[color=662d91][b]Lorelei Jones – Ace’s Diner[/b][/color]

Rick looked at Lorelei quizzically, not fully grasping what she meant, not understanding that she was joking. “Well astronomy has never been my forte, but if I had to say home, we share the same home don’t we. If I remember correctly, we are in Salem, located in the commonwealth, located on Earth. Which in turn is in the Solar system, located in the Orion arm of the Milky Way Galaxy. Which is in the Virgo cluster, within the Virgo Supercluster within the observable universe.”

Lorelei gave a half-smile and narrowed her eyes. “That’s precious.” She relaxed her arms off the edge of the booth and folded them. “There was jest laced into my interrogation, but I’m going to take a guess and say ‘scholar’. It sounds like you really know your shit.” This man was peculiar, yet fascinating. He oozed intelligence, and she was drawn to it. However, as usual, she’d masked her lapse in pragmatism with dry humor. 

Rick borrowed his brow, almost mimicking Lorelei, “What do you mean that I took my glasses from a dead guy? Wearing prescription glasses that were made for another will harm your eyes. I would advise against it. As for my deal, I have no deal, I am who I am. Just because the world went to hell in a hand basket, doesn’t mean everyone gave up on society…sure, a vast majority chose anarchy and pursuit of self-pleasures. Some of us decided that we should continue living as humans always have. There’s no species no more capable of adaptability than humans; which is why we survived a devastating war. So, excuse me, for wishing to be educated in a world where strength and cunning are revered as the main evolutionary traits all perceive as greatest. So to answer your question, I’m just a person living life as we truly should, rather than waste it on nothingness.”  

Lorelei pursed her lips. “[i]Prescription[/i], huh? Sounds like you come from a far more civilized place than I.” She took a deep breath. “It’s a pretty sentiment, though. Most can’t afford to think that way, but we have no future if we accept the state we are in – this is true. I apologize for trying to affix a label to your persona, Mr. Noel. Most folks in the wasteland are simple… easy to read. They’re only motivated by one thing – survival, and if they manage to achieve it, that notion dissolves into aimless greed and glutton…they always have a ‘deal’. But I’m stumped on yours…or a lack thereof.”

After taking a break from her counterattack and being met with silence, Lorelei turned her head slightly to the side and smiled. “I did not mean to insult you or your vision, if this is what you feel. My curiosity only brings out the worst in my humor.” Despite her confidence, she felt slight regret, having likely squandered her first impression by showering Rick in sappy, impenetrable comedy. She nodded her head. “Regardless…Welcome to Salem. I’ll leave you to your solitude…nice to meet you.” She stood up and waited for a second to see if he had anything else to say before slightly raising a hand in farewell. She left the diner, slapping a few caps onto the counter as payment for her milkshake.

At that, Lorelei hurried home and sat on her porch, sitting on the rotted-wood railing and cleaning the bolt-chamber on her rifle while arbitrarily gazing up at the stars on her lonesome.