Shoe Thief

🧚🏻‍♀️ The Walking Dead - Year 6 Part 1

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Emanuel "Manny" Newman Location: Mess Hall Skills: N/A

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From the sounds of it, Lisa had great plans to come up with creative ways to deal with walkers. He wasn't sure it was his cup of tea, but all the power to her. She did wish him luck on his way over so that was very nice of her. The conversation about D&D Manny held no luck in following. He had made little progress in understanding any of it, so when Amelia was ready to talk it was a rather big relief for the old dentist. "Glad to hear you're doing better. But don't worry too much, some dogs can be rather... Intimidating. So I can't blame anyone for being uncomfortable around them. Or more so in some cases." He tried to be reassuring but he wasn't the best at gauging his own words too well. "Personally my first day was good. Got to go on a boat. So that was cool. As for how things are going now, I think it's pretty good. Though Lisa, the woman I have been working with today is roommates with what I just learned was your work day partner. And when we noticed you here and not Nikki, we were wondering if everything's alright there? Not that I expect anything bad but we wanted to be sure everything is alright?" He was curious about where she was now, but first, he wanted to make sure that nothing had gone wrong other then the boy from quarantine being locked up.

Part way into his thoughts, it had occurred to him a severe mistake. "Oh, how rude of me. How has your first day gone so far? Other then the dog thing of coarse. What fun and exciting things have you been doing today?" He felt he should have opened with that more as it seemed like a more polite conversation etiquette to as prevent the conversation from being too one sided. He knew if he wasn't careful he would spiral and do nothing but ramble for a while if left to it. What he wasn't expecting was when Nigel, another man from quarantine to have something to ask about the situation. Manny never minded another person in the conversation, but it seemed there was some concern about the man's tone. "Oh he... Last I heard he got locked up. I don't really know the details going on there yet though." Manny didn't know the man too well, but he did remember that he had been with Hunter a bit the night before. Especially around the rather drunken moment of the night. Other then that, Manny didn't know a ton about the man in front of him.

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

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What happened from here was something closer to what he expected. Even if he had prompted it to go this way now. He held his tongue and let her say what she had to say. He stayed on his bed expressionless for a while listening to what she said. Some of it struck a nerve but it wasn't until she got to Izibell that he stood up. That struck him somewhere he wasn't ready to deal with yet. Partially because he felt it was true, partially because he felt the people running the place were not better in their ways of handling people, their mistrust, and there own threats. The lie part got to him a bit, but he knew there was no point in arguing it. He hadn't lied to her, Maddoc he had pushed things with but not Nikki. Though combined with his reaction, and his lack of caring response to his wording could be enough to push her. "If I wanted to die, I had the chance to do that more then once. And yet? I am still here." He said it in a rather flat tone. Though it was more of a partial truth. The chances were there a few times, and at more then one he had almost acted on them. The most recent being stopped by his meeting with Izibell. There was a lot of information he was struggling to follow. Some of it about the night before, some of it involving his attempted to start an apology earlier, though guessing from her reaction that seemed to cause more harm then good.

He stumbled to his bed after Nikki left. "I've been told." He said when Cage spoke about it. Hunter curled up on his bed and faced the wall trying to block out the world around him. He debating trying to ask Cage for something, but in the end just stayed where he was and tried to keep his mind semi focused on his own thoughts. He leaned over and grabbed the fork off his tray, most of the food still unfinished, and curled back over with both of his hands gripping the fork handle as if the fork meant everything to him and letting it go would be the end of the world. Again. Mostly, he wanted something to hold onto. Though he's not sure a fork was the best for it, his own options were limited. So fork it was.

🧚🏻‍♀️ The Walking Dead - Year 6 Part 1

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Emanuel "Manny" Newman Location: Mess Hall Skills: N/A

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One thing about the conversation that was made clear, was maybe Manny wasn't quite ready for a.... Nikkliear explosion. He chuckled at that pun, but maybe they were right. Kids were not a strong suit of his. Even when he tried to help a couple from time to time once his own life was figured out that was something he wasn't equipped for. The only way he knew how to establish authority with kids was the way he and his friends would establish control over others during that period of his life. Didn't work the same when you got to trying to improve lives rather then make others submit to your rules. He did chuckle at when Lisa patted him on the shoulder. "Yeah yeah I get it. Have fun playing with Nikki." It seemed his comment about a particular appendage had been funnier then he realized it would be. "Robin Williams. 2002." He stopped for a moment to think about it. "I can't say for sure where he said it, but I know it was his line. Though his version was more blunt. Though it is very true." As a dentist, a good chuckle here and there was a good thing. Smiling people was really a sight to see.

Around the room people seemed to be having a rather fun time with each other. Thana and Thalia were alone by themselves again, he wasn't sure where the army captain was now though. Maybe he went to get food too. Seemed though both Dolittle and Lisa wanted to know more about he Nikki situation, but seemed to be debating about who should go up and ask. "One moment." He stood up and grabbed his now empty tray and moved towards Amelia. Though he was interested in learning more he rarely cared enough to go out of his way to learn more in those regards, but he remembered the girl from earlier in the day who had seemed pretty shaken up from a dog encounter. He wondered if it was the same dog that they had just been talking about?

Making his way over he got bits and pieces of a conversation about D&D. Not something he knew a ton on, but he had heard people talking about it for years. He stood and listened in for a bit noticing a few other people he knew. He saw Edna who had done his interview, and Nigel as well who he didn't really know that well. But he was in quarantine with the rest of them. The conversation clearly confused Manny as he tried to follow along but he tried his best to hide it. Though not very well. He waited though for a break in conversation to talk to Amelia preferring to wait until everyone was done talking. "How are you doing? Better from the dog situation?"

