John

[aaaaaaaagh_sky]

The door opens from Milliways onto the tumbletown ruins of what used to be an industrial area on the fringes of Arlington. The temperature is summertime-warm, the air dry; the last rains to pass through here are long since gone. Overhead, a scavenger bird or two circles, visible only to people who know what they're looking for. A breeze listlessly

Comments

Team Delta

[aaaaaaaagh_sky]

Ellen's generally pretty good at patience, but she's never had to lay low like this and wait for an opportunity to launch an attack before. It's a little different from any other waiting she's done. Especially since there's Dogmeat to consider- the heeler isn't clear on what's going on, but he wants to start moving again, and Ellen keeps stopping him.

"I suppose we'll know it's time to move when the screaming starts," she murmurs.

Re: Team Delta

[aaaaaaaagh_sky]

Ellen lunges for Dogmeat in a move that only adds a little bit of jangling metal sounds to the night. Before Dogmeat can draw breath to protest, she's managed to get a handful of his neck skin and lifted most of his front end off the ground. A moment later she has an iron grip on his muzzle. "I know you mean well," she hisses, "but don't you dare! Not now!"

(Ellen has no real concept of pets, and is not entirely clear on the comprehension gap that exists between humans and animals. Dogmeat should, by her reckoning, understand all of English if he understands some.)

Re: Team Delta

[aeons_crackshot]

Annabelle may have to clear that up for her one of these days, but right now she's busy looking for the other dog.

If her ears don't deceive her, the dog should be right over here...

Re: Team Delta

[aaaaaaaagh_sky]

It is. It's a lean tan scrawny thing in a spiked collar not really meant for a dog to wear- a trophy one of the Talons took from a particularly foolish raider. The Talon in question died fighting mutants a little while after, but the dog's stayed the same, and it is nasty.

Doesn't smell too good, either.

Re: Team Delta

[aeons_crackshot]

Poor thing. Maybe it would be more pleasant if it was fed better.

"Easy, boy," Annabelle says quietly. Moving in to grab its muzzle and hold it shut.

Re: Team Delta

[aaaaaaaagh_sky]

Possibly. Hard to say.

It's thrashing pretty hard, though, and trying to claw at Annabelle's arms to get her to let go.

Re: Team Delta

[aeons_crackshot]

"No," Annabelle says quietly but firmly as the dog thrashes and its claws scrape across her armor.

She knows a bit about dogs. It's not so much about what you say with words as what your tone of voice and body say. Right now, her body language is saying 'I am dominant, you will submit.'

Re: Team Delta

[aaaaaaaagh_sky]

The dog thrashes some more, trying to pull away, but Annabelle has more at stake than it does. Eventually, with a heaving sigh, it gives in. There's no point to putting up more of a stink.

(Dogmeat is currently looking disgruntled. Ellen in power armor outmasses him by a really amazing amount.)

Re: Team Delta

[aeons_crackshot]

"Good dog," Annabelle says quietly once the dog gives in. She lets go of the dog and waits to see what it does.

Re: Team Delta

[aaaaaaaagh_sky]

Whimpers, mostly. And looks as if it's not sure whether to fear-bite or run.

Re: Team Delta

[aeons_crackshot]

Annabelle decides to leave it be, then. "Go home," she tells the dog firmly.

"I think we're good now, Ellen. So long as Dogmeat doesn't attack this fellow, anyway."

Re: Team Delta

[aaaaaaaagh_sky]

With one last whimper the dog turns and slinks away. Ellen looks up and lets go of Dogmeat; the heeler stands up, shakes himself off, and turns to bite at an itch on his flank. That, clearly, was embarrassing for him. "I think we're okay," Ellen says. "But we'd better get moving. There might be others."

There's a tent up ahead with its back to their location. Ellen thinks for a moment, then gestures silently at the canvas. Peek under it or slice it open?

Re: Team Delta

[aeons_crackshot]

Annabelle nods and follows Ellen toward the tent.

At her gesture, Annabelle makes a motion that suggests 'peek under it'. That will be less obvious if anyone comes along behind them later.

Re: Team Delta

[aaaaaaaagh_sky]

Inside the tent there isn't much- a footlocker, a first-aid kit, a raised round concrete thing that on closer inspection has a large steel door built into it, a couple of beer bottles...

Re: Team Delta

[aeons_crackshot]

"Does that look like our way in, or is it just me?" she asks Ellen.

Re: Team Delta

[aaaaaaaagh_sky]

"It's not just you," Ellen murmurs back. "But I'll bet there's a guard outside the tent, and getting that open's going to make a lot of noise..."