting around the fire, chatting softly.
>One of Maggie's ears swivel towards the shack as she hears the simple door creek shut.
>She turns around to look at you, then pats the space on the bench next to her.
>You nod, blinking, and sit down next to her. As you sit down, you can feel Maggie's tail lift up onto the bench and get planted behind you, softly pressing against your lower back.
>Amber greets you.
>"Good morning, Anon. Did you sleep well?"
>You silently nod at her.
>"The cave floor was a bit uncomfortable, but I've slept in worse places."
>She puts one of her arms across the Mercenary's back.
>"And with my Mate, I'm always comfortable no matter where we are."
>Maggie pipes up, saying:
>"Listen, Anon. I was talking with these two and we've come to an agreement."
>"While we're off dicking around in Idaho, they're going to watch the cave for us."
>"Don't worry about our stuff. Today we're going to... Um... Liquidate our assets."
>You ask her what liquidate means, and she smiles.
>"It means we're going to sell all of the shit we can't drag with us."
>"We're going to be gone for a long while, so we might as well get rid of everything. Better than some other dick prospector finding it."
>You agree with her. You didn't have many belongings other than what was in your pack, so you didn't have many attachments to the stuff in the cave. Most of it was Maggie's stuff anyways.
>"Alright. We'll go through the crates later and see what's worth selling. The food we can just leave here for... Those two."
>Amber smiles at Maggie.
>"We promise to take care of the cave until you return. Us Night-Stalkers have to stick together."
 
>The next couple days seem to fly by in a flash.
>Amber and the Mercenary seem to settle into the cave pretty well. The Mercenary even fixes the door so you don't have to.
>Maggie had sold a lot of her stuff, giving the two of you plenty of caps to properly equip yourself for the journey ahead of you.
>You were a bit sad to let it go, but you had sold your Lever Action Rifle. It hadn't been too reliable the last few months and it was time for a change.
>As a replacement, you had purchased an NCR Battle Rifle chambered in .308 from some shady NCR quartermaster at Camp McCarran. It was a pretty sweet rifle, if a bit inaccurate.
>After you purchased the rifle, you found that you still had enough caps to get some more decent armor as well.
>You bought yourself a couple pairs of clothes, some reinforced leather armor to wear over it, and a dinged-up old combat helmet.
>You felt pretty prepared to tackle the wastes outside of Nevada. You had already made the journey once, but that was nearly ten years ago. And lots could change in ten short years.
 
>Currently, you were waiting for Maggie in Freeside. You had agreed to meet up in the Atomic Wrangler after you had both gotten geared up. The caravan was leaving from the East Gate of Freeside in a few hours, so you still had some time to say goodbye to the great city. You just wish that you would have been able to go to The Strip atleast once.
>Too bad those damn robots need you to have an insane amount of caps to even get in. Come to think of it, you didn't even know that much about gambling. Just what Walter had told you. That it was an easy way to blow a month's pay in an hour.
>You were sitting at a table sipping a glass of Sunset Sarsaparilla. Some ghoul was putting on a comedy show. He was making some pretty shitty jokes, but it was better than nothing.
>Suddenly, a cloaked figure sits next to you.
>They're wearing a hooded hat with a mask, and a large trenchcoat.
>"Anon. It's me."
>Oh, it was just Maggie. She usually hid her face and body when she was out in public. People often freaked out a bit when they saw how she looked.
>It was easier for everyone if she simply just disguised her appearance.
>"So Anon, you ready to go soon? I got all of our gear loaded with the Caravan. It leaves in a couple hours."
>You tell her that you were just waiting for her to show up.
>"Good, good. We can chat here while we wait for the Caravaners to get ready. Tell me about the new gear you got."
 
>You and Maggie are talking to each other about what new gear you bought when all of a sudden a familiar Anthro Rabbit saunters up to the table you're sitting at.
>She leans on the table, shooting a sly smile at you.
>"Hey there, Anon. You finally come back to visit us~?"
>Shit. It was one of the whores who worked here.
>You've used her "services" in the past, but not lately. Looks like she remembers you, though.
>Maggie lets out a low growl and stands up out of her chair  as the woman stares at you.
>"Who the fuck are you, bitch? Leave me and my friend ALONE."
>Dammit, Maggie.
>The woman waves her hand dismissively at Maggie.
>"Relax, sug. I'm working."
>Maggie growls, and tells her to go fuck herself.
>The Rabbit woman just smiles.
>"Don't worry, Hon. I'll be with you in a moment."
>When the Rabbit woman puts her arm around you and tries to take you away from the table, Maggie grabs you, wrenching you out of the woman's grasp.
>"Come on, Anon. Let's get the fuck out of this shithole."
>You wordlessly nod, allowing Maggie to lead you out by the hand. Better to not disagree with her wheb she's this mad.

>As you walk down the darkened streets of Freeside, Maggie is huffing angrily.
>Even though you can't see her face through her mask, you've known her long enough to know when she was fuming.
>Before you can break the silence, she does it for you, her clawed hand digging into your arm.
>"Who the FUCK was that... That HUSSY, Anon!?"
>You tell her she was just a girl you used to know.
>"A girl from the damn whorehouse? You're better than that, Anon! You deserve more!"
>You ask her what the big deal is. It wasn't like the two of you were together or anything... So what if you wanted to feel loved once and awhile? Even if it was only for a few hours...
>The second those words leave your mouth, Maggie stops dead in her tracks.
>She turns around to stare at you for a moment, her expression hidden by her mask.
>Without a word, she practically drags you into an empty alley, her movements shaky and uneven.
>She thrusts you against the wall, her face only inches from your own.
>Oh shit. She's going to fucking kill you.
>When she tears off her mask, you're surprised to see that her eyes aren't filled with anger.
>Instead, they're filled with heavy tears.
>She lets out a small cry as she collapses against you, her arms wrapping around you to keep you close.
>Her muzzle presses into your shoulder, her tears rolling down your chest.
>She starts whining, her hands shaking as she holds you.
>You're taken off guard, and all you can do is stammer out a question, asking her what was wrong.
>Maggie mumbles something into your shoulder, but it's too muffled to understand.
>You put your hand on her shoulders.
>When you gently try to peel her off of you, she cries out and grips you tighter.
>Her face leaves your shoulder, tears welling in her eyes 
>"Anon, I... I..."
>She whines uneasily, her scaled tail loosely curling around your ankle.
>She practically shouts into your face, speaking quickly.
>"I like you!"
>She presses against you once more, her tears wetting your neck.
>"W-Why did you never make a move towards me? I thought you liked me too... I even slept next to you!"
>"Even when you caught me when I was knuckle deep inside of myself! I... I was thinking about YOU the WHOLE time!"
>"I wanted you so bad, Anon..."
>She looks at you in the eyes, an expression of terror on her face as she asks you:
>"D-Do you think I'm ugly? I am, aren't I!?"
>"I was so STUPID to think you could ever love someone like... Like me... A freak! An abomination!"
>Tears are running freely down her face at this point. 
>She pulls away from you, and turns away from you.
>Before she can get too far though, you grab her by the wrist, making her yip in surprise.
>As she turns back to face you, you pull her into a tight hug.
>You tell her that of course you liked her. In the short time that you've known her, she's been nothing but caring and accommodating towards you.

>Maggie looks at you with wide eyes, before burying her muzzled face in your chest with a sigh.
>You can hear her sniffing you gently, and her tail softly rattling as it wags back and forth.
>Not sure what to do, you decide to gently scratch at her head where the scales met her fur.
>It has an almost immediate effect, and she relaxes in your embrace, a hissing sigh escaping her muzzle.
>"Th-thank you, Anon... I was so afraid that you didn't like me..."
>"You're the only person to ever be this nice to me... That didn't treat me like garbage for looking like this..."
>You stop her, booping her on the nose with your finger.
>You tell her that it didn't matter what other people thought about her. You thought she was perfect, and that's all that matters.
>She sniffles a bit, before standing up straight once more. She has a teary-eyed grin, looking at you lovingly.
>Before you can say anything else, she darts forward, pressing her lips against yours.
>Her long, forked tongue shoots into your mouth, wrapping around your own tongue.
>You can feel her fangs pressing against your lips.
>Her arms wrap around you, one holding your head in place, the other one pressing into the small of your back.
>Her tail coils around its usual spot above your ankle, rattling as it moves.
>You kiss her back, and she moans into your mouth, pressing you against the dusty brick wall.
>She pulls back, gazing at you dreamily.
>"I'm... I'm gonna make you MINE, Anon..."
>You ask her what she means, and she gives you an apologetic smile.
>"Just... Forgive me for this, ok?"
>What is she talking about?
>You're about to ask her what she's going to do, but you're quickly silenced as she suddenly chomps down onto your shoulder, her hollow fangs digging deep into your flesh.
>You yell out in pain, but you can't get her off of you. She has you firmly pinned against the wall, her arms wrapped around you so that you can't bring up your hands.
>She mumbles something as she presses her teeth into your shoulder, but you're too busy freaking out to make out what she's saying.
>After 15 torturous seconds, she releases you, blood dripping from your shoulder. And Maggie's teeth.
>You angrily yell at her as you clutch your shoulder, asking what the fuck that was for.
>She holds up her hands defensively, a sympathetic look on her face.
>"I'm sorry Anon, but I had to! That's how Night-Stalkers mark their mates..."
>"We don't use rings like some of the more traditional wastelanders do. You can lose a ring, but a scar is permanent, just like my love for you..."
>"I'm really sorry I had to hurt you, but that's just how it had to be. Please forgive me!"
>Her pleading tone of voice and expression stops your anger in its tracks.
>You sigh as you hold your shoulder, telling her she should have told you what she was doing.
>Maggie just shrugs as she hands you some bandages from her pack.
>"If I had told you, you wouldn't have let me do it."
>"Look on the bright side. Now we're together!"
>"Come on. Let's walk to where the caravan is. We can wait with them."
>She puts her mask and hood back on as you two leave the alley, walking towards the edge of Freeside.
>As you walk, you ask her how long she's liked you.
>"Well... Um..."
>"You know, when I first saw you, when you were sleeping on the cliffs, I managed to track you because I really liked your scent."
>"That's why I took your jacket. I -may- have slept in it when I got back to my cave that night."
>You laugh a bit, asking her if she really thought you smelled that good.
>You didn't get the chance to shower too much, what with living in a cave and all.
>"Well shit, Anon! You make it sound like I'm weird or something."
>You take her hand, your fingers interlocking with hers, earning a small gasp from Maggie.
>You tell her she WAS weird, but that was kind of why you liked her.
>She was unique. Unlike any other Anthro you had ever known, but it a good way.
>Maggie squeezes your hand, smiling.
>"Keep saying things like that, and I'm going to have to do more than just give you a kiss."
>Hand in hand, the two of you walk through the darkened streets of Freeside over to where the caravan is waiting.
 
