[Open] Some Rats Don't Go Into Mazes

[work_wife]

WHO: Robin, Open
WHERE: Warrens Common Areas
WHAT: Anxiously Waiting For Results, Learning To Own A Dog
WHEN: November
WARNINGS: None

1. Back In The Same Maze

The Warrens. The last time they had ended up here Robin had still been new on Agra-10. Now here she is in the underground, looking worn around the edges, bruises around her throat existing as the faintest ghost of a memory, and hoenstly, looking annoyed. This time she doesn't have her things. She doesn't have all of her friends because some of them went and disappeared into the depths to explore (seriously, Eddie, why?).

Still doesn't make her feel any less worried. People are scattered and separated again. There's still a threat out there. In here. With them. Probably.

To say that Robin's jumpy is a serious understatement. While she's coming out of the shower area she jumps almost half a foot when she hears someone approaching. Well, more like when she hears Little Bear's excited boof over hearing someone approaching. At least the dog serves as an early warning system.

"Who's there?"

2. Exploring The Side Passages

At least there were ways to distract herself without her friends around. Sure, going off on her own had already made trouble for her in the past. In the recent past at that. But staying still in a single place had never been her style. Sure she hadn't been popular in Hawkins, but she had been used to wandering around town and biking places she wanted to go.

Being cooped up was never her style.

Thankfully she wasn't wandering completely alone. She had Little Bear on a makeshift leash at her side, the dog's tail wagging excitedly as Robin stopped them at an intersection off of the main Warren's area. She pauses, runs her fingers over a scratched in name on the wall. Something Billy Hargrove left here last time, when he named corridors based on streets he remembered from California. It made her feel closer to her absent friend.

"So, what do you say, Little Bear, left or right? I mean, we should probably double back, but you're clearly still excited to stretch your legs."

The dog just does a tappy little dance of excitement.

"Such a conversationalist," she sighs. "If only we could teach you english."

She needed someone to talk to before she went crazy.

Comments

[crystalmaster]

Radley has to chuckle in a bit of confused disbelief at that. "Why would you want to?"

[work_wife]

"Monsters," Robin says with a shrug. "The ones that attacked last fall? Yeah, those exist back home. There's a reason to be comfortable with burning things."

Survival being that reason.

[crystalmaster]

"Good reason," Radley says. "Hopefully that won't be a problem again here ... but you never know." He has decided it's wise to be prepared for anything that might go wrong.

[work_wife]

"Oh, I'm stockpiling flammables on the surface. HOnestly, they were sort of useful against the zombies."

Honestly what she needs is more target practice. She needs to find someone used to throwing things, including knives. But that's a task for another day. If she can get to it.

And after she's finished healing.

[crystalmaster]

Radley wouldn't be much help with that. Maybe Sephiroth would know.

"Anything useful against them is a good thing," he smirks.

[work_wife]

"Yeah, but I'm sure people are going to get mad at me for burning up alcohol again."

She rolls her eyes. As if that's nearly as important as lives. And it's not like she had gasoline for it.

[crystalmaster]

He chuckles. "Honestly, fighting zombies with it sounds like the best use to me," he says with a wink.

[work_wife]

"You're not wrong," she grins. Alcohol wasn't bad, but she liked it to be flavorful. And since Steve wasn't mixing things for her, well, she was going to burn what she could.

[crystalmaster]

"So, are you heading anywhere specific?" Radley asks. Not that there's many places to go unless one wants to explore, which he isn't keen on doing right now. Let the teams take care of it. "We could walk together."

[work_wife]

"Not really. Just taking the little guy for a walk."

The words are said ironically. There is nothing little about Little Bear other than his name. He's a huge dog. But the dog is quite pleased to wag his tail at the implied attention.

"We've got to find a room no one will use to do his doggy business," she says with a sigh.

[crystalmaster]

"... Ah." Not fun, but something that must be done. "Okay, I think I saw some vacant rooms like that over ... this way, maybe?" Radley points down a hall and heads down it, looking into one dark room.

[work_wife]

"Sounds fun," she says, nodding and looking in the way he gestures. "I wish I'd brought some plastic bags or something, you know? Wouldn't be the weirdest thing I've had to clean up, given I worked at an ice cream shop."

Some kids did not know their limit. She wondered if being a bartender was like that.

[crystalmaster]

"Well, maybe you can plan ahead and always have some from now on?"

He winces a bit. "Yeaaah, that's definitely one of the downsides of working in any food place."

[work_wife]

"I could," she agrees, "but where would I find them in town? I can't exactly get them from the store?"

Though most stores back in her time still used mostly paper bags.

"Oh man, yeah. Steve couldn't handle cleaning it up, so it was always me."

[crystalmaster]

"There's the replicator, when we go back up," Radley suggests. "It should be able to do it."

A sympathetic smirk. "I can't blame Steve, but it's still gotta be done. Sometimes my friends would play Rock Paper Scissors or weirder things to see who'd havta clean stuff up."

[work_wife]

There is that. He's not wrong. Though she doesn't know how to give it instructions for that.

"I've honestly just been using that to make cookies," she admits with a smile. What, she liked cookies? "Oh, and reeds for my french horn."

Why was she still practicing? Who knew. But she was.

"That's a fair way to do it. I've seen the kids do it some."

[crystalmaster]

Radley would be happy to help.

“Cookies are a lot more fun,” he smirks. “And that’s cool you play. I play the piano and guitar. Too bad we can’t get an orchestra going.”

He nods. “My friends are pretty good about working in the diner. Even when stuff like that happens.”

[work_wife]

"They really are," she chuckles. And the news that her and Eddie aren't the only musically inclined here is nice to hear.

"I mean, if you can get a piano, we'd have... Well, a really messed up arrangement of instruments, but it would be something. And I'm glad the diner keeps running. That place keeps me fed for sure."

[crystalmaster]

Radley laughs. “Yeah, it might sound kinda screwy. But who knows, maybe we’d make it sound pretty good.”

He smiles. “Well, I’ve been talking about my diner back home, but I’m happy I can help keep this one running too.”

[work_wife]

"A new type of music. Call it Temba fusion," she chuckles. Metal plus orchestra? Could be interesting.

"Oh. You had one back home too? That's pretty interesting. Glad we have you here then."

[crystalmaster]

Radley laughs. “Sounds cool.”

He nods. “My place was the only family-friendly eatery in town. Other than that, it was a couple of saloons.”

[work_wife]

Only family-friendly? Robin's eyebrows go up into her hair line.

"How does a town only have one family friendly place?"

[crystalmaster]

“When it’s a modern Old West town founded on greed and the other game in town is a bunch of wild guys who’ll do anything to get what they want,” Radley says, sobering a bit.

[work_wife]

Okay, that's definitely widening her eyes further.

"That sounds pretty destructive. Geez, people just do weird shit, don't they?"

[crystalmaster]

"Ha, yeah, that's one way to put it," Radley agrees. "The town's finally safe from them, but it took a lot."