The Really Wild Wastelands: Flashback! | BlamCo Manor
"A lie about a lie will turn inside out"
Victoria McGee
[hr]"A lie about a lie will turn inside out"
Victoria McGee
The envelope had been sitting on the crisp white linen table cloth for some time. As was typical of a dispatch from the Undertaker's Union, the missive had been crafted out of a thick paper, whose color was as black as used motor oil, with the recipient's name written in a contrasting silver ink. The design had been entirely Victoria's idea, as it served to reinforce the mystique that the Undertaker Union's forefathers had carefully cultivated. It was no accident that the majority of Wastelanders viewed Undertakers with trepidation. While it made for a lonely and isolated life, as had been observed by other Undertakers, it did keep them safe. Despite its rather ordinary construction, the ominous looking design seemed to absorb the energy around it, even a nearby cup of tea felt a bit colder than it should have been. Looking at the spidery lettering that spelled out her cousin's name, she felt a shiver run up her spine, even as she contemplated reading its contents.
To clarify the situation, the Finely Dressed Ferrywoman had not intended to come into possession of the letter sent to her cousin, Thomas McGee. She, would never have stolen the item for such an action would have been the height of rudeness. No, she had come into possession of the orders through a pure and simple mistake (or through a cruel twist of fate).
Having finally excused herself from the meeting with the Lady of the House, Lady Kristin, the Darkly Dressed Duchess of Death had taken to meandering through the sprawling estate for no other reason than to satisfy her curiosity (and to pass the time while her cousin/traveling companion and his newly found love were feasting from their Cornucopia of Copulation). While we're on the topic of clarification, Victoria's curiosity was purely personal, rather than professional. Having served for a time as the Undertaker of the East, Victoria, despite her youth, had been considering retirement from the Undertaker's Union, a decision that had been weighing on her since leaving the D.C. Wastelands and as she wandered around the estate, observing the near perfection of an elegantly clad maid staff performing the day to day duties required to keep the Manor running, the Etiquette Minded Undertaker felt inspired to create a home that was at the very least as magnificent as BlamCo manor.
As Victoria continued on her impromptu, self guided tour of the mansion, she briefly noted that she had passed Sable's private quarters and the presence of an all too familiar jacket that had been carelessly discarded onto the carpetted hallway floor. Looking about her surrounding, Victoria noted that the army of armed maids was curiously absent. Perhaps they were aware of the carnal acts of cooking that were occurring just beyond the Sable's door and had been ordered to avoid the area in order to maintain the couple's privacy. As a partnership between BlamCo and the Undertaker's union had yet to be solidified, any appearance of impropiety was to be avoided, at least until the last signature was signed. Not wanting to intrude upon the two lovers, the Silk and Lace Clad Coffin Bearer picked up the jacket, and draped it over her arm, before she continued on.
In as much as this exploration of BlamCo manor was about satisfying her curiosity, Victoria had wanted to give the Neophyte Undertaker and his Silver Raven an appropriate amount of time for their cake baking, martini shaking and love making, though not as much time as they might have enjoyed considering the two Undertakers had a schedule to maintain. Allotting the two cheese covered lovers another two hours may have seemed stingy on the part of the Duchess of the Departed but she expected an equal amount of time being spent on goodbyes, hugs and kisses and promises of letters sent. Just the thought of the scene was enough to cause the Veiled Vixen to roll her eyes. While such thoughts and actions were evidence of cynicism on Victoria's part, it was not hard to understand when one considered Finely Dressed Ferrywoman's regular use of love as bait. Any true and long lasting relationship was founded on a period of courtship where freshly forged bond was tempered by shared experiences, not unlike the one that she had with a certain Rabbit hidden away in the outskirts of New Vegas.
The Black Veiled Visitor's wanderings had came to an abrupt halt as has path was barred by a set of heavy wooden and ornate double doors. Having been in the wilds for some time now Victoria's natural inclination would have been to avoid entering such a place, as such doors generally represented some place if importance and, being that she but a simple guest of the home's mistresses, it would have been rude for her to enter without invitation. Yet, there was something just beyond the ornate wooden portal that called to her, a faint but alluring scent. Unable to resist, the Finely Dressed Ferrywoman entered and found herself surrounded by decadence the likes of which had not been seen in the Wastelands since the days before the bombs fell... and maids. She had found the maids... all the delightful maids... enjoying soem sort of tea no less.