>The caravan was waiting just outside of the East Gate.
>When you get there, Maggie takes off her mask.
>She had worked with these merchants before, and they knew how she really looked. They may not like it too much, but they trusted her.
>You look around at all the men in the caravan. There had to be atleast a dozen merchants with their pack Brahmin here, along with several mercenaries.
>The thing that surprises you the most is a familiar looking Anthro Calico Cat standing with his back to you.
>Walter?
>You tap the man on the ahoulder, and he turns around. Yeah, that's Walter alright.
>"Anon? Jeeesus, boy! Ah thought you was dead!"
>He violently shakes your hand as Maggie watches on in confusion.
>"When you left, nobody knew where you went. I woulda thought that you'd've went back to Freeside, but I couldn't find you."
>You ask him what he's doing here, and he answers with a smile.
>"Well, after Bill fired you, I left the ranch too. It's not like there was any point sticking around, what with the Brahmin being gone and all."
>"I still had plenty ah' contacts in the caravan business leftover from my water merchant days. I told one of my buddies I needed work, and here I am."
>Before you can ask him any more questions, he stops you.
>"So, Anon! How have you been since I last saw you? Feels like it's been forever! You still got my knife?"
>You pat the brown leather sheath on your belt, telling him you kept it sharp for him.
>"Nah, you can keep it. Just makin' sure you still had it."
>Maggie interrupts, holding onto your arm.
>"Anon, who's... This?"
>You take the chance to introduce the two.
>You tell Maggie that Walter was the person who had initially helped you get used to the Mojave. He had even hooked you up with your first job guarding a water caravan with him.
>"Huh, so you two are buddies?"
>Walter nods.
>"Yes'm. Anon here is about the only friend I got who hasn't tried to cheat or beat me at some point."
>You respond, telling him you had some times where you got pretty damn close to beating him.
>Walter just laughs, waving his hand at you.
>"So, eh, Anon... Maggie is your... What, companion?"
>You're about to tell him that you two were together, but Maggie answers first.
>"Y-Yes! Just, um, companions. Well, more like business partners- I... Um... Yeah. Just Companions."
>Her large ears fold back against her head, and she turns away from Walter.
>"Well, I'm glad you'll be travelin' with us, little lady. If'n you need me, I'll be sitting just over here."
>Maggie grips your arm, pulling you away from Walter as you say goodbye.
>She sits you down on a bench around 30 feet away from the other caravaners and mercenaries, far away enough for them to not pay attention to you.
 
 
>You rub your shoulder. It wasn't bleeding anymore, but DAMN had it hurt!
>You had to forgive Maggie though. You couldn't stay mad at her.
>Speaking of Maggie, you had some questions for her.
>You bump Maggie in the arm, and she turns to look at you, an attentive look on her muzzle.
>"Yeah? What?"
>You ask her why she had told Walter that the two of you were just friends.
>"Oh... Well... Um..."
>She lets out a whine, seemingly unsure of what to say.
>"Look, Anon. I... Really like you. No doubts about that."
>"But. Keep in mind that nobody else besides YOU knows that. For now, I'd like to keep it that way, alright?"
>"Sorry if that came out the wrong way, but that's the best way I can describe it. I just... I don't know how the others would react to me being with you."
>She lightly presses against you, her tongue flicking out of her mouth to taste your scent.
>"Don't worry, Anon. I promise you that we'll be together. Just... Not right now. You can wait, right?"
>Running a hand down your face, you sigh.
>You suppose you could wait. It was for Maggie after all, and you didn't want to disappoint her.
>Maggie pats you on the leg, a small grin on her face.
>"Great. Now let's wait for the caravan to get underway."
>And with that, the two of you settle in for the next couple hours.
 
>The caravan manages to make it out of the Mojave without a hitch.
>Walter had alerted you right before the caravan left so that you wouldn't be left behind, and you three all walked alongside each other near the middle of the group of traders.
>You and the others had spent the whole night walking through the barren desert along an old crumbling highway. The only landmarks in sight were rusted cars and the occasional gas station, all picked clean after over 200 years of abandonment.
>It was strange. You had once walked this path alone to get into the Mojave, and it was eerie seeing the abandoned highway again after 10 years.
>When the sun had begun to start peeking over the horizon, you all stopped briefly to have a small breakfast.
>After 20 minutes, you were all back on the road. The traders were going at a quick pace, probably eager to distance themselves from the Mojave. You were told that not much happened outside of the major settled areas. Much of the southwest was just sand dunes and skeletons.
>You had heard that entire towns had been swallowed back up by the desert with nobody to tend to them.
>At noon, the caravan made camp near an old Poseidon Gas Station.
>The plan for the trip was to travel at night to avoid the wrath of the sun.
>Not that you were complaining. You had always preferred the cold over being too hot.
>Maggie didn't seem to share your sentiments, saying that the cold really bothered the more reptilian parts of her body.
>Currently, you and Maggie were sitting under a small roof hanging over the gas pumps.
>You had both set up your sleeping bags here in the shade.
>Walter, to Maggie's disdain, had set up his bedroll right between the two of you.
>He was snoring away, oblivious to the two of you as he slumbered.
>Maggie frowns, staring at him.
>"Anon, when we get to Idaho, we're going to spend all of the first day there sitting in a hotel room getting wasted. Okay? Just YOU and ME."
>You smile, nodding.
>Sounded like a good plan to you.
>"Well... I guess we should try and get some sleep. Gotta have energy for tomorrow, you know?"
>Her eyes dart around, making sure nobody is watching.
>Lucky for her, most of the men on the caravan had chosen to sleep inside of the gas station. And the few who were outside weren't paying attention to you two.
>Seizing the opportunity, her head mashes against yours, her forked tongue plunging into your mouth for a kiss.
>It lasts justs seconds, but it's enough to leave you dazed.
>"I'll wake you up when it's time to leave, Anon. Until then, try to get some rest~."
>With a dumb grin on your face, you nod.
>She smiles back at you, before turning to lay down.
>Following her example, you lay your head back down onto your dusty bedroll.
>You close your eyes, and rest your arm across your eyes in an attempt to block out the light.
>Right before you fall asleep, you can hear Maggie grumbling about Walter's snoring.
>You smile as you feel yourself drift off.
 
>You're rudely awakened by a sharp finger poking at your ribs.
>Not bothering to open your eyes, you swat at the hand.
>Your hand is caught before it makes contact with anything, immobilized in a strong, scaled grip.
>You move your arm off of your face, and in the low light you can see the smiling face of Maggie.
>She's squatting over you, looking at your wrist.
>"Good morning, Anon."
>You look around at the darkened landscape, and mention the obvious.
>"Yeah, I know it's the middle of the night. You know what I mean, Anon."
>She's still holding your wrist, and you can see her make a quizzical look at it.
>"Anon, where's your Pip-Boy?"
>You gulp.
>You tell her that you of course still had it, you had just stashed it in your pack for the night.
>It was the truth, but you didn't have the nerve to tell her that you were kind of afraid of it.
>I mean, a weird box that somehow knows what you're carrying and knows the current status of your body? Shit had to be black magic or something. Knowing your luck, it was probably going to give you cancer or some other crippling disease. And how dare it say that you had low intelligence!
>She raises an eyebrow at you, and reaches over to your pack.
>She pulls it out and slaps it back on your wrist, clipping it in place.
>"Keep it on, alright? It could come in handy. Trust me."
>You have your doubts, but you promise her that you'll wear it. You might as well.
>She pats you on the head, before pulling you to your feet.
>"Come on, Anon. We're all going to have a quick meal, then head out."
>Looking down, you could see Walter must have already woken up, leaving only some loose hairs and his hat.
>Maggie gently squeezes your wrist, leading you over to a small campfire that a few guys are gathered around.
>They greet you as you find a spot to sit down.
>You're handed a stick with a small lizard stuck on it, half-cooked already.
>One of the men speaks up.
>"Yeh, we found a whole damn nest of the little fuckers in the car garage. Eat up while you can, boy. I don't think we're going tuh' be finding any fresh meat for a long while."
>Maggie looks disdainfully at the lizard impaled on the stick, and sighs as she scratches at her scales.
>"Just don't tell me how it tastes."
>You're not sure if she's joking or not, but it certainly makes the other men laugh.
 
>After the group finishes eating, you all resume your trek through the desert.
>Other than the odd Giant Ant or Rad-Scorpion, you don't really have much to worry about this far into the desert.
>Nobody is either smart or dumb enough to try and live out here, and it really shows why people call it the "wasteland". All you can see is sand, rocks, and ruins in each direction.
>The only problem you face is sections of the highway that have been overtaken by sand.
>Sometimes it's difficult to see where the road starts up again. Getting lost out here would be a death sentence.
>Some people think that you can survive off of cactus water. Those people have never drunken cactus water. Those people usually die after trying to drink said cactus water.
>There's really nothing better than having both diarrhea and paralysis at the same time.
>Currently, it was close to daybreak. The men who've made this trek before claim that it holds shade, and so the group's decided that everyone'll make camp there.
>Maggie was walking closely next to you, almost pressing herself against you. She said it was to keep herself warm while she walked through the chilly desert air.
>She had explained to you that even though her Coyote side made her more active at night, her Rattlesnake DNA made her absolutely hate the cold.
>Just another downside of being a genetic abomination.
>You pat her on the head, drawing out a content hiss.
>You assure her that she'll be able to rest and warm up soon.
>She puts an arm over your shoulder, and the tip of her tail loosely wraps around your thigh as you walk.
>"You have to keep me warm, okay Anon?"
>"You have no clue how hard it is being cold-blooded. It fucking SUCKS."
>In response, you just scritch one of her ears, causing it to flick at you.
 
