[IC] 🧚🏻‍♀️ The Walking Dead - Year 6 Part 1

[Shoe Thief]

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Emanuel "Manny" Newman Location: Bus (Outside Camp Mexico Beach) Skills: N/A

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The bus trip felt very much like the first day in camp. With the exception that there was a fraction of the amount of people. Then with a rough head count, he figured it might not be a fraction. But definitely less then last time. He was glad he got a bit of a response out of Thalia. He wondered what was going through her mind at that moment? There was no real way to tell as he himself couldn't figure out what was going through his own mind in terms of thoughts and emotions. Sure, he felt a bit of sadness, but he didn't know any of the people that were being buried, and he had only seen one of them alive and that was only for a few moments. Was it guilt? That didn't seem right either. They didn't die for Him. They died to defeat Eden. Yet, their deaths were the main reason he was alive. If they didn't fight and die everything Manny did to try and escape would have been for nothing, and probably would have only made things worse. Infact, looking back he wouldn't be sure if he could have worked himself up enough to try for a break. That didn't even account for the people who were also prisoners, who had most likely died before him. Those that had been tortured while Manny waited for his turn in line. It just as easily could have been one of them who had taken his place. Maybe he would have been forced to fight to the death, or go through one of the other many things that had been going on. He never did really learn all of it. And apart of him, never wanted to find out.

It felt like trading lives. Lola had died before the group made it to Manny, and Manny chose to save Thana over Gavin. eventually leading to his death. That didn't even account for the many times it had happened before, in past groups when supplies ran out, or when the choice had to be made to save one's self, or try for one last attempt to save someone else. He hoped things in this new world wouldn't need to call for that anymore. No more Trading lives.

Manny needed a distraction from his grim thoughts. And honestly? What better way to do that then with guns. The rules were as simple as most common gun safety tips. Tips Manny had been following for longer then some people on the bus had probably been alive. The don't screw us over comment made Manny uneasy though. Not because he had plans to screw anyone over, but the implication of throwing a living person into a put of walkers seemed... wrong. Sure, trying to screw over the people who gave you a meal and shelter was a poor choice, but he hoped that was an intimidation trick, or at worst a short term need rather then what was just thought of as the solution to stopping problems forever. He thought that was odd, if something were to go wrong he didn't flinch at the idea of a bullet being put in someone's head, but a pit of walkers got his attention. He thought about it, and figured maybe it seemed more humane to just put a hostile person down rather then put them through unneeded suffering. He wondered how much of that was him trying to see the best of things, and how much of it was his youth starting to show in a world where a younger Manny would survive a hell of a lot better then an older Manny.

Stopping himself before he fell too deep into his thoughts he accepted his temporary firearm. Nothing fancy, a simple double barrel shotgun. "Thank you." He said before carefully accepting it. His first goal was to make sure it was unloaded. No need to have it loaded now, and the nice thing about break actions is that while they are open the shells can be dropped in rather easy. He has a box of a few more shells to go with it as well. Again, not a lot, but considering they had armed guards, he figured that it was meant to be a last line of defense should all hell go loose. Two shots. If things were done correctly, that would be two kills against the un-dead in a single moment. If not, it was a second chance to correct a first mistake in a split second choice. Or in the cases like he had seen at the shooting range, someone grips the triggers wrong, and fires both barrels at once to try and hit one target. You don't get extra points for blasting the same head off twice.

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Hunter Monroe Location: Outside Jail (AA) --> Inside Jail Skills:N/A

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Maybe it wasn't an achievement to be proud of, but Hunter had successfully gone somewhere none of the other new comers has been able to go to yet. Ignoring the context of why he was there, he thought it was kind of neat. With the context, he was going to have to do what he could to salvage the situation. No matter how things went now, it was a loss. But if he played what few cards he did have right, he figured it may not be a total loss. Even better, something to recover from. He found it odd how surprised people were to the list of things he did. Sure, he got wasted and said a lot more words then he should have, but it was also an open bar, where he and the bartender overestimated how much he could take. There was something about waste, but he didn't remember much of that so he couldn't say much about that. There was being late by roughly 5 minutes, which he figured wasn't bad considering it was the first actual schedule he had been apart of in five years and his first day back on one. And, needing a reminder to pick up the dog poop. The first time he had needed to in... also about five years. But he still did it and was thankful for the reminder. Though there was the times he had cussed out quiet a few people. Even then, the reactions he was getting from his sheet seemed much. He wondered if there was more going on there then he knew about. Did he try to fight someone last night? Or was this based off the look in his eye again?

There was talk about which cell to put him in, and blame being put on him that it needed to be done and wasn't. "Doesn't seem fair to blame me. It wasn't my job to clean it, and I didn't make it messy." Sure it was meant for him, but it wasn't his fault that it wasn't clean. Honestly he wouldn't mind cleaning it to keep from being bored, but he had no plans to be blamed for something he didn't do. He was starting to appreciate Roy though. He figured the man probably didn't like him, but he at least didn't seem to treat him like the lowest of scum, and helped clarify things to Hunter. Clarification was nice. It was nice to know that Cage didn't mean medical in general. Under most cases he would see that as a dick move of someone who can't be bothered, but at least they let him have that choice should he choose it. He wasn't sure if that was a victory or not. Either way, he found Roy decent. He felt professional enough without making things personal.

The house was nice enough, but he had a feeling that he wasn't going to be a roaming prisoner in this place with access to the tv. Those fears were correct when he saw the steel door. He had to stop himself from muttering "Fuck buckets" out loud. Though his mouth did open a bit in wonder as he looked at the door, and the stairs that came after it. "Huh..." It was a curious thought. Sure, he was no structural engineer, but he didn't think anywhere in Florida had a basement? His thoughts weren't on what was below, just that there was a below. But the more he thought about it, he has been places before in the area with basements. Sure, not Florida itself, but pretty close. So he figured it made sense now that he thought about it.

Realizing though that this basement was his prison he refocused himself. The only relevant thought he could pull to his head was "Welcome Home Hunter, should have worked on those people skills last time".

[ONL]

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Alexander Polawski Location: The Bus (Q6) Outside CMB Skills: N/A

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Staring out the window of a bus, the scenery passing before his old and worn eyes like they had done so many times before. Gates opening and closing was not such a thing he'd witnessed too many times in his life, not like these. Blinking, Alexander guessed that the military check-points he'd passed so many times in his life were the closest he had gotten this far. That and when he'd walked through the massive doors of the church that one day. Breaching the wooden gates that separated his old life from a new one.

Marriage was a strange thing like that. It was the one assault he had no regrets for.

Alexander turned his head idly watch the activety inisde the bus, all the silence that weighed down on them all, and the few sounds of conversation dotted around the seats. The specifics did not colour the canvas that was his hearing, merely the presence of talking as the outer gate opened. The bus drove out, for the first time since when they came here Alexander got to see the outside once again. Not something he had missed seeing, that was for sure, bringing back the memories that kept him at his toes and the hairs in his neck standing cold.

The old veteran nearly zooned out before he registered Bass and the Padre adressing the lovely group of CMB tourists. Reviews, weapons, ammo, not fucking around…Somewhere in the back of his mind, Alexander was reminded of a certain incident involving a flamethrower filled with water, or was it beer? Military pranks, it was fucking hileraous at least, though a pain in the ass afterwards.

They were being armed. Right. Focus.

Being handed a double barreled shotgun and a pack of shells, Alexander accepted the weapon and nodded Bass who gave him the weapon. Not his choice of weapon, being more adept with a rifle or a pistol, but Alexander was not to complain. He was able to defend himself with this, he would prove it. Prove it so that he wouldn't blame himself for more deaths…

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Nigel Cooper Location: Streets of CMB (L5 -> P6) Skills: N/A

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The heat and humidity poured down on neo-Roman like the pebles of Balearic slingers, doubtfully powerful when not experiencing it yourself first hand. Nigel had trouble recollecting anything similar to the Florida weather, well besides his time in the swamps many months ago. This was exactly what the Persians had invented the umbrellas for, and Nigel could hear the voices of his pupils when they told him the artistic renditions of them "looked stupid". Perhaps, but Nigel felt he looked pretty stupid himself sweating like he did walking down the streets of Camp Mexico Beach.

Nigel got the attention of Thana again after having put forth his case, and he was not dissappointed in her response. The reference to Atlas put a chuckle in his voice, making him nod in sweaty agreement to her compromise. "Fair enough. Half the world it is then, but I reserve my right to choose which half." Nigel said back with a smirk, putting his hand up to shield his eyes as he looked forward. Still trying to get used to the city layout of their little fortress, he was at least in capable hands. If Thana got lost there, what hope was there left? His ears certainly were of no use, unable to pick up anything besides the sound of their footsteps, the natural world around them and the sweat pouring down his face.

"So you have the sea to fish from, greens growing in the gardens and under the waves, and somewhere out there the bees that are calmer at dusk. Are there any other sources of food you have here, like scavenging or hunting out in the wild? No easy feat importing Egyptian grain if anything were to happen." Nigel posed the question to Thana the Athenian, wiser and hardier than he was. It was an honest question, as well as a topic of conversation. He remembered how his old settlement had struggled to feed their people sometimes, hell he remembered the very first day when people first got hungry. Hunger was a feeling few people in America had truly felt, and not it was the basic instinct that drove people forward. Nigel didn't want the hungry wolf inside himself back.

[Sigil]

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Ash Holloway Location: The Bus Skills: N/A

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Ash didn't see the man in the back of the bus, Joaquin, adopt his inherited glare. Maybe it was best that he didn't. Their family had the occasion to be unpredictable and a little stab-happy for reasons that they didn't always disclose. Come to think of it, with two of them that he didn't know well in an enclosed, metal tube moving away from the only point of civilization of which Ash was aware for an indeterminate distance away. This might be one of the more dangerous bus rides Ash had taken. And he'd been dropped off in some pretty unsavory conditions while deployed. "Yes ma'am. No problem. Timing, is all," he responded to Thalia. It seemed to satisfy for the meantime.

But as subjects that were satisfying were concerned, the topic of weapons came up. Funny, he was just thinking that he'd feel better if he could get his hands on a .45 pistol. It wouldn't be entirely inaccurate for him to feel just a little like a kid at Christmas, anxiously awaiting his turn to get at whatever was for him in the sackful of goodies being passed around. He noted that they were not the weapons that they came in with. In most cases, it was an upgrade. So, with a hair or two or genuine optimism, Ash waited. He was almost the last person to receive his item, and took just a bit of surprise that Bass paused in the middle of his surname, only to refer to him by the abbreviated form of his first name before handing him a sidearm. He didn't recall having much of an in-depth conversation with the man. It felt a little off. Ash must have been the topic of some conversation or another; he just hoped it was framed positively. That might have been a safe assumption considering that he was being handed a large bore pistol.

"Thank you," he responded clearly, with a little twinkle in his eye as he examined the sidearm at his disposal. Smith & Wesson 4506, .45 ACP, Double Action start and Single Action continuing, semi-automatic fire. He recognized this weapon as one that was on the table to replace the general issue sidearm of the United States Army. It didn't quite make it, due to NATO ally compatible factors, but nonetheless it was a weapon designed purely for combat application and used his preferred round. Ash gave the pistol a once-over, ejecting the magazine and inspecting the chamber, then reinserting and chambering a round. He applied the safety and tucked the pistol aside, then placed his hands on the back of the seat in front of him so that their hosts didn't misinterpret his actions as hostility and perforate the back of his head. That would be a very unproductive end to his day.

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Thalia Carmichael Location: The Bus Skills: N/A

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"Shit. Yes." It was a simple enough remark from a very direct lady woman who still regarded being armed with the same appeal as a bacon double cheeseburger with accompanying chocolate milkshake. The same sort of predatory expression that she gave Roy earlier that day was reserved for the gun in her hand, giving way to a cold, determined smile. Even this faded away as the gave her lent weapon a cursory look. This was a Beretta. She was a Glock girl, herself. It was the first gun she learned how to use and it remained her favorite for a long time. It also didn't hurt that the Glock 17 was the standard sidearm issued to the security agents of MSS, her former employer. Personal proclivities aside, this wasn't the first time that she held a Beretta. She remembered the last time she was lent one, though. Back when she had two hands, she had opportunity to go full Guns Akimbo with her company Glock in one hand and the Beretta M9 of a guy she had met that day. She got to see him die that day as well. "...James..." The guy looked like a jackass, but he started her on the path that led her here. Then he fell into a collapsing chasm and died. Hindsight was a bitch, sometimes.

She broke her reverie with the Beretta and accompanying memories, noting the signal to wait from Bass. Her gaze followed him to the back of the bus, an eyebrow arching with regard to what was forthcoming. When Thalia saw what he was pulling out for her, it keyed off a series of emotions. Naturally, Thalia went to anger first. It was a good survival default. To the tune of, "How dare those bastards hide that from me, that's my fucking property," though it was an unspoken impulse. It quickly gave way to, "They have it, they haven't just cycled it into the hands of some who doesn't appreciate lifelong craftsmanship," again unsaid, and filtering into the memories of both the Zed she took it from and the woman who made it; its first wielder. Both were friends. One was closer to her than the other.

Thalia accepted the shield with a touch of reverence. It felt like it might be a little lighter than the last time she held it, which was probably due to her more regular diet recently and the exercise she was putting herself through. It looked the same as ever. Even better. The various imperfections that the shield bore was testament to the battles of its owners over the years. She traced her finger along the pattern engraved along the front, giving a nigh sinister grin. Reluctantly, she slid the item down in front of the seat and turned her attention back to the gun.

It was a little tricky of a maneuver to inspect and ready a sidearm with only one functional hand, but practice on the road with her much smaller, scavenged Ruger 9mm had taught Thalia a method. It was a little slower than the standard two handed method, granted, but got the job done. Of course, it was easier if she were standing or kneeling. Beggars and choosers, she figured. Thalia placed her foot up on the seat next to her, hunching down to better accommodate. She checked the safety and placed the weapon behind her knee, so that the slide could be actuated with by tensing the muscles in her leg and pushing against the handle with her functional hand, opening the slide for observation. She depressed the magazine eject and let it fall to the set below, then let the Beretta remain behind her knee while she checked the magazine for ammo, replaced it, and actuated the slide again with the same practiced move she used to inspect the chamber; this time a full back and forth to put the first round in the chamber in a single controlled motion. "Hnn..." she half-crooned, half-growled with a sense of personal satisfaction. This was a good, tried-and-true pistol. Thalia almost hoped she would get the opportunity to use it.