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

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Hunter was glad to hear Izibell was doing good. Before she came she spent all day every day without a leash able to go more or less wherever she wanted. Now she got a few couple minute breaks outside and spent her days locked up. It was troubling for him but he wanted to say it would be better. It was also the main reason he ended up being late earlier as well, so he had a chance to get her outside more. "Glad to hear it." Nikki got to the point soon enough though. After explaining she had only a short window before she had to leave she got to why she was here. Hunter wasn't sure how he felt about it, but it wasn't a pleasant feeling that he knew for sure. "Ah. So, you just want something to gossip about? You want first dibs on whatever juicy information there might be." He sighed and turned away from her for a moment going back to his tray of food. He considered just stopping the conversation then and there.

Hunter decided that not only was he not a fan of attention he had gained for himself. He also was starting to really hate gossip. "I just... ugh... this place." He let out a frustrated sigh and paced for a little bit. He stopped and turned his attention back to Nikki. "Don't think I got an answer you want. Lots of smaller shit, and people generally having short patience with me. Terrible combination." He didn't feel like sharing more for gossip. If Nikki wanted to find out more, she could wait like everyone else. He went back and sat on his bed grabbing his tray of food. He didn't take anymore bites from it, but he kept his attention on it. He wanted to take the chance to try and properly apologize for the night before. But he found himself too frustrated to speak about it now. Plus, he wasn't sure how to go from "Fuck your wants for gossip" to "Hey sorry for being an asshole last night". He wanted to out right say it but he wasn't sure how to start it now. Plus, Nikki gave him the impression she either didn't care anymore, or she cared more about something to gossip about then it. "If that's all you're here for, feel free to just leave me alone now." He wasn't sure completely what he expected when he saw Nikki come in. A part of him expected Nikki to call him out for being an asshole the night before, maybe for being a rushed messed earlier in the day, or maybe even to tell him how stupid he was to get himself locked up in here. He didn't expect she came here just so he had a chance to apologize. But he was hoping for that chance none the less. He was definitely not prepared for her to just be down here to gain information so she could share it how she wanted.

🧚🏻‍♀️ The Walking Dead - Year 6 Part 1

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Emanuel "Manny" Newman Location: Mess Hall Skills: N/A

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Manny held a face of near horror at the mention of a sugar production actually being functional again. Sure, it would be more natural, but it appeared that cavities would be back on his to do list soon enough. The conversation about the cavity farms was brief though as it turned into the specializations of larger communities. Then after that, back to Nikki. "Wouldn't hurt to have another Thana around." He found it interesting where the people he had traveled with found themselves now. Some were role models, some were making friends in powerful places, and some where.... He eyes over to Thalia and Thana who had something going on with the army captain. With the talk of Fuck hunts his mind went a couple places but he didn't think Thana and Thalia had that kind of relationship. Not letting the current conversation throw off his thoughts maybe it had something to do with some kind of shared story telling about Thana. She seemed to be the center of attention at the moment.

Bringing his mind back to the fuck hunt at hand. Seemed Lisa was participating, but decided to hold off for the night. The conversation shifted a few times before getting to the boy of the night. "Alcohol does strange things to people. Some handle it better then others. Though the boy's social skills seemed lacking to begin with. The way he acted in quarantine, and everything else. I wonder if he was always someone who struggled socially, or if it was a development caused from.... Well the world ending I guess. First settlement I was in, met a lot of people who had broken to the point where they weren't functional anymore. Though we did what we could for them... Most didn't last long." He wondered if the boy was one of those cases, and had just somehow survived up to this point despite the odds. "If they do end up talking, I hope it isn't too... Awkward I guess. Maybe it'll do some good." While finishing the topic of the boy and the dog, Dolittle brought up how pets work really well with people in their older ages and how they work better with pets. "[color=00aeef][/color]"

The conversation continued with fuck hunts, Nikki and Bass, and a few other things that Manny wasn't sure where he could add too much input on. "Can still feel bad for him even if he should have known. As the old saying goes, God gave man enough blood to run the Brain, and enough blood to run the...." He stopped, realizing there might still be children around and that he didn't want to be too loud as most people probably would find his comments as entertaining. "That, particular appendage. But not enough blood to run them both at the same time. Though who knows, they're both young and people change a lot from being young and who they finally turn out to be. I mean, looking at my own case. I went from a street gang and years later owned my own medical facility. Settled down, and overall my life took a total 180. So who knows." He went back to his food thinking about that. How drastically some people change while they are growing up and figuring out who they want to be and who they are going to be. Dolittle brought up where Nikki would be since her work partner was already in and she wasn't. "Another Fuck Hunter maybe." Manny said it with a shrug as he finished his food.

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Hunter Monroe Location: Jail (AA) Cell B Skills:N/A	.,

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Hunter had made some progress on his food. But not even enough to finish what would have been considered standard rations. Though he was trying, he just couldn't find himself to eat much. He stood up leaving his food tray on his bed and went to the bars, thinking again about his options should he need to find a way out. He grabbed two bars side by side from one another and shook them a bit. Deciding that wouldn't do much. A part of him wished he grabbed that tooth when he had the chance. But a tooth of a dead man would only go so far on it's own. No... It would require him to go to rather dark places he wasn't sure he was ready to return to yet. Places he needed to go to survive, places he needed to go to so he could protect those closest to him. He stopped at that thought and looked around the cell. "Guess it doesn't matter now huh." Alone he waited in his cell. With everything that had happened up to that point, he was still the only one to make it this far. No, there was Izibell, so far at least. That, is when he heard the basement door open. He braced himself for whatever Cage had to say but decided he wouldn't let it get to him.

What did surprise him, was what Cage actually said. "Huh." Was the only noise that came out of his mouth. Who the hell would visit him now? Ash was just here, and Nikki he had clearly pissed off quite a bit. Maddoc? Maybe. He wondered if there was someone else. Then, she came into view after Cage made a comment about regretting trying something. Hunter almost made a smart ass comment, but he found himself confused to the point where he couldn't get a comment out. Cage left, and in Hunter's moment of shock he barely registered what she said. And he stood there quiet for a moment as he was still taking in the situation. "How's she doing?" He spoke with a simple, collective tone. His thoughts went a couple places, mostly... why did she decide to come here? Was it because he said he had more to say? Did she want to rip him apart for what he said the night before? He wasn't even sure what he said the night before. What he did remember, she was upset. A bit pissed too. He wondered what stupid thing he said while wasted. Or did.