Now, this might sound counter to her personality and behavior but Victoria had a rather large amount of respect for those who donned the maid uniform each morning. Maids were the physical manifestation of etiquette. Where ladies often disregarded the rules of etiquette, maids did not. Without maids, the behavioral system known as etiquette could not exist. This was in addition to the fact that maids, as a general rule were kind, caring, mindful, graceful, efficient, tireless, hardworking, polite but most importantly, they were uniformed. Oh the uniform of a maid with all the frills and lace and...
"Excuse me, ma'am." A voice said, interrupting Victoria's train of thought. Glancing to her right, the Pale Skinned Soul Seeker noted the presence of one of the Manor's maids, "Would you like a cheese tea, ma'am?"
"Cheese... tea?" Victoria responded, her voice a silky velvet mix of both curiosity and horror, " I do not mean to doubt your culinary expertise but my thoughts cannot comprehend how the taste of cheese and tea would be complimentary."
"Trust me, ma'am, I promise you that you'll enjoy it." The young black and white warrior maid responded as she handed Victoria a glass filled with a fragrant green tea that had a layer of frothy white cream on top of it.
Keeping her eyes on the young maid, Victoria hesitantly took a small experimental sip of the elixir and found that the creme layer was both salty and sweet, as if someone had mixed cream cheese and sweet cream together. Taking another hesitant sip, the Frilly Frocked Ferrywoman ensured that she imbibed both layers of liquid and to her amazement, she found the layers perfectly compliment each other. The sweetness and saltiness of the cheese layer accented the floral notes of the green tea while cutting down its bitterness and acidity.
Hoping to reward the young culinary explorer, Victoria reached into her cousin's jacket to fish out a couple of caps (she was carrying his clothing after all) but instead found a familiar black envelope. Well, that was the gist of how Victoria had come to acquired the letter that sat on the table staring at her, calling for her to look at the contents of the dispatch.
"(If he didn't want it read, he wouldn't have left it lying about...)" She rationalized to herself as she opened envelope and started reading its contents, her face growing even paler than normal.
It required multiple additional readings of the letter before the Stunned Silk Swaddled Socially Accepted Shoveler fully grasped the implications of the dispatch. Thomas, her cousin and her childhood friend, had been ordered to execute her and rather than warn her or display any sort of conflict over such an order, he had spent his time bedding his new "love." His obviously flippant attitude about the fact that he was to take his own cousin's life showed that he had learned his lessons well.Thomas' Letter said:Your Cousin, Victoria, has failed to complete her mission and given away the Undertaker Union's most carefully guarded secret. After you've eliminated her, you are to take over her duties and her targets. Do not fail, my son.
Walt Guide You,
Your Father
While she fully understood why the orders for her termination had been issued, it did not mean that she was willing to accept her death without some sort of resistance. Killing her own cousin was out of the question because, as etiquette stated, killing family was the height of poor manners and it was not Thomas' fault that he had been ordered to kill her. What was needed was a measured response and as she sat there, sipping her cheese tea in a divinely decorated room filled with extremely well trained dand well army maids, she was suddenly inspired. While she could not kill her cousin, she could destroy the organization responsible for her inevitable death and what way would be better instrument for her revenge than an army of maids? She just needed a reason for the two organizations to go to way against each other.
"Excuse me," Victoria called out to the maid that had recommended the cheese tea, "Would you be so kind as to relay a message to Lady Sable and her Companion?"
"Of course, ma'am." The maid responded with a smile.
"Inform them that Lady Victoria will be waiting for them at the West Gate after she has completed some errands." The Conspiratory Countess stated as she gathered her belongings, pausing long enough to hand the young maid Thomas' coat, "And please give this to Lady Sable's companion."
Without another word, Victoria McGee departed from BlamCo manor and headed towards the Rabbit Hole and her future with plots, plans and ideas blooming, dying and falling like petals to the ground in her wake.
End Flashback Sequence...
[hr]
The Really Wild Wastelands | The Road (Megaton Bound)
Ending of the Departed
Thomas "Shifty" McGee
[hr]Ending of the Departed
Thomas "Shifty" McGee
The pace had slowed for a bit with Thomas accomodating Sable as she rebraided her hair, a difficult task even when not attempting walk at the same time, and it gave the former couple a chance to reconnect on a level that they had skipped entirely during their first encounter, friendship. While the Tall and Pale Escort for the Expired had braced himself for a wave of jealousy, it never came. It was true that Silver Spearmaiden's sudden appearance had done much to stir up the unresolved emotions of the past but Thomas'and, it would seem, Sable's hearts had been filled by others.