>The group keeps on walking until you reach the rocks.
>True to their word, the more veteran merchants direct you to a small outcropping, the inside of which has some scattered trash leftover from various other journeys people have made.
>While it's by no means perfect, it looks like it should provide a decent amount of shade.
>Just in time too, as the sun is just beginning to peak over the horizon.
>The Brahmin are all linked together by rope, and hitched around a boulder.
>Everyone picks out a spot to sleep, the areas deepest in the shade being quickly claimed.
>Walter is lucky, and manages to get almost the best spot.
>You and Maggie however, end up having to rough it right on the border of where the sunshine meets the shadow.
>Maggie just shrugs, telling you to just put your jacket over your face to block the light.
>You groan, and lay down as the sun begins to peak over the horizon.
>You stare up at the sky, watching the sun rise.
>Maggie pats you on the shoulder, leaning in next to you.
>"Just you wait until we get to Idaho, Anon. I'm gonna make sure to show you one hell of a time."
>Her head turns around, her ears swiveling.
>When she's certain that nobody's looking, she leans down and gives you a quick peck on the forehead.
>"I'll wake you up when it's time to leave, Anon~."
>You smile, and pat her on the leg.
>"Now get some shuteye before it gets too bright out to fall asleep."
>You comply, shutting your eyes.
>Eventually, you manage to fall asleep.
 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 
>It's been a month since you and Maggie left the Mojave.
>Since then, you managed to traverse the Wasteland to the North, arriving in Idaho.
>You had stuck to the Eastern part of the state, and made it to the caravan's destination. The ruined city of Pocatello.
>It was little more than blown up ruins.
>The only landmark that stood out was the remains of Idaho State University, with a large settlement sitting in the remains of Holt Stadium.
>The rest of the city was either whacked-out junkies, or murderous junkies. If it weren't for the cooler climate, you would have thought you were still in Freeside.
>And holy SHIT was the weather nicer around here.
>Unlike the dusty badlands of the Mojave, around here, living vegetation was still plentiful. The mountains and valleys surrounding the city were green, and not from radiation. Through a pair of binoculars, you could even see scattered patches of wildflowers.
>You had to stop Maggie from panicking when it started to rain.
>She swore to you that she had thought rain was only an urban legend. You didn't blame her. In the decade you had spent in the Mojave, you can't remember one instance of it raining.
>Currently, you were sitting in a makeshift bar near the entrance of "New Pocatello", the settlement contained inside the crumbling walls of Holt Stadium. The air smelled like cigarettes and dry rot.
>It was raining again, and Maggie was outside playing in a puddle somewhere. She was still freaking out about what she called "This weird-ass sky water".
>You and Walter were sitting at the bar, passing a bottle of homemade Vodka back and forth.
>It tasted like shit, and went down as smoothly as sandpaper.
>Still though, it got the job done. You had a nice buzz going, and it was nice to relax after the long trip. You had already been in "town" for a day, and the beds here were a damn sight better than a bedroll out in the middle of the desert.
>Walter tips the bottle against his lips, taking a short draw of the burning liquid.
>He puts the bottle back on the bartop, coughing and sputtering.
>"Aghhh. So, Anon. This is Idaho."
>"I've gotta admit. It's nicer than I thought it would be. Boy, let me tell you, it has been a long damn time since I've seen any rain."
>"In fact, I think it might be a good place to settle down for awhile. It certainly makes my old home look like a shithole."
>You raise an eyebrow at him, asking him if he planned on heading back to the Mojave with you guys.
>Walter looks at you, the smile on his face disappearing into a more neutral expression.
>"I'm old, Anon. I've gotta stop at some point. No way am I making that hellish journey across the desert again. One time is enough for these old bones."
>He pulls a crumpled cigarette pack out of his pocket, putting a rolled cigarette into his mouth and lighting it.
>He takes a single puff, then blows out the smoke with a heavy sigh.
>"Anyways, let's not talk about that. So, what are -your- plans, Anon? Gonna stay awhile, or is it straight back to the Mojave for you?"
>You shrug, telling him that you were really just going along with whatever Maggie chose. It seemed like she was more experienced in these matters than you.
>Walter smiles, tapping the end of his cigarette.
>"Yeah? Well, take my advice. You hold onto her. One of my biggest regrets was never settling down with a pretty lady."
>He jabs a thumb against his shirt.
>"But hey! How could I have' settled down if no woman could never handle me?"
>He lets out a raspy laugh, before throwing back another swig of the shitty, burning vodka.
>He waves a hand at you, before turning back to face the bar.
>"Alright... You should go check on Maggie now. She's probably missing you."
>"As for me? I'm gonna' just sit here and drink until I forget my name."
>You give a pat on the back, telling him to take care. You would catch up with him before you left.
>He gives you a nod and a grunt, which is the only response you really need.
>You hop off of the torn-up barstool and walk out of the shanty bar, stepping into the light drizzle of rain.
 
>You find Maggie a block away, jumping in puddles like some sort of child.
>She's certainly getting her money's worth out of this rain.
>She isn't wearing her mask. There's not really a point since the streets are empty. Maggie may enjoy the rain, but the locals sure don't.
>Her ears flick when they catch the noise of your footsteps. When she sees that it's you, she smiles, waving you over.
>"Anon! Come here! I got some stuff I need to ask you."
>You nod, stepping over to her.
>"Anon, let me tell you. I -really- love this rain. It's kinda' like one of those "shower" things that you see in wrecked houses sometimes. Except you can actually get covered in this stuff without going sterile or growing a third arm!"
>”Anyways, I have a… Um… A proposition for you.”
>”So… You know how the plan was for us to just immediately head back to the Mojave?”
>”Well… What would you say if I asked you if we could stay here for awhile?”
>She quickly holds up her hands in a defensive gesture.
>”Not forever, but just for… I don’t know. A month or two? I really like it here, and I don’t want to leave so soon.”
>You give her a smile, and it’s the only answer she needs.
>With a rattling wag of her tail, she wraps her arms around you, pulling you into a tight hug.
>She may have just soaked your jacket, but whatever. It would dry.
>For now, you just return the hug.
>She rubs her head against your face and neck, a closed-eye smile on her face.
>”Thanks, Anon…”
>You give her a quick pat on the head, making sure to give her a little scritch where her scales met her furry ears.
>She lets out a loud and satisfied huff, almost melting into your arms before quickly regaining her composure.
>Her arms fall back to her sides and she pulls away from you with a smile.
>”Come on. Let’s get back to the stadium. Or the city. Or whatever it is.”
>”I’m tired, and all this… Rain… Has got me feeling a bit cold.”
>She gives you a salacious grin, her eyes narrowing.
>”Care to help warm me up, Anon?”
>You give her a smile, telling her that it sounded like a fine idea.
>You were looking forward to finally being able to share a bed with her in private.
>You had shared a bed the previous night when you had first got to Pocatello, but you had both been too tired to anything other than just sleep. You didn’t even cuddle.
>Before you can respond, she grabs ahold of your sleeve, guiding you back towards the stadium where they had a small “hotel” of sorts set up for caravaneers.
>The rooms may be small, but the walls were sturdy and gave you some privacy.
>And you were pretty certain that you were gonna need some privacy.

>After a short walk, you and Maggie make it back to the stadium.
>It was about time, too. It was starting to get a bit dark out, and you had been warned that like most places in the wasteland, the streets could be a bit dangerous at night.
>Along the way, Maggie had put her mask back on.
>Better to play things safe, especially when you were in an unfamiliar location.
>At least that’s what Maggie had told you.
>You really just went along with whatever she said. She seemed to know more about these kinds of the things than you did.
>The two of you head to the entrance of the crumbling stadium, and into a concrete room near the base of the stands that served as a hotel.
>It smelled kind of musty in here, but at least it was dry.
>Maggie pulls you into the nearest unoccupied room, her grip on your wrist almost strong enough to bruise.
>She certainly seemed… Excited.
>Maggie locks the door behind you, before letting out a sigh.
>She flicks on the light, bathing the room in a dim light.
>The room appears to have been originally been part of a storage area, but someone had been able to cram a small -but decent- bed into here.
>”Anon, I’m all soaked. Help me get these clothes off?”
>Looking at the glint in her eye, you can’t help but wonder if she has any ulterior motives.
>After seeing her forked tongue run over her lips, you’re pretty sure the answer to that question is “Yes.”
>Nevertheless, you move to assist her in taking her wet clothes off.
>She starts with her mask, dropping it to the floor.
>With your help, she shucks off her jacket, hanging it on a hook next to the door.
>”Hm… Actually, you know what Anon?”
>”I think i’m fine in getting these clothes off by myself… What do you say to just getting in bed and getting it warm for me?”
>”Don’t worry, I won’t take long…”
>You’re a bit confused, but you nod, heading over to the bed, taking off your own wet clothing.
>You take care with setting your pip-boy onto the floor gently.
>It had survived the last couple hundred years without any major damage, so it would be a pity to destroy it by being careless now.
>You climb into the bed, wearing only your underwear and a moth-chewed undershirt.
>You can’t help but stare at Maggie as she strips off most of her clothing.
>She takes notice of you with a shit-eating grin.
>”Anon! Peeking on a lady while she undresses? Shame on you…”
>She flicks off the light, 
>She walks over to her side of the bed, wearing a plain pair of boxers (she claimed they were more comfortable than panties) and a small bra.
>Maggie had a pretty small chest, but there was no way you were ever going to point that out to her.
>You didn’t want to end up with a bloodstream full of venom.
>Besides, you thought it was cute. It’s just like Walter had always told you: Large tits could fill your hands, but small tits could fill your heart.
>She slides into bed with you, pulling you into her arms.
>She essentially spoons you, her warm and fuzzy body pressing up against your back.
>Her scaled tail wraps around your ankle, the nubby scales rubbing against your skin.
>She wiggles happily, gripping you tightly as she presses her muzzle against the side of your neck.
>”I love you, Anon…”
>Her forked tongue darts out of her mouth to quickly lick at your cheek.
>She runs her clawed hands along your chest, before letting out a frustrated huff.
>”Why are you wearing this still?”
>She tugs at your undershirt, pulling it off and throwing it out of the bed.
>Being able to touch your bare skin more easily, her tail gives you a few satisfied wags, the rattle slapping against your foot.
>”That’s better…”
>You ease one of your arms out of her grasp, and reach behind you, gently scratching her back.
>You can feel her tense up in reaction to your touch, and she lets out a small gasp.
>”Yeah… That’s… That’s nice… Keep doing that…”
>She pulls her legs up behind yours, ensuring that every inch of your back is in contact with her.
>Her muzzle gently rubs against your neck, and to your surprise, you can feel the moisture of a tear or two hit your skin.
>”Thank you, Anon…  Thank you for everything… I never want to be by myself ever again…”
>”Promise you’ll never leave me?”
>You pause your scritches to give her a gentle pat on the back.
>You assure her that you’ll be with her until you draw your final breath.
>She lets out a satisfied huff, blowing hot air onto the side of your face.
>”Well… Let’s hope that isn’t anytime soon… Because I would -really- miss moments like this...”
>She rubs her body against you once more, rubbing her scent deep into your skin.
>Eventually, her movements begin to slow, and her grip on you loosens.
>She begins to quietly snooze, blowing warm air across your neck with every breath.
>It isn’t long before you follow her to sleep, held securely in her protective arms.

