open post.

[chemtech]

Comments

for @allbedestroyed

[chemtech]

[from here.]

[Robert is so persuasive. She should take notes for future reference. Might help her skills in the long run. But maybe he is right and she shouldn't be staying in the lab longer than totally necessary...

Once a workaholic, always a workaholic. That's Wendy.

She takes a few minutes to wrap up what she's doing, texts him for details - he wanted her to come out, so she needs to figure out where exactly - and then she's hanging up her lab coat and grabbing her bag to leave. No change of clothes. She's kinda upset about that. But she doesn't exactly plan ahead often...

So yeah. Here she is, looking a bit tired after a long day but cheerful regardless!]

Hi - sorry! Hope I didn't keep you waiting too long.

[allbedestroyed]

[Muldoon spends most of his time working, or thinking about work. It's just everyone else who isn't allowed to be a workaholic. He knows how to make sure everyone else takes care of themselves, he's just no good at doing that himself.

The place he's directed her to is a nice bar. It's not too loud, but it is pretty busy. Luckily he's pretty easy to spot, sitting at the bar and nursing a whiskey while he waits. Besides, aside from his ID badge he's still in his uniform. Looks like Wendy wasn't the only one who came straight from work.

When he hears her, he looks up from his drink and turns to her properly.]

Not long at all. What will you have?

[chemtech]

[Oh good. He looks like he just came from work too - so she doesn’t feel like the odd person out. Plain business casual for her with sensible shoes. If you didn’t know any better she’d seem like just another office worker or something. Nothing that truly stands out here. Her work ID is hidden away in her bag because it has to be.

Wendy slips into the seat beside his, elbows leaning on the bar top as she gets comfortable.]

Just a beer. [A slight hand wave.] I’m not picky.

[allbedestroyed]

[He nods, waving over the bartender to order her a beer. After all, he was the one who persuaded her to come out. He owes her a drink or two.

Once she's set with a drink of her own, he sips his whiskey and turns to her.]

How have things been?

[chemtech]

Vacation was fantastic. [Which he should know, since she basically gave him a real-time report of the entire thing as it happened.]

Been pretty tough getting back into the swing of things at the office but… I’m trying. It’s a work in progress.

[She chuckles a little, shakes her head. Then she’s taking a hearty chug of her beer. Someone needs it today.]

[allbedestroyed]

Once you get used to things again, you'll be better for having had a break.

[It's something he's sure of. Especially for someone who spends her days pushing her brain to the limit. Taking a break gives her mind and body time to recover from everything she's undoubtedly putting it through.

He does see how eagerly she takes a drink, though.]

Hard day?

[chemtech]

[Wendy just nods, making a face as she doesn’t look at him directly. He’s so zen all the time - how does he do it? And can she get some? Honestly.]

I guess. [A shrug. She keeps her hands on the bottle as it sits in front of her.] Remember when I said I worried about things burning down while I was gone? [The softest snort. There it is.]

[allbedestroyed]

[It's difficult not to be zen most of the time. Really he prefers those times when he's not so relaxed. But compared to hunting, or being hunted, things like this really aren't anything to worry about.]

Which means that other people caused issues, [he points out.

His lips press into a thin line, then, because he suspects he already knows the answer to the question he's about to ask. And he already disapproves.]

You are making them clean up their own messes, aren't you?

[chemtech]

I had to write up five employees and suspend two. I swear they think this place is a fucking frat house most times. [Exasperated hand gestures followed by nearly knocking her beer over - but she saves it at the last possible moment, then picks up the bottle up for another drink. Catch her flagging down the bartender for a second already because this one is practically empty.]

Why do you think I stayed late? We spent most of the day re-cataloging things that should’ve been done properly the first time. It’s like no one pays attention.

[She mumbles her thanks when the beer is dropped off, but she focuses on finishing the one she currently has.]

[allbedestroyed]

[Having spent his fair share of time as a manager and department head, he automatically feels her pain. The very idea of that happening in his department makes his face scrunch up a little.]