[Lady Absinthia]

☠ 𝚃𝚆𝙳: 𝚈𝚎𝚊𝚛 𝟻 𝙿𝚊𝚛𝚝 𝟺 ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ Location: Camp Mexico Beach Weather Forecast: Dawn at 5:57 A.M. - Dusk at 7:41 P.M. - High: 87F, Low: 72F - Winds SW at 4mph - Gusting to 10mph - No rain - Cloud Cover: 26% - Visibility: 9miles. Notes: Once again: Repeating since some more will likely be hitting the heat this round - We are well into the afternoon now so we are at the hottest part of the day (near 90's), so make sure to act accordingly if you are out in the heat. As it is summer in Florida, it is always humid and the winds are near nothing so you will be sitting in hot, moist, sauna like air and it will hit you like opening an oven when you step outside. Please make note of the following - you can think your character is smart or fast or skilled but without rolls and stats to back it up, it isn't so. Also, something I forgot to mention earlier but read through all the skills that are available. Things like loading weapons or drawing actually take a combat turn. (Why there are skills like Ambidexterity and Quick Draw) So not having weapons loaded will mean you are a round behind even before a fight starts as you will have to take a round to try to load your weapon in the middle of combat. (And a round behind IF you pass a roll, if you fail you are even further behind as BT are 1 action per round unless you have a skill for more and such.) Example of unloaded and holstered weapon - round 1: Draw weapon (if you pass the roll) - round 2: Load the weapon (if you pass the roll) - round 3: Shoot your target (if you pass the roll). Example of a loaded weapon in hand - round 1: Shoot your target (if you pass the roll.) Be the one with a loaded weapon in hand if you think a fight could happen, don't be caught with your pants down. So if you need to make corrections will give you it this time, next time you will have to have your character pass an INT check to remember they fouled up.

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Hospital/Medical (B): Mary continued to watch, her head tilting to the side. As Lisa finished, Mary made a few notes in her folder before standing up and going to check the womans work. She was pretty sure that Lisa had gotten it right but she had to check it and run some tests on it before she would be absolutely sure enough to administer the antibiotic to someone in need. Yet from all outwardly signs it looked good to go. After a few minutes of going over things a few times and a startling silence in the room, Mary finally looked over to Lisa.

"You aren't supposed to get it like that. Took me eight years of college to get my doctorate, and four years in this post apocalyptic hell to be willing to do this shit without a manual and on the fly. Your first day, you did alright," Mary said as she started putting things away. They would have to store, clean, and sterilize the room before they left it. For Mary to say that Lisa did alright was like the Pope making someone a Saint. It was big, huge. She never said people did alright. Maybe an 'eh, or a 'well you didn't kill anyone. "So, I'll start putting things away, you come behind and sterilize. Same procedure as the lab, just suited," she explained as she turned back to Lisa's new batch of medication and started to put it away so it could age and then be tested for full viability.

Inside Jail (AA): Cage whipped his head around and looked like he was about to put Hunter through a wall. "You're gonna be a pain in my ass aren't ya? Oh wait, no you won't because you're gonna be locked down here, alone, until they get to you. Good luck tracking the days," Cage said before turning back around and heading around the corner.

Roy stopped moving Hunter forward and grunted. The man hadn't said anything really besides to crack a small joke or to tell others to take it easy. Yet, Hunter opened his mouth, again, and it wasn't anything good. "Kid, seriously, just shut the fuck up and you'll be better off if you don't say shit that pops into your mind...," Roy said quietly before pushing Hunter forward and taking him around the corner at the bottom of the stairs to follow where Cage had gone.

Around the corner was the cells. The entire Basement was concrete blocks, there were bars dividing off three cells with a prison like cot and toilet in each one. The first was they passed must have been what was referred to as Cell A. It did need cleaning. There was blood pooled in the floor, staining it by a drain that was built in. There was a tooth in the blood that was coagulated and one could see where there was a a bit of hair stuck to the wall in blood and skin. "He wasn't kidding about letting you bleed out if you self harm," Roy said as they passed the cell.

"Fucking Dimsdale, that asshat should have been kicked out three months ago," Cage barked as he walked over to the next cell and unlocked it. "Shit brain thought I'd run in if he kept it up. I warned him," the man added as he stood there.

Roy breathed out and nodded as he started to undo Hunters handcuffs. Once they were off, his hand went to his pistol and he took a step back. "Alight kid, into the cell, don't do anything stupid..." Roy said as he watched.

Streets of CMB (P6) -> Hydroponic Garden (T): Road to the Hanging Gardens are clear and everything is calm in that sector. Nothing of note good or bad, it is just neutral.

Streets of CMB (L8) -> General Housing (X): Thankfully Izi gave up her pursuit of the cat rather quickly. Why, it was unclear, but as fast as she had started running off after the cat she stopped. Now that that is done, and the dog is done being well a dog, things are calm in the area. Nikki and Izi are getting a few looks from some people sitting out around their apartments but it isn't every day that someone sees a dog try to drag a little blonde girl by the wrist through the camp. People get their entertainment where they can these days.

The Bus (Outside of CMB -> Graveyard): "Yer welcome," Bass said and he gave a small smile to Amelia as he finished handing over weapons: Tatiana and Jack were both given Glocks, Riley was handed a cross bow that was still folded in. "Wait till we get off the bus to open that," Bass said to Riley before he started zipping up one of the bags. Tatiana and Jack seemed to be on the same page as they checked their weapons and flipped the safety's on before starting to scan outside of the window.

Bass looked over at Manny and cringed. "Sir, we gave ya that loaded fer a reason. Just used the safety..." Bass said in a tone that was respectful but slightly sounded like a kid trying to show grandpa how to use the internet. Standing up, he picked up the bag he had zipped shut and handed it over to Atticus, who shoved it in the front seat behind Daytona. He took a moment to look over at Alexander, the man was being quiet and wasn't saying anything. Bass wasn't one to ponder why, so he left the man to be with his thoughts or vigilance, whichever it was. Having to go to a funeral was never fun, especially these days when it seemed people were burying or having to leave behind far more than they ever found.

"Sparrow said you could handle it," Bass said but it wasn't clear if he was speaking to Thalia or Ash, maybe he was talking to both of them. It didn't matter. They were coming to the grave yard. There were high brick walls that blocked the initial spotting. The gate was closed, iron bars. Daytona pulled to a stop. Attitcus snapped his bible closed and rolled it, tucking it into the large pocket of his cargo pants. Unholstering his gun, he waited for the door to open before breathing out and raising his gun. The heat hit him hard. God he hated the weather down here, it was worse than Texas as far as he was concerned. He stepped down, checking both sides before proceeding forward. Bass followed in the mans path as Joaquin moved to the front of the bus and unslung his rifle his back.

"Alright stay on the bus until we are inside, the gate is locked, and you get the clear from the Padre," Daytona said as Bass and Atticus went to unlock the gate and open it. Padre did all the unlocking and opening, Bass scanning the area and having the priests six. Daytona pulled the bus forward. Inside the gate it was an older grave yard, there were some newer headstones and even an unmarked grave that looked like it had to be fresh that morning. Yet for the most part the place looked old with trees and moss hanging from them. Behind them the Padre locked the gate back up. He and Bass started following the bus but their eyes were darting all over the place as they walked slowly, guns raised as they swept the area.

Daytona pulled the bus to a stop under an old oak tree, in the shade. Turning it off, she stood up and unholstered her .45 from her hip and flipped the safety off. Coming up to the back of the bus Atticus knocked on the driver's window and gave a thumbs up to Daytona. Opening the door to the bus Joaquin stepped down and took point to the left of the door. "Alright y'all file out and stay close to the bus," she said as she stood there out of the way. She would exit the bus last.

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Thana Martin Location: Streets Of CMB (P6) -> Hydroponic Garden (T) Skills: N/A

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That comment made Thana chuckle as she kept limping down the road. "Not till you outrank me you don't," she said with a smirk before sticking her tongue out at the man. Yes, it was a very adult and officer like way to act right then. Chuckling she kept moving, strolling back towards the gardens where they could get cleaned up a bit. Not to mention get changed out of the wet suits they were wearing. Hers was only still wet thanks to the sweat. Black rubber wasn't exactly the most breathable thing and if one wasn't careful in a Floridian Summer the damn thing could make one sweat out the majority of their body weight in an hour Thana was willing to wager. Or at least it felt like that. She figured the thing could end up being a new method of torture if the Camp was into going Gitmo on someone's ass. Not that she thought anyone in camp would be dumb enough or run their mouths enough to get that type of treatment. Then again, she didn't know everyone.

Looking over to Nigel as he started asking some question, Thana nodded. "Actually yeah," she said as she pulled out her keys and unlocked the door to the Greenhouse. She motioned towards Nigel to take a step back and away before she swung the door open. The added heat that the greenhouse brought seemed to rush out of the building as the door opened like a hurricane of heat suddenly. Like opening the oven set to broil. Thana cringed and let out a sharp breath. "Ugh I fucking hate that..." she said before just standing there. "Gonna give it a minute." It was a quick explanation to why she wasn't immediately stepping inside. Not that the heat was going to really drop now that the door was open but it did even out and bridge the temp between the greenhouse and the outside by the door. Best way to adjust before stepping into something even hotter than just the surrounding air.

"Oh, back to your question," she said, getting back to the topic that had been at hand. Thana stood there, sweating bullets and huffing every so often, she began to talk some about how the Camp got more food. "Most fish is our protein source. Less walkers able to get ahold of things in the water. There is a hunting team but they don't get much these days. We do trade however with other settlements. One is a farm, another is well like a Ranch I guess you could say. I ain't seen a trade with either of them yet but I know I'll have to go at one point. I've only been on one trade so far and that was for things like toilet paper - the new world currency. I think some days I'd trade food for some double ply. I hate fucking leaves..." Thana said with half a laugh. She was only half joking. "Especially the time I didn't pay attention and grabbed poison ivy... Itched for a fucking week..."

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Nikola Warren Location: Streets Of CMB (L8) -> General Housing (X) Skills: N/A

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"Izi! Damn it!" Nikki grunted. She was sweating. Granted that wasn't exactly form getting pulled by the dog. One could blink in this heat and break a sweat but then again being pulled by a dog that probably weighed close to what she did was no picnic either. She was sure she could get around something and use the leash to slow the dog down if it came to that but she didn't want to have to do that. She liked the dog. The dog was sweet and really hadn't caused any problems since she arrived. Sure she probably put some people off by the way she looked but that didn't bother Nikki.

Well, normally. Right now it was pissing her the fuck off. That was until the dog suddenly decided the cat was no longer worth her time. Or at least that was what Nikki figured it was. Otherwise she couldn't understand why the dog would stop chasing. Maybe the heat was getting to Izi as well. Either way, Nikki really didn't care and she wasn't complaining. Her arm no longer felt like it was getting pulled out of its socket. Coming to a stop herself, Nikki let out a sigh and a hard breath. She knew she was going to have to grab a shower tonight but that was to get last night off her, not a mid day jog.

Turning she started leading Izi back to the apartments. "Yeah, yeah, ha ha," Nikki quipped noticing people looking at her and the dog. Rolling her eyes she popped her gum with a little more zest than she normally did before reaching the door to her and Lisa's apartment. Unlocking the door she shooed the dog inside. She would need to get Izi some water before she left and it would probably be a good idea to lock the dog up in her bed room, at least until she spoke with Lisa. Yet speaking with Lisa would have to wait until she got off work. Turning she looked back around the housing area real fast.

[rivaan]

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Amelia Payne Location:The Bus (Outside of CMB -> Graveyard) Skills: N/A

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Her head resting on Riley’s shoulder, her eyes were looking to the side out the window of the bus. They were traveling for a bit out of the walls now when they reached the cemetery. Amelia’s hand softly squeezed the handle of the bat, reassuring and confirming it’s presence as she relaxed it a bit again. The sun was blazing outside and she was wondering how hot it would feel to step outside after being in the nice comfortably air conditioned bus.

Her eyes glided across different gravestones and the trees. Padre and Bass were outside, so if something was clearly present, she expected the gunshots to happen soon, but nothing was heard as they got a bit deeper into the graveyard until they finally stopped. Moments later the green light to leave the bus was given. Amelia’s eye twitched as she stood up and went to leave. With one hand holding a spiked baseball bat and another holding an axe, she disembarked the vehicle.

Stepping out of it, she felt the heat right away. The hat she was nicely given by Nikki did help to keep the sun out of her eyes at the very least, but darn this was hot and stuffy. She really had to find a way to express her gratitude to Auntie and Nikki for the dress and the hat. They were a life saver in this heat! Thinking about gratitude and the fucking heat, Amelia made a few steps to the side to clear the door of the bus and looked around, hands holding the weapons in the ready, though honestly she only needed one of them… the bat especially was a two handed weapon for ideal situations. Well she could always just drop one if she had to, so she wasn’t going to leave one just yet. The short axe could be wielded in one hand easily enough. She waited for Riley to also get off the bus and then hurriedly got into close guarding position by the other woman.” Need to keep an eye out...” She told Riley, not trusting the seeming calmness of the area.

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Lisa Mason Location: Medical(B) Skills: N/a

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Lisa calmly and quietly from the side waited for Mary to finish inspecting the batch. She was pretty sure she did it right in the end there, but it was a bit of a lucky one. The silence in the room was a bit heavy as the inspection progressed, but Lisa felt rather good right now. With her in high spirits, she smiled as she was slowly pinching her leg to pass the time. It was actually kind of interesting to watch Mary work. She looked so proficient at it too.

After a wait that seemed a lot longer than it was, Mary finally said the words… Or rather that’s what Lisa would have thought if the words spoken weren’t the ones that were. She rose an eyebrow and nodded.” Thanks, but I will be honest that’s because I’ve had good teachers and was specialized into learning for this specifically...” She said with serious voice, before continuing.” Didn’t spare the efforts and most importantly of all… I Was fucking lucky. I honestly can’t believe I managed it, I wouldn’t say I’d happen with good regularity quiet yet. Got more to learn from ya. Besides for those 8 years you’ve got a whole lot of knowledge I might never actually get to learn.” She added.

With a smile and happy thoughts she started to fulfill Mary’s new task which was to sterilize after her. At least this step wasn’t too different from the regular lab.” I really should redouble my efforts on my studies if I’m to work here. Don’t want to be wasting ingredients… leaves bad aftertaste to do so.” She mumbled and sighed. Still she was glad for her luck today, however she didn’t think that luck could be counted on.

[ONL]

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Alexander Polawski Location: The Bus (Q6) Outside CMB -> Graveyard Skills: N/A

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Whatever the conversations had been going on in front, behind and around him, Alexander had only slowly drifted back to the same realm as they existed in. A slideshow of images had passed before him and his tired eyes, thankfully in little-to-no need for glasses even for his age. It made him wonder, what were the role of…those guys who dealt in glasses? Their professional title eluded him like the faulty wire of a broken tv from the mid-1980's, he'd tried to fix too many of those in his lifetime. The silver lining was perhaps that all those hours cursing at the cheap electronics just might pay off those days.

The images that had kept Alexander occupied faded away alongside the scenery, seeing the bus drive away from the camp and somewhere away. The Graveyard. Back in his own reality, Alexander breathed in deep and straightened himself in his seat, turning to look at the others inside the bus. The guards - presuming they were the ones needing guarding - exfiltrated the bus. The Padre, Bass and Joaquin, making their way to open the heavy-set gate and guiding the bus inside. They were finally there, the slumbering fields of those passed and dearly missed.