>You wake up to the sound of loud booms and crashes, along with the unmistakable crackling noise of laser weaponry.
>What the hell? What's going on?!
>You feel Maggie begin to stir as well, letting out a whine and covering her ears.
>"Mmph... Anon, what's that noise?..."
>The two of you hear a particularly loud crash outside, followed by an explosion that manages to shake the room.
>Maggie immediately tenses up, her claws digging into your skin.
>"Wh-What the fuck?"
>You hear shouting and running outside, and the shouts of people yelling "Fire!".
>Your eyes go wide, and the two of you scramble out of bed, pulling on your still-damp clothing.
>"Anon, get your gun ready! I don't know what the hell is happening, but it doesn't sound good!"
>You grab your .308 NCR Battle Rifle, quickly loading it.
>Maggie readies her 10mm sub-machine gun, before looking at you to make sure you're ready.
>"Let's go see who had the 'stones to go and interrupt our cuddling session."
>She unlocks the door, and the two of you, guns at the ready, rush out of the makeshift hotel and onto the main floor of the arena.
 
>The whole field is one huge mess.
>There's laser burns everywhere, with several bloodied corpses lying on the artificial grass floor.
>The market in the middle of the open-air stadium is caught in a raging fire, the wreck of a vertibird sitting right smack dab in the middle of the flames.
>Well, now you know what made that huge crashing noise.
>Some people are running around in an attempt to treat the wounded, and others are carrying buckets to try and put out the fire. Too bad it isn't still raining.
>A man wearing the uniform of the local militia notices the two of you standing there together, and he quickly rushes over to you.
>"Hey! Outsiders! Give us a hand here! We can't have this fire spreading to the rest of the structures, or else the whole of the arena is gonna' be fucked!"
>You quickly sling your rifle, and ask what happened.
>The Militia member responds with a sour expression.
>"The fuckin' Brotherhood is what happened! Stupid motherfuckers are always stirring up shit. But THIS is taking it a hair too far!
>You try to get more information, but the Man just shakes his head at you.
>"No time to chat right now, man. We gotta take care of this right now. Go grab a bucket, and start helping. Please."
>You nod at the man, and then turn to Maggie.
>She shrugs at you, saying:
>"Well? Let's go grab some buckets. We helped haul all of those supplies here. It would be a shame to just let them all burn."
>She leans over to you, and speaks in a more hushed tone.
>"Besides. It couldn't hurt to try and win some points with the locals."
>You quickly agree with her, and then the two of you head over to help put out the fire.
 
>When day finally breaks, all that's left of the market is a smoldering pile of blackened wood.
>The market fire had been too hot to put out, but you had at least managed to contain it before it spread to the rest of the stadium.
>Currently, you were standing back, watching people sift through the ashes for anything that had been left intact.
>It didn’t seem like much had survived the fire. The explosion caused by the crashing vertibird had been hot enough to either incinerate or melt everything caught within it.
>It was a damn shame. You had helped haul supplies across the whole fuckin’ desert, only for it to all be burnt to a crisp the second day you were here.
>At least you had already been paid.
>From what you had heard from various angry citizens, apparently the Brotherhood of Steel had been involved in the attack, with the vertibird serving as ample proof.
>You had asked around a bit, asking why the Brotherhood would attack a civilian settlement.
>Most people were just as confused as you, giving you only shrugs or disgruntled stares.
>You sigh, running your hand over your head and scratching at your scalp.
>Maggie was back in the “hotel” room. She had wanted to get a couple extra hours of sleep.
>Just when you finally find a peaceful place to rest up at for awhile, it gets fucked. 
>As you debate what you should do next, you see a couple men approaching you.
>Uh oh.
>You rest your hand on your waist, next to your holdout pistol. Just in case.
>You recognize one of the men as the Militiaman from last night. The other guy is unfamiliar, a short Anthro mutt wearing a stained suit.
>He speaks to the Militiaman in a hushed tone.
>”This is the man you mentioned?...”
>The Militiaman only nods, before taking a few steps back.
>The Mutt turns to look at you, adjusting his poorly affixed tie.
>”Ahem. As I understand it, you were with the caravan that just came in?”
>You give a slow nod, unsure of his intentions.
>He must notice your confusion, as he tries to give you a reassuring smile.
>It doesn’t help either of you that his nervousness cuts through his expression like a cosmic knife.
>”Ah. Well, anyways, I think I may have a job for you. If, um, you’d accept one.”
>He once more fidgets with his suit, scratching at a bit of soot off of his sleeve.
>”You see, I’m the leader of this little hamlet. The mayor, if you’d prefer the term.”
>”We lost a lot of crucial supplies in the attack… Supplies that we need to survive out here.”
>You agree, nodding.
>Before he can continue though, you ask a question.
>Why did the Brotherhood, out of all the factions out in the wastes, attack New Pocatello?
>He frowns, struggling to maintain eye contact with you.
>”Um, Well… You see… The Brotherhood is at, well… War would be a good term to describe it.”
>You raise an eyebrow at him, asking him how they got on the Brotherhood’s shitlist.
>The Mayor answers quickly, standing up a bit straighter.
>”Ah. Well, it started when the Brotherhood set up shop around here maybe… Eighteen? Nineteen years ago?”
>”Anyways, in return for their “protection” and a promise to keep the roads safe, they enforced a tax of sorts on the surrounding communities, including ours.”
>”We’re to give them one fourth of all crops we produce. And that’s BEFORE we dole it out amongst ourselves. As you can understand, it wasn’t a very… popular idea.”
>You nod, motioning for him to continue.
>”Okay, so, around a year ago, out of the blue, a new faction just popped up right in the middle of the Boise ruins.”
>”They were similar to the Brotherhood in terms of technology, tech that nobody had ever even SEEN before. They forced the gangs out of most of the city, and managed to settle in the worst, most gang-infested part of the city.”
>”Of course, this had one hell of a ripple effect. With all the displaced raiders now pushed out into the countryside, the Brotherhood has to deal with the effects.”
>”While the Brotherhood is trying to kill all of the bandits causing havoc, the new people in the city got busy. They managed to build a wall around their territory, with turrets and guards patrolling them.”
>”Now, I think the Brotherhood was already irritated, but then they did something that put the nail in the coffin for their relations.”
>”The city-folk sent out patrols to the surrounding settlements, handing out supplies and weapons like candy. They said they believed that “Every American citizen should be armed”, and then started talking about something called the Second Amendment. Confusing stuff; I didn't understand a word. But hey. Free guns.”
>”Their only condition for the weapons was that we open up trade with them, and stop dealing with the Brotherhood.”
>’Now that everyone could defend themselves we didn't really need the Brotherhood’s protection anymore. Naturally, this pissed every single person in the Brotherhood off.”
>”In their own words, the Brotherhood “peacefully” approached Boise with a small fleet of vertibirds. When they saw just who was in the city, they immediately opened fire.”
>You cross your arms, asking what the people in the city were called.
>”Well, they call themselves “The Enclave.”
>Hm. The Enclave. It sounded familiar, but you couldn't quite place where you've heard the name before.


>You head back to where Maggie was trying to sleep.
>You open the door, not bothering to knock. Maggie wouldn't care.
>Opening the door, you notice Maggie isn't asleep.
>Instead, she's sitting cross-legged on the bed, burying her muzzle into one of your shirts as she violently sniffs it.
>As she hears the metal door creak open, she lets out a yip and looks up at you.
>”O-oh, Anon!”
>She drops the shirt on the bed, sitting up a bit straighter.
>”Um, I was just… Ah…”
>You give her your best shit-eating grin.
>She lets out an embarrassed sigh, slouching.
>”Yeah, okay, whatever. So what? I like how you smell. Big deal.”
>You walk over to the bed, sitting down next to her.
>Maggie quickly wraps one of her arms around you, pulling you against her side.
>”Ah… You smell nicer than the shirt. Nothing better than your -fresh- scent~.”
>You give her some gentle head scritches, making her forked tongue flop out of her mouth as she quietly pants. 
>You tell her that you just got a job for the two of you.
>She immediately turns to look at you, a surprised look on her face.
>”You did? Just now?”
>Giving her a nod, you give her the details. 
>The Mayor wanted the two of you to head to Boise and inform the Enclave of the attack, and to send some supplies back to replace those destroyed. 
>Maggie tilts her head at you in a classic display of Canine confusion.
>”The Enclave? What?”
>You tell her that you'll explain it on the way.
>”Um, okay Anon. How far away is Boise?”
>The Mayor had marked its location on your Pip-Boy, and it didn't seem too far. Maybe a couple day's walk.
>Giving you one last sniff, Maggie hops off of the bed.
>”Alright. I've had worse jobs. You can tell me more about the details on the way there.”
>The Mayor assured you that you would receive payment when you returned.
>”Let's grab a quick bite to eat, then we can start on our way. Ideally, I would have liked to buy some extra supplies with our pay, but I don't really think that's possible with the Market being a pile of ashes.”

