Looking for Love [OPEN]

[shambler]

Who| R [OPEN]
What| R takes it upon himself to ask for dating advice from whoever he bumps into (sometimes literally). This can be from advice to how to be the most romantic Romeo ever to the downright awful. To make intros easier, we can handwave R introducing himself and assume he’s already corraled them into this if you like.
Where|| Around the Training Center, the Tribute Tower, and the Speakeasy. Possibly the park.
When| | Before the Victor Crowning
Warnings/Notes|| Nothing so far.

R’s on a mission to acquire intel for How to Date; Revised for Zombies.

Oh, and for scrawny little guys like Howard. Although if you asked him, personally R believes Howard’s already got one step in the door just because he’s got a working heart. Don’t tell Howard he thought that.

The point is R’s motivated. It’s almost unicorn rare to know what he wants and how to get it. Motivation doesn’t come easy to zombies, R feeling the strain raking its claws across his brain folds as he takes his first stumbling step into today. His Escort turns to stare while she primps her hair, surprised that he’s going out on his own instead of having to be herded. He even remembers to groan something about “…prac-tice…for…Games”, just like the Helmsman coached him to, and R almost thinks that’s a mistake when his Escort’s face lights up. He made her day. She almost looks like she wants to drop everything, come along as if she knows how to tie nooses any better than he does. Luckily she settles for waving him good luck, so pleased she’d radiate sunshine if she could.

He lurches off before she changes her mind.

R’s mission is a multi-stage attack:

1). Find someone, anyone with a pulse.
2). Grill them on romance.
3). Hoard the advice.
4). …He’s still working on the next step. R’s lucky he got this far, to be totally honest.

For now R roams, a tall swaying zombie with a muzzle and a bad habit bumping his way into friends and strangers and wrangling them into his quest.

Comments

Re: 'say anything...' was basically karkat's first human film

[shambler]

It'd be stunning, eye-blindingly amazing advice if R could get it. He looks even more lost than usual, the zombie doing a scarily good rotting fish impression as he tries to tear apart Karkat's advice into more manageable chunks. It's not easy. R has the feeling there's something good in there, like a really good, well-lived brain - only it's wrapped up in gibberish.

Maybe this was a mistake. A troll-to-English dictionary would really help, if only R could read in the first place. Just his luck.

"I don't...under...stand," R grunts, baffled. Human subspecies? R's slowly trying to work out if he's offended on top of confused. Zombies don't do balancing acts very well. "Maybe a...picture..?"

Or maybe R wants an excuse to ogle Karkat's drawing "skills".

Re: 'say anything...' was basically karkat's first human film

[sleeplessinalternia]

Karkat gives a long suffering sigh. "Fine," he says, heading over to the camouflage table to pick up some paint before drawing on the wall again. This drawing on the wall to explain shit to R is getting to be a really bad habit of his.

Eventually Karkat has his helpful illustration done to his satisfaction and steps back. There are two stick figures on the wall. One has long hair and is behind of a cross-shape arrangement of small boxes what might symbolize a window, considering that the center part had curtains. There are also lines drawn to indicate that the figure is in a house. The second stick figure was off to the side. It was holding a long box up. The box had some circles on it, possibly indicating speakers? Also, there are musical notes coming from the box.

"You," Karkat says pointing to the second stick figure. "Human you like." He points to the first. "Romantic music." He points to the thing that looks like an ineptly drawn boom box.

[shambler]

The zombie leans forward to stare at the new drawing on the wall. (You can bet an Avox will be here as soon as they leave, silently cleaning up Karkat's mess and disinfecting whatever R's touched and it'll be like they've never been). He peers at the scrawls as Karkat proves he's cool and walks them through it. It's abstract, sorta human-shaped and way better than anything R can manage on his own. With Karkat almost holding his hand for him, the zombie feels like he can click everything in place without it taking a lifetime.

"Oh. Ster-eo," R bobs his head and grunts, pleased. Now they were getting somewhere. "Then...what?"

He's done the music thing before at Julie and he knows she seemed to like it. Music's a pretty good bet. Who knew Karkat was an expert on girls and romance? Raise a hand if you couldn't call that one.

"Help me find...that?" R mushes his finger into Karkat's abomination of a boombox, smearing the fresh paint. "I'd...appreciate...it."

[sleeplessinalternia]

"Okay," Karkat says. "Yeah, sure. I'm pretty much done practicing today anyway. Do you have your card on you?" He takes his own out of his pocket. "They look like this and they're full of asses. That's what Capitol people call their money instead of caegars or beetles." (Karkat had decided soon after he got to the Capitol that 'asses' was a way better plural for 'as' than 'assi.' Karkat was also thirteen in human years.) "High fidelity portable music devices aren't that expensive, so you ought to be able afford one. There's this commercial hivegroup I've bought stuff at. I'll take you there."

[shambler]

R reaches up to pat his chest, that card sticking out like a note. "Escort said...I should...use it. Maybe...you should be...boss of...it?"

Yes, R was trying to foist it off onto the nearest troll. Take all his money, Karkat. R fumbles around for the card, fingers slipping against the plastic until he finally digs it out. He doubts its full of asses, by the way, R giving the troll a weird look as he holds it out to him.

"Trust...your taste."