Boreal Dusk
I managed to pry open my eyes, squinting around to try and get a sense of what time it was. Of course, the room I was in didn't have any windows, although I still had my PipBuck. I pulled the machine up to my head, squinting once more as my eyes weren't accustomed yet to the glow emanating from the PipBuck. I groaned, it was only 7:32 in the morning, probably a good amount of time before the caravan actually left. I shut my eyes and changed positions in an attempt to doze off for a little while longer, but it was futile. I sighed deeply, finally gaining the strength to get out of the bed. It wasn't really a bed, more of a dirty mattress littered with faint remnants of blood, saliva, and other stains I didn't really want to think about, although it did make me question if some ponies had such low standards. I really couldn't complain, as I specifically chose this place due to how cheap it was, hoping to save up my money.
As I prepared my equipment, I had realized that I hadn't eaten much in a while, although I didn't have any food on me at the time. I grunted quietly, as the prospect of searching for a place where I could get some food wasn't something I had planned for nor fancied all too much. As I geared up, I made sure to keep track of the time. When I left my room, it was already 7:58, so I still figured I had some time to focus on getting a breakfast meal into my stomach.
It took me more than a while, but I found some guy selling meats on a stick for pretty cheap prices. He was shady, no doubt about it, but he didn't ask questions. A expedient trade, just how I liked it. I figured I could safely eat my meal in the amount of time I got to the exit of the city. As I moved slowly, trying to eat, I took note of the city at this hour. Already ponied were out and about, even some young fillies and colts were out playing. Who the hell would want to raise a foal in this fucked up world? I thought to myself as I passed the energetic younglings.
I soon finished my meat and checked my PipBuck for the time once more. It was now 8:22, so I figured that now would be as good as ever to head towards the caravan. As I reached the outskirts of Friendship City, I went to pick up my rifle from its storage in preparation for the caravan.
As I walked towards the caravan, I made sure to inspect my rifle, levitating it in front of me as I went along. It was free of any dings, but small scratches were visible along the stock. It looked much better than it had a while ago, as I had literally spent all of my caps paying for repairs, getting ready for this job. Truth be told, I was rather anxious to put a few holes in something with this. This baby could have put a hole into anything from a bloatsprite to one of those heavily armored Steel Rangers I sometimes heard about. If this thing didn't kill it in one shot, I could have bet that whatever was on the receiving end would buckle over in pain. It was a versatile rifle, my FN FAL, although it was heavier and had a reduced range when compared to a standard sniper rifle. I had pondered on whether I should have named it, although no one really would have cared about the name of the gun.
I soon found myself at the caravan, with one of the organizers recognizing me and throwing me a bag with a large amount of caps inside of it. I adeptly caught it with my one hoof and levitated it into my saddlebag, making sure it was secure. I then immediately noticed that jerk unicorn from last night and cringed at the thought of having to work together. This was going to be a long trip.