>After a small meal of mirelurk cakes, you and Maggie had set off on the road towards Enclave-occupied Boise.
>You had asked Walter if he wanted to come with you, but he just shook his head and told you that he was done walking for awhile.
>Currently, you were walking along Route 84 with Maggie, heading for Boise.
>You were at a surprisingly good pace. The roads, while a bit more deteriorated, seemed to be a lot safer than those of the Mojave.
>From what you were told as a child, apparently most of Idaho had been a desert with scattered grasslands before The Great War.
>While Idaho hadn’t been directly hit by many nukes, it had still been devastated.
>In the absence of man, much of the state had been overtaken by foliage.
>Where there had once been just been a field of dusty soil with patchy grass, now stood an overgrown mess of tall grasses, along with several trees.
>In some places, you couldn’t even see over the grass.
>Lucky for you (and all the other wastelanders), it seemed like people regularly came and burned the grass away from the sides of the road.
>Sure, there were still a lot of giant moles and ants, but it was a damn sight safer from what you had seen back in the Mojave.
>Everything seemed flat, so there was really no way for people to set up an ambush. Quite unlike the paths through the Mojave, where it seemed like there was a cliff face or mountain every 10 feet.
>It was starting to get dark out, but unlike the Mojave, it didn’t get nearly as cold once the sun set.
>Thank God for clouds.
>In any case though, it still seemed to be getting to Maggie a bit.
>She was frowning, rubbing her arms together.
>Suddenly, she tugs on your sleeve.
>”Anon? Can we stop for the night? It’s cold…”
>How could you resist such a request?
>You nod, telling her that the two of you would stop in the next structure you saw.
>It’s not like you were just going to fall asleep in the middle of the road.
>You may be a Tribal at heart, but dammit, you were civilized!

>You and Maggie keep on walking until you come across the rusting corpse of an old shipping truck.
>Yeah… This should do nicely. Just for the night, at least.
>You cautiously open up the back, the heavy door letting out a loud metallic whine as it opens.
>Inside, there's only a bit of trash and a tattered old mattress. 
>Maggie hisses in delight, climbing up into the small faux room.
>You climb in behind her, making sure that it was safe.
>It seems alright, other than a weird smell in the air.
>You warn her to not sleep on the mattress unless she wants ticks.
>”Yeah, I know. I'm just happy we found somewhere warm and safe to spend the night together.”
>She squats down on the floor, untying her bedroll and spreading it on the ground.
>A chilly wind suddenly picks up outside, cold seeping in through the open truck.
>Maggie quickly rushes over and slams the door shut, bathing the room in darkness. 
>You examine your Pip-Boy, turning up the brightness to serve as a lamp.
>It works surprisingly well, filling the room with a pale amber light.
>Maggie smiles at you, moving over to her bedroll.
>She plops down on it, still staring at you.
>After giving you a coy smile, she speaks up:
>”Hey, Anon… It's still pretty cold in here… You mind sharing a sleeping bag with me? Don't worry, we can both fit.”
>You nod, telling her that of course you would. 
>”Great! Okay, now take your clothes off.”
>What.
>She gives you an innocent smile.
>”Well… Doesn’t heat transfer better if there’s no clothing in the way? I think I heard that one time…”
>”Besides. You won't be able to fit if you're wearing all those layers…”
>You raise an eyebrow at her in an accusatory fashion.
>She only raises her hands defensively.
>”Hey, It’s just for the warmth… Believe me, as fun as it may be, I don’t want our first time together to be in the back of some truck that smells like feet.”
>She makes a show of taking off her clothes, not stopping until she’s only wearing a pair of boxers.
>To your disappointment, she leaves them on, climbing into the bedroll.
>She pats the space next to her with a smile.
>You follow her example, undressing, only leaving your own pair of boxers on.
>She hisses in displeasure at seeing you only half-naked, but you silence her with a quick head-pat.
>You take off your Pip-Boy, setting it beside your shared pillow.
>She opens the flap to the bedroll wider as you slowly slip in next to her.
>As you lay her head down next to her, she gives you a deep smooch, her forked tongue curling up inside one of your cheeks.
>Jesus, that thing was longer than you thought!
>After a couple seconds, she pulls away, her tongue leaving your mouth like a string of melted cheese.
>One of her hands reaches behind you to switch of the Pip-Boy light, then zips up the bedroll behind you.
>Her hand retires on the back of your neck, pressing you closer to her.
>Maggie shuffles around a bit, trying to get comfortable.
>Eventually, she finds an acceptable position.
>Her legs and tail are tangled around your midsection, effectively pinning you inside the bedroll.
>One hand presses your head into the crook of her neck, while the other one lazily hangs over your back.
>She hisses happily into your ear, wiggling her midsection against you.
>”Ahhh… You’re so warm, Anon… I don’t know how I ever managed to sleep without you in my arms…”
>She rubs her cheek against you, the fur tickling your nose.
>”Mmm. Love you, Anon… Night…”
>Held securely in her arms, it isn’t long before you fall asleep.

>You wake up in confusion, yawning.
>Something woke you up, but you aren’t sure what it was.
>Goddammit, it better not be the Faggots of Steel shooting at stuff again!
>You try to shift around, and quickly realize two things:
>One, Maggie is no longer lying next to you.
>Two, you can hear… Voices?
>You lay still for now. If someone else is in here, you don't want to spook them. That's how you end up with a bullet in your chest. 
>It's best to just listen in for now.
>Although… -Maybe- you could try and sneak in a peek...
>Cracking an eye open, you look to your left at what's making the sounds, but you’re only more confused by what you see.
>It’s Maggie, leaning over your Pip-Boy, her coat thrown over the screen to block the light from hitting you.
>From the Orange light shining in her face, you can see her gazing at you with longing eyes, an expression of sadness on her scaled face.
>You can hear a fuzzy voice coming from the 200 year old piece of tech. You had almost forgotten that the thing had a radio.
>”Maggie? Sister? Are you still there?”
>What the hell? Isn’t that the other Night-Stalker you had met before you left the Mojave?
>Damn, what was her name? Ashley? Annie? You couldn't remember...
>Maggie leans in close to the Pip-Boy, her eyes moving back to the Pip-Boy screen.
>”Yeah, I'm still here Amber. Just seeing if Anon was still asleep.”
>That’s it! Amber was her name!
>”Why? Did he move?”
>Maggie yawns, her tongue flicking out at the air.
>”Um, yeah. He just moved his neck a bit, but he does that sometimes. Don't worry, he's a pretty heavy sleeper.”
>”Anyways, can we get back to talking? I wanna hear some more about this Big Empty place or whatever it's called.”
>You can hear a huff over the Pip-Boy radio.
>”Sister, it's called Big M.T. or Big Mountain. Whichever you prefer.”
>Maggie tilts her head a bit. 
>”I thought you said it was in a crater, not in a mountain…”
>There's a short pause before Amber's voice crackles over the radio.
>”What? Oh. The way I understand it, it USED to be a mountain, it got blown up a bit. Don't ask me how.”
>Maggie looks puzzled as Amber continues to speak.
>”Anyways sister, let's get back on track.”
>”So, I've told you that your Mother was from Big M.T.”
>”Well, your Mother atleast. From the records I’ve seen, it appears she was… Um… Artificially… Inseminated. I think that’s how you pronounce it.”
>Maggie asks Amber what that means.
>”Uh, I think it means that you have a Mom for sure, but no Dad? I don’t know. The Think Tank didn’t explain it too well. They just got really flustered for some reason when I asked.”
>Maggies ears droop and she frowns.
>”Damn! I always wanted to meet my Dad…”
>Amber tries to reassure her, letting out a quiet hiss.
>”On the bright side, you at least have a Mother. She escaped Big M.T. when you were still just an egg. Now, they have no clue where she went, but she’s probably still alive. Probably.”
>Maggie frowns.
>”Amber, can we talk about something else? I don’t really want to discuss my Mom right now…”
>Amber responds in a sympathetic tone.
>”Of course, sister. I didn’t mean to upset you. What do you want to talk about now?”
>You can see Maggie fidget uncomfortably.
>”Well… I’m pretty sure that I’m due for an egg very soon…”
>Fucking what?
>”Hmm… What do you plan on doing with it, sister? You should give it to your mate.”
>Maggie puts a clawed hand on her abdominals, tapping it gently.
>She lets out a small whine, and glances over at you.
>”I don’t know… I’ve just been tossing them out for awhile. I can’t really eat them with Anon around… What if he asks where I got it from? If I say that I made them he’ll think I’m weird…”
>What the fuck? Do Anthro Night-Stalkers lay eggs?
>You've heard that feral Night-Stalkers lay eggs, but you've never seen it for yourself.
>Goddamn, this was weird…
>Were you dreaming? Nah, probably not… This seemed to detailed to be a dream.
>Maybe you should just try and go back to sleep… This seemed kinda private.
>Besides, you wanted to be wide awake when you got to Boise.
>Then again… She DID wake you up… Why not see what she’s up to?
>Well… If Maggie was in this situation, what would she do?
>To be honest, she would probably stay up and listen.
>You on the other hand, wanted to be nice.
>If she wanted this to be private, then let it be private.
>Yeah. You’ll go back to sleep and maybe mention this in the morning.