Listening intently as the BlamCo Ballerina recounted the relationship between her and Miss Weiss, the Friendly Former Undertaker of the East could understand how their love, like a budding seedling, had taken root and grown into a strong and immutable thing. Unlike the whirlwind that had been the brief but explosive relationship between the Friendly Former Ferryman, the Silver Raven and her Delivery Girl had the luxury of taking their time, forging a proper and deeper connection. He knew this, because the same could have been said about the relationship between himself and his One Eyed Gauss Girl.
Like Sable and Annabelle, Thomas and Lucy had suffered through a number of trials and tribulations and for each of these crises that they overcame, their bond grew stronger and stronger. It only became a matter of time before their alliance became something greater. While it was a romantic notion where one would die for the other, the Self Sacrificing Shepard of Souls had actually done so, or had intended to but was instead placed in a state of suspended animation by the Enclave. Now, it seemed that their bond was to be tested once again, the main difference being that where he had chosen to become involved in Lucy's Enclave situation, Lucy had no choice this time around.
Listening to Sable's story, it became clear that she had become involved in some of BlamCo's shadier dealings which, due to BlamCo's similarities with the Undertaker's Union, might have been the BlamCo equivalent of a Ferrywoman... or possibly a Reaper. The Friendly Neighborhood Former Ferryman was intimately aware of the darkness that surrounded such missions. sable was quite fortunate to have a companion to help her through such times. The thought to ask the Darker Dairy Duchess of her time serving as BlamCo's Shadow Servant formed, as did his need for self flagellation, before quickly fading. She had already faced her penance for both their transgressions, there was no need for Thomas to resurrect the past just to assuage his guilt.
"Your turn, tell me about your Lady Lucy," The Silver Clad Shield Bearer requested giving Thomas a friendly nudge and elbow to the ribs but before he could even ease into the story of his One Eyed Gauss Girl, he found himself eye to eye with with the Silver Clad Spear Maiden, "Your encounter with my sister. She saved you? Can you tell me exactly what she saved you from? More importantly, I need to get an idea about her motivations before I meet her in person. Any information will be useful. And the Enclave, is there no good to be found within their ranks?"
Thomas frowned for a moment at the mention of the Enclave, his eyes burning with anger at the mere mention of the organization that had caused both Lucy and himself so much grief. His resentment did not extend to all members of the Enclave, however, and there were definitely those that could, more than likely, be trusted to some extent. It was, perhaps, a better idea to address the question of Kristin Blamco first and allow his initial agitation over the mention of the Enclave settle.
"Kristin... I don't believe that the assistance she rendered to Lucy, Sylphee, Arizona or myself had been her primary focus when she had saved us from Moriarty and his men. She's traveling with a man named Jonathan McKenna, a former member of the Eastern branch of the Enclave. As you probably could tell from my reaction to your mere mention of the Enclave, there is little love for them on this side of the continent and even former members of their rank often find themselves persecuted. Colin Moriarty, a man that you should definitely avoid if you want to avoid the feeling as if you had been wading through a swamp recently used for spawning by a significant number of Mirelurks, is the proprietor of a Saloon in Megaton and, as is stereotypical of anyone who calls their establishment a "saloon," shadier than a Deathclaw's undercarriage. He had the bright idea of attempting to blackmail Mister McKenna over his former association with the Enclave, an idea that definutely ended up backfiring on the man. I had to give Moriarty's bodyguard his last rites after McKenna was done and, as one might expect, Moriarty was not overly appreciative of the fact that McKenna had both killed his bodyguard not the fact that McKenna had nearly drowned Moriarty in a sink. That brings us to the unruly mob at the Megatonian gates," Shifty paused for a moment to allow Sable to absorb what had been said thus far, "It appeared that Colin Moriarty was unwilling to allow bygones by bygones and had gathered up a group of his men in order to waylay us at the gates as we attempted to exit the city. After an exchange of unpleasantries, including a declined offer from Moriarty to allow McKenna's safe exit in exchange for Kristin's agreement to work at his saloon, a brief fight erupted. Were it not for Kristin and Sylph working together, I doubt we would have been able to extricate ourselves from that situation without casualty. That's not to say that things went perfectly either, if they Moriarty's men had not made an appearance, I think that both Sylph and Kristin might have spent their energy on each other."
That last part regarding Kristin and Sylph was left vague. It was unlikely that Sable would believe that the innocent little Sylph(ee) that she had met would have been capable of standing toe to toe against Kristin Blamco. It would have taken an extended period of time being exposed to the true nature of the Homicidal Red Riding Hood to understand even a fraction of what went on in her head.
