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Danse The airwaves of the Commonwealth are dense with the effects of the constant low thrum of ionizing radiation. Only a few radio carriers really blast out across the region in a wide area: Diamond City Radio, and now, the Brotherhood of Steel's frequency. Point to point is a bit easier to manage, but still hit-and-miss, and still at the whims of the local weather patterns. During one such atmospheric glitch, a normally weak signal that never rose above the noise before suddenly gets a strong skip toward Cambridge, as well as the nearby Weston treatment plant. It is startlingly clear, for that short amount of time, and the nature of the transmission is...

    A radio show? The most earcatching part is the dramatic and suspenseful organ, introducing the apparent main character of the serial as the 'Silver Shroud'. While the content may be easily dismissed, it's still signs of life, or at least the preservation of a former culture, in an environment where little of worth seems to have survived looting and the ravages of two centuries. The fact that it's a bounce off of atmospheric layers does slightly complicate triangulation efforts, but it's still enough to get a general area, and if that's a constant signal, it should become easier to track. Before it ends, that seems to be somewhere in the ruins of Eastern Boston, a part of the city that seems to somehow have worn even worse than most. The decaying remains of several skyscrapers, and what seems to be a partially collapsed skybridge, all can be seen in the region even from that distance.

    The good news is, to get there, one need not necessarily trudge through the constant street warfare that marks the region. Instead, the water front is practically a walk in the park, compared to most areas of Boston. Perhaps because it is simply so out in the open and exposed, that few of the locals dare to brave it when they could be skulking within the darkened alleys. It is not necessarily empty, though. Signs of inhabitation, and often not the friendly sort, can be seen if you peer closely enough at the ruined buildings: Cage-like walls with barbed wire, colorfully worded 'KEEP OUT' scribblings, perhaps some skulls on spikes here and there. Despite how quiet it is, unnerving reminders are never far from view.

    Close to the turn-off, where the signal seems to be its strongest yet, and far down the street, humanoid shapes can be seen in the bombed out remnants of what was once a quaint little diner. Gas masks repurposed as parts of helmets, pieces of scrap fashioned into crude armor, and similarly jury-rigged weaponry indicate that these are almost certainly a band of local Raiders. Yet, if they notice the intrusion into their turf, they don't seem to pay it any mind. Instead, it's almost like they're scoping out something even further down their lines of sight. Some mutterings between each other are hard to decipher at this distance, without super hearing that is.

    Otherwise, the immediate road seems to be clear. Previous visitors would note that the transmission is actually coming from closeby to, though not precisely at, the Mass Fusion building. And the signal is increasingly clear, and no longer piecemeal. It seems to have a live radio host, some Kent Connolly fellow...unless that's also a recording.
Kyle Katarn     The Speeder Bike won't take long to get towards Goodneighbor, and Kyle may draw a few eyes as he and his passenger arrive at the front door. Tracking the signal, he keeps sensing with the Force to keep him from driving into any sort of ambush points. After all, this is Raider territory and they know the land better than he does at the moment.

    "Weird, signal's close to the Mass Fusion building." He muses over local comms, finally stopping the bike and hopping off. Silica won't have a problem dismounting, if she's careful, even if the bike seems to just hover in mid-air.

    "Stay close." He warns to the girl, before he pulls out his blaster. Pays to be prepared after all.
William Pauwel     While a few months spent out in the Commonwealth Wasteland has taught Will the importance of wearing a good suit of power armor, there's still something a little odd about bringing what basically amounts to a walking tank in to talk to a guy running a radio show. Also, Will hasn't rejiggered the Mistral's shocks to actually carry something as heavy as a T-45. So he hasn't brought it along, instead opting to go with his usual explorer's ensemble!

It really does fit in well with the ambiance.

    The Mistral's engine roars as it screeches in behind Kyle and Silica, coming to a stop only when they do. "I'll keep a look out from behind," Will says, dropping the all-terrain bike into a lower gear. "You know, in case we need to make a quick getaway." Plus, this thing has his gun's supercharger. No way he's going on without that!
Silica     Silica clings against Kyle's back as the Speeder bike races across the Wasteland. His words mean nothing to the newcomer, but as he dismounts, she flitters down to the ground on a short burst of her fairy wings, alighting with the barest tiptap of her boots on the ground.

    Pina unwinds its neck from around Silica's, looking around with beady eyes now it's not having to fight against air resistance just to do so. "Don't worry Mister Katarn. We can take care of ourselves... but you know this palce better than I do, so I'll follow your lead."

    William's arrival earns a smile and wave from the Cait Sith. "Hello Mister Pauwel! How're the explorations going?" she asks. It's been a while since she helped with those robot monsters, after all.
William Pauwel     "Oh, you know," Will gives Silica a grin. "It's going. I've got a few new leads on some places to go and check, but t'ain't much shaking out just yet. Got a feeling I'm on my way to a major find, though! I can feel it in my bones!"
Kutsuuko Shiratori     The surroundings are almost familiar, in a depressingly relaxing kind of way. Scorched earth, muddy skies, decaying buildings. The main difference is a little bit of plant life here and there, and the fact that the surroundings have fallen into advanced disrepair over hundreds of years, instead of being, well, eaten full of giant, perfectly spherical holes.

