resort_link | Niko Bellic

...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.

[... shit.

... Elle wishes this was a conversation they were having in person. Because then she could reach out and touch his shoulder, do something simple like that. Maybe she should think of a way for them to... meet up, or... something. If he's willing.]

I'm sorry... I'm so sorry. [Her voice is soft. She hesitates. How should she... This would be so much easier if she could drink.

... wait. No, she's got it.] Hey -- um. I know this is kinda -- er, really off-topic, but... I was thinking about maybe trying to tame a hound. D'you think you could show me some pointers, since you've done it before? [In all honesty, she's made this decision on the spot. But. Y'know, it's an excuse to meet up with him.]

Don't be. They're okay now, and that's the best thing for them.

Sure, hounds are good to have around.

But don't use fish, I accidentally tamed my beast that way. Do you want to go out to the woods? I could show you where they are for you to look later.

No fish, got it.

[That's the best thing for them. It hurts her to hear it, even from someone she's not close to.]

Sure, that sounds good. I haven't really been sure where to start... I really appreciate it.

Where would you like to meet?

We can meet up by the gate, if that works for you.

[About fifteen minutes later there's Niko at the gate, his duffel bag of museum supplies over his shoulder, but also some meat. By his side? A dog that is high on him but Elle could probably ride if she puts her mind to it. It blinks at her with four eyes, flops its tail against the ground. Then it stands and stalks out, ready to follow Niko as he goes off.]

Wolves like the trees. Maybe because the animals they eat see them coming less. I brought some food- some steak from the oxen.

[And the animals roaming around are truly unusual looking, named for only remote resemblance. They're patient, too, not especially alarmed by their presence. The sheep aren't even bothered by the presence of a tamed hound.]

[He gives her the wrapped meat out of his bag, and scolds his dog for thinking of stealing it.] You are ready to tempt in one? It might take a few times. It turns out they like the skeleton bones, too.

[The facts that the animals are both strange and barely paying attention to them don't really register too much to Elle. If you think she didn't waste a day off chasing a not-bighorner around petting it and its entire family, you're wrong.

She takes the package of meat, lips scrunched up to one side of her face.] Yeah, I think so. Can't be too hard, right? [Jokingly,] I think this is the first time I've had to bribe an animal into liking me.

You are not just bribing the animal to like you, you are bribing it to take an arrow for you. To run in if anything comes at you.

So only really do it if you want this kind of loyalty from an animal. It is very hard to make them move on from a person. It was a tough decision for me [since he doesn't expect to survive], but I knew the hound would help keep away enemies and make it safer for my explorer. If you go home, you might have to take it back with you.

[... yeah, it's definitely not a joke any more. Elle's expression sobers. Rex was entrusted to her, but he dove into combat more readily than she did, back then. But Roxie... This is more similar to Roxie in scale.]

That's okay with me, [she says slowly.] People back home are just gonna think that it's a mutated dog. [She pauses, taking more time to mull over the thought of loyalty.] I... Honestly, I'm... willing to ask that from them, if they're willing to come with me. I'm willing to do whatever it takes to take care of them, no matter what. So... [She nods, not entirely sure why she said "so." She doesn't know what else to say.] Yeah.

They are also assholes who might just steal the meat and run for a few times. So there is that too. It might take a few tries.

[They get inside of the forest, and Niko finds an old stump to sit on and pull out his canteen. He's just waiting and listening now, for a bark. There are lots of wolf tracks and he know they're around.]

[Pas sits beside of him, showing off some of that loyalty just by wanting to be around him. It's not even for the meat. He just seems to want to give Niko attention. Sure, other people can be nice to him, but those four eyes stay trained on his person most of the time.]

I don't know why the people here made their dogs so loyal. From what they say, they couldn't fight to protect themselves. So maybe that's it.

[Elle isn't entirely sure what to do with herself. In the end, she decides to lower herself into a crouch, holding the package of meat with both hands.]

This world is full of all kinds of danger... I mean, it's pretty hard to pick out creepers, right? Maybe, if the dogs are more loyal, they aren't gonna run when they get scared because of them... [She trails off, thinking of how skittish the coyotes are back home. They've been content to walk with her sometimes, on occasions when she was out walking the Mojave by herself, but as soon as there was something dangerous...] Are they really that much more loyal than regular trained dogs? I mean... Rex and Roxie, they've always been prone to running to danger, because their protective instincts have been bred so strong... I thought that it was pretty much the same.

That's the only thing the dogs won't attack.

You can train a dog very well back home. You can work with it for months. Years of input. But these dogs? Just feed them until they like you and they are yours. And yes, unless someone else can get through to them the dog will sit and wait for you no matter how long it is that you are gone, without wondering off. And it takes much to get through to them.

They're very dedicated. They won't even eat beyond what they absolutely need until you feed them.... don't ah... overfeed them though.

Because... [He makes a dismissive gesture. You know. Like he and Boone learned the hard way.] Pas tries to make Rex his girlfriend sometimes. [Which, reasonably, doesn't work.]

[Elle stifles a laugh. She shifts the meat to one hand and reaches over to pat Pas' back.] Sorry, buddy. He's the wrong kind of doggy for that.

[She muses on the training for a moment.] I guess... One benefit for people about this would be that, if they got caught out in the woods or something... Then they'd be able to have a fast friend who'll help take care of them.

Niko Bellic | Network 002

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