Alexander wasn't sure what he had expected the Graveyard to look like. One word stuck out, one which could and had been used in his mind in his time there at CMB: Normal. Just like from the newspaper writing about wacky crimes in Florida, or even the page from a school book about the South. Alexander leaned towards the window, taking in the sight as Daytona instructed them to file out and stay close. Close marching formation.

The old veteran gripped the stock of his newly-leant double-barreled shotgun, letting the two young ladies Amelia and Riley get up and out first. While he wasn't expecting them to come under heavy machine gun fire as soon as they stepped out of the bus, Alexander wasn't prepared to feel a wall of humid heat strike him across his wrinkled face. It was as if he was hit by a Caribbean wave somewhere east of the Florida coast, forcing ol' Mugsy to use his one free hand to wipe off his face and give his eyes shade. Okay, perhaps glasses were something he'd have some use for, at least sunglasses.

Alexander, now standing outside the bus and next to Amelia, turned quickly to look at her and give her a brief smile. "Hey dear, it's gonna be okay. We'll stick together, be safe." He told her in an attempt to sound reassuring, while his own thoughts again wandered to scenes the Graveyard reminded him off. The gravestones looked the same and a similar heavy cloud hung over him like it had done back when he came home from the war. For a moment he swore he could see his father and mother's graves somewhere hidded behind a tree, but the lack of rain and cold reminded him of where he truly was.

This would have been a nice place to put her to rest.

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Nigel Cooper Location: Streets of CMB (P6) -> Hydroponic Garden (T) Skills: N/A

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Not until he outranked her. Ah yes, the classical Platonic philosophy of class structures, reinforcing the thought that power remains in the hands of those wise enough to lead. Nigel shook his head with a smirk on his face, almost tempted to give Thana a salute and a "Yes ma'am", though he thought best not to impersonate a military personal. He couldn't fault their way of structuring the hierarchy of Camp Mexico Beach, and so it made sense for him to still be ranked under Thana. The master standing over the slave, but like Thana probably needed him still, the master was nothing without his slaves.

Nigel fanned himself with the palm of his hand, following Thana the grueling journey back to the Gardens through the lumbering heat of Apollo and his sun. He longed to get back into the cool waters of the Gulf of Mexico, they hadn't been able to finish harvesting everything just yet. Following Thana, their first stop appeared to be the Greenhouse again. Waiting for her to answer his question, he watched her open the door and witnessing Thana curse the dreaded heat from inside. "No arguing about that. Felt like the forges of Mars in there." Nigel replied idly, continuing to fan himself and wipe the sweat off his face, looking forward to getting the done over with sooner rather than later. Hopefully he would get used to it…someday…hopefully.

"Wait…other settlements?" Nigel had to repeat after Thana, briefly halting his futile efforts to produce a western wind to cool his body. He had expected to talk about the prospects of scavenging and such, but trading? With other human settlements of civilised peoples? It might not have registered with him earlier if anyone had mentioned other centers of human habitation, but it sure stuck to him now. That and the mention of toilet paper, by the gods did he miss a soft roll of clear toilet paper. "So these other settlements, they're not part of your civili…I mean, they're not part of Camp Mexico Beach? Sorry I sound surprised, but I am. I've spent so much time alone. Suddenly in the span of a few months, I've not only joined one settlement, but now there's others?"

[Sigil]

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Ash Holloway Location: The Bus -> Graveyard Skills: N/A

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The good news was that Ash's impulse to inspect and ready his lent firearm was not taken as a potential act of hostility, and as such did not invoke the swift, dramatic wrath of persons toward his rear or flank who already had functional weapons and the capacity to use them. They had said that the entire point to the act of giving them armaments was for self defense, though Ash suspected that having them as armed backup wasn't a wholly bad idea in case the shit really hit the fan. Still, merely supposition on his part. He was a military engineering officer once upon a time, prone to viewing situations as a set of obstacles to overcome with the resources available to him; animal, vegetable, mineral, or other. People were always an asset. Armed people one could trust were even better.

As the others filed out of the bus, Ash found himself falling into an old habit. His first impulse was to exit the bus at the lead, stepping into an unknown situation before the others in an effort to clear the path, if necessary. This was supplanted by the understanding that he was very much not the guy in charge and the responsibility wasn't his. However, the sudden rise on his part followed by a stony expression of resignation might be noticed for what it was by another of his relative background. He could have laughed at himself. Maybe a chuckle or two, anyway. With a shake of his head, Ash filed in line with everyone else. He held his pistol with the barrel pointing down, finger outside of the trigger guard. Ash recalled the words of the man called Bass, saying that Thana said he could handle it. If he was actually speaking about Ash. There was a little uncertainty as to whether Bass was speaking to him or to the Gonzalez woman a couple seats up. Whichever way, it was true that he could handle a .45 pistol. Years of experience, Army man, and all. So he was probably not speaking about Ash.

There was a tiny pause before Ash stepped out of the bus, upon arrival. He could feel the threshold of temperature change right at the doorway, and took in a deep breath before continuing. It reminded him of his time in La América del Sur, back when he was a younger Lieutenant. One never did get used to walking from air conditioning into an equatorial jungle, not completely. So he took in a lungful of the intermediate air and slowly exhaled as he exited the bus, into the comparatively sweltering air of Florida in the summer, without so much as a decent coastal breeze to keep the muggy air at bay. The heat and humidity of their surroundings enveloped him, and he did not risk breathing in until he had acclimated some. Ash scanned the surroundings, thumbing the safety off of his pistol and holding it at a low, ready position. Among other things he noticed the freshly dug grave, but was not in the frame of mind to ask about it. Looking to the people exiting the bus, he noted a number of pairs - Amelia and Riley, Jack and Tati, Bass and Padre, Alexander and Manny; others pairing up and watching each other's backs. He felt like the odd man out again.

Just for the hell of it, Ash gave another visual sweep of the area. This time, he included a peek under the bus. Extremely long shot, but no one else seemed to want to check there that he saw, and it was part of the Hordebuster protocol before the vehicle died on the road.

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Thalia Carmichael Location: The Bus -> Graveyard Skills: N/A

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Sparrow said that she could handle it. Thalia was trying to get used to the fact that everyone under the sky seemed to call her Sparrow. Nah, Thana was still "Navy" to her. But back to Thalia being able to handle it, why the hell did Bass have to say that? Did he think that a woman of her height and physicality might have problems hoisting a metal-rimmed Viking roundshield? Or was it the gun? A frigging 9mm, for Christ's sake. She'd been using them off and on since she was a child. Of course Thana would say that Thalia could handle it. It was part of her standard gear coming into this place, both the shield and a 9mm. She gave the man a little smirk, seeming to relate an unspoken yet sarcastic confirmation that yes, she in fact could handle it. If he was talking to her. If he wasn't, then Thalia just gave a random, noncommittal, sardonic expression. Of all the ones she gave normally let fly in a 24 hour period, this wasn't anything new.

While she wasn't the last one off of the bus, she was toward the rear. For all of her good qualities, Thalia just didn't consider herself the "Hero" type. Her deal was quieter, more long-term, and oft involved a lot of stabbing. Let the heroes plunge headlong into the open with a minimal plan. Everyone likes a hero. Heroes inspire. Thana was pretty damned heroic. Apparently, so was her boyfriend. She liked to think that the ballerina chick was, too, but Thalia might have been mixing up heroic with hardcore there. Alexander pressing on when he had excellent reasons to give up might fit in this category, if not the actions of a hero in the classic sense. Volunteering for the Eden mission when he had no stake in its outcome would fit, though. She didn't know the others really well enough, and hadn't heard a damn thing about the two Sinead O'Conner lookalikes one way or the other. Thalia could have mentally listed off everyone present, and it would still be hit-or-miss. Even her brother. Overall, it didn't matter. When it was her turn to step off the bus, she did. And rather wished that she hadn't.

Thalia was uncomfortable in air conditioning. Unfortunately, it did have the effect of partly acclimating her to its temperature, at least for a little while. In nature, when the climate changes that much that quickly, something was afoot. "...Jaysus Facking Chri..." she began to "Boston out", absolutely convinced for a second that someone just smacked her across the face and chest with a huge, wet, steaming hot pillow. "And in the shade." Left to her own devices over time, this weather wouldn't bother her so much. Lose a little clothing, use a bandana as a top, keep her hair short, and she'd be just fine to go stabbing fish with a pronged stick in no time. But right now? You'd have thought a cat was laying over her face as she slept. Finally getting greater control over her breathing, the first elements of perspiration already forming. Thalia wasted no time in tucking her Beretta into the waistband of her pants and fixing the shield into her metal hand. She wasn't a huge fan of the extra step, but it beat the alternative. Retrieving the pistol for her left hand, Thalia carefully came to lean on the bus next to Joaquin. She gave the surrounding area a stern, solid look, keeping her vision mostly to distance. Without actually setting eyes on her brother, Thalia asked rather bluntly, "So, who's the dead guy?" Realizing the stupidity of asking that in the middle of a cemetery, she quickly added, "Recently dead guy," nodding her head slightly in the direction of the fresh grave.

[Shoe Thief]

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Emanuel "Manny" Newman Location: Bus (Outside Camp Mexico Beach) --> Grave Yard Skills: N/A

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The bus ride for Manny was an interesting one for him. Bass had more then a single thought on how Manny was handling the gun he had been given. TO the point of talking to him like he was an old man who had little idea what he was doing. He remembered a time back when he would have tried to throttle him for comments like that. Granted the boys father probably wasn't even born at that time in Manny's life. He did let out a rather loud audible sigh of disappointment. "Boy." Putting rather strong emphases on the word. "I have been handling firearms since long before you were even a thought in your parents minds. I get you are just trying to do your own job, but if I didn't know how to safely handle a gun I wouldn't have made it this far." He spoke with a simple matter of fact tone to him, as if educating a student who refused to listen despite repeated attempts. "Now, I get you are on guard duty, so some firearm safety rules have to be let slide. I am not on guard duty. I am not a huge fan of storing a dozen loose loaded firearms in a duffel and hoping the bus wont hit a bump and get my own foot or head blown off. I'll load it when it is a safer time to, as the last thing I need for it is to go off in my hands causing a rather horrible accident." He went back to inspecting the gun. To the best of his understanding it was good.

Once they got closer to the graveyard Manny did feel a bit bad about treating him as, well a boy. Sure, the boy might lack some respect, and he may have skipped a few steps in firearm safety, but he figured he had good intentions none the less. Bass and Atticus left the bus to make sure things were clear and once at that point the others were allowed off. Many of the others had gotten off before him, but when it was his turn he stood up holding the shotgun with the breach open. Once everyone was settled outside Manny grabbed the two shells he had taken out, loaded them in, and snapped the gun closed. Nice, stable, open ground. The safest and most effective place to fire a gun from. When given another chance, he would need to apologize to Bass. Other then his tone while explaining things, the boy seemed like a decent enough kid. The graveyard itself was... normal. Too normal in some ways. Maybe it was just the idea that Manny hadn't really been to a place like this in a long time. And especially not for something like this.

Manny Kept one hand under the pivot for the breach, in front of the trigger guard, and the other hand further down the barrel. His hand was close enough to the trigger that he could move and line up his shot in one swift motion if he was careful with his steps. And it was another safety step in case the actual safety decided it didn't want to work with him that day.

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Hunter Monroe Location: Inside Jail (AA) --> Cell B Skills:N/A

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Hunter leaned back a bit when Cage snapped at him. It appeared that the man was dead set on believing this was Hunter's fault. Sure, it was a poor time to get arrested for them, but he didn't like where that left him in terms of a trial if reactions for things like this were extreme. He gave a shrug when Cage mentioned he has plans to avoid being near Hunter as humanly possibly. Under normal situations he couldn't blame him. He had to stop himself from saying something along the lines of "Right back at ya". He didn't, but the thought was a funny come back in his mind. Roy Drove the point home more, and Hunter did have to admit, he did have a tendency to say the first thing that came to mind on a regular basis. He wondered who wouldn't when the only thing you've had to talk to for over a year was walking corpses and a dog that seemed much more interested in the beans in your hand then the conversation.

He looked around with curiosity entering the new room. Bricks, in his mind one of the greatest single inventions of all the human race. Build walls with them, build houses with them, play jenga with them, and made great emergency weapons in a pinch. Then he saw cell A, he stopped walking for a moment to stare at it. So they were serious. There were comments made about it, but Hunter paid it no mind. Any reply he would get for replying would probably be met with one trying to defend it, but with the backing of guns. This left a bitter taste in his mouth. These were the people who had the resources to rebuild the world, or at least apart of it, and this is what was coming from it. To add insult to injury, the remains were just left out for display. Hunter considered all the crappy things he had done for a bit, and looked at the blood and other bits. "Huh." He considered saying something along the lines of "Mother Fucker" or "What the fuck" Or even, "Fuck Nuggets" but couldn't completely wrap his head around this. So Huh had to do.

He was so drowned out in his thoughts he flinched a bit when the cuffs were removed. And the main reason he noticed was because of the lack of tension on his hands. He looked at Roy with almost a look of surprise as if he had just been told something unbelievable. It took a moment for him to register completely what was happening, but keeping eye contact with Roy a moment, not completely registering what he was saying, then noticing the open cell door he got the idea. He walked into cell, and collapsed on the bed face first, and just laid down. The day was barely half over, and it had been a long one. He was ready to go back to sleep except for he didn't like being watched while sleep, and the dreams were still hard for him.

[Lady Absinthia]

☠ 𝚃𝚆𝙳: 𝚈𝚎𝚊𝚛 𝟻 𝙿𝚊𝚛𝚝 𝟺 ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ Location: Camp Mexico Beach Weather Forecast: Dawn at 5:57 A.M. - Dusk at 7:41 P.M. - High: 87F, Low: 72F - Winds SW at 4mph - Gusting to 10mph - No rain - Cloud Cover: 26% - Visibility: 9miles. Notes: Alright, things are going good. No major notes this round. Simple little reminder that if you get hit with a writers block feel free to hit me up to talk out your post or any of your other Rpers. Usually just getting some input from another source helps clear things up a lot faster than you might think. We've all be in this Rp a long time, each of us pretty much knows the others characters nearly as well as we know our own by now. Lean on each other and me if you need it. Also, due to the uncertainty of these times if something come sup make sure to let me know, even if it is just general blah. We can find a way to keep things working as smoothly for you as possible around here to give you one less thing to stress about.

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Hospital/Medical (B): Nary gave a pursed look towards Lisa. One of her looks that could easily be read as 'mmhmm.' It wasn't positive or negative, it was just her neutral thing, that was until she got mad. Thankfully right then Mary wasn't mad, at least not directly. There was rumor that the woman was always mad and just had lulls in energy to express that anger. Maybe now was one of those times. Either way it didn't matter. She wasn't snapping or yelling so that was good and she had just given the closest thing to a compliment that she got. All in all, a good day. At least in the lab.

