Queen of the Mojave

mammas don't let your babies grow up to be cowboys

mammas don't let your babies grow up to be cowboys.

I had a decent conversation with Victor. He seemed out of sorts, but I'm so used to prick strip robocops.

I settled down in the house Trudy mentioned. It was nice but stuffy, but I'm not complaining. I settled on to the queen mattress in the bedroom and thumbed through a book titled "Private" by some guy named James Patterson. It was a interesting story and dozed off, to be Awaken by a silver eyed man. "Did the bitch behind the counter send you over here too?"

He looked me over again. "Yes. She did."

"My name's Ashley. Shot twice in head and still kicking." I introduced myself and sat up.

"I really don't have time for bullshit, Ashley." He snapped .

"woah! I don't even- Ah fuck." Lights danced behind my eyes and there was ringing in my ears.  "Like I was saying. I don't even know you. I mean I might. I don't remember!" Am-fucking-nesia. "If you gave me a name or something. It might jog my memory."

He sighed and sat next to me and muttered "Legion."

"OH! um um um. uuh. ugh. fuck. I have no fucking idea."

"Don't swear, it's not attractive."

"Hmm. I've got a idea who you are. Maybe."

We sized each other up for god knows how long.

--

"I don't like any one here. They're so..." I thought of a word. " I don't know. Weird. And rude."

"Six, tell me a story, how did you end up like this."

"okay? Well. The last thing I remember I was in the graveyard, some douche was telling me the game was rigged and shot me in the head. The end. "

"Who."

"I don't know. Some city boy with a fancy suit. Reckon he's from Vegas."

The silver eyed man looked at me and just up and left.

"You know where to find me Courier."

--

Peggy Lee crooned softly from my pip-boy. "Get out of here and get me some money too."

I sat and sipped on my whiskey sour at the bar. "See! I'm not a bad guy! I'm just edgy and people are scared of edgy people." I explained to the cowboy next to me. "Like, I come out east y'know and it's a lot rougher out there. I used to run around with bad guys! Slavers, but honestly I just sort of bought them and let them free. Ran around with a retired washout raider. So. yeah."

"Damn, lady you talk a lot. Tell me what it's like out east and I'll buy you 'nother drink."

"sure sure. When I say east, I mean Washington D.C., Ain't no scary place I've seen, feral ghouls everywhere, these creepy ass ghost guys, Pit monsters, People that'll shoot you if you look at them wrong and... Cannibals. Cannibals everywhere. Places to hide, rocks, buildings everything is your enemy, The nail you accidentally step on, you'll die from infection. And that's all I remember."

"Came a long way."

"I did."

Trudy glared at me. "It's rude to stare."

"You sure know how to tell a story. "

"Done being a jaded bitch yet?" I asked leaning over the counter.  "I thought bartenders were nice, Lucy and Gob were and Gob was a ghoul."

"I'll let that slide, since it's just the whiskey talkin'." She snarled pushing me back.

"Now now, don't wanna get rough, Trudy." The cowboy warned.

"Yeah, don't wanna have your ass handed to you." I grumbled setting ten caps on the bar and leaving.

"Later lil lady."

I stumbled out into the cold night air. "hey Pete! Wanna go blow something up?"

"ARE YOU CRAZY?"

"I was just kiddin'. Have a good night ." I waved and walked to the house and into the kitchen. "Food."

--

I rose in the early hours of the morning and left Goodsprings. The hospitality was shit,,but the living wasn't bad.