    Not a terrible way for a God Eater to stretch their legs outside the Den for once. Kutsuuko has on her field gear anyways, which isn't all that much to carry around, save for the God Arc itself. Scarlet Symphony is currently an overmassive assault gun, like someone carrying the autocannon out of a fighter jet under-arm, though without the ammo drum, and being a very high level design, with a lot of care put into a kind of gold, vermillion and amber exterior casing, with some work put into making it attractive. It stands out a hell of a lot, though Kutsuuko herself does a little less, save for the fresh looking state of her somewhat flashier clothes.

    She has plenty of looks for those raiders; both up and down, and surprisingly aggressive 'try me' types, not so much intimidated as concerned with looking a little preemptively intimidating to them. There is a certain air of wasteland familiarity, and confidence, she projects, like other people are the least of her concerns, despite being arguably the most dangerous part of post-apocalyptica.

    Every so often she stops to check the bulky, armoured bracelet around her right wrist, using some form of built-in software suite to track the radio signal, before listening in on a discreet earpiece. "Don't be a wuss." She intones in a naturally smokey, and slightly worn, voice at total odds with the casual, almost sisterly shoving tone. "Anyone attacking a group this big is a dead man walking. Besides, we're following a radio drama. It's not like we're going to have to commando in."

    The fact she knows all of two people here doesn't seem to compel her towards introductions yet. Doubting the signal is actually from the fusion plant itself, she goes scouting around the exterior with her eyes alternating down to her armlet, looking for anything that looks like it would house an ionosphere capable radio transmitter.
Kyle Katarn     "You never know." Kyle shrugs at Kutsuuko, eyeing the God Eater for a moment. A girl that small with a weapon that big is either overconfident, or some sort of augment. Either way, he does see her point. Raiders might not be so stupid as to engage a group this well equipped, and word traveling fast of off-worlders with laser swords and crazy powers might help. Shame Supermutants aren't too concerned about self-preservation.
Evangeline      The little Neuroi known as Evangeline hasn't been to Boston in a while, but after noticing an unusual broadcast Evangeline came through to investigate. She finds that she is in good company as she emerges to see a few familiar faces and a few unknown faces. She catches up to the group, offering a wave to Kyle and William. "...are we all responding to a radio show...?" she asks in that quiet voice of hers which oddly comes from a watch around her arm rather than her face.

     Although this path seems fairly calm, Evangeline knows how volatile this world is, and so she stays a few meters above the group to keep an aerial eye on their surroundings.
Rory White "Wreckage everywhere. Nothing new." Rory White notes simply. Once again she's in her Synth Morph, indistinguishable from human. She's decided that it's probably best to, however distressing it is to lie, fake being human simply due to the hatred people seem to have for Synths in the Commonwealth.

    Well, really, it'll be more a case of, 'you never asked.'

    For now she trudges along with the others, a few of her Saucers trailing along in the sky. One of them drops tiny solar-powered devices atop of skyscrapers every so often - radio boosters, cameras, microphones... she's spreading a sensor net everywhere she goes. One day perhaps she'll have the whole Commonwealth under surveillance, instead of just the area around the waterworks... assuming looters don't spot the tiny insect-sized gadgets. Or a stray rocket doesn't vaporize them.

    Who knows, they might.

    "It did come from the Southeast." The bluenette notes, pulling up alongside the others on what appears to be a wide, personal hovercraft of some kind... well, it's far wider than any motorcycle, but not much taller, and seems quite capable of navigating the terrain. Although... not spectacularly quickly like the speeder bike present, it's faster and more efficient than walking.
Danse Robot monsters, something all too familiar in this world, as well. Thankfully, none make themselves known, at the moment. Instead, it's those raiders, which strangely are keeping to themselves. Something must have them *really* preoccupied. One wearing welding goggles and what looks like some bulked up baseball catcher's gear leans out briefly at various engine-y sounds. You know when you hear something like that in the Commonwealth, something pretty damn weird is going on, like the time that guy rode off on his 'motorcycle'. "What the hell's that racket?" "Some weirdos showed up, some on bikes or something. Thought it was the Jet at first." Despite how out of place this no doubt looks to them, they seem to dismiss some of the stranger bits as the chems, for the moment, "Keep an eye on `em. If they mess up our stakeout on Pickman, though, we'll mess `em up." They are Raiders, certainly, but they still know when to pick their battles, and right now a blood grudge outweighs trying to jump a bunch of strangers for their valuables.

    "I swear one of two `em was flyin'." "I think you need to stick to Jet: Original Flavor for a while."

    Continuing on, perhaps, the Mass Fusion building is more or less in the way, though set off to the side of the street. Or at least, the actual main entrance, a set of apparently functional, hydraulic double doors, can finally be seen. It isn't directly approachable, however, because there are some guards directly outside. A few of the Elites would recognize their scavenged military garb and demeanor as being a particular brand of elevated scum, the Gunners. It looks like they've placed strategic sandbags and barricades around the immediate perimeter, as well as more than a few fragmentation mines. They're also a bit better armed than the raiders before, though they only get their laser rifles -- models strikingly similar to the one Danse carries -- at the ready, warily and silently staring at the carnival sideshow. They still left a bit of room to walk past, but it's relatively narrow, no doubt by design.

    Chances that the Mass Fusion building is now some kind of Gunners fortress are high.

