[color=khaki][b]Thomas “Dutch” Kater[/b][/color] [b]&[/b] [color=salmon][b]Sara Weaver
  Salem, Massachusetts[/b][/color]




 



 “Cowboy?” Tom took a minute to stir the word around in his head before chuckling. “I guess I’ve been called worse. So what do I call you?” Tom wasn’t put off by the woman’s bloody hands. He had seen his fair share of blood and didn’t even bother wiping her’s off on his pant leg. She didn’t seem right though, there was something about her. Tom couldn’t put his finger on it, he felt like there was something connecting the two of them but he couldn’t figure it out. He tried to find something on her person that would connect the dots but nothing clicked. All he could see were scars and tattoos of a woman that seemed to have weathered the wasteland’s worst.

 “People don’t call me much of anything anymore. But my name's Sara. I’d say it’s a pleasure to meet you but I don’t quite care for a liar.” Sara picked up her rifle and pack, slinging them over her shoulder again as she prepared to get on her way.

 “I can appreciate a woman with that attitude these days. People seem to have forgotten what it means to be honest.” Tom could tell that the woman was trying to remove herself from the conversation, she seemed troubled by something. He could see it in her eyes, they projected an internal pain that Tom was well acquainted with. They must’ve been the connection he felt. There was something Sara was suffering from that Tom wanted to help her with, but he was smart enough to know that approaching her about it would end badly. Still he liked Sara, she had attitude. He didn’t want her to leave. “Where you headed?”

 Sara stopped in her tracks to answer Tom. He was starting to get on her nerves, she just wanted to be left alone and a man that didn’t know when to stop asking questions wasn’t helping her any. “North, far away from this place. Salem isn’t my kind of town.”

 “Is that right? Something tells me there aren’t too many towns around here that are your kind.” Tom kicked his feet in the dirt like a shy little boy before he continued. “But hey! Before you leave would you want to get breakfast?”

 Sara raised an eyebrow in astonishment but food didn’t sound bad, especially if it was cooked by someone that actually knew what they were doing. She could only cook food so it wouldn’t kill her when she ate it, and that by no means ever made it taste good. Still she knew what the man was hinting at, even if he didn’t come right out and say it she would. “Are you buying?”

 “Well of course! I wouldn’t offer if I wasn’t paying. So, is that a yes?” Tom’s heart beat a little faster as the anticipation rose inside him.

 “If you’re paying then I’m on board. But lets clear this up now so we’re all on the same page. This isn’t a date, I’ll never have sex with you, and you shake hands like a pussy. Now I take it we’re going to the diner?” Sara didn’t wait for him to answer she just started heading back towards the diner on her own. Tom was left blushing behind her, he didn’t know what to say but he was a man of his word. No matter what he was going to by Sara breakfast, even if his plans were just thrown in his face. “Don’t take it too hard cowboy. Even if you were my type I’d still make an exception for you.”

 “Point taken, you’re a bitch.” Tom mumbled his response to himself, he was coming to regret his decision but Sara still heard him somehow.

 “You know it. Now are you going to feed me or what? You being a [i]man[/i] of your word and all.” She used the word man lightly. Dutch seemed like he had seen his fair share of shit but from how he acted Sara kind of figured that he wanted everyone to give him sympathy because of it. Sara didn’t sympathize, the wasteland didn’t play by the rules. It could take just as quickly as it could give. Sara learned real quick that the only way you could come out on top was to drop the rules and play to win. Except now she started to question that mentality. After all she didn’t feel like a winner, not anymore she had lost too much to ever feel like a winner again. Now she was just a salty vet that was going to spend the rest of her life aimlessly searching for the remains of her dead sister before she died alone. Ya there was no sympathy, if not for her, than not for him. They headed to the diner, Dutch tied his horse up outside while Sara headed into the diner greeting Ace on the way in. “Sorry that I stepped out Ace. I needed a breather, found this poor thing while I was out.” Sara gestured to Tom as he came in the door behind her. “He’s buying.”

 Tom stepped into the diner and removed his hat, gesturing to Ace. “Morning!” He had only started talking to Sara a few minutes ago and her attitude was already starting to wear on him. At first he found it attractive but now he wasn’t sure. Little did he know that was the plan. Sara was messing with him because she had no interest in him. So she was hoping that she could deter him from getting too attached, fortunately for her it seemed to be working. Sara’s heart couldn’t care for someone like that anymore. After she lost Eliza and Eli, she just couldn’t do it anymore. Charlotte was still alive but as far as Sara was concerned she could’ve died in Caliente. She flew off the deep end and went crazy, Sara couldn’t blame her and while it hurt to lose her baby sister like that she had to move on. Loss was just another part of life in the wasteland. 

 Sara took notice to the elderly woman that was in the entryway to the diner as well. She respected women that made it this far into life. “Good morning Ma’am.” Sara smiled and slightly bowed her head out of respect before heading to her booth tucked away in the corner. Tom didn’t accompany her, he sat in another booth. He couldn’t bring himself to sit with her, not after what she said to him. “I’m still paying don’t worry.” Tom raised his voice just enough so Sara could hear him but he didn’t yell.

 “[i]Bitch.[/i]” Sara whispered to herself while she removed her gear and placed it on the booth alongside of her. She crossed her legs under the table and leaned back in her booth. She was looking forward to speaking with Ace again, not like she’d let him know that but she enjoyed his company. So she waited for him to come over to her before she said anything, she just wanted to relax while she had the chance.