"Yeah, the Professor will be expecting you actually. Your duties will be split between here with me and in the classroom again. Your new schedule should be under your door come tomorrow morning," Mary said as she glanced around. "Things are good here. Now to get out of here. I want you to take the rest of the day to calm down and relax. Biggest thing you are going to learn doing this is that being clam in here is more important than anything," she added as she moved to the inner door and unlocked it. Pulling it open she waited for Lisa to get into the midpoint so she could lock up and they could get out of their suits.

Inside Jail (AA): Cage half huffed and half chuckled as Hunter went face first onto the cot in the room. One could hear the older springs that held the thin mattress in place give beneath the prisoner. Roy didn't say anything or even make a sound. he just watched with his hand on his pistol. He didn't think the kid was going to try anything but then again he hadn't thought they would be locking him up today either. Roy took a step back so that Cage could close the door. The sound of the tumblers falling into place echoed in the cell block as the Warden locked Hunter in there.

"Meals will be delivered three times a day. One change of clothing will be brought each morning. You are expected to change out and have your old clothing folded and by the bars by lunch time. Keep quiet, keep to yourself, don't cause problems," Cage said. Roy rolled his eyes some as Cage started making his way back up the stairs. "Don't forget I need a clean up crew in here Gregory."

Roy nodded. "Yeah, you'll get one," Roy said before looking at Hunter. "Just keep your nose clean and your mouth shut kid and you should be alright. Dinner will be brought in two hours. Next meal will be breakfast, then lunch six hours later, then dinner six hours after that. Use that to tell time," he suggested before turning and heading up the stairs. The door around the corner and at the top of the stairs closed hard and locked: leaving Hunter alone and in dead silence with no sounds or sights or lights from the outside in the basement cell block within the settlement of Camp Mexico Beach.

Hydroponic Garden (T): Everything in the garden is going well. In fact perfectly well. So well that a breeze is catching through the vents in the roof and things are tolerable in there for now. Any work done this round will also come off just fine without issue. Looks like things will be nice and easy this round. Enjoy it because lord only knows what will happen next.

General Housing (X): Everything in general housing is calm and nothing big is happening. Izi is settling down inside and isn't causing any problems at the current time. The apartment is warmer than one might expect but the air conditioner was turned up while Nikki and Lisa were going to be out for the day. How most places do if people aren't in them or on a day off. Saves on power to not have the AC running the whole day with no one there.

CMB Graveyard: Bass looked over to Manny and cocked a brow. If the man knew that then he wouldn't have done what he did. "His name is Bass. Not boy and apparently you aren't old enough to take a simple reminder from a superior with grace and dignity or let what a kid says roll off your back..." Atticus pipped in after Mannys rant. "Maturity comes at any age and old age doesn't equal it. Try taking a step back next time. A rant like that in this situation could have made a guard to keep his focus on you too long and not where it needed to be. Something that could have cost a life." Atticus was flat with his delivery. He wasn't quiet though, letting his voice carry enough to let others hear it. The he shook his head and leaned in some more. "You owe him an apology when this is over if you are half the man your age denotes you should be," Atticus said quietly to Manny.

Shaking his head Atticus turned and scanned the area again. Something that Bass was already doing. Bass had taken the rant in and said nothing nor given any indication that it bothered him. He stayed focused on his job. Protecting those there. He wasn't the only one. Joaquin was as well but he listened to his sister speak and glanced towards the newly dug grave. The usually overly verbal man responded much like his uncle may have: singularly. "Culo."

"Path is clear Padre," Bass said as he glanced back over his shoulder.

"Right, Bass on point. I'll take second. Daytona mid range, Shakespeare the rear," he said before raising his gun as started stepping. Bass nodded and ran forward to take point. "Alright y'all, this way," Atticus followed up as he started walking. Joaquin waited for the rest to start moving so he could fall in behind them.

Daytona glanced over towards Thalia and gave a bit more of an explanation as she walked. "Guys name was Dimsdale. He'd been with us since nearly the beginning. Not a bad guy but sometimes he was stupid. Ran his mouth, got one peoples bad side. Not that we don't have plenty of those in town. Thing is, he pushed to far and was got busted harboring a weapon. Was locked up and facing tribunal. Decided he wanted to try to escape I guess and started to, well ram his head into the bars. Figuring the Warden would try to stop him or I don't know. Either way, Cage doesn't play games. He let him bleed out. Knife to the head later when he turned and body got brought out this morning to be buried," she explained before pointing out some blood and dirt that was on Bass and Joaquins clothing that wasn't exactly noticeable unless someone was looking for it.

"Here we are," Atticus said as they came to some tombstones. They had had to walk through several long rows of them to get where they were going. It was hot out and not in the shade so things were only going to get worse. Atticus holstered his weapon before pulling out a bandana and wiping the sweat from his brow. The tombstones were simple enough, not actual tombstones but looking like they were 1x1 foot concrete slabs that one might use as a patio. In each one a name was carved. Lola didn't have a date of birth listed, just a date of death. James and Ryan had both. Gavin had both and below that it was carved roughly 'One Riot, One Ranger.'

"Would y'all want me to say a few words or do you just want to do this yourselves?" Atticus asked. Either was fine for him. He had learned a long time ago that everyone wanted to do this differently. Some wanted to tell about the deceased, some just stared blankly or wept, others needed Atticus to do a religious service for them so they could say it was done but didn't have to do it themselves. He was there to do what they needed, even if that was nothing.

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Thana Martin Location: Hydroponic Garden (T) Skills: N/A

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Standing there as she was waiting for things to at least even out by the door, Thana nodded to Nigels question slash statement. She understood his surprise. She had felt similar when she found out. "Yeah, you aren't the only one. Shocked the shit out of me when I found out," she admitted before turning and heading into the greenhouse. Now that the wind was picking up some it wasn't as bad as it could be and tolerable enough to be able to start changing out of their wetsuits, which she knew once they were out of those things would be a look cooler for the both of them.

Unlocking the cabinet where they stored the suits, Thana started to change out but stayed on the topic at hand: other settlements. "You're world is going to get a lot bigger once you are fully integrated into the community. There isn't just other settlements, there is a network of them. Ones that have been working together for a while, one has been working with CMB for the last four years from what I know. Where we get out paper from," Thana said pointing off to the east.

"A group set up in an old papermill. Most of them used to work there before all this happened. They keep it running, use its heat to grow in the winter, very industrial set up but it works for them. The stench though... Few things will make my eyes water, that place does," she said as a chill ran down her back. Sighing she stepped out of her wetsuit before hanging it inside the locker. Turning she found her shorts and slipped them back on. "Then again, I'd rather deal with that place than the Bayou... Those boys... Real Deliverance type..."

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Nikola Warren Location: General Housing (X) Skills: N/A

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Stepping into her apartment Nikki let out a sigh of relief. Even though they had pretty much turned the air conditioner off when they had left that morning the apartment was still decently cool. The place was well insulated and they kept the thick curtains drawn during the day to keep the cool air inside the place. There were a lot of little things the community had done over the years that helped keep things cooler in the summer and warmer in the winter. Not that it really ever got cold in Florida but hey it was there if they really needed it. Hopefully they wouldn't. She had spent enough winters in the cold when she was younger. Younger, that was funny to her. Didn't matter she was only twenty she had a younger self, a pre shit hitting the fan self that used to think that snow was fun. Now, imagining dealing with walkers hidden under drifts made her thankful for the heat. At least then they weren't hidden beneath one more thing.

Walking through the living room area Nikki turned the air conditioner back on for the apartment. She figured Izi would prefer it a few degrees cooler than it was and she didn't want it getting any hotter. The evenings right before sunset was always the hottest point in the day. "Come on girl," Nikki said before grabbing the leash and leading Izi to Nikki's personal bed room. It was best to keep the dog locked up in her room until she got a chance to talk to Lisa. Even if Lisa agreed to the dog staying in the apartment with them it didn't mean she was going to be okay with Izi being let loose in the apartment to get on everything. Nikki didn't care but better safe than sorry right now.

Shutting the door, she made sure it was secure before moving back through the apartment. Right before she reached the door she stopped and figured she better leave a note just in case Lisa showed up at the apartment before she got a chance to talk to her. Grabbing some paper and a pen she wrote a quick note. "Dog in my room, will explain later, don't kill me. - Nikki" Putting the pen back up Nikki headed back out of the apartment and shut the door behind her. She wedged the note into the door so it would be the first thing that Lisa saw if she came back. Nodding to herself as if to say good work, Nikki locked the door. It was time to get back to Auntie before she blew a gasket that she had been away too long.

[rivaan]

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Amelia Payne Location:CMB Graveyard Skills: N/A

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As everybody left the bus and they got ready to start moving, Amelia carefully held her weapons as she watched Riley prepare hers and with Atticus telling them to follow, she started walking. The graveyard was rather… well calm? Her eyes scanned the obvious direct surroundings and she barely felt anything as she saw the many different tombstones and the occasional tree. Her eyes narrowed at the way everything was rather lit up by the blazing sun. Quite different from what one would usually think off when they think of a graveyard.

Normally people would think of dark, gritty, possibly misty and shady. Perhaps even humid and unsettling with distant crows. A very cliché like appearance. This seemed so different, probably because of the climate zones she supposed. What was even more curious was the distinct lack of feelings and opinions at well a graveyard. Suddenly she realized that for all that graveyards represented, they felt like a place where one can truly be at peace and quiet. With the lack of Walkers so far, it felt rather… okey.

With the world’s default state nowdays, Amelia finally realized that places like cities, villages and other such locations of life and civilization previously, now felt a lot more scary and connected with death than this graveyard. Her thoughts had kept her mind occupied all the way to the location of the people they came to visit. Overlooking the graves, Amelia looked at the priest and shook her head lightly.” I’m personally in no need of anything special. Thank you.” She told him as she walked over to Jame’s grave and stood about a step away from it. Looking at the dates on it, her mood twisted somewhat and she sighed.

Amelia didn’t say anything aloud, what she had to say to him, she kept in her mind. Final goodbyes were said a long time ago, before he even died. She just didn’t want to face the finality of it until now. The saying that time would heal all wounds was to at least a degree true. She did miss the man, but it was already so long. At least he had a proper resting place.” I missed you, so glad for this chance to say proper goodbye. It’s time to accept reality, sadly.” She said quietly making a step back.” Not sure when and if I will be able to come again, so… Until next time… one way or another.” She said taking a deep breath and turning around. She didn't need loong time to say final words, now she had a more important task. Be ready for shit to hit the fan.

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Lisa Mason Location: Medical(B) Skills: N/a

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“I thought so.” She said to herself with a smile, hearing about her new schedule arrangements. Back to learning and working, not that she complained really, she might have initially, after years of completely following no rules rather than her own, but in the time since then, she actually grew to appreciate the structured living in the camp. Living with other people and following societal rules or at least those that still applied, made it easier to maintain a better outlook on life and she was all about that!” Seems I’m going to be kept busy for a while, guess it’s time to push back my requests to arrange traps for a while.” She chuckled, there went her hobby.

Not waiting to be reminded, Lisa hurriedly complied with Mary’s order and made a direct line to the door, leaving the lab. Once it was locked, she started to take off the lab suits, not the most comfortable things to wear, but it wasn’t terribly bad all things considering. At least they weren’t outside in the heat! She was glad to be out of the suit.” So I get the rest of the day off?” She asked, a bit confused.” Well I won’t complain about it, many thanks for it.” She told Mary with a smile and nodded.” Doing this while maintaining absolute calm might take a little bit of practice and experience, but point noted. I will keep my calm as much as possible.”

“On that note, are you sure I shouldn’t at least finish up what was left from the other spaces down in the basement? We didn’t finish the entire usual space of the basement aside the lab for the blood tests, because we went to the boat.” She asked, taking her work ethic to heart. Still if Mary and the other people calling the shots really wanted her to rest now, she wouldn’t mind it at all. She fancied herself some lazying in bed and maybe going for a game night afterwards.

[ONL]

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Alexander Polawski Location: Graveyard Skills: N/A

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There was a painful ache somewhere in Alexander, a sort of black hole that kept the old veteran's guard up as the group got together outside the bus. He couldn't place its location, rather it seemed to glow from wherever he was feeling after. While his eyes and ears were shifting past each member attending what would be his first funeral gathering in many moons, his stance echoing Atticus' cautionary tale, Alexander tried to isolate the pain inside him.

They started moving. While Alexander wasn't actively ignoring the story Daytona told Thalia about the fool named Dimsdale, he continued his attempt at supressing the pain distracting him from being alert. Yes they were a number of armed survivors with enough weapons to defend themselves, but in his opinion, nine out of ten times it was the guy not paying attention that got the first VC bullet, not that he could back it up with any concrete facts. Then again was he paying attention himself? The pain kept being a, well, pain in the bud. Perhaps it was the swan-dive that had roughened up his arse?

Alexander was swept of these searching thoughts as they reached their final destination - the graves proper. The sun shined as bright and annoyingly down at them as ever, sweat pouring down Alexander's face when he'd be much happier with a pair of good sunglasses and a Boonie hat, though that didn't cross his mind at that time. With Atticus announcing their arrival and asking the group whether they wanted him to say some words, Alexander looked blankly down at the graves, in particular the one belonging to a certain Kiwi.

The pain centered itself in his chest. Sorrow, grief, sadness. Alexander was sad.

It was by his sheer force of will that Alexander didn't fall on his knees in front of the graves, though he looked at them with an empty look. The others he didn't know or had only known real briefly relative to Lola, though that didn't make it any easier for a man who'd seen enough death for one life. Did he want Atticus to say anything? What was there to say, they were put to rest in the ground already. Alexander stiffled a quiver and held back most of the tears, simply crossing himself and looking over to Thalia. Lola had been her friend before they met in a TANK, she knew more about that strange Kiwi.

"I don't know. Thanks for the ride, Lola, and for the coffee. Keep the tea-set ready for us, would you?" Alexander said quietly, emotionally, though audible enough for most people to hear him. Whether he spoke to Thalia, Lola or himself was up for grabs, but somewhere inside him the pain both intensified and released, a brief smile tugging at his face. "May their souls and the souls of all the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace…"

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Nigel Cooper Location: Hydroponic Garden (T) Skills: N/A

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The mood was certainly lighter still back at the lesser Hanging Gardens of Babylon, at least this section of the grand wonder of the apocalypse world, and in no thanks to the dreadful humidity that weighed heavy on Nigel's shoulders. Thana's revelation had done more than enough to make Nigel forget about it though, the talk of other centers of human civilisation still making a stand outside of Camp Mexico Beach. And following her inside the greenhouse, he was eager to learn more from thought-lost bastions of humanity.

Nigel listened eagerly to Thana's tales, nearly forgetting what he was supposed to do though following her lead in the change of clothes. It was almost to good to be true, just like the wind blew through the pipes and made the dephts of Hades less miserable for those mere mortals. Through the exchange Nigel only nodded and gave the occational "Wow…" and such. For better and for worse, now he knew there existed other settlements outside of these protective walls - papermills and all! He was impressed, and it wasn't difficult to read the astonishment on his sweaty face.

