Nickname

(Note: This story is relatively early in gameplay and affinity. It takes place after the first part of "The Long Road Ahead" is complete, but well before reaching max affinity with MacCready. I use "Nora" as the default Sole Survivor name.)

"Why does Piper call you 'Blue'?"MacCready asked Nora as they ambled down the broken remnants of the main road. They'd been traveling for most of the day in a effort to get closer to downtown Boston from the Red Rocket station she'd set up as an impromptu residence. Said "residence" was now also the home of several of her companions and in desperate need of more supplies and materials to keep things livable. As much as she loved Sanctuary, there were times when she couldn't bear seeing the devastation of her former life, even several months later.

"It's just a nickname she came up with when we met." Nora glanced sideways at MacCready and gave him a cheeky grin, freeing one hand from her combat shotgun to gesture to her outfit. "You know, for the blue Vault suit. The pinnacle of high fashion back in the day."

"Hm." He considered this for a few moments, striding along with an ease that Nora could only hope to develop some day. "I'll have to come up with my own nickname for you, then. It's only fair."

"You call me 'Boss', isn't that enough?" She still couldn't get used to that. Yes, she hired him, but "Boss"?

"No way. I call anyone who hires me 'Boss'. But we've been traveling together longer than any of my other contracts, and we are definitely on better terms." A sly half-smile crept across his face for a fleeting moment, "especially since you helped get Winlock and Barnes off my back."

"My pleasure." She sighed. "The fewer complications on the road" and fewer Gunners to kill innocent people, she thought," the better." She hoisted her empty pack to a more comfortable position on her shoulder.

"Definitely," was his only reply.

-0-

"Heads up!" MacCready called, gesturing with his sniper rife.  Ahead of them to the east, illuminated by afternoon light, clusters of half-destroyed buildings surrounded what looked like an small unnatural pond. "Could be a good place to find loot. Just watch out for raiders."

Nora hoisted her shotgun into a more alert position and changed course to approach the structures. She was getting better at these scavenging trips, but miles of walking still tired her. At least they had some time before the sun went down to scope out if the place was worth looting. A quick scan of the area revealed no raiders or super mutants that she could see. Glancing at MacCready, she got a quick head shake. He hasn't seen anything either. Good. They slowed their pace, taking care to step quietly and keep their presence as hidden as possible. The area was a mixed bag of single-family homes and shopfront/apartment buildings.

Look for safes and lockboxes, they're treasure troves of supplies. Keep your eyes out for scrap metal. Watch for mines and traps, she reminded herself. MacCready was a pretty good teacher at post-war self-preservation, and she breathed a quiet thanks to whatever powers that be got her to the Third Rail in time to hire him. He might be younger than she was, but he had been self sufficient for a lot longer. She had been curious about his life after he mentioned he had been the leader of a settlement of children in the Capital Wasteland called Little Lamplight. Reluctant at first, MacCready eventually opened up a bit about his upbringing, such as it was, and she was torn between admiration for his intelligence and grit, and sadness for his lack of what she considered a "normal" life. She mused over the differences in what was considered normal from her time, and now.

"You still in there?" Nora hadn't realized she'd stopped, deep in thought. She was staring at the back of MacCready's scarred and torn duster as his gaze swept the area. He turned his head to peer over his shoulder at her with one amused blue eye. "Earth to Boss, we don't want to be standing out in the open, hey? I prefer to be the sniper, not the target."