Night had settled over the wasteland by the time Autumn was limping down the main deck of the Prydwen. Her mission had been a tad bit longer than expected, so most of the soldiers on board were already asleep, minus a couple of Knight’s on patrol.
Hooking her power armor to it’s stand, she finally slips out the back, nearly tumbling over from exhaustion. She wasn’t quite use to spending every waking hour in Power Armor. Closing it back up, she sets to work on doing her daily check-up of the suit. Unbeknownst to her, another person was working on their armor not far off.
“That’s a nice suite.. T-60, right?”
The voice is more than enough to startle the newly-appointed Knight, dropping her wrench loudly. Grinding her teeth, she peers around the suit to find the source.
It’s that Star Paladin, Libby Woods. She rarely made her presence known, sticking to the lower decks, only really coming up to grab some food before going back down under. Just about everyone was terrified of her after the little shouting match with the Elder.
She somehow managed to climb onto her power armour’s shoulders, working on the giant metal pauldrons with her legs wrapped around the other arm. The site is almost enough to cause Autumn to grin stupidly, eyebrows raised. “Uhh.. Right. Got it when I was promoted to Knight.. Do you always work on your armour like that?”
Looking down at her position, Libby merely shrugged before going back to working on the shoulders. Obviously she wasn’t one for decent conversations.. But that was just fine by Autumn. Turning back to her own armour, she gets back to double-checking everything.
10 minutes pass by, and the only noise is two wrenches, the occasional curse words spewing, and the blow torch switching on. When Autumn finally finishes, she turns and finds the Paladin examining her own Pip-boy, flipping through what she assumes are notes.
“You’re her,” It’s coming out before she can stop it, “The ‘Lone Wanderer’.. Right? The one that finished Project Purity. Only heard a couple of wild stories about your exploits, they can’t all be true.. Could they?”
“Didn’t figure the Sole Survivor to be a gossip,” The way she emphasis’ the title almost made the Knight shrink away, but she’s got an easy going grin plastered on her face, “But yes.. that was me. 10 years ago, saving the Capital, fighting the good fight.. Load of horse shit if you ask me.”
Raising to her feet, Libby finally approaches the other, and suddenly, Autumn could see why even Maxson was nervous around her. She moved more like a predator than a human. Shoulders forward, eyes narrowed, footsteps heavy and loud against the metal floors. Underneath her black Brotherhood uniform, she’s all muscle, tensed as if ready for a fight any given moment.
Now face to face, she tilts her head ever so slightly, thick brows raised, “What’s the matter? Scared..? Well don’t be,” The hand slapping her shoulder isn’t all too comforting, but Libby walks past her, marveling at the suit of power armour instead, “I’m just like every other soldier. I’ve just.. seen some shit. Destroyed said shit, and now have it’s memories to keep me awake.”
“I know what’s that like.. It takes everything out of you..” Autumn slumps against a the armoring station, eyes turning down to the floor. Of all the things she had seen.. And it was a little under a year. What would 10 years be like? She wasn’t born and raised in this world.. So that’s assuming she survives that long.
“But you’re doing well,” Her eyes snap up to see the Paladin gazing at her, offering a lazy grin, “Better than I did. 19 years old.. that’s when I first stumbled into the Wasteland. I was a scrapper, but not a fighter. Not like I am now. No kid should see that type of shit.. But you have. Even if it wasn’t half as bad as the Wastelands.. I imagine you came to the Wastelands, more prepared than I was. Don’t sell yourself short.”
That lopsided grin was contagious. She’s a woman just trying to forget. Maybe keeping everyone at an arms length isn’t how to do it, but she was just as tired as any other veteran. “Thanks for this.. and uh.. if you ever need someone to talk to. I know it’s all cheesy, and you’re 30 years old, and a soldier and... just let me know.. Needing support doesn’t stop when you get older.”
Now it’s Libby’s turn to look surprised. Well.. as surprised as someone so in control as she was. Words either failed her, or she actually had nothing else to say, so Libby merely smiled and slowly wandered back to her own suit of armour, picking the same wrench back up.
Taking it as a positive, Autumn gives one last smile before making her way towards her bunk for the night. Maybe the terrifying Star Paladin wasn’t so brutal as everyone would assume.
Maxson’s always angry. But judging from the yelling coming from his room, he was the very manifestation of anger. Only an hour ago did a Star Paladin come clunking into the base, their power armor tattered and on the brink of falling apart. Most gave the person a wide berth, but plenty had no idea just who was barging in on the Elder’s private time.