    But what's that? A little beyond these intimidating landmarks, beside some unlucky bandit corpses. Crudely painted white lettering and arrows on wooden plank boards. 'GOODNEIGHBOR ==>' This is further mirrored by strings of lights over the street, down toward what looks to be a gate, with the same name in neon. The radio signal is *really* strong now, practically no static whatsoever, and the sounds of activity can easily be heard coming from inside the gates, even from some distance away. Could there be a settlement in this inhospitable part of town, or is it something seedier? From their slightly different vantage point, any flyers or hoverers that can see just over the wall may see it is...well, probably a town of sorts. There are people milling around, what seem to be some shops, and guards that look more like mobsters out of an old movie.
Kyle Katarn     As Kyle continues onwards, he's quick to take point and sense at nearby Raider threats. Thankfully, they're not too aggressive tonight, good enough reason for him to lower his weapon as he notices the arrows. "Hmm."

    He moves his hand, pointing in the direction of where the sign's pointing before heading that way himself. "Stick close together, we'll have all the breathing room we need long as we don't split up." He says, holstering his blaster when he notices the fellows in suits, toting old-timey weapons he's seen in movies before.

    "Hey fellas!" He calls at one of the guards, trying to get their attention in as non-threatening a way as possible. "Noticed these signs saying something about a Goodneighbor, you know anything about it?" Hey, might help to be civil for once.
Silica     Silica keeps close to Kyle and the others. She's not obviously armed, but Pina is watching around carefully, taking stock of local threats, just in case. The Cait Sith herself keeps as low a profile as possible, which is pretty simple, being really short. "Let me know if you sense something about to attack. I can put up some buff spells for us." she offers, glancing between her 'Party'.
Danse The guard that Kyle is in particular looking at, looks barely into his twenties and probably plucked off the street at some point, gives a glance to the other that might be his immediate superior. Then he gives another glance at Kyle, almost as though disbelieving he's being addressed with something that isn't accompanying gunfire. After the moment, though, he gives a light shrug of his army fatigues-garbed shoulders, "Bunch of outcast civilians, didn't have anywhere else to go, so they banded together in there. We have a sort of uneasy truce with `em. They stay out of our business, we don't make their business ours." He tries to make it sound tough and strict, but it seems he still has some seasoning to go before he's got the toughened soldier mindset. It might also be the somewhat distracting visage of Silica further knocking him off guard -- the rest somewhat nominally, in their own ways, rock the Commonwealth chic.

    One of them outsiders the commanders were talking about, maybe.
Kyle Katarn     How 'bout that! A Raider who isn't shoot-on-sight to people!

    "Thanks pal. We'll try not to make any trouble." Kyle throws a salute the Gunner's way in thanks, giving Silica a thumbs up. "Guess we might be able to do this without trouble after all, huh?" He grins a little, then continues his way down the alleyway, moving further and following the signs.
Kutsuuko Shiratori     "Dont bug the raiders like that too." Kutsuuko says 30% of the way to an eye rolling tone. "They're all drugged up on crap made stims with hallucinogenic side effects. Probably addicted to them too." Just saying that makes her itch a little, and become acutely conscious of her own auto-injectors riding in a hard case on the back of her belt, but she doesn't need those; not at the moment. It's different, okay? They're medically proven, and her biology works with them seamlessly, and it's just . . . habit by now.

    Keeping in theme with her own 'advice', Kutsuuko pushes the gate as soon as she sees it, striding straight on through with about as much effort as brushing aside a curtain. She takes a gander up at the lights, smiling very briefly at the little bit of care put into the place. Her expression changes to mild surprise at seeing the town beyond though, even if it is kind of a shanty. "I'm surprised somebody set up this close to all these gun toters." she remarks, trying to assess whoever she can see outside. Hearing a little guard exposition in the background tells half the story, but she has to wonder how threatening these settlers really are.
William Pauwel     To be fair to Kutsuuko, Will IS probably being unnecessarily cautious. But he's a Chaser. If he's not careful when it counts, he'll end up dead and buried someplace way deeper than just six feet under! As they go on, she might catch sight of him peering into nearby buildings to make sure they don't have too many eyes watching. The Gunners peering in from on high are something he's extra certain to keep a watch on, but fortunately they don't decide to start anything, so Will and the others get to go on unmolested!

    "Howdy there," Will says to the VERY HELPFUL GUARD. "Looks like y'all have a pretty interesting settlement here! We uh. Were actually hopin' to find someone who's been doing some broadcasting? Something about a Silver Shroud? Y'all hear anything about that around here? There's this signal we've been picking up, you see?"
Rory White More raiders. How unfortunate, thinks Rory White. But there's nothing much she can do for them besides try to convince them towards honest work... and provide said work, as a lack of security and resources is why so many TURN to raiding... she thinks.

    It's a part of human instinct. Tribalism.

    Eventually she has to get off the Hovercraft and start walking. Leaving it on its own would seem foolish, but... then it huddles over near a pile of rubble and color-shifts, the skin altering how it refracts and reflects light in a chameleon-esque fashion. It's not invisible, but well-camouflaged...

    There's no parking outside Goodneighbor worth talking about, but it'll do.

    "Looks like a relatively sizable settlement! Good evening, Mr. Katarn..." Rory shuffles over next to the Jedi, feeling safer near someone who's actually superhuman. She's dressed in her robes though, and she's not visibly armed. Which... doesn't mean she isn't armed, not by a long shot.