"Well I guess shocked is a good of an adjective as I'll ever teach the younglings, if that's were I end up here among you. A working papermill? That would explain how you can afford giving us all these tests and forms you've done, and agreed, toilet paper is a luxury on-par with Chinese silk these days. But…" Nigel said back to Thana, getting off his wetsuit and re-dressing in his own shorts and t-shirt, glad to feel some air on his skin again. It was Thana's mention of a second group that made Nigel's excitement blow away like the humid air inside. "Who're those guys then, the Bayou? You mean all "dueling-banjoes" and frightening hill billies? Barbarians?" Nigel asked her, not liking the tone which she'd set for those people. These days you couldn't cherry-pick your friends, Sportucas had learned that thanks to the dynamic hetero-duo early, but still. Thana's words didn't conjure up a pleasent image of them. "Should I…or we be worried?"

[Sigil]

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Ash Holloway Location: CMB Graveyard Skills: N/A

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Catching sight of nothing amiss underneath the bus, Ash straightened and turned his attention to the rest of the scene in front of them. He blew out a sigh, knowing what was to come next and, while not eager in the classical sense of the word, felt the need to get this done. It was a final piece of respect for those who deserved it. And be it a little selfish, he needed to say a formal goodbye for himself. Ashton solidly began to trudge along behind Atticus as he lead them all down the rows and rows of headstones, taking peripheral note of the intensity of the Florida sun. Ash's weapon remained pointed at the ground in front of him, but his eyes were studious, taking in details around him and alert to any changes which might cause a reassessment of urgency.

Ash was there mostly for one person. As much as he could speak of and/or credit the bravery and excellence of the others well enough, as could others, Ash and James had a bit of history. And he had recognized the man from television, way back before dead folks started gnawing on living ones. He was a colorful guy, and a damn good friend.

When the priest offered to say a few words, Ash kept his hand low and gave a dismissing motion while shaking his head slowly. His preference on the matter, though if others wished for Atticus to speak he would show no objection. Ash didn't know Lola, and apparently no one else did well enough to tack a birthdate on her stone, to his knowledge. He barely had part of a conversation with her once, and that was a while back. Ash briefly stopped at Ryan's grave and considered the man for a moment, then said quietly and clearly, "Ryan O'Reily was a criminal and a grifter. We were never friends. At no time was the man blatantly dishonest with me, though he liked to slant things. In the end, he sacrificed the comforts offered him by Newnan to help James and others. He didn't owe James a thing. I believe that Ryan acted the way he did because it was how he learned to survive in a world that was already against him back Before, and that's all he knew. I also believe that he was trying to redeem himself, and I hope that God took that into account when his soul was judged. His last act earned my respect, for whatever that's worth." Ash stood there, staring down at the grave marker for a moment more, then continued on to James's place of interment.

Ash gave a sad smile in Amelia's direction after hearing her words to the deceased. Reaching out, he squeezed her shoulder as an expression of camaraderie. Her words spoke to a universal feeling in this new world, and reminded him very much of the mindset of army personnel in hot spots. You can get close to people, yet when they were gone, returning to pay respect or mourn was a luxury afforded by very few. Ash wasn't sure what to say about James. He had guilt over how things went between them at the end, there. And as a matter of happenstance, Ash got to see him once more before he died. For that matter, it was at the same time that he got to actually see him die. But thinking about his end reminded Ash about their beginning. How he met the man. The commonly stoic Captain Holloway uncharacteristically got a short-lived but broad smile on his face as his mind drifted a few years back. "James Mandingo Grady," he started, the rural Virginian in his upbringing coloring his voice with more vivid tones, "was a son-of-a-bitch. I liked him almost immediately." Ash looked around at the Newnan folk, and realized that none of them were present the day that James came to their gates. Come to think of it, he really hadn't told anybody what happened after the fact. So he decided to, for anyone who was interested. Ash looked around to Tati, Jack, Riley and Amelia, and began. "The day Mr. Grady graced Newnan with his presence will live in infamy. I don't remember what the official story was for the records, but this is what really happened..."

*******

Hider

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A black and chrome Chevrolet Silverado had been sighted in the distance, running hard and fast in a direct line to Newnan's front gate. They were given a advance notice, but just a little, from the watchtower at the center of town. It was a testament to the diligence of the community but a want of overall manpower available to them. The truck was not their main concern, overall. Hostile entities in a single vehicle could be met with a swift burst of violence; be they lacking in manpower the Newnan Safe Zone did have a stockpile of weapons and enough people formally trained in their use to cover such an eventuality. Their main problem was a far more reaching peril of the new world.

The mid-morning call had already gone over the radios, but instead of an "ALL CLEAR", the day had already decided to get a little interesting. The report of a horde nearby had come back in from a security patrol earlier, so all parties had been given the order to return to base. The last thing they needed was a scavenging or hunting party accidentally leading a horde of the Dead right up to their walls. Newnan's 2nd in command and Executive Officer, Captain Ashton Jameson Holloway, was the ranking officer nearest when the truck had been sighted. He assumed control over the main gate while their Security Lead, a frightening man named Caesar, dealt with defensive points along the walls and personnel in the event that the horde changed direction (like, say, following a bigassed truck right to them).

Ash climbed the simple steps up to the walkway at the gate, giving a stern, stonelike gaze to the approaching Silverado. He loosened his Detonics .45 pistol in its holster and began to steel himself top whatever eventuality was going to strike next. The Newnan's commanding officer, Lt. Colonel Leann McCormick, had been appraised of the situation and was awaiting an update. If Ash knew her only half as well as he did, he knew that she wasn't just going to wait around for people to tell her what was happening. She was tending to her own, self-assigned duties. Nevertheless, it was his responsibility to report in, barring further emergency. Raising his radio to his ear, Ash thumbed it to transmit, yet hesitated. The sour scent of decay had reached his nostrils, brought to him by a change in the wind. There was suddenly more to report. "Oh my god..." issued from the lips of the woman on lookout nearby. Even without binoculars, one could see indistinct and widespread movement on the ground. Shuffling, shambling along, the walking corpses of what might have once been a sizeable community. They might be in for a siege.

"Unknown party in a black Chevy Silverado inbound, Colonel. The Dead are following. Goddamned horde. Will update. Standby." Momentary report to Leann down, now to confer with Security. It was a general transmission, so anyone with a walkie knew what was happening. Such as their Security Lead. "Caesar, we have a little time. Round up some vehicles and see if you can redirect. I've got the gate." The growl from the other end of the radio was affirmation enough. Be it precious little time to prepare, they still had options.

The truck slammed on its brakes at the end of the bridge in front of the main gate, fishtailing and swerving until it came to a stop a few feet from the walls proper. The horn sounded with maniacal repetition, slammed upon by a man who looked half crazed and scared out of his wits. Leaning out of the truck, he screamed and begged to be let in. Blood ran from his arm and shoulder in several places (that could be seen), though from that vantage it was difficult to see exactly what kind of injuries they were. Still, this was an injured man, alone, and there were undoubtedly enough bullets on the Newnan side of the wall to neutralize the him if he was a threat. "Drive in slow," Ash called down, his voice loud, clear, and booming with authority. "Then come out of the truck with your hands up. I see a weapon, you die. Get me?" The man nodded, and Ash motioned for the gatekeepers.

Everything seemed to be going smoothly enough. The truck pulled in, the man got out. He was cooperative, if extremely shaky. A paranoid jitter to his features might be explained by the fact that he was hurt and scared, but Ash thought he saw something more. "Stay back, keep those guns on him," he ordered the security detail for the gate. "Hold him right there for a minute. And close those gates up." Ash was certain that something wasn't quite right about the situation. He just couldn't put his finger on it.

As he made his way down the stairs, Ash heard the lookout let out an exclamation of pure disbelief. "What th' hell is that?" The tone she used didn't denote fear, or any more than was already present, but actual surprise.

It piqued Ash's interest enough to return to the top of the wall. "If he moves, shoot him." This to the security below. Peering over the side of the wall, he could see that the horde had indeed gotten closer, but there was something else that he couldn't quite make out just ahead.

"Shondi," called Ash curtly. The sound of her name snapped the lookout back into the moment, and she quickly turned her attention to Ash. The Captain held out his hand and finished with the single-word order of, "Rifle." True, Ash had a sidearm. But she had a weapon with a scope. He trained the weapon down to the scene below, eager to find out what might have possibly distracted a reliable guard away from a full horde of walking corpses coming right for them. When Ash finally saw what she did, he had to wholeheartedly agree with his subordinate. "What the hell is that?"

It was a man in overalls and a cowboy hat, the latter blown off of his head and hanging around the back of his neck by a cord. Ebon skin, drenched with perspiration, reflected the morning sunlight. Even at this distance, one could make out the huge splotch of blood running down from somewhere above his hairline and saturating his mostly white t-shirt. He looked like his body might give out at any moment, with nothing but a stubborn refusal to die keeping him on his feet. The man might have made better time, except that for whatever ungodly reason, he was dragging a full sized commercial smoker behind him by a truck hitch like a massively overloaded pack animal. It was still operating. Smoke poured out of the chimney vents, and by the way it lumbered over the pavement behind him it was most certainly loaded down, though with what remained to be ascertained.

Ash risked a glance down to the Silverado parked just inside of the gate, then back to the man outside and his suicidal affection for his giant, woodfueled smoker being hounded down by a creeping wall of corpses. "You seeing this, Shondi?" he asked, his voice taking on a similar note of disbelief.

"Yes sir, Mr. Ash. Saw it first. You seein' this?"

"Yeah..." responded Ash distantly.

"What do you think we ought do, sir?" she inquired.

It was a head scratcher. Luckily, the man in question had his own opinion on the matter, and he has now within earshot. "Open ...th' god damn... door!" It was near breathless and at the poorer end of human hearing, but he still had the strength to call out for help. Kind of. "C'mon man! PLEASE ...open... th' god damn ...?" To his credit, he did say please. He was on the bridge now, at the far end. The dead were beginning to filter in behind him. This was a now or never situation. Ash knew it. This man knew it. He didn't look like he had the strength left to run any farther and he sure as hell couldn't fight his way back out of it. Coming this way was a gamble with his life; if they didn't let him in, he was going to die at their threshold. "Y'all make a hole or don't!" he exclaimed, one final surge of energy quickening his pace. Muscles flexed, feet gripping the pavement beneath him, and an expression of grim determination that signified a surge of survival rage enflamed his features. One foot in front of the other one bore him and his precious cargo forward, with a roar of, "Here I come, muthafuckas! RaAAAaAAH!"

Ash quickly gauged the space between the horde and the unnamed man. They had time, but it had to be quick. He'd made his decision. "Gate! Get the gate!" he yelled, tossing Shondi back her rifle and running back down the stairs. "Shut it the second he's in!" Somehow, Ash didn't think they needed to be told that, given the situation.

It didn't look like the running man could stop once he (barely) made it through the gate. The full weight of his smoker kept him going forward for a few paces longer than he had intended, coupled with his failing muscles. Finally, he was able to Fred Flintstone the apparatus to a stop and collapse, his weight supported by the very hitching he was recently pulling on. Heavy, laborious breaths gasped in and out of his lungs, but he now wore a smile, broad and genuine, which seemed to take up most of his face. "Thank ya, thank ya... Hoo, thankya thankya thankya..." he heaved between gulping breaths of air. "Imma buy you a beer, sure 'nuff."

The man who arrived by truck, still at gunpoint, began to look guilty and extremely nervous. "I, ah... no. He'll kill me! He'll - he'll kill us all, I mean! Don't let him..." He seemed to lose whatever thought he was trying to verbalize, instead looking back at the closed gate, seemingly weighing his options.

Coming up on the latest arrival, Ash kept one hand near his pistol. Something still didn't seem right, but at the same time, this man looked very familiar. Looking to the guards, he ordered, "Water," to which one of them tossed the Captain a canteen. Ash offered it over to the exhausted man, who took a couple short drinks at a time, interspersed by pouring part of the contents over his face. Ash looked to him and offered a hand up, saying, "I know you. Don't I?"

Accepting the hand, and trusting a lot of his weight to Ash, the new arrival responded, "Naw. Well, maybe." He was still breathing hard, but the moment of water and respite did wonders for him. "You might'a seen me on th' television, if you into that hoggin' an' stuff back in th' day." He breathed out another relieved breath, long and slightly shuddering.

"I do know you. You're..." began Ash.

He was summarily cut off by an upbeat voice, "James Mandingo Grady, at yo service!" Her reached out and shook Ash's hand with a hair of formality, continuing, "If y'all're pressed for time, Black James, tout suite." He swallowed another mouthful of water and handed the canteen over to Ash, saying, "Excuse me just a sec, please? I forgot somethin'."

A fraction of a second later, Black James whipped a Beretta M9 out of the back of his overalls and plugged two shots into the side of the head of the first man to arrive. He didn't even bother looking away, understanding fully that every gun in the immediate area was trained on him now and the only thing keeping him from getting shot many, many times over was his proximity to the Captain. "...get y'self bit, club out yo' partner an' leave him to get eat up, STEAL A MAN'S MUTHAFUCKIN' TRUCK?" Now that he had the capacity for expectoration, James spit in the general direction of the freshly dead guy, then immediately let his weapon hit the ground. Slowly, he turned his head back toward Ash, assuming one of the cheesiest, most potentially troublemaking grins humanly possible while staring down the barrel of a .45 pistol. Cocking his head back to the smoker at his side, he offered in a remarkably positive voice, "Y'all hungry? I brought lunch."

*******

Though his face was unmoving, tears had formed in Ash's eyes. "There was whole, huge, perfectly smoked hog in that thing, too. Best meal we'd had in months." He shook his head wistfully. "In the same circumstance, I might make different decisions now than I did back then. But it would have deprived me of a good friend and one of the biggest assets that we had. James Grady was the heart of Newnan. He helped pull me out of a dark place. I'm never going to forget him." Wiping his eyes, he gave a final, "Rest in peace, Black James."

Ashton shifted his weapon to his left hand and straightened to full military attention. He threw a point-on salute, held it for a moment, and stepped away. His words were done, and now he followed the example of Amelia, taking a more alert watch so that the others might do what they needed to in as much safety as could be provided.

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Thalia Carmichael Location: CMB Graveyard Skills: N/A

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Perhaps now was the time to shut up and listen. Following the example of her brother, Thalia restricted her thoughts to the internal only for the meantime and focused on taking in what information that she could. Dimsdale. From the sound of it, the guy might have been pretty dim. It was painfully tactically unsound, pulling a move like that. Especially when he knew the prevailing attitudes of the people around him. He must have known that he wasn't likely to get help, so that brought a couple of possibilities to mind. Either Dimsy was suicidal, which a lot of people were nowadays, or he was desperate. Or both. But why would he be desperate? On the face of it, this made no sense. But Thalia didn't know much of anything about Mexico Beach except for their Quarantine setup. There was a near infinite set of "maybes" that could explain what happened. Oddly, she doubted that this place harbored some dark and foreboding secret that drove a man to bash his head against prison bars until he died. Moreover, why would someone come out and tell a newcomer this if they were hiding something? Unfortunately, the only person who knew for certain was under a heap of dirt and he wasn't talking. "Thanks," she rasped out to Daytona, pressing forward with the rest of the group.