🧚🏻‍♀️ The Walking Dead - Year 6 Part 1

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Emanuel "Manny" Newman Location: Mess Hall Skills: N/A

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Traffic had really started to pick up inside the mess hall. Though for the most part it was probably just the fact that Manny was starting to recognize the faces that were starting to come in. "Thankfully. Sugar production has been nearly impossible for most people now. Especially the heavily processed stuff from the old world. Unfortunately much of the old world food that is still good today is laced with enough sugar that we should probably have a nuclear contingency in case Nikki gets her hands on it." He said it with a bit of a laugh, but it was a rather large concern in his old community that other then canned and dried food which was susceptible to a lot of issues, a lot of foods that held a long shelf life had high traces of sugar. Led to a lot of people who had been forced to survive off the stuff to have blood sugar issues for months.

As the conversation progressed, He took note of Thalia who had entered and had gotten her food. He took note of how she sat more isolated from everyone else. She seemed rather contempt with her situation, so for now he wouldn't say anything. But he worried about some of her more anti social habits in this community. But she was strong, and she could adapt. He would keep an eye on her, but for now he could assume she was fine. He would try to give her a simple wave of acknowledgement, but from across the hall it may be hard for her to notice it. Alexander still seemed to be having a grand time with the man in charge, but he couldn't tell what was going on from where he was seating. But it seemed good. It was nice to see his friend branching out and meeting people, being social. He also took note of Thana who had made her way up to the stage to eat her food. He would try to get her attention too, giving her a wave of acknowledgement as well. If either of them wanted to sit with them he would be open for it, but he has found that if he pushed too hard while on the road, they would tend to back off more socially then.

Manny brought himself back to the conversation at hand. The cat comparison Dolittle made was a rather extreme one, but he understood the comparison. Seemed the girl was at the height of her youth ready to see everything the world had to offer. Lisa had made some comments about the dog again. "Well, you have fun with the dog. I think I am getting a bit too old to take care of a creature that big now. And with that much more energy then myself." Then it went to the party last night. "If I am being honest, I didn't pay too much attention about the fuck hunt. As for Nikki, I couldn't be sure. Saw her with the boy from quarantine at one point. But seeing as he is locked up now, guessing it didn't work out. Can't say for sure when it comes to Bass." It was hard to miss the drunk ramblings of Hunter from the night before, even if most of it was a bit incoherent. Didn't help that Manny had more or less tried to ignore the boy who clearly had a rather weak tolerance.

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Hunter Monroe Location: Jail (AA) Cell B Skills:N/A	.,

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Hunter took a couple more bites of food before setting down the tray on his bed. He stood up taking a break. He'd try some more later he told himself. Going over towards the bars of his cell a few thoughts went through his mind. First, he had a trial coming up, and he knew nothing about being a lawyer. As well, he had little trust in any that may be assigned to him. Though that was under the assumption that he had a right to a lawyer. As well, he didn't own a suit. He laughed at that thought. Last time he wore one was years ago when he debated if it was worth traveling with one only to decide against it. It was small pointless thoughts but they helped distract him from darker thoughts as he waited. The next thought that came to mind was the cell he now sat in. Though he had no intention on acting with the thoughts in his head, he had a few ideas in his head how he might be able to break out should things come to that. He had a few theoretical ideas on the bars themselves, but nothing for the door at the moment as he hadn't really gotten a good look at it. He also lost his chance for a weapon once they cleaned up his cell mate. Something else might come along, but thinking about it he was still not likely to act on it.

He found himself thinking a lot about what he talked about with Ashton. He actually had a lot of things to say about his situation, and himself. It was odd for Hunter to process. What he knew for sure was that he had his own issues to figure out. But the question was how at this point. He contemplated what day to day life would be like assuming things things went well here. Ignoring the fact he would be the center of everyone's conversation for who knows how long. No, that wasn't a thought he cared for much. Shrugging it off for now he paced his cell with his food barely touched.

🧚🏻‍♀️ The Walking Dead - Year 6 Part 1

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Emanuel "Manny" Newman Location: Mess Hall Skills: N/A

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Manny found himself learning a lot about the other communities, or at least the interactions with them. Manny wondered if he would ever find himself in that rotation as well, or if he would end up being more of a reserve doctor who only filled in when medical was filled. The comment about Mammals being Mammals Manny felt he should say something about it. But then he stopped himself. He was literally someone who cleaned teeth for a living, who eventually got transferred into a professional limb remover. "I suppose you're right. Especially in this day and age." Had someone said something like that to him ten years ago, he figured he would be petitioning to have their medical license looked into and questioned. Now? It was someone who knew how to patch someone up, and knew how to well at that. He found it funny how social norms have changed over the years. Had someone told him years ago that now he would be cleaning boats on an ocean side military base he would have probably shrugged off the comment. Had someone told him he would be carrying around a target shooting gun on a daily basis for self defense he may have laughed in their face. He thought of the times where he did have to use a gun like that before the end of the world. Never fired, but he did have to show at least one group of extremists that he was armed, and that his home was a bad target to go after. Though even then he had a tendency to get sick after they would leave, suddenly losing what composure he held.