    "Drugs aren't bad. However, I'm certain whatever processes are being used to manufacture them in a wasteland like this isn't healthy..."
Danse The town life is...interesting. Snippets from local cases and gossip were no doubt already heard by Kutsuuko, having attuned to them early, but it's a surprisingly vibrant place for being people that allegedly weren't welcome anywhere else. The centerpiece seems to be what database checks would reveal to be the Old State House, a building in a relatively decent state of preservation, considering its surroundings and circumstances. (There may even be a few panes of glass left intact!) The bunting of the ol' red, white and blue still adorn several projections of it, though weather worn and dramatically faded. The settlement itself is fashioned in a rough semicircle, composed of old warehouses and other buildings, with piled up junk or walls reinforcing what otherwise might be entrypoints. At the 'back end' is the old Scollay Square, with its vibrant signage, even if the buildings themselves are thoroughly run down. It looks like there's even a hotel! And something called the Memory Den, where a short queue has apparently formed on the outside.

    More immediately, however, two open store fronts are visible. Daisy's Discounts appears to be some kind of general junk and salvage store, dealing in all sorts of odds and ends. The other is quite obviously a weapons store, Kill or Be Killed. With a quite unusual proprietress: It looks to be a thoroughly humanoid robot, far more streamlined and, not to mention, feminine-styled than the ever-bumbling Protectron. A cyclopian red lens seems laser focused on the newcomers, perhaps running some internal heuristics to size them up. That is, before a sultry, but obviously synthetic, voice, calls them over as a group. "Hello~. Welcome to Goodneighbor. I couldn't help but notice that you seem to be new around here, so let me give you a bit of advice: Never leave town without a quality weapon. Or several. I stock all major pre-war brands, as well as more...native devices."

    One of the local chemheads stumbles down the street, while this is going on. The guards, firm and dismissive, but in that way that a friend of the family might speak, urges them with an almost 'gangster-like' prodding, "Go home and get sobered up! Yer embarassing us in front of the tourists!" That's when Will trots up. And he'd see a non-feral ghoul closeup for probably the first time in the Commonwealth. Glassy eyes that are a few levels beyond merely bloodshot, and flesh that looks like he stayed in the tanning bed a few weeks too long. Despite that, his face retains expressiveness, and his hairless brow quirks thoughtfully for a moment, before realization dawns. "You mean Kent? Yeah, he's a real fan of the Silver Shroud. Almost talks like he's real or something...wouldn't mind having a hit of what HE's havin', heh." After a few more moments, he lowers his drum-magazined submachinegun, and cranes his head indicatiavely toward that 'Memory Den' building. "He mostly stays couped up in there. Saved up enough to get his own memory lounger and everything. Careful, though..." He leans in and mutters, "Some people get bad trips in those things and come out a little crazy, I hear."
Kyle Katarn     Huh. This is actually pretty well put together considering the surrounding area! Kyle seems to be pretty at ease, as he gives Rory a grin. "Nice robe. Rocking the Jedi look I figure?" he teases, before he wanders into Goodneighbor proper.

    The sultry voiced assault droid draws a cocked eyebrow from the bearded Jedi, and Kyle just tugs his coat aside to show his Bryar blaster's holstered on his belt. "No thanks, I'll keep it in mind though if I need anything." He declines calmly, but not without taking a peek at KLEO's wares out of curiosity.

    Along his way, he glances toward whoever mentioned the memory den, tilting his head a little. "Memory Lounger? What's it do, make you simulate old memories or something?"
Kutsuuko Shiratori     In a way, this place kind of reminds Kutsuuko of the Far East's outer ghetto. Significantly slummier and more makeshift, but the way the people seem to be cheerily making the best of it is comfortingly familiar. She stops momentarily while passing by the statehouse, looking upward at the flag, struggling to remember if it's the flag of a country, or a state, or an organization, or . . .

    She'll look it up later. Right now she's being talked out by a robot built a few feet from the edge of the uncanny valley, and that's a little weird. Once glance up at the sign makes her crack out a helpless grin, before looking down at her God Arc, and looking back to the proprietress. "Iiii think I have that covered." She offers facetiously. "Though I'm a little curious by what you mean with 'native' devices." She checks up on Will to visually confirm he is actually pushing the objective forward, before dedicating herself to exploring side routes. The tin can he's wearing seems to fit with the local aesthetic well enough. Not that she'd be caught dead wearing one, but it does make her question what else they might have lying around.
Silica     Silica blinks a little. Largely lost in all this. The robot gets her attention, and the little Cait Sith peers at the weapons. "Ooo, this is like that game Miss Sinon played." she comments off-handedly. "My skill set won't let me used ranged weapons though... I didn't put any effort into building Archery." she comments, rubbing a hand behind her head.

    She decides to stick around with the robot for a bit. "So, um... what's your name? Designation? I don't want to sound rude..."
William Pauwel     That sure is a hippy robot over there. Of all the female robots Will's run into, this one is almost definitely the most robotic. She's even got a giant red eye instead of an actual face! That just screams killer gynoid! "Uh, I'm okay!" Will says, smiling sheepishly at the weapons merchant, "I've already got the only gun I'll ever need!" The only handgun, anyway. He has absolutely zero objections to heavy artillery.

Heck, his grandmammy's got a MONSTER TRUCK bristling with ALL KINDS OF COOL STUFF.

