resort_link | Niko Bellic

[Niko comes up to meet her, and he is less tidy. He's scruffy, with his duffel bag of guide goods over his shoulder. He's wearing a long coat with a high collar, leather, that looks tailored, but a loose turtleneck beneath that and worn khakis, fingerless gloves, and tennis shoes. With him is a dog whose shoulders are around his hip height. It's massive and looks like a great four-eyed wolf.]

Hey. [He announces and offers his hand in greeting. Pas sticks his nose out to sniff her.]

The thought ah... I appreciate it. But I think I am a little tired to worry about it.

Maybe as long as you guys know I wouldn't, that is enough.

[Though his pride still needs some work, and it's hard to resist the urge to do something. Maybe later.]

[Private]

Can I ask you something about Boone? I know what happened with his wife. I don't know if you do- so I am vague. But is there something special from Vegas that would make him happy. I'd like to get him a pretty good gift.

[... well...

Elle would be lying if she said that didn't strike some chords in her. She offers a small smile, and her voice is lighter.] Okay. I guess they can have another chance. But if they do something like this again, I'm gonna file a complaint myself, even if it wasn't me they did it to.

[Private]

[Elle's first reaction is to blink, hard, in surprise. Boone... told him... He really -- They really must be good friends. Everything about her expression softens.] Yeah... Yeah, I know.

[She hmmms quietly in thought.] Boone's hard to buy for... when it's not practical stuff, I mean... umm. [Something special. Elle sits back and stares up. After a moment, she laughs a little.] I know he likes Fancy Lads, but those are just snack cakes, y'know? Nothing really significant. Um...

[... oh.] Did he bring any magazines with him, do you know? Comic books or anything?

[Linda takes his hand with a smile] Hi, Niko. Thanks again for doing this. [and then she turns her attention to the dog, leaning down a little as he sniffs her] Hey. Good to meet you in person, Pas.

[He really isn't so used to cops being so genuinely friendly. It's welcomed, of course, he's a friendly guy, but he still feels more of a pang for his home. How much better it would be if more of the departments there were filled with people like these.]

[He pats Pas heavily again, and the dog barks once. For as alien as the hounds look, they are also very Earth-doggish.]

Hey ah...

What are you looking for help with in particular? I brought all my sh- stuff with me. [He makes a half ass attempt to be polite.]

No, he didn't bring anything special. I can get him snack cakes [which he says like 'snek cehks']. And whiskey, but I get him whiskey often.

It sounds like a pretty rough world you guys come from.

[... snek cehks. That's kind of adorable.]

Maybe you could order some Grognak the Barbarian comic books. I know he reads the ones from Arcade's stash... [beat] Um. Arcade, he's a friend of ours.

Yeah... I mean, it's not like we don't have ways to have fun, but... A lot of it's just simple stuff, I guess. Card games and stuff like that. And books, if you're into reading, but the hard part's... y'know. Finding ones that're intact, and not ruined.

...He likes comic books about Barbarians? Shit. I know some guys. I can do better than that.

[He's not going to say exactly what guys he knows.] Maybe I get him a bat'leth ["behtlet" as he says it]. Have you ever seen one?

[Elle laughs at his reaction.] Yeah? Like what?

No, I don't think I have. [Elle sits forward a little in her curiousity.] What is it?

It is a big blade that you use two handles for. You can swing it like a sword, you can hold it in front of you do block. It is sharp all the way across one side and you can hold it evenly.

If you want to go barbarian, Klingons are the people to go to. Good drinking songs. Shitty wine. [Blood wine is gross.]

[If Elle is getting stars in her eyes, it's because she's imagining Lily swinging one of those things around.]

Man, maybe I need to save up so I can get one to send back to one of my friends... Actually, I can think of a couple of 'em that'd probably appreciate it... [Veronica likes melee weapons, too, even if she prefers options that still involve punching people.]

Grognak is all about this, well. Barbarian guy, and he beats up all kinds of bad guys. Like the Antagonizer, and Man-Saurian, and the Virgin Eater. [pause.] Which, um. Is a kind of... snake thing... with a bird head? And wings? And it breathes fire.

Sounds like some of the shit that he says is walking around back home for you guys.

I'll be honest, I wouldn't be surprised if I saw a real one. Nooooot in the least.

[Though. If she did, she would have to go and have Words with the Think Tank, because it probably means that Borous decided to make his childhood fantasies reality. Again.]

I bet this place is a good vacation.

It kind of is for me, too.

Yeah, pretty much. It's already going a lot better than my last vacation. That one just landed me in the middle of a small war... [Thanks, Zion.

Elle tilts her head.] What's your world like?

[He's trying to find a way to put it.]

I think your world makes better people than mine, and that is said knowing what happened to Boone's wife and child.

[Yes, he knows about that, too.]

[Okay, if Elle was surprised he knew about Carla --

She just. stares at him for a long moment. This... shit, this has to make Niko the first person Boone's willingly told about the child, doesn't it? She really doubts Boone's told any of their other friends back home. And Elle, she... she only knows because of the bill of sale. Boone never had a chance to choose to tell her. There's an odd twinge in her chest.]

Then... [she starts slowly, but works out what to say quickly enough.] This is probably even more of a vacation for you than it is for us, huh? [Another pause.] I'm... I'm happy, that you were able to have this chance. To... get away from it all. [And... to meet Boone. It's a weird kind of thank you, almost.]

I miss my family, but that's about it. And I shouldn't be around them. I bring bad news being around them. There is a lot of trouble in my world, and it all can find me.

[If anything should explain it...]

So this isn't really a vacation. I can't go back.

[Linda catches that attempt and smiles, amused, as she straightens] Whatever shit will help me learn to deal with the dangerous animals out there. What's effective against them?

Spiders are rickety. You can shoot them pretty easy. But I'll have to let you start when we go out- if I shoot them, Pas will tear them apart.

[If she wants to see that dog go from sweety to snarling hellbeast, that's how you do it.]

With the skeletons, it is best to aim for the head. Other parts do damage, too, but the head is just bigger and easier to aim for.

Come on, lets go find a spider for you to practice on. [He nods toward the road, intent on leading her out towards the fence gates.]

[she nods at his instructions, following after him] All right, sounds easy enough. So, I take it the spiders just bite. But I heard the skeletons shoot arrows. Is that true?

The spiders can also jump at you, but yes.

So, for today? I bring extra armor. [He hands her what looks like a heavy poncho.] Not pretty but it will help.

Wow. Thanks! [she's genuinely grateful for the loaned armor. she was wishing she'd been able to check the station for that riot gear they got back in 2001 before coming here--one of many things she wishes she'd been able to pack, really, rather than arriving with only what she'd had on her at the radio station]

[she awkwardly pulls on the armor over her uniform, trying to adjust how it rests on her relatively small frame] Anything else I need to know?

Just your gun. It only takes a few shots. The rest I will show you.

Do you want to go a little at a time or dive right in to the hard stuff? [When they reach the gates, it's looking mostly clear. There's just some wild animals milling around, grazer's patiently eating and ignoring them as if they aren't there. They aren't particularly startled by people.]

[she pulls the pistol from the holster at her waist to hold beside her, ready for when she needs it] Got it. And I don't mind diving in if it's really just shooting.

[because Linda is an excellent shot, so she knows she can rely on those skills at least. not to mention, the closer they get, the more eager she feels to see how she can do with this...]

Niko Bellic | Network 002

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