Then there was the first time he fired a gun at what he presumed was a person. Even with what he knows now, it still sent chills down his spine. But here he was in a world where anyone who left their homes were armed. Though now home was concrete walls. Five years, five long and life changing years. Manny found himself nodding off a bit, but it seemed like the conversation mostly stuck with the new dog that Lisa was now going to be living with. Lisa made a comment about the dogs behavior, though Manny had low hopes in that area with what little he had seen of the boy. Who knows though, maybe it was the dog keeping the leash on the boy instead of the other way around. "Big dog kind of person are you?" He didn't get the appeal of having a dog around as much. Though he didn't peg Lisa as a big dog person, sure showed what he knew about reading dog people. Though she did bring up good points, who doesn't want a huggable friend around them at all times? Manny did let out a bit of a chuckle as DoLittle compared the dog and Nikki. "Is she really that much?" Manny asked with a smile. The overall conversation reminded him of his days of his old dentistry. The simple friendly banter with a mix of professionalism in it. It was a good time.

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Hunter Monroe Location: Jail (AA) Cell B Skills:N/A	.,

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And like that, Hunter found himself alone again. This time though he had a lot going through his mind, and a lot of information he was left to process. Ash had replied in a way that Hunter wasn't ready for. What he was ready for, was getting his ass reamed out for being an idiot, for causing trouble, and being an asshole. What he got? Thank you. Unsure how to react, he simply listened to what Ash had to say, some advice to try and make his own life better, and improve relations with the people around him. His recommended started point? Cage. He had no idea where to begin with Cage, as like most people here he Cage was someone confusing to Hunter. And at his mention he found himself confused. But he simply nodded as Ash left. Replying a simple"See ya." Ash had left Hunter with a lot to think about.

Then there was Cage. His reply to Hunter's comments? His weight, or lack there of. It was a simple comment, but it made it's own point. It also answered his questions in a sort of backwards way. It explained the why, the most important bit. But he left it at that as he prepped to leave. Overall, he wasn't sure how to take the encounter. Especially when Cage made his comment about a screw being lose. It seemed to conflict with what he was saying so far, or if he had forgotten that Hunter was still in earshot. He wondered if this is how people felt when he talked to or around them. Finally before Hunter got to be alone with all of this new information, Hunter would reply to Cage's comment about returning. "Thanks." He tried to be sincere with it, but was clearly at a dead halt for words other then that. Hunter did find himself unsure how to react to Cage's comment about his mental state. Most people he could ignore with it, or he would jump up to rather aggressively verbally retaliate. Right now? He had no words for it, not even a joke to follow it up with.

After the door closed he examined the tray again. Larger rations then any other meal he had gotten since he had been there. He wasn't sure how to feel about it. Positive that someone was looking out for him, or upsetting that someone decided he needed it. He relented leaning towards positive. He did find it weird coming from Cage. Then looked at the cell next to him where the last prisoner used to be, and what it must have been like dying alone in there. Finally taking the, he made his way back to the bed and found himself just staring at the meal as if unsure what he was supposed to do with it. In the mean time, he found himself just shifting the food around, sometimes taking a bite, but for the most part just moving it around. "Tuna casserole, fruits, and juice. Cool. Cool cool cool." He ate some of the fruit and drank the juice but finding himself stopping quite a few times along the way only making a dent in the fruit. "Fuck nuggets..." He found himself struggling to stomach much. In a cycle of take a few bites, lose his appetite, stop, then his body realizing he's still hungry. Jail was going to be a long one, but sooner or later he would find himself getting through it. One way or another, this would be over eventually. He just needed to make sure the last thing he saw in the process wasn't a muzzle flash.

🧚🏻‍♀️ The Walking Dead - Year 6 Part 1

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Emanuel "Manny" Newman Location: Mess Hall Skills: N/A

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The conversation was taking some interesting turns. Manny felt like he was learning a lot about the place, while also getting an idea of what people were like in the camp. Even got a little bit of information on the dog boy, though that was limited too. Apparently the relevant information would all be made more or less public knowledge in time as well. Manny was curious to see what was happening in that regard, and it would be interesting to see how legal action takes place here. If it would be closer to how military have been known to handle internal affairs, or if it would be closer to the pre-collapse legal system. He hoped the latter, though even that system had its flaws.

The story about the former kid working in the dentistry was a bit of a sad one, but an all to familiar one now. Hordes have, and probably will be an issue for many years to come. He remembered his last community when forced to face one attempted to face it head on knowing their gates couldn't hold off a mass that big. And he remembered just how many of them had died. Even with the advantage of bullets, and even a passive production going, what they had wasn't enough to hold off the horde forever. "What do you mean by medical fill in. Like, an out-post between the camps? Or something else?" He assumed the first one as with the walls up, the dead shouldn't be able to get in. Even if the gates were weaker then they looked she said some came back. So it had to be somewhere else right? Though if that was the case, it was something that he hoped was still being done. Many settlements he had heard of rarely can get their hands on a proper doctor, or even someone close to one. So a chance to help out other people like that would be pretty close to right up his alley.

Dolittle talked a bit about her time in camp, the list of jobs she does. She was a floater for the various groups it seemed. Helped out here, helped out there, and then helped out with the food coming in. Manny could see the connections, but it was not his field of medical, nor a field he had ever had to fill before so couldn't understand the details beyond the simple concepts. As well, she was a newer generation in the medical field compared to him. She had the benefit of being able to learn more advanced techniques and trades. Where a lot of what Manny had learned was done in times where the practices needed to be more robust and reliable with as little as possible. It came in handy on the road where a proper surgical room couldn't be established, but had a noticeably lower success rate compared to the new stuff in proper conditions. And this place, fell much closer towards modern then what Manny had grown up practicing. Both had their pros and cons to it, and in his age he simply hoped he had been able to learn enough to keep up with the times as things got more advanced.

It appeared The General had made his way in, noticeable by the greetings he got as he entered. The man seemed nice enough, though Manny had never had a good chance to interact with the man. Though he did take note of Alexander as he walked in. Manny returned the wave and gave his fellow baby boomer a smile. Seemed his friend was making friends with people in high places. Manny after that simply made himself comfortable in his seat and began to enjoy dinner. It was nice to have a bit more time to do it now then at lunch. He did think back a bit to Lisa and her new roommate. "Good luck with the new dog Lisa, she seemed pretty big when I saw her." It was only a glimpse more then a week ago, but it looked pretty big back then.