"Now... about the Enclave," went Thomas' transitioning of topics, "On the whole, the Enclave's reputation on the East Coast is only slightly higher than that of a Super Mutant, given certain events that were relayed by the locals Wastelanders. That is not to say that they are not attempting to change their image but my personal dealings with them have been rather unpleasant," He paused for a moment, thinking about the Enclavites that both he and Lucy had dealt with, "If you are intent on having dealings with them, I would only trust a young girl named Constance, an Enclave Scout named Natsuki and an officer named Fallout Jack... but above all else, avoid dealing with a woman who calls herself #411."
He had practically spat out the moniker of the woman that had been the source of so much pain for not only Lucy and himself but probably a great deal of the people who inhabited the Capital Wastes. If there was one person that deserved a visit from a Ferryman, it would be her. As the two eternally ephemeral companions continued, so did Thomas' mouth. If it appeared that he was being harsh in regards to the Enclave, he thought that Sable at least needed to know his reasons.
"If there is one good thing about the Enclave, it's only that they helped provide the circumstances where Lucy and I were able to meet and become acquainted with each other. When we had first met, she was trying to come to terms with being used as an asset... a pawn... by the very same organization that had killed her father, a former Enclave officer. Despite the precariousness of her situation, I was struck by her drive and focus to overcome the obstacles that had been put in her path and the fact that, despite her circumstances, she maintained an enviable optimism. That's when her path became mine and somewhere along the way... I found that I... we had fallen in love and as you and I have already discovered, fate's whims are rarely in line with mine." There was some hesitation before the Tall and Pale Pallbearer continued, "Fate's instrument in this case being the Enclave. A group of us, including Lucy and I, had been sent to infiltrate the Enclave Vault and, as you might imagine from such a mission, we were ultimately captured. In order to help Lucy keep her cover as an Enclave asset, I revealed myself to the Enclave as a spy for the Brotherhood of Steel. As you might imagine the Enclave do not take kindly to spies and they ordered Lucy execute me... only they didn't execute me, they kept me prisoner for a time."
The fact that they'd kept him alive rather than killed him might have pointed to a benevolence within the Enclave but it still did not excuse them for their actions. Perhaps sensing his welling anger at the thought of the Enclave, Sable's voice floated on the air to sooth the savaged Undertaker.
"Thank you for everything, Thomas. I would be lost without you, in more ways than one," The Silver Raven said, her eyes gazing into his. As the two stood there, Shifty could sense his cheek growing warm, "N-now, tell me about your Lady Lucy. As a side note, BlamCo often vouches for personnel to the high-end casino's on the New Vegas Strip if Lucy and her Father is looking for work. If you seek protection and aid, tell Keira that you require the aid of the Norn. My own team of specialists, there should be 18 on standby, bear in mind that they work in teams of 3. It's everything I can offer you without being there in person."
Thomas nodded gratefully at the Silver Clad Spearbearer's offer of assistance and information regarding the potential whereabouts of Lucy and her Father and as he did, he wondered what more he could comfortably tell Sable regarding Lucy. That she was the cleverest, most funny and most beautiful woman that he'd ever met? That she helped him discover a world that existed outside the walls that the Undertaker's Union had built up around him? That he felt utterly and completely incomplete without her by his side? Opening his mouth to answer, he spotted a dented sign in the distance that read: Springvale.
"Springvale..." He blurted out quickly as he pointing to the sign, "You'll find your sister in Springvale."
[hr]
The Really Wild Wastelands | Camp (Dunwich Bound)
Epilogue of the Departed
Victoria McGee | Sylphee
[hr]Epilogue of the Departed
Victoria McGee | Sylphee
"Tell me a story, Missy Sticky Vicky Shark Face." Sylphee demanded, struggling against the infernal zipper that had trapped her in her sleeping bag, "I promise I'll do nappy nappers after you do... PLEEEEEASE!"
Having volunteered to take the first watch (and the remaining watches for the night), the Silk Swaddled Storyteller appeared to give the request some thought before nodding her head, giving in to the whims of the Crimson Clad Child.
"Okay, Sylphee, but remember that you promised to go to sleep if I tell you a story. If you're going to be a lady, you need to keep your promises." Victoria said before starting her tale:
To be continued...The Reaper's Tale - The Story of Henry McGee and The Epilogue of Shifty McGee said:A long time ago in a land far, far away, there existed a reaper whose job it was to help lost souls find their way to the lands beyond the veil. Though it was a lonely existence, The Reaper took pride in his work for what cause was nobler than helping those unfortunate souls in need? This desire to help these lost souls was what sustained him and allowed him continue on and ignore the void that had been growing since he had left home... that was until he met her.