>Just as you’re about to try and fall back asleep, you feel a tickle in your nose.
>Oh. Oh no.
>It’s no use trying to hold it in.
>Your head jerks up as you let out a sneeze.
>In the small metal container, it sounds almost as loud as a gunshot.
>Your eyes blink open, and you can see Maggie staring at you in horror.
>”A-Anon! You’re awake!?”
>You try to act natural, saying that you had been woken up by the sneeze.
>She grabs her scaled tail, squeezing it tight in her clawed hands.
>You ask her what she was doing up.
>”Uhh- Nothing, Anon! Go back to bed! I just had to… Um… Pee?”
>You hear muffled noises coming from under her coat. She must have thrown it fully over the Pip-Boy when you woke up.
>You just shrug at her, laying back down.
>You can hear her whisper to the jacket:
>”I’ll talk to you later…”
>Afterwards, she shuffles over to the bedroll and slides back in next to you.
>The last thing you hear is Maggie’s stomach grumble a bit.
>”J-just a bit hungry, Anon. Don’t worry…”
>She kisses the back of your neck before resting her muzzle on your shoulder.
>It isn’t long before the two of you fall asleep.

>When you wake up the next morning, you quickly realize that Maggie is, again, not in bed with you.
>God damn it.
>You sit up, wiping the crust from your eyes.
>Looking to your left, you can see that Maggie put your Pip-Boy back in the same location that it was in last night.
>You pick it up, looking it over.
>Hmm…
>You decide to set it down for now. You would fiddle with it later after you found where Maggie went.
>Reaching down to where you set your clothes, you get yourself dressed.
>Just as you finish zipping up your jacket, the truck door opens, Maggie’s scaled face peering in at you.
>”Oh! You’re awake. Good…”
>She looks nervous…
>”Uh, I got a fire going outside for us. To make breakfast.”
>You nod, telling her you would be right out. You just have to collect your belongings.
>”Okay, Anon. I have breakfast cooking, so don’t take too long or I might just eat it all.”
>Well, that’s a nice surprise to wake up to.
>You give Maggie a quick headscritch, making her happily sigh.
>”Don’t keep me waiting out here~.”

>After a couple minutes of packing the bedroll up, you put your Pip-Boy back on. You don’t think Maggie would forgive you if you lost it.
>Especially if she’s using it to make calls to Amber.
>You’re met with a surprise when you see the fire.
>Cooking over it, in a small pan, is some eggs.
>Eggs? You didn't bring any eggs with you from New Pocatello.
>You ask Maggie where you got them from, and she just shrugs.
>”I… Found them.”
>Well… You trusted Maggie wouldn’t poison you, so you take a plateful.
>Maggie eyes you silently as you examine the eggs. Her tail wags slowly behind her, the rattle breaking the silence between the two of you.
>In any case, they certainly smell good!
>While you wait for them to cool off enough to eat, something catches your eye.
>Next to the fire sits a large eggshell about the size of Maggie’s boot.
>It’s a tan color, mottled with dark specks.
>It certainly doesn’t look like an egg belonging to any species you’ve ever seen before…
>Maggie must notice you eyeing it, and her tail stops wagging.
>”Trust me Anon, It’s good. I’ve had some before.”
>She looks at you with an almost pleading expression.
>”Please? Just try them. I promise you’ll like it.”
>Well… You might as well.
>You scoop up a small chunk of the steaming eggs, and put it in your mouth.
>You chew it as you mull over the taste.
>Yep. Those are eggs alright.
>It doesn’t really taste different from any eggs you’ve had in the past. 
>If you had a bit of salt or some Cram, this would be a pretty decent breakfast.
>You let Maggie know that It’s pretty good, and she immediatly perks up.
>”I’m glad you like it!”
>She smiles widely, her tail wagging quickly.
>With a smug look, she continues:
>”I, uh, didn’t actually find that egg…”
>Oh?
>You ask her where she got it from.
>She smiles.
>”I laid it this morning!”
>...
>You gotta admit. That was not what you expected.
>As you scream internally, your face expressionless, Maggie starts to talk again.
>”I’m so happy you liked it! I usually just toss them away or eat them myself… I felt so guilty for never sharing with you!”
>She fills a plate with the remainder of the eggs, and begins to eat.
>Man, this is fucking weird…
>Is this equivalent to her eating her period?
>Well… It’s not that bad, you suppose.
>It at the very least tasted good.
>You’ve had worse meals.
>You choose not to make a big deal out of it. It was nice to see Maggie so happy and you didn’t want to upset her.
>Soon enough, you eat all of the eggs on your plate.
>”Next time I lay one, you have to eat ALL of the eggs! You gotta have some more protein in your diet.”

>Soon enough, the breakfast is finished, and you moved on down the Highway.
>Throughout the  day, You and Maggie made good time making your way to Boise.
>The roads were mostly clear, and the weather was decent, if a bit damp.
>As you move down the road, you can see more and more battered, rusting cars.
>You must be getting closer to the city.
>Soon enough, you can see old, battered skyscrapers in the distance.
>Even though you had grown up in Idaho, you had never been to the State Capitol.
>When you had been living here back when you were young, the cities and roads had always been pretty unsafe. You remember that everyone in your tribe always had to travel in groups of atleast 5 or 6 to keep safe.
>Walking into Boise back then would have been the same as putting a loaded gun in your mouth. Not a good idea in any circumstance.
>Hopefully things would be better now. 
>Currently, you were still walking along the Highway with Maggie.
>The city was visible in the distance, along with the sound of vertibirds.
>Hopefully they weren’t Brotherhood vertibirds.
>It would be a shame to hoof it here all the way from the Mojave, only to be cut down by laserfire like some sort of wild animal.
>As you get closer and closer to the city, the roadside vegetation thins out, until you're eventually left walking across the exposed highway. The only cover consisting of rusted, burnt-out cars.
>You can now see a vertibird every once in awhile, but they don't appear to be the half-rusted, blue hued ones that the Brotherhood are known for flying.
>No, these ones were painted olive green, much like those of the Old World military. They looked a lot sturdier too, having closed cabins and what looked like thick armor.
>It's all enough to make you a bit nervous, so you walk a bit closer to Maggie.
>She must feel the same way, as you can hear her let out a barely audible whine as she clutches your hand.
>”Hey, Anon… We got a plan if things go South?”
>You think for a moment, sighing.
>To be honest, not really. It all depends on who you come across first. The Brotherhood is pretty notorious for being suspicious of everyone and anything, so you didn't like your chances with them.
>However, from what you've heard so far, the Enclave seem like they wouldn't be worse people to meet. Hopefully.
>As for a plan, you tell Maggie just to not shoot unless shot at. Other than that, just hope for the best.
>She only cocks an eyebrow at you.
>”Wow, great plan, Anon…”
>Her sarcasm is almost welcome right now, cutting through your shared anxiety and making you chuckle.
>She squeezes your hand a bit tighter, reassuring you. It's probably just as much for her benefit as well.
>”Don't worry… I'm sure we'll be fine.”

>When you finally reach the edge of the city, you face a dilemma.
>You're both crouched next to a clearing on the road, all the cars ahead having been shoved to the side to create a wide path.
>At the opposite end of the clearing, a large checkpoint stands.
>Through your binoculars, you see them.
>Tall, tall men. Almost all of them wearing suits of advanced materials like you've never seen before. Power armor.
>It was entirely foreign to you, the designs. While the Brotherhood wore their blocky, angled suits, these ones seemed a lot rounder and somehow even more bulky.
>The ones in front, wielding miniguns, flamers, and plasma casters, wore huge suits of rounded power armor that almost made them look like bipedal tortoises.
>Behind them, standing just as alert, stood men wearing gray uniforms. They were holding laser and plasma rifles, all of them scanning the horizon for threats.
>It was a miracle you haven't been seen yet.
>Backing away slowly, you feel Maggie's hand rest on your shoulder.
>She whispers in your ear, her worry showing through her tone of voice.
>”Anon? What do we do? Call me crazy, but I have a feeling that the second they see us, we're gonna be rendered into steaming piles of blood and meat.”
>Ever the optimist. 
>You think the best plan in this situation would just be to sling your weapons, and walk slowly towards them with your arms outstretched. 
>”Anon, to be honest, that's a stupid fucking plan.”
>Good to see her fear hasn't dulled her personality. 
>You ask her if she has a better plan, and she just gives you a nervous frown.
>”Uh… Well, I was going to suggest we try and sneak, but I think that would just make things worse…”
>You tell her not to forget that the whole purpose of this trip was to get in contact with the enclave.
>Her tail coils around her leg, and she anxiously squeezes the rattle a bit.
>”Yeah, but… They're scary. I don't know, Anon! This whole situation is shitty! We should have stayed in the Mojave! We could have stayed with that other Night-Stalker… She was nice, even if I was harsh on her…”
>Before the tears in her eyes can start to fall, you pull her into a tight hug, giving her scaled muzzle plenty of quick smooches.
>Between every kiss, you softly whisper that things would turn out okay. They have to.
>It at least seems to reassure her somewhat, and she sighs as her own arms wrap around you. Her tongue darts out to sniff your neck, making her tail uncontrollably wag a little.
>It rattles, the noise cutting through the silent air like a knife through a mole rat's eye.
>It's enough to make Maggie let out a panicked gasp, grabbing at her tail with snake-like reflexes.
>Luckily, you're too far away for the noise to carry to the heavily armed soldiers.
>You give her one last kiss as she brushes the tears from her eyes.
>She looks at you with an unsure look, before pulling her mask on. You didn't know these people's policy on mutants, so it would be better to play this safe.
>Maggie's voice is a bit muffled through the plastic, but it'll always sound sweet to you.
>”Well… Let's get going then, Anon. Can't sit here forever, huh?”
>And with that, you sling your rifle, and Maggie puts her 10mm sub-machine gun on her waist.
>The two of you slowly stand up, before making your way down the road.