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Hunter Monroe Location: Jail (AA) Cell B Skills:N/A	.,

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Ted had more to say, but Hunter stopped caring much what he had to say at this point. Ted clearly had a strong love for the place, and believed in it to the fullest extent. Hunter, simply put did not. He waited until Ted was done talking and responded rather simply. "Bye." He spoke not looking at Ted and kept facing the wall. Cage had returned giving Ted a chance to leave, and once he had Hunter sat up from his bed and took the chance to talk to Ash real fast before he left too. "Before you go, I did want to apologize." He seemed like he struggled for the words of what to say next, but eventually formed the words he wanted too. "Treated you like an ass before, assumed you were like every other officer I had met. Proved me wrong, so... My bad. You seem pretty decent. And better yet, competent. Sorry ya got stuck with me." He stopped to think again. "And sorry for losing my shit on your friend. I apologized to her but I think she just wanted me to leave her alone. I probably would want the same thing in her shoes." He did feel bad for what he did. Having met rather hostile people most of his time post collapse it was hard to not associate anyone he met with those people. "And uh... Thanks for... I don't know. Talkin' I guess. Thanks." He'd wouldn't really have much to add after that. He wanted a chance to speak, but didn't want Ted as an audience as he did so.

After he left he turned his attention to Cage. He set a tray of food on a small opening in the bars with what he assumed was his own dinner. Looking at the tray something seemed a bit off. "I don't get it." Were the first words that came to his mind as he looked at it. The tray had noticeably more food on it then lunch or the dinner the night before. He wasn't sure of what to make of it. He wondered if it was some kind of fucked up joke and eyed Cage with suspicion. "What is this? There some hidden cost I should know about?" It was an odd thing for Hunter. His entire time knowing of the man consisted of him being a rather big ass. So seeing this now, best case scenario it was him or someone else concerned about his weight and or health. If it was Cage, it seemed like a rather big 180 from what he had experienced so far. He wondered if someone had put him up to this. Ordered him to make sure Hunter didn't die before his trial. He still hadn't touched the tray by this point yet, as if the tray of food itself was some sort of trap.

🧚🏻‍♀️ The Walking Dead - Year 6 Part 1

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Emanuel "Manny" Newman Location: Mess Hall Skills: N/A

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Hearing about problems among the new people was a bit upsetting. The place had a lot to offer and to hear things like that was a shame. The kid with the dog. Manny remembered him a bit, though had little interactions with him so far. From his best guess, the kid had some of his own issues that he couldn't get over. Though it did make him think if it was something that developed post or pre collapse. Lisa had gotten to the question first, but he was interested too. What was considered too much for these people, and what was their line to not cross. Though he wondered what court martial would be like. Sometimes he forgot that this was a military based camp. It was a harsh reminder, and even though things had been okay on his end so far it was still an unsettling feeling.

He was intrigued to hear that there was already someone as acting dentist in this place. Though fresh out of school with limited understanding of the field. "Don't underestimate a good tooth pull. Easier then some jobs sure, but by no means easy on it's own." The idea of it was strait forward enough, but it was nice to know they had most of the equipment already setup in some way. Or even enough to do a tooth pull. Though the idea of people not in the field having to figure out more extreme things using books and other medical experience did give Manny a noticeable cringe. He had little room to do so, as he had been forced to do the same thing over the last 5 years. Maybe that is how other doctors saw him, someone in the wrong field trying to do things way out of his league, and being lucky that it has worked as often as it has. With that thought, he figured he must have seemed like one pretty big hypocrite. "I'm glad you've been able to make it work so far. Though I have to ask, you said... Had? Does he not do that anymore or..." Even after all of this, it was hard to mention the other end of the word Or.

Manny followed as Lisa and Dolittle made their way to seats. It was an interesting dinner so far, and they hadn't even gotten tot he food yet. "Have you been in the camp long DoLittle?" He found the codenames things a little strange still. Not sure it was something he could get used to himself, but he had no reason not to call someone by whatever name they wanted to be called by. He did wonder if he would end up with a code name before long, though the name he went by currently was already kind of a nickname. Out of all the conundrums to figure out, this one seemed like one that wouldn't end with any harm no matter the way it went. He found it rather fun in a way too.

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

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Ted had a lot of his own stuff to say. Hunter listened to some of it, some of it he didn't after a bit. Like the conversation with Maddoc, some information had been added to the mix, but not a single concern had been addressed yet. It was a stalemate of communication, Hunter refused to listen to whatever Ted or anyone else from here had to say, and the locals held little care for what he said. "Just go fuck off mate." Hunter made his way to the bed and would find a nice spot to lay down on it. Ash had been a voice that helped Hunter keep a level head. "Options are one word for it Ash. Best guess they're debating on that threats to shoot me from a week ago. If so fuck 'em too." He rested staring at the ceiling. He figured with how quickly they went to that option last time, it was even more likely that they would want him shot this time.

Hunter unsure how to kill the time laid down facing the wall of his cell and would try to nod off a bit. He contemplated talking with Ashton a bit. There were things he wanted to say to the man, but he didn't want to chat that much in front of Ted. He felt he still needed to apologize to him for how he treated him during cleaning. He was also one of the few people he had met who actually had an idea of what Hunter had gone through. Even if events played out differently, he held an idea. Looking back, the only other person in his life who really had that idea would be Pete. Though Pete had been there, and had faced the chopping block first hand long before Hunter did. And even after they had met, he didn't last long. Ash at this point had. He survived, he knew what things were, and had a real Understanding of what things were like in the military in those early days. The chaos, the senseless death and destruction, the brotherhoods ended with the barrel of a rifle. He wondered if Ashton had things he regretted doing those days. He figured he did, but he was better about not letting it get to him maybe. Or maybe he had a better way of getting through things then Hunter did.