'
Now I will tell you a fact that not all lost souls knew that they were lost and not all of them willingly accepted The Reapers guidance to the lands beyond the veil. Some tried to hurt him, others tried to bribe him and still others simply tried to run but there was one who responded simply.
"Not yet," she said, her eyes filled with bravery as he approached her, "It isn't time yet."
"Oh ho ho," The Reaper laughed at the Lost Soul who looked as if she had only recently become a woman, "You must be wise beyond your years to know such things. Share with me this wisdom of your's and perhaps I will do as you ask."
"I have not found the one that I will wait for just beyond the veil," She said, her voice filled the face of the Reaper's baiting words, "Eternity is already long enough... why spend it alone? Surely even a Reaper would understand such things."
The Reaper paused for a moment, giving the Lost Soul's words some thought before responding. What did she know of his life? What did she know of nights spent alone? Even if she had no idea what she spoke of, did that make her words any less true?
"Very well, I will wait for you to find this one who you would wait for... but on that day, I will send you to the Lands Beyond the Veil." The Reaper said before leaving.
And thus began their daily ritual where the Reaper would arrive in the morning and visit the Lost Soul, asking her a simple question as they broke fast together.
"Have you found the one that you will wait for?" The Reaper asked.
"Not yet," She answered simply as she poured The Reaper a cup of tea, her voice trembling and filled with nervousness.
As I said, this had become their daily routine and yet, as time progressed, things changed. As time marched onward, her nervousness was replaced by familiarity, her frown replaced with a smile. If this continued on for all of eternity, The Reaper would not have thought it so bad as he found that the void that had once been unbearable was gone. Were it not for the interference of The Reaper's father, perhaps life might have continued happily for The Reaper and the Lost Soul.
The Reaper's father was a man of great importance for he was a king and as a king his word was law. It was by his command that The Reaper travelled the lands looking for those lost souls who needed a guide to the Lands Beyond the veil. While he knew that The Reaper had been neglecting his duties, he waited patiently for the the day that The Reaper would continue with his duties. Days passed. Weeks Passed. Months passed and it only when one year had passed did the king's patience finally run thin. Summoning his Knight, the Enforcer of his laws, the King spoke.
"My son has forsaken the duties given to him by his King. See to it that he is reminded," The King ordered, sending forth the Knight, a giant of a man who was shackled to his shield as a reminder of his duty.
It was around this time that the daily routine between The Lost Soul and the Reaper no longer resembled what it once had been. No longer did The Reaper ask his question. No longer did he spend only his mornings with the Lost Soul. No longer did he search the lands for other souls that needed a guide to the Lands Beyond the Veil. Instead he spent his days feeling a contentment he'd never felt in his previous life, nor would he ever feel again after the Knight's arrival.
The arrival of the King's Knight was heralded by the smell of smoke and blood in the wind. Unlike The Reaper, the Knight cared not who he sent to the Lands Beyond the Veil, only that he did his King's bidding and, as was his habit, the Knight sent many to those Lands that day. Leaving the Lost Soul behind safely hidden in her home, The Reaper rode forth to face his one time friend and ally.
"Stop this! Leave them be!" The Reaper begged of The Knight, "They deserve to choose when they leave this world. We have no right to tell them otherwise!"
Alas the words fell upon deaf ears for the Knight had been raised to know no other desire than to fulfil the wishes of his King. Raising his great sword high into the air, the Knight prepared to punish The Reaper for abandoning his duties, even if he destroyed The Reaper.
"I will go!" A voice said, interrupting the Knight, "It is time for me to travel to the Lands Beyond the Veil."
Looking behind him, The Reaper saw that the Lost Soul had followed him and now aimed to protect him from harm. Looking back at her, The Reaper shook his head.
"No... I promised you that you would have time to find the one that you will wait for." The Reaper said, his voice filled with panic for he had grown used to seeing this Lost Soul every day. The prospect of returning to his previous life terrified The Reaper.
"And I have..." The Lost Soul whispered as she placed herself between The Reaper and the Knight, "You... I will wait for y..."
Before her final words were spoken, the Knight snatched her away, sending her off to the Lands Beyond the Veil... and like that, The Reaper was left to return to his old existence of searching the land for lost souls. Were that true, this story would be over and the King would have been happy.