The Pauwel Family is what one could call a Second Amendment family.

    He nods to the guard as directions are given. "Right. Kent. Got it! Thanks a lot! Uh." Someone, blitzed halfway out of his mind, stumbles by. Will peers worriedly at him, but the guards seem to have everything in hand.

Curiously, he's not... particularly bothered by an actually intelligent ghoul.

There're weirder things back home that are perfectly civil, after all.

    "I'll go ahead and check out that memory den, y'all," Will says to the group, giving Kutsuuko a quick nod. "I'll keep in touch. If anything comes up, just give a hollar, alright?"

With that, Will goes off on his own. THIS CAN'T POSSIBLY GO BADLY.
Evangeline      Evangeline would usually just float over the wall, but this is a secure settlement of non-hostiles and she doesn't want to set off any alarms. So, she floats down to the front gate and moves through that way, though she is still floating just off the ground and not actually walking. She doesn't have much to say, but K-L-E0 gets a curious gaze from the faceless Neuroi. Kleo almost looks like she could be another human-shape Neuroi, and for a moment Evangeline starts to approach. But, there are none of the signals that Neuroi give off, and her energy signature doesn't match that of a Neuroi either. And as she is already fully equippped with all the weapons she can handle, the store offers little to interest the Neuroi either.

     As she's never been much of a conversationalist, the little Neuroi stays close to the others and keeps her eyes on the guards and citizens milling about. But, when William says he is off to check the den, Evangeline tilts her head lightly. "...you are going alone..?" she asks, apparently thinking that no one in their makeshift squadron should go anywhere alone in an unknown place.
William Pauwel Suddnly, a Neuroi!

Will blinks at the adorable little flying robot girl, and then... Pats her gently on the head! "Well, not anymore, I reckon! Did y'all want to come along and keep an eye on me, Miss Evangeline? I wouldn't mind the company."
Kyle Katarn     "Definitely not. I'm going with you too." Kyle says, opting to head on over to join William and Evangeline. "Someone's gonna have to drag you out of one of those machines if you trip, after all." Despite the concern of that happening to someone, he can't help but tease just a bit, as Will might hear just the faintest hiss of a chuckle from Kyle.
Evangeline      Evangeline's head lowered just a bit at the patting, then she nods lightly. "...I.." The Kyle speaks up. "...we will go with you...we should not go anywhere alone in this unknown area..."
William Pauwel Will frowns at Kyle's... distressingly specific concern. "I- I'm not that clumsy, you know!" But he is approximately that unlucky. Still, it looks like Will has successfully gathered a party before venturing forth. He breathes a long sigh, but quickly regains his usual good cheer, "Thanks. I appreciate it, you two. Let's go see what this's all about, huh?"
Danse Kyle blew her off...impossible! Sultry levels were at 87%! K-L-E0 doesn't seem fazed by it, however, part of the good side of being a robot. If it's not his thing, it's not his thing. She does get some interest elsewhere, however, even if it doesn't directly lead to sales, perhaps she can still set things up for the future. "Mmm-hmm," comes a response, in that sassy 'you know it, girl' tone, to Kutsuuko's display. "So I see, dear~. If you find yourself wanting a side arm, or perhaps to keep those hungry mouths fed, feel free to stop by anytime. We're open 24 hours a day." Since she doesn't really need to sleep, and all. Her faceplate next angles down slightly to Silica. An unusual site, to be certain, compared to the ruffians that normally file through, yet she's far from one to judge any books by covers, considering her own self. "K-L-E0," obviously some obnoxious combination of letters and numbers, no doubt further cementing assassin droidness in Kyle's mind if he's still in earshot, but it reads just like Cleo, so it works. "Base model, United States Army Assaultron -- but I'm *so much* more than that. I grew tired of that life, and decided to go into business for myself."

    "Modern humans had to get...creative, with their means of destruction," she further responds to Kutsuuko, turning that one lens toward her again. "Spiked boards. Baseball bats wrapped in razorwire. Power fists reinforced with rebar. I really admire their ingenuity -- and offer it to those that favor it, for whatever reason." After a moment, where she lifts a particular piece up for Silica to look at, which looks to be a revolutionary officer's sword with an extra cattleprod-like attachment, she gives what is likely supposed to be a shrug of her shoulders that are improperly articulated for the gesture. "It's a living~." Will also refuses her services, in the meanwhile, already off on his adventures. What a shame...but he'll be back! She has a feeling in her probability algorithm gut. A glance is also apparently spared to Evangeline, or perhaps it is a trick of the light. The red fixture in K-L-E0's faceplate does not actually, visibly adjust to new targets of inspection, so it's hard to determine.

    "Hey, be careful in there, I'm serious," the ghoul guard shouts after Will! Before muttering, "Kid's gonna run into trouble if he keeps running off like that. The streets are safe enough, but the alleys..." Those are where the even *less* savory characters hang out and do their business. The Memory Den itself, meanwhile, has that sort of fake opulence, like it might have been a grand theater or showhouse at one point, but is now just another unsavory way to get through a sometimes miserable life. The people standing outside don't show the physical symptoms that the more typical chem addicts have, but they don't seem to be entirely 'there', either. When Will starts rushing past them a few of them mutter protests, before going back to their aimless loitering shortly after.