Her brother's sudden change in attitude gave Thalia a moment of pause. Her uncle had that kind of demeanor all the time, so she was used to it. And her father (the Father) had more of a businesslike yet supportive way about him, with his personal demons brought out like a tool when necessary. Much like herself, yet she was not the tower of iron will that her father was. Everyone in her family was born with a slice of violence in them. Everyone seemed to express it a little differently. It was like a curse. Or a blessing. But it seemed now that Joaquin was in his own sphere of professional stoicism. They were back out in the world, and even though this whole outing was for her benefit as well as others, she could not afford to become lax or too sentimental now. Thalia hefted her shield in her artificial hand, getting a better feel for how it needed to operate with her abbreviated manual dexterity, and trudged onward.

Thinking back to the bus, Thalia noted that the stress must have been getting to Manny. That kind of a blowup was unlike him. She might actually try to ask what it was all about, even though it was very much not her business. All the same, pissing off the guy who just handed you a loaded weapon seemed a hair counterproductive. Maybe the old guy just needed a thorough oil change. CMB had everything else, why not dedicated prostitutes, too? The world's oldest profession sure as hell didn't die out just because of a world-bending apocalypse. A thought for another time. Or never, ever again.

Observant eyes kept darting around their surroundings. Places of open ground made her a little uncomfortable, even though she was toward the middle of an armed group of fellow survivors. When finally in front of the resting places of their friends and allies, Thalia didn't really know what to do. Raised for the latter half of her childhood by a Catholic priest, she was exposed to these kinds of ceremonies from an early age. But she still didn't know what to do. Her adopted battle sisters of Fairburn had a very simple rite for this, yet none of these people were part of that. And Lola, for all of her peculiarities, wasn't religious enough to ever get into a deep conversation about it with her. After a piece of time, and after she shook her head no to Atticus's offer to say a few words.

"She was not one of your followers, Nuestra Dama de la Muerte, but as all things which live come to you eventually, you had a moment to meet Lola Holler. I pray you embraced her with mercy, as she was a good friend to me. Permit her travel where her soul is most comfortable, and when you summon me to you, take from me what you think is a fair exchange. Amen."

Not the traditional Santa Muerte prayer for the occasion, but she was not specifically a follower of the old Aztec gods of death. Like her father and mother, Thalia was Catholic. Darkly so, but Catholic nonetheless. The influence was obvious, however. To her, Death was an abstract force of existence; it was an inevitability, the only promise that was truly unbreakable. To think of Death as a woman made sense to her, and if this was anthropomorphized by a culture into which she was rooted, then why not borrow it? To others who did not know her or her family intimately, it looked very much like she was praying directly to Death Herself, rather than an aspect of Mary or the true Catholic saint that had influence in easing the dead onward, Gertrude.

She rose, and added, "You died with a song on your lips. My sisters would be proud." Conversely, she looked to James's grave, giving him a simple, "Thank you." Without him, Thalia wouldn't have known what she did about her family. He was also the first domino that fell, bringing her to his place and the people she considered friends, and her estranged brother Joaquin.

She couldn't bring herself to say anything to Gavin's grave, though. There was just a quiet moment standing nearby. She was with him literally at the moment that he died. Knowing his death was coming, she used him as improvised cover and killed a lot more people, later to include the cult leader in charge of the shitshow known as Eden. Potentially saved Thana's life in the process. But the kneejerk reaction to do what she did shocked her in hindsight. There really wasn't an apology that existed for doing what she did to Gavin. Thalia's face turned into something brutal as self-loathing ripped through her. She had to talk to someone about this. She was a tough woman, of this there was no doubt. But she wasn't stupid. And she was self aware enough to know that this might damage her if she didn't come to peace with it. Deep inside, she wished that she was still in Eden, her face painted with ash and char to resemble a skull, perpetually killing her enemies until her Lady called finally called her home. This was a dangerous mindset to be in right now.

Thalia tried to shake it off. She walked over to Atticus and pointed at Lola's grave marker, reciting to him, "Lola Rebekah Holler, born October 14th, 1978." If she had the tools to scratch it into the stone herself, she would have.

[Shoe Thief]

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Emanuel "Manny" Newman Location: Grave Yard Skills: N/A

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Manny had a moment to calm down and take the scene in. He had more or less lost his calm. Sure, he didn't like how Bass treated him. Like an ignorant old man who couldn't get with the times. And he could admit he was in some ways. But to Manny, it felt so... disrespectful. Manny's follow up was not the best in response though, and looking back there were a lot of other ways he could have expressed his frustrations. It wasn't just the tone though, the fact that he was criticized for trying to be safe with the gun, when it had been handled in a less then safe manner. Confronting Bass then and there was still not the way to handle it though. He knew he would need to apologize for his reaction later, even before Atticus said something about it. What Atticus did left Manny more confused then anything else though. When the guards at quarantine were present, they didn't get involved with anything unless someone tried to escape, or he hoped if they got really violent. It left him thinking why Atticus confronted him now, in a way that felt almost deliberate in drawing attention. Maybe it was more personal for Atticus. Or maybe it was that in quarantine they wanted an environment without influence. He had other thoughts that came with it, but those ones led to the more paranoid, looking for guilt where it may not be present stuff. So he left his thoughts at that.

The funeral itself was another story. Manny felt out of place here. He didn't know anyone who had died. And the only one he had even seen alive, was Gavin. The moment he decided to save Thana over him. Lola was another person who died that day. Died only moments before Manny got out of his cage. Maybe even as he was doing it. He just knew it was before he met up with the others. And he really didn't know much more then that about the girl. And they knew nothing of him. yet the fucked up part, is that if they hadn't died that day, Manny would have likely died soon afterwards. If the assault had failed early on, or the tank broke down, or anything else that prevented the assault to take place stop it from doing so, Manny would have been one of the many victims of Eden. It wasn't proper to say they died for him. No, that would be foolish. They died in place of him. He got to live, because they died. They had unknowingly traded their lives. He wondered if that was a selfish thought. They came to Eden to kill those who lived there. Those who tortured through there. Manny was just at the right place at the right time. But he couldn't get that idea out of his head. They were trading lives. Who hadn't though? Even before the world went to shit, choices had to be made about who had to die so that someone else could live. Those choices just became everyone's choice once the dead started to walk. Everyone had to start making that choice then.

Atticus got things moving along with offering last words to the dead. It was hard to focus in the extreme Florida heat, but Manny had grown up, and lived in it his whole life. Though that didn't mean he was immune to it. The sweat running across his head, and the visible confusion from trying to focus was very noticeable. But he knew how to handle it. At least until they were back on the nice cold bus. Many of the survivors took turns saying goodbye. He took better note of Alexander who had some words to say about Lola. He never asked much about Lola, but it seemed he got along well with her. Amelia and Ash got their words in, Ash giving some backstory on one of the people buried. But combined with Manny not knowing the dead well, or the living in this situation well, he had trouble following along. Thalia also had her own words to say about Lola. Even with what little he was hearing now she seemed like an interesting woman. Maybe much for Manny's book but that hadn't stopped him before from liking someone. He wondered what he would have thought of her had she made it down the hallway another 30 feet. Everyone who was going to say something, had said something. Funerals were not Manny's strong suits, and were one of the few times he couldn't hold an extended conversation like in day to day life. But now that everyone else had said something, he felt... wrong for not having anything to say. He felt wrong for being here because he knew nobody who was in the dirt below him. "Thank you." He said in a quiet tone, almost as if he was talking to himself. Despite all the conflicting thoughts in his head, one thing was clear. He was alive, because of them.

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Hunter Monroe Location: Cell B Skills:N/A

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Cage did his own follow up laugh, and it was weird to Hunter. But he didn't pay it much mind. He stayed down until the door was closed leaning upwards from the mattress. Still more comfortable then anything he had used in a long time with the exception of the bed last night. After given a more detailed rundown of the situation he just shrugged. What else was there to say? The first few thoughts that came to mind probably would have gotten less then great responses, but since Cage made it a clear point he planned to spend as little time down stairs as possible he wondered if it would be worth pushing some buttons. He held off for now, Roy was being decent enough and actually seemed to be trying to help. Even if it was just him being professional about it that was something. So he kept shut even though he still just wanted to tell Cage to fuck himself. He had a brief moment of mental horror with that thought, and decided that was not a thought he wanted in his head. Going back to Ray, if he got out of this with anything decent results he decided he needed to talk to Roy and thank him. Hunter knew he fucked up, and had trouble deciding what would be fair or not, but Roy was decent enough to him even if it was just simple comments here and there. Assurances that not all of this sucked as bad as he thought it did.

Then, he was alone yet again. Trapped in his little cell, the remains of a dead man only a few feet away. He sat on the wall dividing the cells and thought about how to kill time. He was tired, but he figured that was mostly stress compared to anything else. Plus dinner was in a few hours and sleeping at random intervals would only throw off his sense of time even more so. He thought of time passing tricks he had learned on the road. The first that came to mind was to deep clean his firearms. But they were gone. Next was to get up somewhere high and try and do a mock scouting of the area, but he was under ground. Next was just go on walks and see what was happening. But he was in a cell. The thing that was getting him now was that he wasn't able to do... anything productive in his eyes. He considered looking at his more positive memories, but with how things went the last five years that mostly led to... less then pleasant ones. He wondered what something productive he could do. His mattress was an older one with very distinct springs, so his mind quickly lead into taking out one of the springs and trying to pick the lock. The problem? Hunter had no idea how to pick a lot. Many doors he had found were unlocked or he could break into it without much effort. At least a few years ago. "Huh... fucking apocalypse diet." That was something that Hunter regretted a bit. He always prioritized bullets over food. He was never shy of bullets though. He knew where to look, he knew which guns could use them, and he normally had a good idea where to find said guns.

He wondered how his life would have been different should he had not joined the army. First, he would have had a chance to fix things with his family... properly. Next... he would have been home when things got bad, and he could have been with them in whatever happened. If he had not joined he wouldn't have Met Don, Greg, Simon, and Harald. But in return, he wouldn't have met June and... Lucy. He wondered if that was a bad thing though, not meeting those two. Maybe then they would have had a chance to meet up with someone other then those... people. If he hadn't joined he wouldn't have been forced to listen to that one order. The order every soldier is scared to hear when all hope seems lost. Hold Until the end. Though, the first time he heard the order, it wasn't given to him or his unit. It was given to another unit attached to... what ever excuse of a regiment that had been assembled. Then it was given to another... and another. Everyone knew what it meant, but no one would say it out loud. Die so the rest of us have a chance to live. No one objected it, for fear that they would be given that order themselves. And those who were not given the order would make sure it got carried out, out of fear that they would also be deemed... expendable.

He put his finger on that. That was the choice he made that changed his life and sent him down this path. Or maybe it was just the unfortunate way of things that he got a recruiter who absolutely fudged his numbers so he was allowed to join. Though that didn't matter now, what matters is he made the choice and he chose wrong. The military might work for some, maybe those who's units were destroyed before they could be deployed against the dead, those not assigned to handle the hordes of refugees on the way to the cities, those who got deployed to handle only the dead. Those who's first deployment wasn't trying to figure out which American citizens were trying to kill you, and which ones you had to kill. It made him think if this was one of those more pivotal moments in his life. Where he could make a choice that would set the rest of his life in a new direction. Or if he had already made that choice.

[Lady Absinthia]

☠ 𝚃𝚆𝙳: 𝚈𝚎𝚊𝚛 𝟻 𝙿𝚊𝚛𝚝 𝟺 ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ Location: Camp Mexico Beach Weather Forecast: Dawn at 5:57 A.M. - Dusk at 7:41 P.M. - High: 87F, Low: 72F - Winds SW at 4mph - Gusting to 10mph - No rain - Cloud Cover: 26% - Visibility: 9miles. Notes: Funeral will be moving out at the start of next round, so any one that wants their characters to say anything or finish up need to do so this round. We will be moving the funeral procession back to CMB next round.

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Hospital/Medical (B): Closing and locking the midway door once Lisa was through Mary then started to change out of her hazmat suit. She hung it back up where it blonged before she went about finishing up getting everything in order. Her brow quirked a bit and she sighed. "Yeah, get that fuckin' lab done before you head out. Don't know when the funeral detail will be back. Needs to be done."

Waiting for Lisa to finish up, Mary unlocked the other door and stepped through, waiting once again for Lisa to come through so she could lock it back up fully. "This is how it is going to go when you are not in class with the Professor. Mornings teaching the new guy, afternoons learning your new trade. At least until he has been shown all the duties and can handle you more as a supervisor role instead of instructing," she added as she waited. "Alright, go on, get that done before dinner. You know how bad food states when all you can smell is disinfectant."

Inside Jail (AA): Things in the jail cell are quiet. Only thing that will be making noise within those walls right now is Hunter. One cannot hear upstairs or what is going on outside. There is a slight smell coming from the coagulated blood on the floor and the bits of brain and skin on the wall. Granted this is nothing compared to the way Walkers smell so other than a quick "oh that's what the smell is" it isn't fetching a lot of attention. Well, other than the tooth in it. Not that the tooth is a big thing but it does have a little meat on it and things like that do attract things. Maybe not have to worry about the Walkers in a cell. Pretty safe there. But bugs or other things crawling out of a hole somewhere? Who knows.

Hydroponic Garden (T): While there was a bit of a reprieve when it came to the heat inside the greenhouse that is gone. Wind dies off and it makes you wish you were dead. It is amazing just how quickly things can start to feel like an oven when there isn't any breeze. That little bit of air flowing about seemed to have made all the difference in the world and now that it is gone, the air is almost suffocating, even to those that are used to Southern Summers.

General Housing (X): Everything is calm in the general housing area. Being it is one of the hottest points of the day there are very few people outside. Some but they are mostly just moving from point A to point B. Nothing more and doing so as quickly as possible so they don't have to stay out in the heat any longer than they have to.

General Supply (R): Auntie is working in general supply. She has carts of gear and supplies rolled out from the back and is going through them to load them up on the carts that have to be taken to different areas of the town before the night is over. She is looking rather vexed, not that she isn't normally vexed, but her scowl is getting a bit harsher than normal at this time and speaking of time she keeps checking that watch of hers.

CMB Graveyard: Overall, things in the graveyard are calm. Nothing is causing any undue noise or getting the guards attention more than they general sweeps are calling for. Bass and Joaquin are walking, pacing around. Making a large sweeping circled around the main group and slowly moving outward. Daytona is standing with the group, her eyes darting from those mourning to the bus and back again, as if she was making sure the path was clear if they needed to make a break for it.

