"Call me Allison," she says, "If you please." Mrs. Carr. Jesus. "I've managed to find the necessary places. Deck, dining hall, library..."
She eyes the hat, balanced precariously on his finger. Yep. Cowboy.
"You wouldn't happen to know where a girl could find a good, old-fashioned drink around here, would you?"
She eyes the hat, balanced precariously on his finger. Yep. Cowboy.
"You wouldn't happen to know where a girl could find a good, old-fashioned drink around here, would you?"
He steps up close enough that she can step into his linked hands, trusting she'll give him a hand once she's there.
"I try to imagine myself in that world, at times. It does not end well for me, I don't mind tellin' you."
"I try to imagine myself in that world, at times. It does not end well for me, I don't mind tellin' you."
Up she goes, well-practiced, and the moment she has her footing, she crouches down to reach for his hand. Come on up, big guy.
"I think you'd get by just fine, whether you liked it or not," she replies. "And who knows, you like traveling and living outdoors. Maybe you could make it that far north, go up to Canada. You'd still have to deal with hunters and that, but the Infected are slower in the cold."
Positive thinking.
"I think you'd get by just fine, whether you liked it or not," she replies. "And who knows, you like traveling and living outdoors. Maybe you could make it that far north, go up to Canada. You'd still have to deal with hunters and that, but the Infected are slower in the cold."
Positive thinking.
"You ain't seen the lounge yet, Allison?"
He lets out a low whistle - he also doesn't believe it completely, but does he care? No.
"I was just headin' in, but I can get you there. Need a warden item to get in."
He lets out a low whistle - he also doesn't believe it completely, but does he care? No.
"I was just headin' in, but I can get you there. Need a warden item to get in."
"Oh, no---I've been there, but it's..."
She gives a nonchalant little shrug, then tilts her head just so, putting on a modest grin.
"It's a little flashy for my taste. If I'm honest, I prefer to drink alone, or at least in the cozy comfort of my own room. I'm sure you understand...?"
She gives a nonchalant little shrug, then tilts her head just so, putting on a modest grin.
"It's a little flashy for my taste. If I'm honest, I prefer to drink alone, or at least in the cozy comfort of my own room. I'm sure you understand...?"
He gets most of the way, but he's grateful for the hand up. It's always nice to get a little help from someone on trips like this.
"And I'm a quick shot," he points out, with a little grin, as he heaves himself up on the ledge. "Canada. Never been that far North."
"And I'm a quick shot," he points out, with a little grin, as he heaves himself up on the ledge. "Canada. Never been that far North."
"Well, hopefully you get to explore up there someday," she replies, getting her other hand on his arm to help him up, and she gives him a fond little pat on the arm before carrying on. "In your own time would be better. I'm sure you'll find your own version of trouble to shoot, anyway."
"Truth be told, I usually enjoy company when drinking. But if you need a bottle, I'm sure the person on bar duty will get you somethin'."
A little flashy. Man.
A little flashy. Man.
"Likely so. And I might actually get that chance, thanks to Dr. Goodsir."
He falls back in step behind her, letting her take the lead again.
He falls back in step behind her, letting her take the lead again.
“Might?” she replies. “You can do whatever you want after this, Arthur.”
He gets to go back to an America looking forward to more than a century of growth, innovation, optimism. That, in Tess’s books, is worth planning for.
She looks out at the path ahead of them, still narrow and still with its ups and downs, and she glances back at him. She guesses if this were wrong, he’d say something, so she just carries on, hopping back down on the other side.
“You can risk your neck on all the treasure hunts you want.”
He gets to go back to an America looking forward to more than a century of growth, innovation, optimism. That, in Tess’s books, is worth planning for.
She looks out at the path ahead of them, still narrow and still with its ups and downs, and she glances back at him. She guesses if this were wrong, he’d say something, so she just carries on, hopping back down on the other side.
“You can risk your neck on all the treasure hunts you want.”
He wouldn't, in fact, tell her if she were wrong. But she doesn't need to know that, so he just follows her.
"I don't know about that, Tess. After this- after what happened with Dutch, I don't think I can do whatever I want."