    The guard that called after Will turns back to Kyle next. "Yeah...we use pretty concise names for things here in Goodneighbor. None of that hauty-tauty bullshit you might hear from the Upper Stands crowd in Diamond City. That's pretty much exactly what it is. People go to live another life for a while. Pretty easy to get addicted, compared to all this. You should probably keep an eye on yourselves. The gal that runs the place is on the up and up, but..."
Rory White A compliment! A compliment on her appearance. Rory doesn't exactly blush, but the wide-eyed face she makes and pause in her step suggests the comment caused similar awkwardness there! But she quickly catches up. "Thank you! Not intentionally, though I have become fond of outfits like this. Something about the excessive... swooshy fabrics..."

    Well. That's... not any way to hold a conversation, but Kyle just knocked her composure into next tuesday, whether he knows it or not.

    She has ABSOLUTELY NO IDEA what the proper response to such a compliment is. It's never happened before!

    She does break off though, turning to answer.. the gynoid'ish gun dealer. Rory heads on over to the stall. "Little argument there. Doubt I have enough of the local currency to be worth anything at your establishment, but on a return trip it may be a different story. Hello, Rory White. It isn't every day I see a storekeeper of your design."

    Although she looks human herself, the naive and professional speech pattern is maybe a bit hard to believe for these parts...
Kyle Katarn     "Why do you think me and Eva are here?" Kyle says to the ghoul, not phased in the slightest by his radiation-scarred features. He's seen weirder before, and he just tips an imaginary hat to the guard for his concern. "Yeah, at the least things are easy to pick out on the fly. I can't stand euphemisms sometimes, myself." He muses.

    Glancing at the Memory Den again, he rubs his chin. "We'll be careful, hopefully. We're kind of new in town so we're just getting to know this place, district by district."

    Whenever Will is ready, he'll be following the Chaser into the den.
Danse With perhaps a little bit of playful boastfulness to her voice, K-L-E0 responds to Rory: "It's just as well, dear. My model have a certain...reputation. Not all are as ~personable~ as I am. Do be cautious if you see another on the road." She's not even the most deadly model that the US Army produced, but that needn't be disclosed. "With that bit of advice, I would welcome your business! I would also reccomend you to my associate Daisy next door, for those needs I cannot meet. She won't bite."
Silica     Silica looks at the taser sword. "Ooo, that's kinda neat. Maybe Mister Kirito'd like it." she reaches out to gently take it to inspect, hefting it a bit. "It's a little light for his tastes though... This feels more like Miss Asuna's Rapier than Mister Kirito's Long Sword." she comments idly. "I'm a Dagger user myself." she adds offhandedly, passing the weapon back with all the practiced ease of someone who's done so many times before.
William Pauwel "I'll be fine, sir!" Will calls back to the very considerate and concerned guard. What a nice guy! "I ain't goin' in alone, after all. And I'm sure the folks inside ain't gonna bite." Unless they do, and then Will might have to get tested for GHOUL FEVER.

The worst kind of fever.

    Unfortunately, while Will might not have to worry about the people inside the den, the ones outside are ALL STRUNG OUT HOMELESS PEOPLE. The Chaser looks a little nervous as he kind of sidles his way inside, but he braves the danger regardless, because he's on a mission! A mission to find a radio host.

And... maybe to also hear more of those Silver Shroud stories.

He's still young enough to like that kind of thing, okay!?

(You never get too old for the Silver Shroud.)
Danse "Short blades? How...personal." Perhaps K-L-E0 misjudged this Cait Sith, an admittedly simple thing to do. With her claw-like but apparently nimble things, she clutches the blade and places it back into its stowing case, instead drawing out another. In various levels of condition, there are several combat knives, easily concealed switch blades, and the apparent centerpiece of the collection, what looks to basically be a compact chainsaw in a cleaver-sized form factor. The latter in particular has that same star emblem on a drably colored housing that she has on her own chassis.
Kutsuuko Shiratori     Kutsuuko makes a very faint jerking motion, like someone suppressing a snort, at the mention of weapon weight. Still, she's morbidly interested in seeing whatever other kinds of Mad Max stuff they've got out here. The mention of local currency does get a whispered, mild curse from here. "Now that I've been reminded, I'm not actually carrying any . . . physical money." she trails off from trying to hypothesize what passes for currency here. No way paper bills survived 200 years. "I could probably trade though, if you've got something exciting~"

