[color=00aeef]FRIEDA RICHTER[/color] - Salem Clinic -- late afternoon to evening

"Alright then..." Arthur eventually replied, as though breaking himself from some train of thought, "I could certainly use the help around here and, god forbid, if someone were to ever try and attack this place I'd be well...in a pickle. I don't exactly have any formal weapons training. Although...I don't charge for my services so I'm not sure what I could pay you with. I suppose I could offer to split any food or supplies that the townspeople agree to provide. That is, unless you've worked something out with Mayor Barney perhaps? Either way I..."

"Mayor Barney, i wonder if that's Barney rook, read a report...had read something about him when I was making my way here with minutemen," Rick answered casually, before clamping his mouth shut.

Frieda raised an eyebrow but didn't get a chance to reply.  She was starting to feel as though the two men knew each other, somehow, the way they seemed to just talk to each other while she stood there.  Shots rang out in the distance. Rick reached for a weapon that wasn't there.  Frieda gripped the handle of the scissors.

"Oh my..." Arthur muttered fearfully, "What's happening you think? Are we under attack?"

"It didn't sound to be close by doctor. Perhaps some local revelling and shooting his pistol in the air. I'm sure if it was serious someone may raise alert." As he said that, a woman running from the distance behind the clinic towards where the gunshots had rung out, "Well if it's something that woman has it covered it looks like."

Frieda could hardly believe what she was hearing.  Rick's diction was nothing like she'd heard since she left the Enclave, and his seemingly nonchalant attitude towards a potential threat was simply asinine.  "You done?  Yeah?  Good."  She was tired of feeling like a third wheel, something that was all too familiar to her, held in her brother's shadow for most her life.  She held up a finger to keep anyone from speaking as she listened.  "Shots ended, but it doesn't mean the fight's over.  If you're smart -- and it [i]sounds[/i] like you are -- you'll stay on your guard until there's an all-clear."  She was about to make some comment about Rick getting his ass kicked by some bad food mere hours ago, when Ace approached from the direction of the diner.

"Hope you folk are alright, second time today gunshots have rung out. Perhaps tomorrow I'll help that greenskin with that walk he's erecting." Ace said as he addressed the group. 

Rick turned to him, "Well a wall would be a good idea. this little town has one area that it's mostly vulnerable at, it would be smart to secure it...Though seeing as the sun it's setting, some lights for the streets would be a good idea... anything could make it's way in here with the darkness...Sorry, where's my manners, my name's Rick, just arrived to this town."

"'Sup," Ace replied as he nodded an gave him a once over, "True about light, however we currently don't have power requirements to make them work. But it is being addressed, and we might soon have power to the homes and streetlights."

"Ace," Frieda greeted him cooly.  The sense that she were surrounding by morons was rising.  There was no way a self respecting -- or, at least, life-valuing -- officer of the Enclave would hear gunshots and assume "someone else" was handling it, and continue to just shoot the shit about town.

[i]Keep it together, Richter.  You need these people, like it or not.[/i]  She lit up a cigarette, hoping it would somewhat calm her nerves.  "Or," she couldn't resist, feeling punchy, "street lights would just make us a nice, bright, blaring target to the rest of the Commonwealth."  Frieda blew smoke out the side of her mouth.  "Sorry.  I'm...not very fond of super mutants, docile or otherwise."  She stooped to lean towards Ace.  "How do we know he's not building this wall to lock us in until such time his more violent 'friends' appear, and wouldn't you know it, for some reason the gate just opened right up for them, but not for us to escape?"

Frieda sighed.  "I know Brandy thinks highly of him, for...some reason...and I owe that girl a [i]lot[/i].  She let me move in, and all.  She's just so sweet.  I don't want her to get hurt."

"Anyways."  She turned to Rick.  "You didn't answer my earlier question, but my offer still stands.  Are you staying somewhere, and do you want me to walk you home?  Either way, I'm heading off to get something to eat, see if I can't find Brandy, see what she's been up to, today."  Frieda pushed the scissors she was still holding back into Arthur's hands.  "I'll be properly armed tomorrow, I promise.  If you've got another couple hours in you, come by the diner for a drink."