🧚🏻‍♀️ The Walking Dead - Year 6 Part 1

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Emanuel "Manny" Newman Location: Mess Hall Skills: N/A

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Dinner had been going well so far. Even if a man Manny had never met had started to raise his voice a bit. He heard bits and pieces of what the man was saying but overall Manny figured it wasn't his business. It was something about rations but as Far as Manny knew food wasn't allowed to leave the mess hall. Maybe it was for someone who was working a position through dinner that they couldn't leave from. A guard maybe? A doctor on a busy night? Who knew, it was his first day and he was still getting the hang of things. "Good Evening, everything going alright? Things seemed a bit tense?" He knew it wasn't his issue to worry about, but if he was going to live here he wanted to know what he could. And if things were too personal, Manny would understand if the question was brushed off or if he was told he was pushing too much. And honestly, he mostly wanted to make sure that everything was alright. Once that was taken care of he would thank the cooking crew for his food, with a polite "Thank you very much." And a nod of acknowledgement. He has had a rougher day then he would like to admit and lost his normal calm and collective self. He would need to make it up to Bass later, and he also needed to make sure in many ways that people knew that wasn't his regular behavior and that it was an unusual anomaly.

Catching up with Lisa was nice as well, despite first glances and the unusual paring, the two had seemed to really kick it off as good acquaintances. It was still his first day so he was hesitant to go past that. He had learned that many people nowadays if pushed too much would push bad, even if intentions were good. But Lisa had really made his first day and helped Manny get over a lot of his initial worries about cleaning detail. "Fruits are a great choice, but they can be extremely acidic so make sure to brush them, and keep them clean otherwise by the time you are my age they will rot out." He said it with a bit of a joking tone, but he found people responded better to dentists if they could keep a positive tone about situations. Eventually another woman came over to talk to Lisa. Something to do with Nikki, the girl who helped with guard duty while the survivors were in quarantine. While they talked he learned that the woman's name was Dolittle. Strange name, but everyone here had names like that it seemed. He let them talk and would only respond after he was addressed. "Manny, Former dentist. Hoping to get back into the trade someday." He held out his hand to shake hers with a gentle smile on his face while balancing his food with his other hand.

Seemed Lisa wasn't too worried about whatever Nikki had to tell her. And with some pretty decent reasoning behind it, word hadn't spread by that point. He wondered if some of that though was because Lisa and Himself had been pretty isolated while getting work done today? If that was the case he wondered if there were other things he missed. For all he knew, there could be a new group of people within quarantine already?

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

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Prison had found itself to be more entertaining then he thought it would be, though sadly not in a way Hunter would normally like. Ted got a chance to talk about the amazing secretes of chicken that Hunter pretended to follow and understand, and Ashton had listened to what Hunter had to say. Looking at it, he wished the military had more officers like him in charge when shit hit the fan. Maybe then What pockets of soldiers that survived the first two weeks would have stood a chance to save more people. Instead, refugee camps with light garrisons were forced to hold out with no word or orders from high command as the world decided to keep adding more and more nails to their coffins. Though the constant running and fighting and fear all together with little to no sleep was also a factor. Had they held the numbers to be able to rotate troops that might have helped. So many mights', so little results. Looking back, the more good officers may not have been enough. Lieutenant Anderson was decent, even if he struggled in areas. But there was only so much he could do with splintered units, low ration stockpiles, and so many refugees that there was fear the count was off by the population of a small town or two.

Ted, had less then pleasant things to say about Hunter. He wasn't sure at what point he had made his way to the edge of the cell, but soon enough into what Ted had to say he found both his hands gripped on the bars eyes locked on Ted. "My concern isn't about the damn food. Or even Cage leaving. My concern is being trapped down here with the only person who can let us out on the other side of the camp." In Hunter's mind it seemed better to miss the meal then take the chance to get trapped with no way to be let out should something go wrong. "Good for him keeping a schedule, and working all the shitty shifts. They suck, that I get. Those back to back sleepless shifts are god awful messes." Hunter did feel bad for Cage in a way working those back to back days and nights while in the military himself. But it wouldn't go far. Cage had made his impression like Hunter had made his own. And like how Hunter had people looking negatively on himself, he wouldn't be able to look far past the impression Cage left on him. Even if some of it was bias due to familiarity with people Hunter had known in the past. Letting go of the bars he clenched his hand and opened it up a few times, rubbing the scar on his arm as he did so.

Hunter would avoid talking about the NOID stuff, he knew there was nothing he could say that would make that situation better. It did leave him thinking, how little he got along with the people here. He thought back a few days about, talking to Maddoc about how he planned to leave once quarantine was up. And only stayed, because they refused to let him leave with his dog. But now, if he stayed he had lost his dog again. And debated if it was worth staying without her, or with the idea that she would be used as a check to keep him in line. His first thought went to more of a hostage situation, but as those thoughts crossed, he figured that was the wrong word for it. Still, it made him think about how a life here could be salvaged with the reputation he had formed. The fact that someone else took his dog from him and was holding it over his head, and how he clearly didn't get along with the people here. Then, he thought about what Ashton had told him, the points he brought up. "I'm sure one way or another I wont be a problem for your people by the end of the week." Ash had made some good points to keep in mind, but the place had good fortifications against the dead, and it seemed they had enough fighters to fend off humans should a conflict like that start. To add to it, he wasn't sure he was willing to kill for these people. Due to a lack of other viable skills, and the reputation he had made for himself so far, he saw little he would be doing other then restroom duty, and god forbid the sewers. He didn't think that is how he wanted to spend the rest of his life.