    Truth be told, it might actually pay to have a local rifle or the like. She does have an officer's sidearm, but if unholstered, its make is obviously way too post-modern to fit, and the Bias modifications are very bright and obvious. Nobody makes frigging M16s back home anymore. Her attention does drift, however, to Will and Kyle getting things done. Aside from not liking splitting up too much, she doesn't want to dawdle all day bartering over guns. They /had/ actually come here to investigate, and so she wants to head with whatever tip off they'd gotten as soon as possible.
Silica     "They look good, but..." Silica says, then draws her own Dagger. It's an ornate thing. Blue pommel, pale cyan grip and a dark blue crossguard, with a gleaming silver blade that faintly glows with some kind of enchantment. "This is what I'm currently using... I think the only thing that would compare is that..." she doesn't say it but gestures to the chain-sword dagger. "But I don't think I'd ever use it."
Rory White "Noted! Thank you." Rory bows her head politely in acknowledgement. "And I shall do that. For further business dealings... is anything particularly in demand in town? What I lack in caps, I might be able to make up for in parts and supplies. Particularly purified water."
Danse For what it's worth, K-L-E0 can certainly take a hint. It's in her strangely scrambled risk-reward algorithms that allow her to run a store in the first place. Noting that their group is being stretched a bit in its goals and preoccupations, she gives a thoughtful sound, that almost comes across as droning, given her mild, synthetic reverb, to both Kutsuuko and Silica, mulling over things as they are. "I do not often do this, but with the Gunners moving in next door," was that just a trace of annoyance in her otherwise even tone? "The personal defense bonus has been a little slow, lately. Hard to believe, I'm certain. Select a few pieces you may have interest in, and I will hold them for a few days. If you change your mind, my shop is *always* open." With this, K-L-E0 steps side behind the counter, to begin sorting other inventory. Silica has basically what was presented, despite seeming to have little interest. Kutsuuko, however, pretty much has free reign to test the heft and feel of the other pieces. Everything from the improvised pipe rifles to what is mistakenly called an assault rifle in the game but is obviously a machine gun. Oh yes, there is also missile launcher back there, which seems to be specially modified...but if the point was to not stand out so much, well.

    "Most trade is either direct barter, or in caps," a ghoul woman lightly rasps from where she has moved to lean against the common frame between the two storefronts. "Bottlecaps, if you were in doubt. Not the easiest currency to carry in bulk, but it's what everyone eventually settled on." A thoughtful, almost Marge Simpson-like grumble rises from her radiation-singed throat. "Purified water, eh? Thinking of starting a caravan? There's a lot of places with need, even Goodneighbor. Anyway, didn't want to keep you, just being a good neighbor." Heh.

    ...

    Meanwhile at the Memory Den, getting past the people in a half-stupor is not a challenge. And the crew is on urgent business! While the radio tower itself is probably not precisely here, it's the most logical place, going by the townsfolk. The Memory Den itself has that same tawdry, faux extravagance as the exterior advertised. A small sitting room with actual upholstered chairs, for example! Just try not to think about the stains on the cushions too much. What had been the pay booth has been transitioned to a small 'concession stand' of sorts, with what are probably the local illicit substances on display to no doubt enhance one's experience. Beyond even that, though, what was once a theater hall has been converted into a...well, it's something. Contrasting to everything else, immaculately maintained and pristine, egg-shaped capsules with plexiglass windows are visible lining the doors, large power supply and data cables feeding back into some uneen, no doubt centralized computer system. (Which will invariably use vacuum tubes to accomplish all of this, somehow.) There appear to be a few patrons spaced out in the chairs, their upper faces covered by visors, including one electively bald man. The clients and staff seem to be busy at the moment, but that's when it's heard.

    It's that same broadcaster voice from the radio itself, coming from inside a side door. It's unlocked, and in this private room is Kent Connolly, himself: A ghoul that is so preoccupied with running his Silver Shroud programming on his radio set that he wouldn't even immediately notice any intruders.
Kyle Katarn     "Cozy." Kyle muses, leading the way as he wanders through the den. He's careful not to poke anybody using the pods while they dream, and he tries to follow the sound of the radio broadcasts. That voice is unmistakable, though as Kyle goes up the stairs and gently nudges the door open, knocking politely before he waits.

    "Let's not interrupt the broadcasts, just yet." he whispers to William, as well as Evangeline.
Rory White THAT news brings a smile to Rory's face! She doesn't seem the slightest bit put off by being approached by a Ghoul woman, treating her with the same polite gesture as Kleo.

    "Welcome news! Yes, as a matter of fact. I've come from the Weston Water Plant. It's been cleaned out and secured. Still working on some of the old machinery to clean it out and get it running. Between the Super Mutants and Mirelurks infesting the place, it's been a severe fixer-upper... with any luck, it will bring new life to the whole Commonwealth."

    This... this might be her answer. Instead of trying to change the face of everything, work with it! .... Caravans. yes, starting caravans. That sounds like a spectacular idea now! She can manufacture parts and slowly bring a better standard of living into the area while working with the existing settlements. It might work!
Evangeline      Evangeline nods in agreement with Kyle, then follows after William. She isn't all that concerned with the Silver Shroud. The radio story is interesting, but it hardly seems like a modern broadcast. But, as she is accompanying William, it couldn't hurt to see if the Silver Shroud is real or just a work of fiction. After all, in the Multiverse the Silver Shroud is more likely to exist than not.

     The Memory Den is certainly an interesting place, and Evangeline is curious about what it is all about. That man said something about losing oneself here, but what did that mean? Evangeline is a bit dazzled by all the advanced technology in the middle of an otherwise technological wasteland, and slowly rotates as she follows Kyle and William up toward the broadcasting center. "...do you think they would work on a Neuroi..?" she asks softly as they wait for the broadcast to end.
William Pauwel     Will has never actually been anywhere quite like the Memory Den before! He's been in fancy places, sure, but strange pod-chairs that have unconscious people hooked up to them are usually the kind of thing you might hear in horror stories. Really freaky horror stories. With mind control. And brain parasites.

    Will moves on rather than risk dwelling on any of that sort of stuff.

