Here's my Courier for Fallout New Vegas, simply known as Ryder, whose past as of this day remains as mysterious to Doc Mitchell as the doctor's kindness is to Ryder. What she does know is that she is a long-time courier for Mojave Express, has been all over America's wasteland, had gotten the newest package, a platinum chip, to deliver to one Robert Edwin House in the Strip of the Mojave, then got intercepted by Benny, shot in the head and finally left for dead. Ryder's only goal is to retrieve the platinum chip (preferably with as little bloodshed as possible, for reputation sake), deliver the package to House, get paid, and move on in life. Though she finds out that's easier said than done, much to her annoyance.
Ryder is the sixth courier chosen to transport the platinum chip to House, a beautiful and fashionable 35-year-old woman at the height of six feet and short hair. Healthy and energetic, she's naturally adapted to the harshness of the Wasteland, having been born in it. She has average strength, dexterity and hygiene, though after receiving implants at Big MT, she becomes a sort of cyborg, so the latter out of the three is less necessary, though habit has still stuck with her.
Ryder has learned many things over her time traveling as a courier, and though she doesn't remember what age she started, she is well known to have begun messaging before couriering at a younger age than expected, so some of the lessons didn't leave her despite the amnesia from the bullet. Ryder is extremely persuasive in bartering and mediating for a compromise, highly literate to the point she learned several languages, including old Latin, and has quite the creative mind. Practically a chef, engineer, soldier and survivalist in all but name, Ryder has lived and traveled around long enough for her mind to ingrain any information it could on how best to adapt and survive out in the Wasteland, Mojave desert, and using the communities environment against anybody looking to do her wrong. Ryder has got Rizz and Luck in her cards, though her perception can never predict ambushes (as seen with Benny and Caesar's Legion), and her communication, while good, isn't always reliable as she relies on her charm rather than intent. Stealth gets her around decently enough, and though she's not able to understand children, she can get the gist of their wants and needs, especially if they're vocalized. For whatever reason though, nature hates her, with the exception of dogs (not coyotes), especially Rex and Roxie.
Intelligent and sharp-witted, Ryder doesn't at all mind her life, and is satisfied with the choices she's made thus far (especially in her mid-thirties), and couldn't be happier with the experiences she's had (except for the Sierra Madre... she don't talk about the Sierra Madre) and the friends she made along the way. Confident and passionate in doing her job right, House could not have asked for a better professional courier, especially one who's pretty funny (though he'd never admit it). Ryder's spirituality is only really based on what she's seen thus far, and she'd never admit it to either of them, but Joshua and Daniel's words had stuck with her, even when she tends to ignore some of the advice. Ryder's patience has thinned with experience and being shot in the head by a checkered shirt prick. Anxiety though is barely a thought before she brushes it aside.
Ryder is mean, but she hides it behind a veil of professional courtesy, and depending she's dealing with, she can either brave the horrors of the desert or panic at the sight of nuclear warheads counting down in front of her very eyes. Pacifism and violence is merely a choice she must pick from if she finds herself in what her companions like to call "a self-inflicted pickle", which can also be said for her moments of thinking things through and her moments of throwing caution to the wind. Ryder loves debates, because she can either be potentially swayed over by words or continuously drag out the conversation until her opponent forfeits, depending on the reward at the end. She has so very few moments of idealism, she's mostly got a pragmatic mind (when it doesn't bury itself in the sand). Ryder is frugal to the extreme, hoarding her wealth so she has it on hand just in case, and only buying the necessities for her quests. Ryder likes both the indoors and outdoors, as long as there's something to explore (and steal). Yeah no, her poker face isn't that of a distinguished lady of the White Glove society, it is the "honest" mask of a woman who's seen it all to not be deterred by some jerks wearing hockey garments. Ryder is ambitious, possessive of her belongings (and lovers), stubborn to a fault, decisive on how to deal with situations to the point of sabotaging others so things go her way, and is a perfectionist in her profession.
Wealthy and horny, Ryder does have connections with faces that should be familiar but can't remember because of Benny. She never lets him live it down. She even gets Yes Man onboard of never letting Benny live it down (the robot may have had planned out her ambush, but he wasn't the one who shot her in the head and fail to kill her, so he gets a free pass). Her charisma rivals her aggression and competitive nature. She is generous to a healthy extent, helping others whenever she thinks its best to or if it benefits her, though her empathy is quite low, so better have some caps ready to give, or something to trade (possessions, discounts, information, etc). Ryder is deceptive towards everyone (only showing everyone a piece of herself rather than her whole self), and only follows the words of whoever is more practical to work with and can pay her better. She isn't leader material... but she is partner material. Politeness and rudeness really depend on the situation she's in, just as the same as her investment in the politics of the NCR and the Mojave in general, not that she is unwilling to help make change, as long as she benefits from it in some way and doesn't harm her in the long run. Cool, flirty, cute and obedient to the brim, not to mention fun, capable of "forgiveness" even at her scariest, who couldn't ask more in a self-serving master manipulator.
As stated before, her beliefs only go as far from what she's experienced in the desert, and even though the Mormons may have said some things that try to break through her thick skull, she wouldn't say she believes in higher powers, even less fate and destiny (no matter how many cryptic projecting monologues Ulysses throws at her). However, she's definitely a believer in magic, because there are things even science is perplexed about her experiences in the Wasteland, and the Mojave. She thinks there is someone worth loving out there waiting for her, but she just hasn't met them yet. Ryder has lived long enough as a courier (before and after the incident with Benny) to understand that simply labelling things as "good" and "evil" is reductive and often times ignoring the cracks in other factions. However she won't deny there are some truly evil, repulsive and selfish people out there, like Vulpes, Cook-Cook and Domino, just to name a few. However, due to her experience and miracles she's faced out in the Mojave, she definitely believes in luck.
Ryder's top priotities is to establish power with whoever is the most organised and strongest faction, ensure her fame is concrete and reputation clean, while keeping her wealth well-accommodated. Her health and praise comes next, with carrying out justice and finding out truth coming next, including ensuring other's opinion on her is anything but negative. Though she initially saw her companions and lovers as anything more than convenient allies or tools, she won't deny, she's grown on them, and would prefer not having them die on her. Though putting her in a situation where she must choose between her ambitions and the only people who've spent time enough to not abandon her immediately, it would be a rather sadistic choice to put her through, and a difficult one at that.