>The reaction from the Enclave garrison is immediate, all of them standing straight and raising their weapons at you.
>You stop in your tracks when you're around 20 feet away, Maggie standing right next to you.
>One of them is quick to start shouting at you, a young looking man wearing an officer's cap.
>”Stop right there! This entrance is closed! Turn around and leave, or you WILL be fired upon!”
>You yell back in response, telling them you had word of an attack on New Pocatello. 
>Before they respond, you see a few of them whisper to each other, but you can't make out the words.
>”We have heard of no such thing as an attack on Pocatello! Leave, NOW!”
>Shit, this was going South fast..
>You slowly reach behind you, digging around in a pocket on your backpack before withdrawing a sealed envelope.
>The mayor of New Pocatello had give it to you with the instructions that you deliver it to Enclave officials in Boise. He said that it was a complete report of the incident, including a list of casualties and supplies destroyed.
>You relay this to the men, but receive no response. Well, not a pleasant one at least.
>”I'll repeat myself one last time! Leave now, or die where you stand!”
>As the words leave his mouth, you hear a minigun begin to spool up…
>Maggie looks over to you, taking a single step back.
>Right before you're about to be turned into mincemeat, a shout rings out.
>”Lieutenant, what in the fuck are you doing!?”
>Oh, here we go…
>The young officer looks behind him, a terrified look on his face.
>A huge canine woman wearing a beige trenchcoat and beret stomps up to him. She's a bit hard to make out at this distance, but there's no doubt from the sound of her voice that she's pissed off.
>The young officer stumbles over his words as the woman begins to shout at him. 
>”C-captain! I'm following your instructions! We have an intruder on the road who refuses to leave, and so I was preparing to eliminate the threat, Ma’am.
>The woman, holding rank over the younger Lieutenant, seems like she's about to bite his goddamn head off.
>The other soldiers seem to have completely lost interest in you, focusing solely on the interaction between the man and woman.
>”Damnit Baker, were you born this stupid? Or have you been drinking irradiated water lately?”
>She raises an arm, gesturing to you and Maggie.
>”These two claim they are carrying info concerning the settlement at Pocatello. That makes them couriers. Remind me, what do we do with couriers?”
>The Lieutenant named Baker looks like he's about to shit a brick.
>”Well, since you seem to be having some sort of lapse in memory, let me remind you!”
>Her hand shoots out to grab him by the collar, lifting him a couple inches off the ground as she growls in his face.
>”WE DON'T USE THEM AS FUCKING TARGET PRACTICE!”
>She drops the Lieutenant, and he lands on his ass.
>The Captain points down at him, still growling.
>”Now, please apologize to our new guests!”
>The man looks over to the two of you, and utters a quick apology.
>”S-Sorry, Sirs! Please, um, come in off of the road!”
>Maggie is the first to react, lowering her hands with a sigh of relief.
>She looks over to you, her expression unreadable through her mask.
>You smile and nod at her, before the two of you walk towards the checkpoint.
>As you pass through the line of heavily armed men, you hear a couple mumbled apologies as they focus once more onto the road.

>When you and Maggie stop when you reach the two officers. The Lieutenant stands there nervously, clearly spooked by the Captain. And for good reason, too. Getting a better look at her, you can see she has some… Unusual features.
>By the top half of her face, she's clearly a doberman, but with some “extra” attachments. For one, her left hand appears to be solid metal, like some sort of advanced prosthesis. Her lower jaw also appears to be made of metal, attached to her skull by some sort of complex hinge system.
>Most alarming of all, the top of her head not covered by her beret is made of a solid glass dome.
>Through it, you can see a tank of glowing blue liquid… And a pink, fleshy lump that could only be her brain.

>Noticing your stares, the Captain lets out a loud and knowing chuckle.
>”What's wrong, you two? Never seen a cyberdog before?"
>No, you most certainly have not ever seen a cyberdog before. 
>Her appearance gives even Maggie a run for her money in terms of strangeness. 
>Not that there was anything wrong with Maggie's appearance! She would always be a cutie in your eyes.
>As you stand there, the cyberdog Captain continues.
>”So, you two are what, a couple of messengers? We haven't heard of an attack on the Pocatello settlement, so let's see what you have…”
>You hand her the sealed letter, to which she quickly folds open and scans over.
>Her neutral expression turns into a frown, which then intensifies into that of anger.
>”Goddamn Brotherhood…”
>She looks back up to you and Maggie, a concerned look on her face.
>”It says here you witnessed the attack? Is that correct?”
>Maggie takes a step forward, clearing her throat before speaking. 
>”Yes, um, Ma’am. We saw the tail end of it. Fire and corpses all over the damn place.”
>The Captain’s gaze doesn't soften as she ponders Maggie's words. 
>”Hm. Well, then do you mind coming with me? I'd like the two of you to fill out an incident report. Can you both can read and write?”
>Maggie looks at you. Her expression is unreadable under her mask, but you know she's gotta be nervous right now.
>You can hear her whisper.
>”I don't know about this, Anon…”
>The cyberdog gives her a reassuring smile, gesturing to a small concrete house behind her.
>”You're free to leave, if you'd like. I'm sure you're eager to go back and get your payment… But it's just a couple little forms to fill out. It would really help us out here. The Brotherhood has got our communications all messed up, so every bit of data we can collect is needed.”
>Well, she's been nice to you so far, so why not?
>Maggie reaches down to hold your wrist, giving it a gentle squeeze with her gloved hand.
>”If you trust her, then okay… But we're heading back right after this, ok?”
>You nod, resisting the urge to give her a quick smooch.
>The Captain claps her hands together, her organic hand smacking against her metal one with an audible click.
>”Great! If you'll just give me a couple moments, I'll get the two of you started.”
>She turns to the Lieutenant who was still awkwardly standing next to you, a scowl returning to her face.
>”Get back to work, Baker. And if I hear about ANY more fuckups from you, I swear to God I will bite your goddamn head off!”
>Baker wastes no time in popping a quick salute before practically sprinting back to his post.
>”I have to apologize to you both. Sorry that Baker had to be your first experience with the Enclave. A lot of us are on edge from these constant Brotherhood attacks, and it's wearing thin on nerves. Some of the men are getting awfully restless, and they're ready to shoot just about anything.”
>”I assure you, we're normally nothing like this... Anyways, if you'll just follow me.”
>As she turns on her heels and walks to the building, you follow her, Maggie walking close behind you as she holds your wrist.
>The cyborg woman opens the door for the two of you, all of you entering the small concrete room.
>You and Maggie both gasp as you step inside. Holy shit, this place was air conditioned!
>The Captain gives a knowing chuckle, gesturing to a couple chairs at a desk.
>”Just sit there, and I'll get the papers for you!”
>You both comply, finding it easy to relax in the 70° room.

>Okay, this may have been a mistake.
>There were several papers in front of both you and Maggie, ranging from an incident report, papers wanting background information on you, and sheets asking for medical history.
>You didn't even know what half of these words meant, and you had to keep asking the Captain about them, much to your embarrassment. 
>She was understanding though, and gave both of you plenty of help.
>The papers themselves were unlike anything you've ever seen, freshly printed and expertly inked in what had to have been a professional copy machine. They weren't even wrinkled or stained!
>The incident report was easy enough, but you had left the medical sheet mostly blank. You didn't know much about diseases or medicine, so much of it didn't make sense.
>The background info was easy once you knew what it was saying. It just wanted you to list any relatives, group affiliations, and a bit of personal history. You had a couple older brothers up to the Northwest on your tribal grounds, you didn't have many affiliations other than the caravan, and you just jotted some stuff down about being a wandering scav for hire.
>Easy enough!
>Hearing a whine though, you turn to Maggie who was hunched over, her head resting in her hands as she stared at the papers.
>She had filled out the incident report, but had left everything else completely blank.
>Poor Maggie… She had never really talked about her background, and always dodged the question when you asked.
>The Captain is quick to rush to her side, patting her reassuringly on the shoulder with her cold metal hand.
>”Don't worry, just fill out what you know. At least put your name and species, though. You DO know your name and species, right?”
>Maggie whines again as she scrawls out her name in her terrible handwriting.
>”And your species? Don't worry, we're accepting of all races of beast-people. I noticed how much care you've taken in concealing your appearance, what with the trenchcoat, mask, and tail armor.”
>Maggie looks at you for comfort, before slowly popping off her mask.

>The Captain freezes as she gets a good look at Maggie's scaled and fuzzy face.
>After a few painful moments of silence, Maggie being subjected to the Captain’s shocked stare, the cyberdog woman speaks up.
>”Ah. Um… Okay! You are… Some sort of… Hybrid?”
>Right on cue, Maggie buries her muzzle in your shoulder, whining loudly as she tightly grips your shoulders.
>The Captain waves her hands in a non-threatening manner, taking off her beret with one hand and setting it on the table.
>”No, no, no! Don't worry!”
>Maggie only whines louder as the Captain sets her cold metal hand on Maggie's back, her claws sharply poking at you. 
>”Hey, calm down… No need for tears, alright? Your name is Maggie, correct?”
>She lets out a small chuckle as Maggie looks up at her with puffy, tear-filled eyes.
>The Captain taps the glass dish holding her brain with her organic hand, before returning the beret to its proper resting place.
>”At least take solace in knowing you aren't the strangest looking lady in the room… Heh, it takes days before new recruits will have the courage to even -consider- looking me in the eyes.”
>It seems to cheer Maggie up a bit, but it can't stop a few fat tears from rolling down her face as she rests her head on your shoulders.
>Poor Maggie… you’ll be certain to try and make it up to her with some ear-rubs later on.
>The captain clears her throat, adjusting her coat a bit.
>”Well… um, alright then. I suppose I’ll just review these papers and you’ll be free to go.”
>You nod, not looking up from Maggie as she dries her tears on your shoulder.
>She sniffs a bit, simultaneously clearing her nose and taking in some of your scent for comfort.
>You give Maggie a quick smooch on her muzzle, forcing a small smile out of her before she re-affixes her mask.
>Maggie sits back up, mumbling out a small apology.
>”Sorry I didn’t fill out the rest of the sheets… it’s, ah… my younger years are a bit fuzzy…”
>The captain waves a hand in dismissal.
>”Oh, it’s fine. You’d be surprised how many people we get who don’t know their family history or background… Hey, at least you can read and write legibly. That’s more than most common folk around here.”
>Maggie squeezes your arm a bit in response.
>”For now though, you’re both free to leave. Just, um, shut the door behind you please. You’re free to roam the city as you’d like, provided you don’t enter any restricted areas. Here, take these.”
>From a pocket inside her coat, the cyberdog woman produces a couple glossy, black, paper squares. On them a small “E” is printed, along with some numbers.