Leaning on the bars counter top, Autumn tilts her head ever so slightly, trying to catch any words. Most in the dinning room were mimicking this. Even Danse was straining to catch tid-bits of his superiors ranting. “What in the hell has Maxipad so pissed off?”
The nickname she had fondly given their leader wasn’t exactly appreciated by her mentor, Danse giving her a rueful look. Shrugging it off, Autumn turns back to her drink. By this point, the yelling had gone down to a minimum, but he was still ranting and raving. Poor person unleashed the fury of the fucking sun.
None of them are expecting the door to fly open. This cause more than four people to nearly slip over, trying to act as normal as possible. Heavy foot steps are stomping up to the hall. Helmet removed, Autumn finally saw this Paladin’s face.
Her face was absolutely marred with scars, skin burnt and peeling from days spent in radiation and the dangerously hot sun. Not a single piece of hair was on this woman’s head, shaved clean and neatly. For half a second, their eyes meet, and Autumn’s almost sure her insides fell out her own arse.
Venomous green eyes belittle her, sizing her up in just a few breaths. Clearly unimpressed, she snorts and continues on her storming path. Not far behind her is Maxson, whom is trying to grab and stop her. “Woods! Don’t you walk out on me like that!”
This doesn’t sit well, cause she’s nearly throwing her elbow into the Elder’s face. Nobody has the courage to get between the two, their faces mere inches apart, murder broiling in their fingertips. It’s the Paladin that speaks, a finger lifted in caution, “Mind you manners, Arthur.. Next time you decide to forget who helped trained you.. I’ll cut your fucking nuts off.”
With no more room to argue, she turns back to storming down the hall. Now even the toughest veteran Knight’s practically leapt out of the woman’s path, apologizing quietly. And still she pays no mind, going until she disappears to the lower deck of the Prydwen.
Maxson turns to see just about every other Brother and Sister staring wide eyed at him. Releasing a heavy sigh, he motions half-heartedly behind him, “The great mighty hero of the Capital wasteland, everybody.. Now return to your duties, all of you.”
Autumn knows better than to pry Maxson at this point. If she had half the guts that other woman had, she would do so. But, judging by the dark, gloomy look on his face, she was better off bothering Danse for answers. She’s just about to turn around when his gruff voice halts her, “Don’t even try prodding me, Autumn.. That’s a can of worms even I won’t touch.”
Huffing in defeat, the vault dweller merely shrinks down into her drink. Maybe it was best if she stayed out of this one. But her mind kept wandering to the Paladin with nothing but hatred seeping from her pores.
As much as I want to believe Libby is this hardcore wanderer that breaks hearts every city she goes to, cold and chews on metal for bubblegum... In reality she’s just a moody little douche.
The first time she gets her hands on Lucky (her sniper rifle), she’s a little dense to seek help from her friends in the brotherhood how to shoot this thing. Instead, she gets a burning hot bullet shell down the front of her vault suit cause she doesn’t realize pulling the bolt back releases the bloody thing.
And then there’s the case of her half missing finger. She grabbed the Fat Man and fired, throwing caution to the wind. After she’s all “Holy shit that was awesome! No no, I’m all good!” Then only when she finishes talking to Three Dog does she faint from blood loss, cause she’s a moron and doesn’t realize half her bloody finger is gone and bleeding profusely all over her.\
So don’t mistake Libby as those stone-faced ladies that have men kissin’ their boots. She’s just a kid with a resting bitch face.
Comparing Blake and Libby is like trying to compare water to sand.
Libs all fight and no talk, only really has a sensitive side for her good friends, and even those are rare. Probably has more scars than she cares to think about, and not a single piece of clothing of her is whole.
Blake is very suave and scheming. Every little thing she does is deliberate. Despite living in the mojave, she’s consistent in keeping clean, and absolutely will crush anybody under her heels if they get in her way, unless they can be useful.
“So lil girly.. what are ya gonna do now? Drown in this irradiated shit?” Libby wasn’t quite drunk enough to answer Moriarity right now, so she only gave a fleeting glare. Normally, that would have silenced the man, yet he persisted, leaning on the opposite side of the bar, brows raised. “Look, you pay, so I could care less what you do. But I don’t think that’s what you want.”
“Just getting my fill, Morty.. After tonight, might not be seein’ me again,” Glancing into her glass, Libby spotted a small mound of sand had settled in the bottom. Grunting in annoyance, she slides the drink away before finally looking up at the bar tender. Curiosity had gotten the better of the older, as his brows had been raised and jaw set. Knowing he would throw out about 20 invasive questions, Libby beat him to the punch.
