[color=00aeef]FRIEDA RICHTER[/color] - still Salem

Frieda had to all but dive into a shadow between some buildings when the young woman had charged down the lane and directly towards Rook.  She squinted and could hardly believe her ears -- the young woman was, in fact, [i]talking[/i] to the super mutant.  Engaging him in a conversation as though he were like any other dirty tribal wastelander.

She clamped her eyes shut and gave her head a small shake.  [i]Don't ever let anyone hear you say that.  You need these...people...if you have any hope of finding Brian, dead, or alive.[/i]  Frieda took a breath.  When she opened her eyes, the woman was gone, but Rook seemed to be waiting for her.

Instinctively, she searched her pockets for a cigarette and some matches, immediately remembering several hours of angst.  "Ugh."  She turned her attention back to the road.  The young woman returned having changed clothes and toting --

...Frieda nearly rubbed her eyes.  Her keen pilot's vision didn't lie: the woman was carrying [i]cartons[/i] of cigarettes.

[i]Time to make a new friend.

Be cool, Richter, just keep it cool.[/i]

Frieda smoothed a hand over her blonde bangs and stepped out from where she had stashed herself, only to see the two begin to walk away from her and directly towards the diner.  She sighed, cursing her terrible timing, and simply followed.  

The diner already had several people in it that Frieda hadn't yet encountered in town, plus Barney, and that creep Steve.  She hung back in the doorway, behind Rook and the young woman.  She glanced between all the faces gathered there, who had turned their attention to Rook.  Her eyes rested just a little longer on the man at the bar with a slice of pie.  There was something distinct, almost familiar about him, though she didn't flat out recognize him.  His mannerisms were fluid, rather than edged and deliberate, causing Frieda to suspect he wasn't from some other unit of Enclave.  Vault Dweller, perhaps?

Her thoughts were snapped back to the immediate company in front of her, and she realized she'd been staring.  She hoped no one had noticed.  “Rook is here to buy meat. Does Cooker Man have radstag? Or maybe man has found something better? Bhamin meats?” He paused. “Rook has caps and small things to trade, if Cooker Man is open to that as well. Rook is hungry, and building wall takes so much energy.”

It seemed most of the diner was fixated on the greenskin.  Frieda leaned forward and gently tapped the young woman on the arm.  "Psst.  Hey."  She motioned towards the cigarettes.  "Are you selling those?  I'll give you five caps for a pack."