Atticus nodded and let Amelia say what she needed. It seemed that this was the way with most that came on the bus. The mention of a tea set got Atticus to raise his brow but he didn't say anything. He was sure they all had their own tales about these people. He had heard a few about others that had been buried here from those already in the camp. He couldn't help but give a slight chuckle and smile towards Ash as he talked about James. Ryan he hadn't said much about but it was clear that James meant a lot to Ash. Looking over as Tatiana and Jack stood there it was clear he meant a lot to them as well. Jack was openly tearing up. Tatiana not so much but her jaw was tight and she was shaking slightly. James had surely left his mark on the people of Newnan.

Turning his head Atticus nodded. "I will make sure that gets added," he said to Thalia as he whipped out his bible and wrote down the missing information for the woman. "Thank you," he added once he had written it down. Glancing around it seemed that everyone had said their piece. "We will give you all a few more minutes with your thoughts before we head back," Atticus said to the group in general before taking a step back and letting them have just that.

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Thana Martin Location: Hydroponic Garden (T) Skills: N/A

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Sighing a bit, Thana wasn't going to lie. She nodded as she finished changing out of her wet suit. "Think these days if you are drawing a breath you have to worry about other people but yeah. These guys... They aren't right. Like they went feral to a point. Waterworld, Mad Max, Thunderdome Hicks. We trade as little with them as we possibly can." Turning and sitting down on the edge of a bench, Thana picked up her boots and started to unwad her socks so she could get them on. "At least that's the vib. We ain't sure. Maybe they just got bad manners and do it for show. Either way, no wantin' to go in and find out personally."

It was about the time that Thana got her boots back on that the wind seemed to stop and she groaned. It was hot. It had been hot all day but now it was sitting like a ten ton elephant on ones chest that was sweating water that was bath tub temperature. Taking a short huff of a breath, Thana finished shoving her feet into her boots and tucked the laces. "Ugh, fuck this, let's go file the paper work and get out of the heat," Thana suggested as she grabbed the clipboard off the wall and moved quickly towards the door.

Stepping outside she waited for Nigel. She would need to lock up before they headed anywhere else. Yet just stepping back outside was a heavy relief compared to how it felt inside the green house. "But back to the Bayou people, yeah worry but not enough to lose sleep. They ain't Eden from what I can gather which is good. That place..." Thana's words trailed off. She would never forget what she saw in Eden. The way it looked, smelled, the faces of each person she put a bullet in. The look on Gavin's. Closing her eyes she swallowed hard. It still wasn't any easier thinking back on it. Especially now, when she had time to look back, to remember. Not being on the run constantly trying to survive made you face what you didn't want to.

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Nikola Warren Location: General Housing (X) -> Streets of CMB(I7) Skills: N/A

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It had been an eventful day to say the least. Breakfast hadn't been anything big, in and out before having to get to work this morning. Amelia had turned out to be alright when it came to the job, granted their job wasn't rocket science. If someone couldn't handle restocking or cleaning chances were they weren't meant for a place like this. Maybe other settlements but not this one. But Amelia was doing alright, save dealing with dogs apparently. Well if IZi was going to be staying with her and Lisa then Amelia wasn't going to be visiting anytime soon that was for sure.

Visits would have to wait for others as well. Seemed Hunter had been locked up, or at least that was what she was figuring. She would have to find out exactly what happened later. Well she didn't have but she wanted to. She was nosey. Maybe Cage would like a visitor. Probably not but it wasn't like Nikki cared. At least she didn't care if Cage did or did not want visitors but then again Hunter had left a bad taste in her mouth earlier. She didn't need to go running off to check on him. If he couldn't survive a few days in the tank that was his problem. She'd survived two weeks in there and she was a kid then. Granted to hear some speak she was still a kid. Maybe she was.

Either way, it didn't matter. She needed to get back to Supply and Auntie. She had been walking towards Supply while she was thinking. It was hot as hell out but it wasn't as bad as it could be. She remembered the week she spent working in the greenhouse. The only heat worse than the Greenhouse was the sewers... The thought alone made her gag. Shaking it off she picked up her pace and made a beeline for the General Supply Building.

[rivaan]

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Amelia Payne Location:CMB Graveyard Skills: N/A

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Amelia had just finished her spoken and unspoken words to James when she felt a squeeze on her shoulder. To her surprise it was Ash. She gave him a sad smile in return as he went to have his words. She in return stood by Riley with weapons quietly in the ready in her hands. Listening to Ash talk, Amelia recalled events of the past. Many a fond memories resurfaced for a brief moment before she closed her eyes and calmed herself. The past was the past, she had to let go. As she pushed the memories aside, she felt rather calm and renewed actually. Having finally gotten some proper closure.

Overlooking the people, they were all doing their thing. Some speaking, some not. Her eyes lingered on Ash for a bit as he was finishing his words about James before moving on to be on overwatch duty as well. Amelia was honestly worried at this point. Nothing was going wrong so far… Having survived both the Franklin attack all the way back before Newnan and then Newnan’s fall later, she simply couldn’t leave the paranoia that something was going to happen. It wasn’t as terrible as it was initially after the fall of Newnan, but it was still there and likely will forever be. Still she noted the guards they had with them weren’t reacting or appearing worried either.

Her eyes darted to the bus, wondering if she and Riley should get moving in that direction in advance. She was about to suggest it to her love, but then after another moment decided not to. In these situations, safer place tended to be among the group. They were all armed after all. Finally she found herself content enough simply standing slightly to the side near Padreman. As long as there wasn’t concern among the escort group, she supposed she shouldn’t worry too much. And if Padre or Daytona weren’t making them dash back to the bus, it should be fine.

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Lisa Mason Location: Medical(B) Skills: N/a

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Lisa threw a glance at Mary as she was putting away the suit and nodded.” Figured as much. Will get to it, who knows I might actually get to enjoy a bit of the break today.” She replied with a smile, hanging out the suit and leaving the place so Mary could lock it up properly. All in all, today was a productive, if a bit hectic day. Between moving around the buildings, while not too much time was lost, it was just enough to eat away at the day, so if she wanted to finish the rest of the rooms in the basement, she’d better be fast worker.

“Well, it’s going to be a busy time for me. Not that I mind. I do like working and learning~” She grinned, hearing how her schedule would proceed from now on. When she wasn’t learning, she’d be supervising and teaching the new guy. Well Manny seemed like learned enough fella, so it shouldn’t be hard for him to get used to the cleaning duties. What she was more interested about was the practical trade she’d be learning on the medicine side. She really hoped all that medicine wouldn’t be in great demand soon. For it to be available was a good thing, to be in the needed was not.

“Mmm… disinfectant smell… yeah. I better finish quick, so I get the chance to grab a shower.” Lisa chuckled and started walking, heading for the stairs.” Never a better time than the present!” She added and headed down to the basement level once more, making a direct line for the storage area where all the tools and chemicals for cleaning were kept. Putting on a pair of gloves she prepared herself for work. They had already done the worst of it earlier with the plasters and so on. Other rooms didn't have plaster splattered about, so it should be quicker to clean!

[ONL]

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Alexander Polawski Location: Graveyard Skills: N/A

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While Alexander himself had little more to say than his brief farewell with Lola, others clearly had more to get of their chests. He didn't mind, and why should he? It was still saddening to hear the others he still knew little about, hear them talk about the souls resting at his very feet. While they spoke, Alexander would silently look at those people and those graves respectively, knowing this was the respectful way. Been there, done that before. He had lost count on how many funerals of soldiers KIA he'd attended, people and units he'd never heard of. But they were all brothers in arms, and the same applied to these people.

After Amelia had said farewell earlier, it was Ash's turn speaking of Ryan and James in differing substance. At least the James name rang a bell in Alexander's mind, mostly reinforced by Thalia's reaction to him way back when they all first stumbled upon eachother. While he himself didn't know the man, the story Ash related made an impression on old Mugsy, the tears that had gently dripped earlier continuing to come. It was a brilliantly ridiculous one that mirrored the shows on TV James had apparenly hailed from, and the crazy tales ol' Mugsy had both partaken in and heard of in 'Nam. It was a man he sure would have liked to know, yet now all he could do was to pray for his soul.

Thalia had less to say about Lola, though the impact was none the less one of a great lady. A crazy TANK-driving Kiwi who wanted to drink tea, but a great one. Died with a song on her lips, how poetic. Alexander knew she was the closest one to Lola and been for a some time, letting her speak what little she said. He had said his part, there was little else to do. Finally she would get a date on her grave and her full name. She would be missed too, that crazy Kiwi.

Alexander gave a look over to Manny who he saw mouthed something quietly, nodding in silence at whatever was said. He assumed it was something akin to the many thanks and farewells the rest of them had given. A silent nod and a brief smile, Alexander knew Manny hadn't met most of these people, the last one only for a living moment. Still, Alexander appriciated Manny coming along. He was a good man, the best dentist on this side of the world.

Then there was not much left to say. Atticus gave them a few more minutes to bid farewell to their lost ones. Alexander was left standing alone for himself, shotgun pointed down to the ground and his eyes lifted up to one of the trees occupying the cemetery. He wondered…where would he be laid to rest when his time came, and would he be fit to return to the arms of his Lord when the time was right? And would they be there, all of them?

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Nigel Cooper Location: Hydroponic Garden (T) Skills: N/A

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The gentle breeze of Amphitrite was not to last forever, like all good things were to pass. In an instant, while Thana enlighted him on the current issues of the wicked barbarians living beyond their protective walls, the breeze that had cooled the greenhouse ceased to blow. Nigel felt the halting of the air like a rock thrown at his head and shoulders, weighing him down once again with the unbareable heat he was yet to grown used to.

Wiping his forehead for the beads of sweat once again, Nigel continued to listen to Thana and what she had to say about the so-called Bayou people. Ferals, Mad Max, Waterworld, references to movies he knew he'd seen and perhaps would want to see again. At least those with Kevin Costner, though preferable as Robin Hood. "They don't sound like the sorts you want integrated into your camp, do they?" Nigel commented through himself changing into his last pair of clothes and shoes like Thana, though wondering why they bothered if they were to work inside the greenhouse in that heat.

Thankfully Thana recived the divine wisdom of Athena to withdraw from the infernal forges of Mars, much to Nigel's joy. With a tired smile and an untrained salute, Nigel followed Thana outside into the lesser evil humid heat. "Yes ma'am, not going to ask twice for that." He replied, though noting her trailing off and closing her eyes when talking about Eden. Eden, that wretched place of devils he had heard about. Nigel was still curious as to how bad the place had been, though the look on Thana's face told the Roman teacher to let it be. "Hey, Athena, let's go get that paperwork done. I'll show you I know how to wield a pen like a sword. Come." Nigel tried to distract her from whatever she was thinking, awkwardly laying his sweaty hand on her shoulder, not knowing what to do. He was a neo-Roman, not a well-trained Greek diplomat for Jupiter's sake!

[Sigil]

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Ash Holloway Location: CMB Graveyard Skills: N/A

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Ash was a man who showed his emotions by actions; usually background actions at that. He provided for, exchanging slices of his time and sleep to ensure that others were safe and fed. Potentially at the cost of his own well-being. This was who he was. Not just during the onset of the apocalypse, either - he was noted for this during his career with the Army, looking to the needs of the people under his command. Displays of emotion were uncommon for him. Likewise, support in a more personal way was not exactly his forte. Yet the last chapter in his life had changed him in an incremental way. So much as he was interested in resuming some semblance of duty to his friends and support their escorts in maintaining site security, Jack and Tatiana appeared on the periphery of his senses. The need to uphold civil duty fell away as he strode over to them and swept them both into a familial embrace.

It didn't last long, and in fact when Ash pulled away he looked to be a little surprised at himself. People hugging while packing heat openly was not precisely the mainstay of yesteryear. It was previously a thing which was out of character for the man, anyway. Still, life was change. And if he had a moment of being a little more open in his grief (which previously he might have called a moment of weakness) in the midst of something that might drive others to even more open shows of emotion, then this could very well be considered a sign of progress on his part. Psychologically speaking, anyway. "Yeah, sorry. Ah, about that..." he said softly, his Virginian accent inflecting with greater emphasis than usual. Certain things he still had difficulties expressing.

Following what might have been an awkward moment of recovery, Ash straightened himself up and reassumed the outward demeanor of a soldier, if not exactly uniformed as such. He looked again in the direction of Amelia and Riley, who seemed content to stand their watch near the priest, and gave them a little nod. These four were what remained of his family from Newnan - such as family existed for any of them anymore, choice in the matter was just as valid as blood. Possibly even more. Ash would spend the remainder of the time staying with the group, having their backs and trusting implicitly that they would have his. Having said his peace, Ash took to watch.

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Thalia Carmichael Location: CMB Graveyard Skills: N/A

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Thalia's features softened a little when Atticus put Lola's information down on paper. She wouldn't have to handle it herself, which was probably for the best considering that she had half a mind to sneak out of the community with a pointy metal implement and do the job herself, if that was the only option open to her over time. "Gracias," she rasped quietly, taking a step away so that others might speak with him, if they suddenly felt the need to.

Now that the point of their visit out here was concluding, Thalia felt old habits slipping back into her persona. The sorrow of the occasion was being suppressed, as was even her feelings of guilt from earlier. A small amount of anticipation crept in, likely the result of realizing that she was out in the open and not quite at 100%, which galvanized her sense of awareness. Thalia noted the position of Daytona in relation to the others, as well as Atticus. It was a given conclusion that they were not fully trusted confidants of the community yet, and she was curious as to how readily either of their chaperones would put a bullet into anyone present to grieve, were something compromising to occur. But those were just the ones closeby. Thalia likewise noted the movements of Joaquin and Bass. This had all the earmarks of establishing a growing perimeter. Not to mention that the continuing change in position made it more difficult to establish a static plan of action, in anyone on the inside of their circle decided to do something stupid. Her brother might very well be cold blooded enough to put to death every last man and woman present, if it came to that. She knew how her family ticked. Thalia herself might survive such a thing, though not for any superior skill on her part. Familia looked out for familia. Joaquin might pass her over, knowing that she would reciprocate. All the same, she had friends here. It would be a pity and a shame.

But even ignoring this extreme flight of fancy, the look around their immediate surroundings gave her a bit of pause. Tactically speaking HOLY FUCK THE ARMY GUY JUST HUGGED PEOPLE ...ahem, tactically speaking, if outsiders were to want to make a move or capture hostages, staking out a recently utilized graveyard might be a perfect place to do exactly that. Catch them in the middle of a service. No way that the nameless, faceless "They" might know that no one present particularly gave a rat's ass about the most recently interred person there. They did not look to be on advantageous ground if the living attacked. So her thoughts turned to the possibility of escape routes with cover. Already the shield was slowly rising to begin to cover the lower half of her face, and her knees bent slightly to maintain her original height as she moved to the balls of her feet. The motion of her pistol was hidden behind the great shield, tension and readiness gathering in the same moment.