>”A couple ID cards,” she explains, “Enclave likes to keep track of our associates. Just, ah, try not to lose them.”
>You and Maggie both stand up, quickly shuffling over to the doors.
>Behind you, the captain is still going over your papers.
>She calls out one last time as you step out of the cool room, the heavy metal doors slowly swinging shut behind you.
>”Oh! And welcome to New Boise!’

>The city is… confusing, to say the least.
>You’ve never seen a place with so many people… New Boise almost made Vegas seem like a ghost town.
>There had to be hundreds of people, many of them living how they must have 200 years ago… Many of the buildings seemed mostly restored, with electric lights visible in many of the higher windows.
>Outside, the streets were bustling with activity, ranging from food merchants shouting about their products to scrap traders holding signs with cigarette prices on them.
>Among the crowd roamed regular patrols of Enclave soldiers, likely there to keep the peace.
>Currently, you and Maggie were leaning against a half-collapsed building. It was later in the day, the sun beginning to dip below the horizon.
>Maggie was standing there with her arms crossed, scanning the crowd, while you enjoyed a small meal you had purchased. Lucky for you, the Enclave still seemed to use Caps instead of opting for their own currency like the NCR and Legion.
>It tasted decent, a small sandwich made from gecko meat, a thick seedy bread, and a bit of wilted greens. Compared to what was available back in the Mojave in the way of street food, this was like eating at the Ultra-Luxe.
>Swallowing the last corner of the bread, you turn to Maggie.
>You ask her what she wanted to do now that we were in Boise.
>She only shrugged, her eyes not moving away from the crowd.
>She still seemed a little upset about the whole interrogation room events… you had to try and cheer her up later.
>You let out a yawn, prompting Maggie to look over at you.
>”Maybe we should find a place to bed down for the night… I’m getting pretty tired standing around.”
>”Plus, if it’s alright with you, I just want to get off the streets. I don’t like the crowds very much. Makes me… Nervous.”
>Yeah, she was probably right. It was almost night, and if this place was anything like other settlements, it may not be as safe out after dark. You also wanted to check out what a hotel room was like in this place.
>Looking around, you could see several bright neon signs hanging on the building, something that would have been a rarity in the Mojave.
>One of them stands out to you, saying “HOTEL”, with a another sign under it saying “CHEAP!”
>Well, good enough, you suppose.
>Pointing it out to Maggie, she nods, and the two of you set off.

>Twenty minutes later, you and Maggie were standing in your new hotel room, in awe at your surroundings
>Holy SHIT was this place nice… It had cost you 120 caps for the night, a fair bit more expensive than what you had enjoyed in the Mojave, but you’ll be damned if this wasn’t one of the nicest places you’ve ever been.
>For one, the air didn’t even smell like piss or mold! It instead had a fresh sort of smell to it, like that of laundry washed with extra Abraxo.
>Overall, the room was heavenly, even if it did have the ugliest wallpaper you’d ever seen.
>It was a bit on the small side, being only a bed, some hooks to hang your gear, and a small table with a couple chairs. There was a door attached to the wall, with a small bathroom inside.
>Not like that mattered though, all you intended to do in here was sleep.
>The bed was nice, being a full queen size. It even had unstained sheets! And blankets!
>This place had air conditioning too, the air being almost cool enough to make you shiver. God, you loved cool weather… Being in the Mojave for too long could almost make you wish for a nuclear winter.
>You dumped your gear on the floor, your gun clattering to the scratched wooden floor.
>All of the sudden, fatigue hit you like a shovel, the desire to bury yourself under the blankets becoming too much to bear.
>Maggie must feel the same way, because she’s already shucked off most of her gear, currently trying to hop out of her pants as she tugs at them.
>It would be funny, if you weren’t trying to do the same thing.
>Your Night-Stalker companion rushes over to the bed, only to trip over her own feet, falling onto the mattress.
>”Wah!”
>Maggie flops on the bed with a soft *pomf* as you finish stripping down to your underwear, letting your Pip-Boy land on the floor with a loud *clunk*.
>You join her, laying down next to her.
>”What are we gonna do on the bed, Anon?”
>For now, you just wanted to relax… Ugh, why did it always hurt at first to relax your back?
>You voice your concern to Maggie, who turns on her side to face you.
>”Scooch a bit…”
>She tugs at the blankets under the two of you, freeing them so that you can both lay under them.
>As soon as you’re both snug under the blankets, you almost flip out. Jesus, it has to be illegal for something to be this soft…
>It’s made even better as you feel Maggie slide up next to you, her reptilian tongue flicking out of her mouth as she yawns.
>Her scaled arms wrap around your torso and arms, pulling you into a tight embrace.
>Here we go…
>One of her arms guides your face gently into her tuft of fur above her small breasts, just like you expected.
>Awww yeah, that’s the good shit…
>Maggie must have been tired, because you can already tell she’s out like a light, feeling her nose softly exhale warm air over your hair.
>You follow her into sleep, closing your eyes as you snuggle closer.
>The last thing you feel before drifting to sleep is the feel of her cool tail slumped over your waist, her legs tangled with your own…

>You and Maggie were sitting on the porch of your small ranch home.
>You were sharing a drink, some cool whiskey soothing the both of you.
>The two of you stared out into the land in front of you, smiling.
>The sight of your children playing with some scavenged toys always made the day perfect.
>Maggie’s hand rested over yours, your identical rings clacking against each other.
>She smiles at you, a tired smile on her aged visage.
>It had been a long, tough life you had shared together, but you’re glad you shared it with her.
>There’s nowhere you’d rather be than by her side. No matter what happened, you would always love each other to the very end.
>As you sit there, happy with your life, something happens.
>There’s clouds forming in the air above you, the skies darkening.
>The smile disappears from your face, and you tell your children to get inside. It isn’t safe in a storm.
>To your horror though, they don’t seem to hear you.
>No, instead they all stand up, giggling and smiling, before jogging into the darkness.
>No! You stand up, yelling for them to come back here. You look down to Maggie for support, only to be met with a terrible sight.
>She’s gone as well, with no trace of her left except for her ring.
>No, no no!
>It starts to rain, and you rush out into the night, desperately searching for your wife and offspring.
>The whole time, the rain falls harder and harder, turning into a bona fide storm.
>Your eyes sting from the frigid rain, and your head is filled with terror at the prospect of being all alone.
>As you run, frantically shouting your kids names, you feel your foot sink into a small hole.
>It’s too late to stop though, and you can feel your ankle snap with a sickening *CRUNCH*
>Fuuuuuck!
>You sit there in the cold mud, screaming and crying for your family, but you know they aren’t coming…
>You’re all alone, just like you knew you always would be.
>The storm gets louder and louder, overriding the sound of your sorrow.
>You always knew things would end this way…

>You wake up in a panic, your leg kicking at the air as you sit up in bed.
>You were soaked in sweat, the blanket lying on the floor.
>Shit! It was just a dream… It was just a dream.
>Almost immediatly, you notice the lack of a certain Night-Stalker.
>Fuck! Where was Maggie?
>Hopping out of bed, you call out for her, but get no response. She definitely isn’t here…
>Your dream was foggy in your mind, but you remember it involving Maggie and something awful happening…
>You’re about to run out through the halls, but your eyes are drawn to a small lump on the table in the room.
>Oh, your Pip-Boy. How did it get over there?
>Walking over to it, you can see it’s weighing down a note with Maggie’s recognizable handwriting.
>You slide it out from under the wrist-mounted computer, scanning over it with your eyes.
>Man, Maggie really needed to work on her penmanship…
>It’s still legible though, the words being clear enough to make out.
>”Anon. Took some caps and went to get brekfast. Wil be back soon. Love you! -Maggie
>Oh, okay… She was just out to get some food. Whew…
>You take a moment to stretch, hearing your vertebrae let out several satisfying crackles as you bend backwards.
>You slump down in the chair, scratching at your chin.
>Man, you were thirsty… You must have sweat more than you thought.
>Turning to face the bathroom, you can see a sink inside.
>Perfect.
>You trudge over to the small bathroom, closing the door behind you.
>You pull the string attached to a lightbulb, letting light fill the room.
>Turning on the tap, you let the cool water rush over your fingers, surprised at the decent water pressure.
>You splash and rub some of it over your face, groaning.
>Blinking, you yawn as you rub the sleep out of your eyes.
>As you cup your hands, bringing water to your mouth to drink, you notice it.
>Mother of god…
>A shower. A motherfucking shower.
>You haven’t seen a working one in YEARS.
>Unsure of whether or not you’re still dreaming, you lean under the showerhead, giving the knob a gentle turn…
>You can’t help but let out a small yelp as the cold water assaults your body, soaking you.
>Oh -HELL- yes… They even left a tiny sliver of soap for you here!
>Man, you were never fucking leaving this city.
>You toss your underwear to the floor as you laugh, completely forgetting about the dream.
>You were so excited to actually bathe properly for once…

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
>Be Maggie.
>Currently, it was early morning, and you were walking down the streets of Boise.
>It wasn’t very busy out right now, most people still being asleep.
>You were on a quest right now. A quest to get a suitable breakfast for the love of your life, Anon.
>After all, you had to provide him with plenty of food and love if he was ever going to see you as a suitable mate...
>It was too bad you weren’t due for another egg until next month. You would have liked to share one with him again.