🧚🏻‍♀️ The Walking Dead - Year 6 Part 1

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Emanuel "Manny" Newman Location: Hospital/Medical (B) -- > Mess Hall Skills: N/A

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Lisa had mentioned her new duties came with a bit of grand responsibility. He did give a soft chuckle when Lisa mentioned then the two of them had more or less traded the positions they were working in. "My goodness I think you're right. Is this retirement then? Does that mean I have finally hit the grand age of Old?" He said it with a bit of a joking grin. But a bit more laid back work would be nice, though he wouldn't mind getting back into his practice, being a trauma surgeon was a less then pleasant experience. But a needed one. Should he be asked to go back into that kind of work he would do it without hesitation, but he wouldn't miss it. But he also wouldn't mind the old days of cleaning teeth, treating cavities, and setting up small opportunities for others trying to improve their lives.

He was a bit saddened to hear that Lisa was unable to do one of her more favored hobbies. Even if on a small scale in her room. "Let's see what we can do. Maybe someday we can find you a work space or something to set up in." He knew it was a long shot, but little hopes were what helped keep the world moving. And many times they could lead to rather amazing developments, and Lisa seemed like one of those people who could turn small hopes into big things. The love of books was nice too, even if comics were included in that. Manny found Comic books as a strange form of media, and more as a transitional then a stand alone. But Lisa seemed rather smart, and it didn't seem fair to group her with people he saw as lazy for reading easier forms on media to avoid reading books. Made him think again for a moment, not only was he getting old physically but he was also starting to judge things that younger generations did. He figured it was only a matter of time before he started yelling "Get off my lawn you damn kids!" He decided he should maybe go easier on people who read comics. In his age he held a lot of stereotypes in his mind. He found that Ironic as he could be thrown into a couple stereotypes pretty easily. "Ill go check out the library later and see about what the hours are. Then I can let you know." Though maybe after work wasn't the best time to go. Just with it being his first day, he was excited to do as much as he could.

Finishing up cleaning Manny helped put away his share of the cleaning supplies. The job was done and looking good, and now it was time for a good dinner. Seemed the night shift was also coming in right as Manny and Lisa were leaving. Manny remembered those days from early in his career, and was glad to be back tot he day shift. Though he remembered meeting a lot of people on the night shift who preferred it over the day shift. He found those people odd too, but if they wanted the job they were welcome to it. Outside was still hot as hell, he grew up and spent his entire life in the heat but it was never pleasant and it was never something anyone really got used too.

Once in the mess hall it was a bit of a mess, lots of people coming and going, and clearly less organized then lunch. "Think I am going with the Tuna salad and an orange." Replying to Lisa about her question. After getting his food he would find a table that wasn't too packed yet and sit to enjoy his dinner. Now that it wasn't the heavily timed lunch schedule he could enjoy his food at a rather calm pace.

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Hunter Monroe Location: Cell B Skills:N/A

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Hunter listened to what Ash had to say about his deployment. Though it was rather different then what Hunter's had been like, it still held the same idea. Every man for themselves, with a slight illusion of teamwork. What Ashton explained to Hunter sounded a lot like his time after his unit had finally collapsed. A lot of smaller factions either vying for control, or for what supplies were left in the world. Hunter didn't find himself with any of these groups until winter had passed. And looking bad, he should have stayed out then too. "Yet here we are." Those words fit rather well for the situation. "I think our command structure held out longer then most. We were still able to rally up a lot of soldiers on the retreat to Buffalo. Most were even from our regiment. Many weren't, and had no idea where the rest of their unit was. But we had officers, coherent units, and an officer who I don't think was National Guard, but was a ranking officer none the less. But we didn't have other units to squabble over who was in charge at least. Pretty sure every asset that could be pulled was pulled to THE big city. I mean it makes sense, more then half the state's population was there, they had bases, airports, and a super island seems pretty dependable from the dead. They couldn't even spare Air Guard for us with how many assets got sent there though so fuck them. But hey, we got a few par timers, raw recruits, and guard members who left the reserve but were on the inactive reserve list. So... something at least I guess." He chuckled at that. "Kinda funny really? They had the bulk majority of the state's assets, but got hit so bad anyways it didn't matter. Tried to go to New York City after everything else fell through, and the hordes were so bad I couldn't get within fifty miles." He figured it was pretty bad, to have probably some of the strongest might of the United States military to handle the city, and it still wasn't enough. He shrugged it off, those people were dead, his unit was dead, and those they were supposed to protect were dead. But hey, he made it so what did it matter now?

Moving onto a slightly less depressing conversation, the talk of Cage came up. "I think I hold a lot of room to judge since his negligence effects me quite a lot right now. Plus, he hasn't given a single shit about my well being other then what times to throw food at me. Why should I give a shit about his?" Hunter walked in circles a bit as he had his thoughts run through his head. "Look, if whatever shit he is going through effects his work that badly, someone else should be doing the fucking job." By his tone it sounded almost sympathetic, with a mix of frustration. Hunter understood bad days easy enough, but all his interactions with Cage right now have consisted of him being an asshole. And it seemed rather deliberate at that.

Hunter did find the talks of KFC interesting. Though had little to add to it. Seemed Ted had worked there once, and Ashton was a huge KFC-aholic. Made sense, fried chicken was some pretty damn good stuff. Hunter had no idea how to make the stuff though so he was also starting to wonder what it would be like to have some again. He figured it wouldn't be too hard to set up some kind of chicken farm, most chickens aren't too hard to domesticate especially if you start them at a young age. Then? Eggs and chicken forever. Though that would still require a lot of things that Hunter simply lacked, including not being locked in a basement.

🧚🏻‍♀️ The Walking Dead - Year 6 Part 1

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Emanuel "Manny" Newman Location: Hospital/Medical (B) Skills: N/A

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Cleaning had gone well it seemed. Sure, the dirt was a pain, the remains of the plant put up a fight, but between the two of them they were able to make great time! At this rate they would be able to make it to dinner and still have some time in the afternoon to enjoy some personal time. He still wasn't sure what he would pick up for a hobby once that moment came, but he was curious none the less what the options were now. Hearing that Lisa got a promotion was amazing news! "That does sound like a rather fun day indeed, I suppose that makes em senior boat cleaner now?" He said it with a bit of a laugh, thinking back to the joke he told earlier in the day to Alexander. He was glad that Lisa was also able to poke some fun about the planter situation. Her over the top reaction and mood about it made cleaning go by smoother, and made the afternoon a pleasant experience. As finishing up Lisa had replied to his comment about plants in doctor's offices. "I suppose that makes sense. I never personally minded them. But growing up in an environment that was less then clean, to then move towards perfection clean levels was an improvement to life. So maybe that is a me thing. But I did find the plants nice over time."