Yours is not the kind of work that can afford mistakes like that.

[He sips his drink for a moment before looking at her.] Is this normal for your team?

[chemtech]

[She’s not even a manager!! Technically speaking. And that’s the most depressing part of this whole ordeal. But he doesn’t need to know that.]

Goof off in the off-season, get laser-focused when it’s crunch time. Seems to be how everything thinks the department should be run. [Grumble grumble.] Never used to be like that…

[She just shrugs at his question, polishes off her beer. Onto the second one yeehaw.]

[allbedestroyed]

Goofing off sounds like it could cause problems later on. [Though he's sure she already knows that better than he does.]

High stress jobs need to allow people to blow off steam, but they need to make sure that however people do it doesn't interfere in work.

Better you enforce vacations than let people mess around in laboratories. [Said as he sips his drink again.]

[chemtech]

Yeah no shit. [Yep, she is more than aware.]

I’ve seen the light as far as actually utilizing vacation time is concerned. [Thank you, Robert.] More people should do it. I’m not in charge or anything so… the team barely listens to me enough as is.

[Her reputation as a bitchy suck-up who’s a stickler for the rules precedes her. And part of her is okay with that - the specific one that doesn’t want to get close to people.]

[allbedestroyed]

Why not? [He's immediately indignant on her behalf.]

If your absence causes everything to fall apart, and you're not in charge, then you're not getting paid enough!

[chemtech]

[Is that… he’s upset? Sounds like he is. Just a little.]

It’s not even about the pay. Guess I torched my reputation to the point of no return or something. [Another shrug.] It’s nothing but a pile of ash at this point. [Pause.] Or I’m just not smart enough. [Oh here she goes. Hello, self doubt!]

[allbedestroyed]

[That gets a squint.]

How did you torch your reputation?

[Considering what Wendy is like, he finds it hard to believe she made a mistake that major.]

[chemtech]

[She’s mid-beer sip, then glances over in his direction.]

I’m not exactly a team player, Robert. [Bottle down, nails tapping against the glass.] You can have tenure and experience and know absolutely everything about everything but if people don’t like you..

[allbedestroyed]

[He lifts an eyebrow sceptically.]

Is it really that much of a popularity contest?

I'm not exactly the most social person, but being good at my job is what matters the most. You can't destroy your reputation by being unlikable. Not unless you make an effort to upset the people around you.

[chemtech]

I did mention the whole frat house thing before.

[Wendy pauses before she says anything else because that last comment he makes… is… such… a call-out. Y’know - the whole making-an-effort-to-upset-people thing. She just hunches, quietly returning to her beer.

She’s in this picture and she doesn’t like it etc etc.]

[allbedestroyed]

[Well that silence is telling.

Muldoon's brow lifts and he takes another sip of whiskey as he says,] Alright, you're going to have to tell me more about that.

[Finishing the sip he hastens to elaborate,] The way you just went quiet, not the frat house thing.

[chemtech]

You make one dumb mistake when you’re an intern and it follows you forever I guess. [Sigh.] I mean - I thought I knew everything at the time so I guess the way I reacted was my own fault. I was young and stupid.

[allbedestroyed]

[Muldoon knocks back the last of his drink and orders them both another. He waits until they've been refilled before he looks at her again.]

The whole story, please.

[chemtech]

[This face.]

It’s classified information I can’t repeat, Robert. [You know - like she always says about almost everything pertaining to her ultra top-secret job.]

Let’s just say the fuck-up I made is the type that gets put in training manuals. Under “don’t fucking do this shit.”

[allbedestroyed]

[Well it was worth asking. He simply sips his drink in response to the gentle reproach.]

Doesn't everyone do that sort of thing at least once? That's why you start off on an internship.

[chemtech]

Yeah I got that now. I just didn’t handle it so gracefully back then and things spiraled from there.

[How is she already on her third beer? When did he get her the new one?]

Took it too personally and next thing I knew people were avoiding me in the hallways.