“Heading out of Capital. Some place called new Vegas. I’ve been told that they’re forming some decent settlements up there.. Might set my horizon there. Or at least die tryin’,” As casual as possible, Libby rose from her seat, stretching arms above her head. From the corner of her eyes, she can see Moriarity cringe at the noise of her bones cracking in protest.
Rifling through her pockets quickly, she tossed the usual amount of bottle caps on the counter, waving over her shoulder before he could even utter another word, “Well, I should get moving. Still need to decide what to take from home. Stay safe, Morty.”
Stumbling to her place half-drunk took just a little longer than usual. Would she miss this place? It had been the first welcoming site since leaving the vault nearly two years ago. Gave her a real taste of what life would be like. And she was leaving it behind.
“Ah shit, not enough vodka in me to be feelin’ sad..” She mutters moodily, patting at her pockets to search for her key. Just when she was about to curse at forgetting it, a jingle from behind her halted her. “Looking for this?”
Turning around, a lopsided grin replaced the usual frown. It seemed she had forgotten her keys at the saloon, but as always, Gob was quick to chase after her and hand them back. This hadn’t been the first time either. “Thanks man.. You’d think I would learn.”
Just as she’s reaching out, he quickly pulls them out of her reach, a mild surprise to the wanderer. “So you were gonna leave, without so much as a goodbye?”
Well shit, maybe he had heard that whole spiel. That was the hardest part, deciding if she should tell the ghoul. In the past few months, they had gotten considerably.. close. He would regale her with stories that Three Dog had spewed out while she soaked in liquor. And when she got too tipsy, he let her sleep in his room, remarking that letting her walk around Megaton that drunk would end with a body count.
The nights she had spent in his bed, he merely held her. But that meant more than anyone could ever know. Since coming out of the Vault, she had let her own desires wander, tasting and testing whichever she liked. But it grew tiresome for her. It was all the same, too rough, too hot, too heavy.
Yet there in Gob’s arms, she felt comfortable. She didn’t need to prove her strength, nor did she have to worry about him trying to pull anything while she slept. It was a comfort she never felt. And he knew that.
“Gob..” Libby ran a gloved hand over her slowly growing fuzz, finding that words were escaping her mind completely, “I.. did want to tell you.”
“You never were good with words,” He’s suddenly walking past her, unlocking her door and sliding it open. “Come on.. You can pack tomorrow. Just for tonight.”
Unable to help it, she merely smiles and follows after the ghoul. Watching the Ghoul walk up her stairs in easy strides, she couldn’t help but think of the first time he came over for cards, all tensed and nervous that Morty would show up and beat him to death. “You coming?”
Sliding her gear off in fluid movements, Libby finally made her way up the steps, grin widening when she spotted the other already nestling into her mattress. When he caught her grin, he patted the surface, a slightly nervous smile on his own lips.
“Askin’ me to bed are you?” She teased, already knowing that he was balking and objecting before she could blink. While he stammered over a response, she flopped beside him, dragged the slightly worn comforter over their heads. That instantly stopped the ghoul’s ramblings, his voice now quiet, “Oh.. you were joking..”
“Sorry. You’re cute when you get flustered..” Now nestled in the darkness, Libby arched into the other’s chest, eyes slowly closing at the warmth. Nothing else could be said, and instead they simply curled into one another.
He hooked one arm around her waist, the other pillowed her head, fingers massaging her scalp ever so gently. No light was needed, cause Gob knew where every scar and dent was, something he always memorized on the nights she fell asleep drunk in his bed. Just when he considered pressing a kiss to her temple, she rolls around in his arms, facing him head on. In the dark, he thought she was simply getting comfortable.
He didn’t see until the last moment when she pressed a gentle kiss to leathery face, murmuring under her breath, “Thank you Gob.. you have more kindness than any other wastelander.. Please stay safe while I’m gone.. I will come back someday. I promise.”
“That’s a promise I’m holding you to, Woods.” Even though he feels like he’s about to shake his skin right off, he leans forward and kisses whatever his mouth can find, which turns out to me her jaw, as a giggle escapes her lips.
That sound would be engraved in his head for the rest of his life. And when he awoke, alone in her bed, he can only grin ever-so lightly, running a hand through his grungy hair. “...I promise I’ll stay safe, Lib..”
I’m not sure if I wanna remake Libby in Fallout: New Vegas.. :V I love her too much and I’m just getting into the Fallout series.. Might just stick to the old gal. It’s literally only a three-four year space between 3 and NV. So eh.. fuck it. Libby it is!