Besides, the Silver Shroud Guy is RIGHT THERE! Their destination is in sight! Will scurries on over to the side corridor and pokes his head into the room with a big, goofy grin on his face. "Don't worry," Will whispers up to Kyle, "I wanna hear the rest of this too."
Kutsuuko Shiratori     "Damn, that is /vintage/." Kutsuuko quietly explains as she's let into the store. Immediately, she settles on the biggest, heaviest machine gun a beefy raider could expect to be carrying around, and resolves to figure out what it's chambered in later, since bullets aren't exactly hard to source, and not something anyone will closely examine. In exchange, she has some items K-L-E0 will have a really easy time re-selling. She's not giving her canteen away because that's always a stupid idea, but she's carrying around a utility belt full of military hardware; pristine, and highly sophisticated, stun grenades, mini mines, medical injectors, shaped charge, etc., all printed with Fenrir's distinctive logo in prominent places. She'll try to part with a minimum of it, though it's not terribly expensive to commission as a God Eater.

    The Memory Den is her next point of interest, having heard the bizarre name on the way in. The interior that greets her is equally strange, though coming from 2078, it seems hard to mistake the idea of VR capsules for what they actually are; a thought that disgusts her on some inner level, as some kind of innate level of contempt for that intensity of escapism. She meets up with the others a little ligher, or significantly heavier, depending on whether the robot accepted a barter transaction. "Probably not." She guesses at Evangeline. She has no goddamn clue what a Neuroi is, but she looks pretty weird, and the God Eater just deemed it polite to pretend not to notice. She saunters up to the door and casually raps on it with the back of one knuckle, keeping her back to it so as to project a 'when you're free' tone.
Danse The simple answer, for Kutsuuko, is that the standard machine gun round in the Commonwealth is the reliable and economical 5.56 mm. True, not quite the individual stopping power some Elites may be used to, but it's more about quantity here. The barrel and gas-operated mechanisms are mostly encased in a high performance, liquid-cooled chassis, and the factory issue clip is a side-mount. It's got a good bit of heft to it, and probably does plenty of speaking in the Wasteland. "Ah, a classic choice to mow down the lightly armored scum of the Commonwealth," K-L-E0 comments. "And oh-so-modular." It's that perfect blend of the future and past of warfare in looks and function. For what it's worth, K-L-E0 isn't too much of a haggler. She has internal price indexes that are likely updated regularly, and while the off-world tech is certainly different in some ways, ultimately a grenade is a still a grenade. Explosives are surprisingly popular, and pricey, in the wasteland. "A pleasure doing business with you~."

    ...

    At the Memory Den itself, Kent Connolly seems intent on finishing his current live report. The way he makes it sound, you would think that there's a vigilante ready to descend upon the criminals of Boston, even in this relatively lawless day and age. Eventually, though, the gentle knocks and just the general feeling of a presence behind him snaps him out of it, and he swivels his chair away from the microphone. Another ghoul, yes, but his face seems quite cordial despite looking like raw hamburger. "O-oh, visitors! I'm sorry that I didn't notice earlier. Are you here about the show? It's been a lot of effort putting this collection together, along with what I was able to save, myself, so meeting other fans is...really rewarding!" He then gets another, even more hopeful gleam to his eye, "Are you interested in making the Silver Shroud real, then?"
Kyle Katarn     "Hi." Kyle waves lightly, not seeming too taken aback by the ghoul. He seems a nice chap for a guy who looks like moldy hamburger, so he just stands there and clears his throat politely. He's about to speak before Connolly asks a question that gets him to pause. He thinks for a moment, before he glances to Will and Eva. "I guess we are. What's the story here with this Shroud guy?"
William Pauwel Now, Will is ostensibly working on behalf of the Brotherhood of Steel. He might be expected to show some level of decorum- some small amount of stoicism.

Instead, he just kind of puts on the biggest, dopiest grin you can imagine and answers, "Oh boy, would I ever!?"
Danse "Oh, oh gee," Kent says, clapping his similarly grotesque hands together. "This is what I've been waiting for!" Though, it seems like at least someone isn't actually familiar with the Shroud, so he does his best to temper his enthusiasm to explain. "The Silver Shroud was the best hero ever. Criminals couldn't hide from him! Smart, courageous, and with a bit of an edge, the finest bit of writing Hubris Comics ever did." He re-tempers his tempered enthusiasm, or tries, as he once again resets his tone, "You've probably seen the covers or the posters somewhere. He was big time before the bombs fell, ya know?" With this, he lifts an autographed frame signed by the original actor down from his wall of memorabilia, and presents it proudly, if briefly. "But you know, it got me to thinkin'...what if the Shroud were *real*? The streets of Goodneighbor, and Boston, would be a much safer place." This is a man that clearly has never seen actual vigilante justice, but those trusting and naive, milk-cloud eyes...whom could ever step in to dispel that illusion?

    "I've got a plan, too. Y'see, Hubris Comics had their headquarters in this very city, and when they were planning to expand into television, before some contracts went sour, they had all their set pieces and props there. I got a hot tip a while back that there's an authentic Silver Shroud costume there!" However, there's a pause, which probably means a 'but' conditional is coming, and he lifts a hand to the back of his hand to lightly rake at the hair that's no longer there. "Well...there's a problem, though. I can't just go get it, myself. Overheard some scavvers that tried to hit the place a while back, looking for things to sell. The place is apparently full of feral ghouls, the biters! I...don't know, you all look pretty strong, already? Maybe even heroes, yourselves. If you could do this for me, it'd mean the world! And I could get to work on my project."