Back to Temba | OTA

[crystalmaster]

WHO: Radley and everyone
WHERE: Temba
WHAT: Wandering
WHEN: June 2nd
WARNINGS: None

It’s Knuckles who runs to tell Radley that something has changed with the train and maybe they can get back to Temba. Radley rushes to see, calling to the others who have been stuck in Sh’Ka in case they want to come too. He can’t imagine anyone wanting to stay here longer, at least not without finding out what’s up in Temba.

He rides back with Knuckles and Fang again. Even Fang seems interested in what they’ll find ... apprehensive, even. But they pull in to what looks like a completely normal city. Bewildered, they step out and start to look around.

“Hello?” Radley finally calls.

He looks in the diner, half-dreading what he’ll find.


Wildcard Radley will be going all over Temba to check on everyone, so he can be encountered anywhere!

Comments

[butterfly_kiss]

More alert? Tae sighs and goes back to sweeping. She's just so damn tired these days.

"I'm not sure alertness is going to help us."

[crystalmaster]

"Me either, but what else have we got?" Radley sighs too.

[butterfly_kiss]

She doesn't have a good answer for that.

"Patience, I suppose."

[crystalmaster]

Radley gives a dark smirk. "Yeah." He sighs again. "I had to be really patient back home, waiting for a solution to our problems there. It took a long time."

[butterfly_kiss]

Tae sighs.

"I'm a doctor. I prefer not to wait for problems to get solved. I'm a researcher."

[crystalmaster]

"Oh, I actively tried to do what I could, but I still ended up having to wait. I still wonder if I made the right choice, though. It was a complicated situation without any easy answers." Radley stops sweeping and surveys the floor.

[butterfly_kiss]

There are so many moments in life that work like that. She sighs.

"These situations are definitely complicated for me," Tae admits. "I hate it.

[crystalmaster]

"Yeah. Me too." Radley darkly smirks again. "I'm used to being the leader in a mess and at least trying to have some kind of plan. With this, I'm just kinda floundering at the mercy of these aliens ... like everyone else is."

And he hates feeling so helpless. Not that he didn't feel helpless back home, but at least he understood things better there than here. And he liked having some level of power over his rival Malcolm. He really doesn't have that here.

[butterfly_kiss]

"I'm used to being on my own," Tae says.

No, that wasn't right. Not since her guinea pig came around and made her feel more like part of a community. Like she had purpose again.

Fuck, she missed the kid and his shady dealings. She was pretty sure he was a criminal, but a criminal for good. Which was useful. And the boy had too much money, which was in itself suspicious. But that's a whole other matter.

"All we can do is keep supporting the people with the ability to find answers I suppose."

[crystalmaster]

"I was on my own for years before I started finding my friends," Radley says. "I never want to go back to really being alone again."

And he nods in resignation. "Yeah, it seems like it. But I wonder if anybody here really has that ability."

[butterfly_kiss]

That is fair.

"Well, at least you aren't alone here. If nothing else, you've got me to talk to."

Does anyone here have the ability? She considers.

"Yes, I think they will solve it. Because I refuse to believe anything less."

[crystalmaster]

Radley smiles. "I like talking with you."

He nods again. "I wanna believe that too."

He just wishes he could do more to help to that end.

[butterfly_kiss]

At least she's got some friends willing to come find her to talk. Most people here don't seem to like doctors so it's been quite difficult to feel connected at times.

"Then believe it. What does it hurt to believe in something we want to see in the world?"

[crystalmaster]

"That used to be my line back home," Radley smirks, then sobers. "I had hope enough for everyone there ... or at least I halfway pretended I did, to keep their spirits up. When my hope started to falter, I never wanted them to see it. I wanted them to keep believing, even if I was no longer sure I did."

[butterfly_kiss]

Yeah, that sounded about right.

"It's okay to admit you don't have hope around people you trust. Let their hope carry you on I guess. I learned that from a friend."

[crystalmaster]

Radley smiles a bit wanly. "I trusted the Bunch, but I didn't want them to see me doubt. I was afraid they'd lose hope if they saw I was no longer sure anymore. I wanted a confidante I could talk to about such things, but ... that never happened back home. Here, it's different."

[butterfly_kiss]

"I'm glad it's different for you here," Tae said as she finally finished with the bit of sweeping she was doing. "Hopefully you find more confidantes than just me, darling."

[crystalmaster]

"Hmm. Well, we'll see," Radley says. "But you might always be my favorite." He winks.

It looks like they've taken care of the sand in this area, at least.

[butterfly_kiss]

His favorite? Tae laughs and shakes her head.

"You really just know what to say to make it a bit better. Thank you."

[crystalmaster]

Radley smirks. "That is one of my talents. As well as cleaning." He looks around. "Is there any more sand to take care of?"

[butterfly_kiss]

"There is. All throughout the place. I've been cleaning all day."

And it's just tiring. She's ready for a nap actually.

[crystalmaster]

"That sounds exhausting. Why don't you take a food break?" Radley suggests.

[butterfly_kiss]

"I intend to take a whole damn nap," she answers with a shrug. "Too tired to sweep up my apartment yet. The hospital spaces seemed higher priority."

[crystalmaster]

Radley smirks. "A nap sounds great too. Are you gonna stay here if your apartment's full of sand?"

[butterfly_kiss]

"I fear I must," Tae sighs. "I don't have the energy to clean there yet, and the hospital matters so much more than my comfort."