He let out a chuckle about cleaning with a medical degree. "I suppose that is a pretty crazy time yeah. Though from my end I didn't mind too much. It's much less stressful then trying to be a head doctor again. Picking between that and this? Ill go this every time." He stopped to think about the implications. Sure, if needed too he would go back into field trauma surgeon mode again. But if he had the option not too, it was a nice break. "So feel free to get your head stuck more often, will keep me out of the O.R. for a while. Until then, we take out strange jobs where we get them and make the best of it."

"So what hobbies do you have in your free time? Do you have a room full of Rube Goldberg machines?" If that was the case, he would have to ask about seeing them someday. Though he had little experience with them himself, he found them fascinating to watch. "Also, do you know if the library is open after hours? Haven't had a good book to read in a while. Seems like a good time to pick up one." Though he wasn't sure if he could take books out, or what all the fine detailed rules were, he had heard there was one and he was excited to see it himself.

With the cleaning coming to an end it seemed like a job well done. Once the job itself was done Manny started gathering the cleaning supplies and doing a final check on the progress that they had made. "Looks like we did pretty good here. Lets get this stuff put away so we can go and get out of here." He grabbed the broom and dustpan which had too many names on a stick and any other cleaning supplies he could get with his hands and prepared to bring them back to the storage location. He wondered where he would find himself in the future. Either working in the library or still holding onto his medical experience.

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Hunter Monroe Location: Cell B Skills:N/A

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Hunter found his heart rate calming down, and his thoughts clearing a little bit. The aggravation of trying to sort out his thoughts and ideas had been at the very least cleared up a little. Despite Hunter trying to figure out the best way to describe his thoughts for years on end since the world had fallen, Ash had more or less summed it up for him right then and there. Even getting the idea of what it was like firing off his weapon for the first time out of basic training. Hunter held the bars tight while staring at Ashton while he talked. He found it hard to come up with answers to his questions, even yes or no questions at first. "I... can't remember the specifics of it. But infantry yeah." What Ashton said about his training sounded right, but he couldn't be sure even now looking back on it now. He struggled to remember a lot of those early days. Or the days that came before it. "Can't tell it now, but I was a S.A.W. gunner. One of the biggest dudes on the training group, and could still hold a good pace back then with the full gear. So it made sense at the time. Now? I think I am at like half the size I was all those years ago. Who knew hot pockets had such a short shelf life once the freezers went out." He tried it with a laugh at the end, but it was clearly forced this time.

Ashton gave a pretty simple explanation of what things were like inn his early days. They sounded... Close to his own. But he could hear the differences rather quick in some regards. "Our command structure held. Right until the end when those first few weeks were passing. So we didn't have the... faction split that you had apparently. We just... Followed orders I guess. Even the bad ones." He paused with his thoughts for a moment. "No... I guess we did. But in different ways. It's... complicated." He figured that is what Ash was talking about. Everything about that first month was complicated. The words that connected most were the ones about how it's not really over until you give up yourself. He was stumped at that, struggling to figure out what to say to it. Should he say anything? Should he answer that honestly or give some non committal answer? He struggled to think of how to reply to it, but then it hit him. That wasn't a question, simply a statement and an important observation. So for that, he simply looked at Ashton and said "Okay." What else was there to say to that? The man had given him a lot of information to think about, and it seemed to be all correct so far. Part of him wanted to say he fought for more then just himself, but since he lost Lucy he wasn't sure on that anymore. Ash's logic seemed to fit, better then anything Hunter could come up with at least.

The pause of thoughts gave Hunter time to think about the word Ashton had focused on. Sympathy. He felt like a school kid again focusing on that word. But it was important. Hunter wasn't sure how he felt about it, about getting any form of sympathy, but it felt better then the next closest thing he got from people. "I get it". A phrase he had started to pair with people who just wanted to try and gain trust to abuse it. The way Ashton worded it though, he did get it. He was there in an identical structure in those early days and he did understand. The man even offered to share his own stories, which Hunter was hesitant towards the idea. But maybe it would give him a chance to fully understand what had happened when he got deployed. Everything he did remember from those days were spotty at best. He remembered that he went to the stadium his unit got deployed too, but not when or how he got there. He remembered the fight back into the place, but not how he got out. He remembered returning to his old base, but the details of what happened to the civilian group with them he couldn't bring to the surface. He remembered leaving the base feeling lonely, but not 100% sure what happened to the rest of his unit. Though he had ideas. Maybe a chance to hear what someone in a position like his own had to say about those days could help him clear those thoughts of his. "If I make it out of this, that would be nice." He realized he was able to hold his own speech and train of thought this time. He kept himself calm while he talked and held it together. It felt better this time.

It seemed the cleaning detail of Ted the smoker and Ashton the former Army Captain had more or less finished. He picked up a bit on what Ash said to Ted, and what Ted said to Ashton. Hunter did let out a pretty noticeable laugh at the comment of Cage possibly not being in the building at that point. "God I hope that's not the case!" He was still stuck in thought from before, but his attention span wasn't a strong suit of his. "If that is the case, your warden sucks at his job. And maybe you all should fire him for someone better." Some of the talk was that Cage held the keys to let him out, another part was Hunter had grown to not like Cage and his less then minimum involvement with the prison work to the point of trapping workers that were not even his own in the basement over night, or to leave them trapped with no way out should something like Ted's cigarette catch a flammable. Though he could acknowledge his mouth had gotten himself to this point, he was still frustrated that a man like Cage had any form of power over other people.