"I don't know about that, Tess. After this- after what happened with Dutch, I don't think I can do whatever I want."
"You'll figure something out," she remarks. People always do, especially when they don't have a choice not to. "He's not going to dog wherever you go, is he?"
"I don't know how long he's going to live. He ain't made a lot of friends lately."
"You've already tried to save him from himself, Arthur," she replies. "You can't let him stop you from going on without him."
"I know," he says, hoarsely, as he trudges on. "I know. ew weeks before I came here, I woulda argued with you on that point, but I know."
It’s been novel, in a way, spending so much time with a man who looks back. One who doesn’t just make the past off-limits. Harping on him to move on almost feels cruel, so she bites it back.
“Alright, so start thinking of plans,” she informs him. “Otherwise I’ll have to come back with you and make sure you don’t become a loner.”
She spots the big long crack in the rock and crouches a bit to look at it.
“Alright, so start thinking of plans,” she informs him. “Otherwise I’ll have to come back with you and make sure you don’t become a loner.”
She spots the big long crack in the rock and crouches a bit to look at it.
She's already counting this as a loss, and figuring out how she'll make another attempt. Getting one single bottle of moonshine shouldn't be this hard, for shit's sake, but...
She'll soldier along. Foster this acquaintanceship as best she can. Use it to her advantage in the future.
"Perfect," is what she says aloud, with a genial smile to match. "I'll take you up on that offer to let me in, then, if you'd be so kind as to escort me there?"
She'll soldier along. Foster this acquaintanceship as best she can. Use it to her advantage in the future.
"Perfect," is what she says aloud, with a genial smile to match. "I'll take you up on that offer to let me in, then, if you'd be so kind as to escort me there?"
"You say that like I'd mind your company."
He leans a shoulder against the rock wall and looks at her, looking at the crack.
He leans a shoulder against the rock wall and looks at her, looking at the crack.
He falters a little, but then gamely nods and puts his hat back on. "Not a problem. Quite the place, ain't it? I realize it's a prison, but it's somethin'."
"See how I put up with camping out first and then you decide how much you mind," she replies, playful, her attention still on the rock face. Better to dull the smile she can't resist, too. Imagine that, knowing someone almost always up for her company.
She idly wonders if she's going to get bit by a snake or a bat if she just sticks her arm in, but she supposes there's no way to know but to try.
She idly wonders if she's going to get bit by a snake or a bat if she just sticks her arm in, but she supposes there's no way to know but to try.
Better than the prison Allison would have</i? ended up in, no doubt.
"It really is," she says, "I can't help but wonder how it all fell into place. Who designed it, how it came to be..."
Small talk. Ugh, she hates it, but she's made it an art form out of necessity. Serves her well here.
He sees that smile and doesn't comment, but he flicks his own nose with his thumb. Sometimes he's just got a feeling like he's doing something right.
No way to know but try-- and when she reaches into that crack she's rewarded for her inquisitive mind with the feeling of cloth.
No way to know but try-- and when she reaches into that crack she's rewarded for her inquisitive mind with the feeling of cloth.
So does Arthur, but he's not going to just accompany her in staunch silence.
"Huh. Never thought about that, I guess."
"Huh. Never thought about that, I guess."
She pulls it out. She's not sure what she was expecting as far as treasure, but it certainly wasn't fabric, and she gives it a cursory look before unrolling it. Another map, this one with twiggy trees and little smoking volcanos. Geysers? Whatever the fire version of a geyser is?
She glances at Arthur sidelong.
"They got you running over to Yellowstone or something for treasure?" she asks, amused.
She glances at Arthur sidelong.
"They got you running over to Yellowstone or something for treasure?" she asks, amused.
wow sorry for the formatting craziness in that last tag, i did not realize!!!!
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getawaycarr
2020-08-14 04:30 am (UTC)(link)
Allison shrugs.
"It's probably a moot point, since the whole thing seems... well, frankly, impossible, at least where I come from. We are in space, after all..."
"It's probably a moot point, since the whole thing seems... well, frankly, impossible, at least where I come from. We are in space, after all..."
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