It was about this time that Thalia realized that her expression was likely as hard as her thought process. And she was within plain view of the Padre, plus whomever was standing with him. In this case, the two women from Newnan who were sporting fresh scalp stubble. Adopting a more guarded outlook, Thalia gave a small, partly sarcastic smile. She cocked her head to one side and asked, "Hey, you girls into amputees?" It was unclear whether she was joking or not. The wink she gave didn't help.

[Shoe Thief]

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Emanuel "Manny" Newman Location: Grave Yard Skills: N/A

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The funeral was coming to a close. Most everyone had something to say to the dead, and some had more to say beyond that. He got the attention of Alexander, and returned with a simple nod, and a smile of appreciation as well. Manny still felt out of place as being probably the only person here who had never met anyone who had died, but he was still alive because of those who were dead, and Alexander helped him feel a little more welcome to be able to say that thanks to them. Lola and the others caused enough commotion to give Manny a chance to fight back, and Gavin died soon afterwards. He would never be able to get something like that out of his head. He wondered if his own death would have that kind of significance? Or if age would simply take him in his sleep. He wondered how many more were going to die like that, dying to give someone else a chance or as a chance to avenge someone else?

He clenched the shotgun in his hands tight. The head was harsh for the old man, and he complicated unloading the gun again. He didn't think it was hot enough for him to pass out or anything, but he was worried if something like that were to happen and he were to clench the gun wrong as he went down and pull the trigger. So he kept his hand tight on the grip itself just in case so even if it slid a bit he shouldn't graze the trigger.

Atticus eventually gave the announcement that things would be wrapping up. If anyone had anything left to say this would be the time to do it. Manny personally didn't, but seems not much wanted to be said anymore. Though he did take notice of Thalia... Flirting? He wasn't sure what counted for that nowadays. A part of him wanted to point out that this may not be the time or place for something like this, but another part of him wanted to laugh a bit as Thalia kept moods up with her comments.

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Hunter Monroe Location: Cell B Skills:N/A

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Cell life was boring for the soldier boy. He had considered counting ants, but didn't even get to double digits before he decided he was bored of it. He considered making conversation with the corpse in the next room over? But they weren't even a proper corpse, just bits and pieces. The smell was starting to get uncomfortable, but it wasn't as bad as the walkers, and still was no where close to as bad as the smell of the sewer system he got stuck in. Or the walkers in that sewer system. But a smell none the less. He wondered what Cage was doing that made it so he couldn't just clean this up. Not like there were other prisoners to watch? So for now he sat and tried to keep his mind occupied. He hummed some random tunes, but didn't really know the words to most songs in his head as he didn't listen to a lot of music in the last few years. He contemplated going through what was left of the remains, what little there was at least. The tooth was something of note, in a pinch it might make a great threat maker if things went south. Technically it was the tooth of a dead dude, so if things went guns up maybe it would buy him time and start a commotion. If things came to that. He thought about it and decided against it. He debated drawing with it but he wasn't sure it would hold up against the concrete. But he would keep that in mind for later just in case he got desperate for something to talk too. He thought back to his time in the army. And with it being short, only a few decent memories came to mind.

Thinking about the past, the former national guard's man named Pete was one the better people Hunter got to be with since the world ended. He wondered how things would have been if he had made it with Hunter this far? Had he been around when Hunter met... them. If he was with Hunter when he first came here? If he was there to tell Hunter to shut the fuck up when he opened his mouth. Pete had helped Hunter in a lot of ways like that, when things first started getting bad it was like a switch that went off in Hunter's head that made it so he wasn't the self confident older brother he had grown up being. When the first few weeks of chaos were over, he was left a husk of his former self, and alone. Nothing worked the way it should anymore except one thing. The gun in his hands, that still worked. Before Hunter would break up fights between his siblings. Then the corpses came, and you can't talk them down. He had several siblings who he could talk to and problem solve things, sort out problems, and then move on to a fun task at the end of the day. Then they were gone, and Hunter was to figure out his own things. And he had to get them done by himself. He had no one to try and protect anymore, and no one to be there with him as he figured it out. To Hunter, Pete was something he had never had, in a moment he really needed it. For the first time in his life he was someone like an older brother to Hunter. Before the world ended, he was the oldest of five, the protector of them and the one they went to for help for simple problems. In many ways Pete served that role for him, helping Hunter figure out the little things so Hunter would be ready for the big things later in life.

Hunter chuckled at that thought. Hunter had figured out how to fight one war, right in time for the next one. He could handle being a big brother, right by the time he was alone and the world ended. When That happened he had to figure out how to deal with the wandering corpses while also keeping himself alive, he had figured that out just in time to get confronted with those who had survived with... less then good intentions. He had figured out how to deal with those people and so by the time he had met people who wouldn't try to shoot him on sight, but were clearly beyond worried that everyone might do the same to them. He wondered what the people here went through to lead them to that point? Maybe they got shot at a lot was the first thought. Or maybe they had an internal civil war at some point so they had trouble trusting outsiders and insiders out of fear of more internal fighting? Who knew. But with what little Hunter knew either was just as likely. "And by the time I figure out this conflict, there wont be any people left. Is that the luck I get to work with?" He said it with a little bit of a joking tone to it and a small laugh. He went quiet after a moment though looking around. "Huh... maybe so."

[Lady Absinthia]

☠ 𝚃𝚆𝙳: 𝚈𝚎𝚊𝚛 𝟻 𝙿𝚊𝚛𝚝 𝟺 ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ Location: Camp Mexico Beach Weather Forecast: Dawn at 5:57 A.M. - Dusk at 7:41 P.M. - High: 87F, Low: 72F - Winds SW at 4mph - Gusting to 10mph - No rain - Cloud Cover: 26% - Visibility: 9miles. Notes: Funeral is wrapping up and you are heading back to CMB this round. Remember where your character is supposed to be working if you were on funeral detail. It is not dinner time yet so those coming back from the funeral will need to report into to their supervisors.

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Hospital/Medical (B): Mary chuckled a bit. "Well if you get done too fast I'm sure I can find something else to fill your time," she said with a smirk before heading out herself and making sure that everything was locked up tight before she did. Things for Lisa are going smooth, very smooth. Cleaning is going quick. Lisa has done this time and time again. It should only take an little more than an hour currently to get everything else done, which if she stays on this time table she will be done before dinner with about half an hour to spare. She can try to get done faster by making a skill roll to knock off 10 minutes if she passes, though if she fails she will add 10 minutes. Crit fails? Message me. Roll does not have to be taken but once called and rolled, it sticks.

Inside Jail (AA): Now, the smell is there and things are just the same as they were last round. Thing is there is one more thing. Something furry with a tail crawls out of a crack under the cot in the next cell over. It's in the shadows so it is hard to tell exactly what it is but it is clear - it could easily be a rat. Roll on Minor Fear Table (In the original OOC post) and post accordingly.

Hydroponic Garden (T) -> Streets of CMB (N5): Everything is calm, hot but calm. It is full afternoon now and people are avoiding the streets as much as possible. So if they aren't on a detail that requires them to get from point A to point B or have to work in the sun they aren't going to be. Can't exactly blame people about that. When you have a choice of Hell's Kitchen or a nice air conditioned room with a view you're gonna do what you're gonna do. A few are out there, eitehr driving supplies or heading this way or that. Classes are being let out for the evening so there are more children on the streets than normal. Most are heading directly to the housing area. Dinner is still a bit off so the only ones dealing with Mess are already in there cooking and prepping. There is a nice scent in the air, something citrusy.

General Supply (R): Someone must have paid Auntie off because she isn't cussing under her breath right now and wondering where the hell Nikki is and why she isn't back already. She is standing there looking at an old tea cup and saucer she has run across and finding it very interesting. At least interesting enough to where she has her mind focused on that and not the amount of time that has passed.

CMB Graveyard (Graves -> Bus): Things couldn't be going better for the group right then all things considered. Yes they were saying goodbye to people they knew and/or cared about but there has been nothing outside of that going wrong. Tatiana and Jack both seem to understand where Ash is coming from. Hugging the man back before letting go. Jack held on a little longer than Tatiana did. Tati seemed more put off than normal when it came to affection but she had been like that since she met back up with Ash and Amelia and the others.

"Alright, time to go back," Atticus finally said and gave a sweeping hand gesture with his free hand as he slipped his bible into the back of his jeans and drew his pistol again. Bass and Joaquin fell back to where they had been, Bass in the front, Joaquin in the back. Daytona nodded and waited for Bass to start walking before gesturing to the group to follow him towards the bus. Each of those on the job swept with their eyes and their weapons as they covered the group back to the bus.

Bass stopped at the door as Daytona came up and unlocked it, pushing the door opening and climbing into the bus, Bass following her and taking the first seat as he started getting the bags open and laid out on the seat itself as he stood there. Sitting down in the driver seat Daytona turned it on and then motioned for the others to climb on up. "Hand over all weapons to Bass as you enter the bus," Daytona announced as Atticus and Joaquin followed and took up the rear as they waited for the group to board, hand over the weapons, and take a seat.

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Thana Martin Location: Hydroponic Garden (T) -> Streets of CMB (N5) Skills: N/A

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Gavin, why did he had to insist on going with her? Why did he leave in the first place to go with James. Why couldn't that damn cowboy realize this wasn't the old west and he wasn't Wild Bill Hickok? She knew the answers to those questions and so many more. It was because that was just how Gavin was. It was just who he was. The man was born over a 100 years too late. He would have done well in the old west, a gun slinging town sheriff, driving out the riff raff. He would have loved it, yelling yee-haw all the way. He would have gone down in history, she knew that. Maybe in another life.

A sad smile came to her lips before Nigel speaking snapped her out of it. "Sounds good Atlas," she said with the same small sad smile. Reaching out she patted him on the shoulder with her free hand as she tucked the paper work under her other arm. "Sooner we are out of this heat the better," she added as she made sure the place was locked up and they were ready to go. One last glance around and she motioned towards the north west a bit. "Just over to admin."

One foot in front of the other. Thana had to admit it was nice to have Nigel around. He wasn't annoying and helped her keep her mind off things. Granted he also made her think but helped pull her back. Others might have annoyed her, Ash would have kept her mind on anything but work, yeah she should handle Nigel as her right hand for now. Who knew, maybe he could be a more steady second hand for her than just the week. She'd have to see in a few days, see if the novelty of a new person wore off.

"And yeah, back to the others, no, not the type to make it here. There was a trade a few years back I heard that did not go well. Trade of people. Where a few wanting to leave there came here for sanctuary. I don't know the whole story but I know things got a lot tighter around here after that and haven't let up since," Thana said as she walked across the street towards the Officer quarters and then headed west down the main street towards where the Administration Building was.

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Nikola Warren Location: Streets of CMB (I7) -> General Supply (R) Skills: N/A

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Nikki knew she had two options right then. She could go in through the front door. Going in the front door would be the fastest way. It would get her in the building, be the most direct route, and shave a minute off the trip. Not to mention it would get her out of the sun fast. Thing was, it also meant that Auntie would be alerted as soon as she stepped in the door and she would be sweating and trying to cool down while probably getting chewed out. That really didn't seem like a good idea to the younger woman. She wanted to give herself an edge if she could.

The edge she wanted meant she had to go in the back. Which sucked. It meant she would need to go around the building, be out in the sun even longer. Granted it would only be another minute or two but in this heat every second counted. Yet it meant she could come in through the area that Auntie was most likely not in. It meant she would get a few moments to cool down before Auntie was aware she was there if she was lucky. Meant if she was going to get chewed out she would at least had a chance to stop sweating by then.

Deciding the back was her best option, Nikki went in the back. The coast seemed clear as she fanned herself and let out a long sigh of relief as the air conditioning hit her skin and started to cool her down quickly. Slow steps and looking around, she didn't call out. At least not until she came out from the back to the front and spotted Auntie by the carts, looking at a tea cup. Sighing she might as well get this over with. "I'm back," she announced as she walked quickly with her head down towards a cart and started loading it up.

[rivaan]

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Amelia Payne Location:CMB Graveyard Skills: N/A

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Amelia caught Ash’s nod and gave one in return as she stood silent vigil now, waiting for everybody to be ready. Admittedly it wasn’t her duty or anything, but again since she had finished saying her farewells already, she found it her duty to be careful of shit going south fast. It practically did every darn time and she was getting a bit nervous that everything seemed to be going too well for the moment. Inside the walled camp she could rest easier, but here, it was apocalyptic setting prime and everything being so calm was nervous.

Ash being a hugger made Amelia raise an eyebrow at brief disbelieve though. She decided the man had probably gotten emotional because of the occasion. She was at least glad he didn’t come over to give hugs here. Suddenly movement by her caused her to tense up as she turned her view around only to see Thalia. Amelia was a bit concerned and also curious as of why the woman was approaching them right now. Did she have something to talk about or something? Something important or about the people who were laying in the graves? Well she was sort of right, Thalia did ask a question. A question that made Amelia blank out of a moment." Ehh...?" She made a sound of confusion and embarrassment and looked at Riley for help, unsure how to deal with the situation. Luckily the world gave her a bone and she heard the call to get back to the bus.

Amelia actually looked a tiny bit conflicted before she started heading for the bus doors with post haste to escape the situation she didn't know how to deal with. As she reached the door and Amelia looked at Bass, she looked at the bat in her hand longingly for a moment before with very much conflicted and reluctant expression she reached slowly to hand it over… Then a moment later with similar, but a more willing manner she handed over the axe as well.

“It was nice while it lasted...” She mumbled to herself as she headed into the bus to their earlier seats where she had left her earlier clothing. Taking her seat, she looked at Riley and then at her hands. Admittedly being back in the bus with the air conditioning was very nice, but… as she grasped empty air with her hands a few times, Amelia frowned and looked at Bass for a moment, before sighing and resting her head on Riley’s shoulder, clenching tightly her clothing. She couldn't wait to get behind the walls again, at least there the urge and desire to have a weapon felt a tiny bit eased... just a bit.

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Lisa Mason Location: Medical(B) Skills: N/a

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Lisa’s lucky break with getting let go of work early today kind of fell apart with her doing the rest of the job after all, but she didn’t mind. In fact she was smiling as she was working hard with all the different tools and chemicals to clean every bit of the different rooms and furniture in the basement. With a song on your mind work went faster! She had done this many a time now, being in the camp for a decently while. She’d be done within reasonable time! Hell she even gave it a quick realization that at the current tempo, she’d make it likely with a bit of spare time at the end, about enough to catch a quick trip home and maybe a lightning speed shower… maybe.

As she rapidly went through the available tasks at hand, she recalled her first days at camp. How different her life back then was. Fresh out of the wastelands, suspicious of the surroundings, in a new unfamiliar enviroment. She had to admit that at first she didn’t think she’d stick around Medical for too long, who’d guess that she actually had a fancy for the subject and study so well. Just one of the many unexplained mysteries of the world. If she had realized this passion before the end back during her early days, would she have had the chance to become a doctor or a chemist? Maybe, who knew, not her. Does she care now, not really. She actually didn’t dislike her time spend as a mere housekeeper or maid or however anyone would choose to call her back then. And it could very well be the reason why she’s still alive right now!