This is an intro for this story, gives a background before I start the story. Feel free to comment

Intro

I woke up with the sun, not of my own volition, but because of poor window placement. I straightened up, rubbing my eyes. The dark solitude of my house greeted me. I groaned and stood up, flipped on the lights, as the light bulbs throughout the house flickered and settled to a dull yellow glow, allowing me to see.

My name is Tyler, and I live in Big Town. Initial response to that statement, 'You live in Big Town and your name is Tyler?' Yeah, unlike the ridiculously name other residents, I've never been to Little Lamplight. I simply wandered in here about six years ago, when I was 14. That's when my parents died. You see, we were traveling with a caravan, trying to get to some, any civilization. As long as I can remember, we'd been in the wastes, and we were relatively safe, but Slavers passing through found us and tried to take us. My dad stopped them, but one got away. We had to leave, or we were officially screwed. Hooked up with the caravan that sold us supplies, and we were on our way. Let's just say these merchants weren't all that well informed, and they led us right in between Paradise Falls and Germantown Police Station. Memory gets blurry right after I see a green shape to our left. Repression I guess, but what I do remember is me walking through the wasteland, my dad's .44 in my hand, and my mother's old key ring in the other. Eventually, I reached civilization, or as close as it gets out in this hell, and managed to make it into town. Been here ever since, and I might be one of the oldest people here, but I've never really known anywhere else.

I threw on my old leather armor and stepped into my kitchen. I grabbed a box of Sugar Bombs, poured it into a bowl, along with some Nuka-Cola. Yeah, I know, wouldn't think I'd be too good, would you? We'll, your not wrong. The combo wakes the crap out of you, and puts food and liquids in you. I popped some Rad-X and went to town. When I was finished, I went to my armory. Well, a room next to my bedroom with a gun closet or two in it. I grabbed a knife and slipped it into my boot, grabbed a combat knife in it's sheath and strapped it to my right hip, and picked out an assault rifle and slung it across my back. Finally, I walked back into my room and picked up my dad's old .44 from where it sat on the table next to my bed. I slipped it into the holster I had made for it, and headed outside?

Seems interesting. I'll make sure to catch your next post.

Could be interesting. I have only one minor complaint: would he really waste a Rad-X just to shave a tiny bit of radiation off his breakfast? Just a quibble.

(OOC: It's his own stash that he saves particularly for that, but he doesn't have a real need for it yet)

Big Man in Big Town

I left my house, and started over to the entrance bridge. I have a certain routine to follow every morning. I make sure Dusty hadn't finally snapped, and then check on the rest of the residents of Big Town. I walked down the path from my house, past Red's Clinic and the Club House, walking up behind Dusty. I had to make sure I didn't sneak up on him, or I'd end up with a bullet in me somewhere, or flying straight past me, so I pretty much yelled across to him "Good Morning, Dusty!" He stirred and his hand went to his weapon, but he calmed when he realized it wasn't slavers or mutants, but me, he calmed. "What's so good about it? Any minute, some mutie or slaver scum could come down on us like a pile of bricks." Yeah, he was fine. First place I checked was the common house, finding Kimba and Papa inside.

"Mornin' guys, how'd you sleep?" I asked them cheerily.

Kimba, ever the optimist smiled at me "Pretty well, thanks Tyler." Papa on the other hand simply grunted a response, not looking up from the weapon he was repairing. Tyler smiled and kicked the chair Papa was sitting in before leaving. Bittercup was waiting outside the house. "Hey Tyler," she said, looking down. I made a small smile, but this girl kind of annoyed me. In the wasteland, you need to keep hope, no matter what. Bittercup had hope, but she pretended not to, and she used chalk as makeup. I'm usually a pretty accepting guy, but something about her just kind of pissed me off. Oh, and like every other guy that wanders through here, she had a crush on me. After my little smile, I walked across to the Town Hall and stepped inside. Flash was lying on the mat, asleep. I gave it a swift kick, and he jumped awake, reaching for his .32 frantically. "Don't panic, it's just me" I said as he jumped up.

"Are you crazy, I could have killed you!" said Flash, showing me the pistol he know held in his hand.

I chuckled a bit "Flash, you have about as much experience with that as you do with Bittercup."

Flash's face turned red and he shot back "Then I guess I know a lot about this gun too!"

This time, I laughed heartily and responded as I left "You sure you know about the birds and the bees yet Flash?"

His face took a confused turn and as I left he asked me "What the hell does that have to do with six?"

I laughed to myself as I walked over to Red's Clinic. I like messing with Flash, mostly because he seems pretty confident, but in reality he's still as self-conscious as a ten year old. I entered Red's clinic and knocked on a wall "Red, it's Tyler, you in here?"

"Yeah!" said town doctor as she came in from the examination room. "Hey Tyler, we missing anyone?"

"Well, I haven't checked the Club House yet, but Papa, Bittercup, Flash, and Kimba are all still here." I said before adding "Also, Dusty is still sane"

Red laughed before her face gravened "You can stop looking for Timebomb."

I felt my heart rise into my throat "What do you mean?" Timebomb was my best friend. The thought of something happened took a little more of my hope from me.

"He's on my examination table" Red said, leading me into the room. My eyes fell on him, and my first thought was that he was dead, but I could see that he was still breathing. "Last attack, a mutant managed to get by us. Timebomb didn't have a weapon, but he tried to take the mutie's. Didn't work too well for him. The green bastard almost ripped him to pieces before Dusty put a round in the back of his skull."

I walked over and set my hands on the table my friend was lying on. "Where was I?" I asked, my voice forced to sound calm.

Red crossed her arms "Unconsious on that very table" she said, uncrossing her arms and walking over, laying a hand on my arm "The slaver attack earlier had put you out of it. One of them hit you with a Mesmatron when you jumped in to save Kimba. A couple of them beat you pretty good and tried to slip a slave collar on you, but Flash managed to shoot a few of them, and Papa finished off the rest. Kimba dragged you out"

I nodded, the realization that I couldn't have done anything setting in. But it wasn't enough. Somehow, I felt like I could have saved him. Eventually, rationality set in. I turned back to Red "I'm going to check the club house, then thank Flash, Papa, and Kimba"

I left the Clinic with a placid look on my face and walked into the club house. Sitting there were Shorty and Sticky, talking about life at Little Lamplight. I sighed and left, stopping by the common room and thanking my saviors before going back to the clinic. Red didn't hear me come in, but I went over and sat next to Timebomb, eventually becoming lost in thought?