Shoe Thief

🧚🏻‍♀️ The Walking Dead - Year 6 Part 1

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Emanuel "Manny" Newman Location: Education Center --> Streets outside education Skills: N/A

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What a rather hectic trial. Today Manny had learned a lot about the community he was now calling home, he learned a lot about Hunter, he learned what he thought was quite a bit about how legal procedures were handled, and he learned a surprising amount of details about himself and those around him. It seemed that the set of events had even helped those close to him learn about his own life and how it compared to their own. In the end though, the troubled boy known as Hunter was staying despite the protests of many. Looking back on the final count it seemed many more preferred him gone or dead. He wondered what Dr. Freedman would learn about the boy? Was he a real danger or just some kind who had no understanding of the real world or the people in it? Somewhere in the middle maybe? Manny with his limited understanding in that specific medical field had no answer to it other then the most obvious option. PTSD. But even then, Manny's understanding of it didn't go much further then the title of itself. But who didn't suffer some degree of it nowadays? Then again, it might not be as many people as he thought. Or maybe most were better at handling the effects of it? That wasn't for him to figure out though. That would be up to the ward staff to decide.

Manny took a moment to notice Alexander. The trial had taken a toll on the old veteran on a personal level. To Alexander, the boy represented a side of himself that Manny couldn't even get close to understanding. Manny had never served in the military, he had never had to deal with a troubled past the same way Alexander did. Where as Hunter might of, but Manny had no way of knowing for sure. Sure, Manny had his own complications growing up, even in his adult life. But they were in an entirely different playing field. All Manny could guess at was from what little Alexander had cared to show during the trial. "Hey." He spoke in a calming quieter tone. "He's going to be fine. He's going to take the time and effort to recover. And he is going to do good." Manny had no idea if that was true. From the days reports it seemed he could put in a lot of effort when motivated, but spiraled out of control rather fast. And when he did, he did so causing as much damage as a person could cause to himself. But Alexander seemed like he needed some hope in his life at the moment. "Let's go outside, get some air, and get ourselves some space from this for a moment. Then from there, we can go get some dinner. I'm sure it's something great tonight." His tone got progressively more cheerful as he spoke trying to avoid sounding over positive from the start, but leaving enough that Alexander could latch on if he so wanted too. He figured it was likely fish again, but Manny had been enjoying it more and more as the weeks have gone by. Maybe it was because it was a prepared meal, and having prepared meals for the course of several weeks was a great improvement compared to having beans and peas out of a can with a fork/spoon/fork/screw driver or god forbids his hands. And he didn't have to do it with his shotgun on his lap or by his side. Though he'd be lying if he said he didn't miss having it close just in case. Even though the place was safe, it was a nice assurance to have by his side that at least if all else failed he still had some ability to do something.

Manny stepped outside leaving Alexander the choice to follow or take some breathing time on his own if h so chose too. Once outside he took a moment to appreciate the fact that the rain had stopped. Though he didn't mind it too much, it was nice to step outside and not be soaking wet. Though the sun wasn't visible, it felt nice to be able to stand and enjoy the fresh air of the streets without a downpour making him question his enjoyment of the outdoors. Despite his fears of old age creeping up on him, he still had a lot of time left to try and do some good in this world. Maybe he'd get back into his old trades, help teach those in the next generations who were interested in learning about them the trades so that it wouldn't be lost. Dolittle had explained that there was no longer an acting dentist outside of broadly related fields crossing over and some books substituting the gaps. Despite his fears, that in his mind made him feel valued again. It was going to be an interesting few months to say the least.

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Hunter Monroe Location: Education Center --> Streets Skills:N/A

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So it was done. He was going to be locked into a ward for six months to be determined just how much of a problem he was. The only way he'd be out sooner then that would be if he fucked up, and they kicked him out sending him somewhere he had never been before, and had no idea how things worked out there either. He was about to spend another six months alone. With the exception of the staff who were there to monitor him, and watch him under guard to make sure he didn't fuck it up even more. He wondered if he had made the right choice, but he had no way of really knowing. It wasn't anything he was looking forward towards, but if it worked out maybe something decent would come out of it. He wondered if agreeing to this lock up was in a way admitting he was crazy? He wondered if that's how everyone else saw him? Some crazy person who needs to be locked up, shot, or sent as far away as humanly possible? At this point maybe. But admitting that to himself wasn't something he was ready to do yet. He had no idea what the next few months would entail, or what to expect on the other side of it all.

His security detail came, and took him away. Once outside, that urge had returned to Hunter. The urge to run while he had the chance. The urge to seize was little control of the situation he could despite the odds of him ending up dead for trying. It wasn't strong, but with every few steps he found himself noticing it. It wasn't strong enough to act on it, nor react to it in any physical manner. But it was present, and a feeling that would likely never leave him the longer he felt trapped. As he walked, he would on occasion turn in a circle looking around as if taking in the sights around him. Apart of it was an old habit of attempting to process the visual information around him, that had converted itself to a survival instinct when the world had ended. This time there was more to it though. This time was likely the last time he would see anything like this for a very long time. Best case was on good terms in six months. Any sooner and he was likely being taken out to be dropped off as far away as feasibly possible. He knew he wasn't in the best mindset at the moment. But the idea of going into a locked up ward scared him. He had no idea what to expect either from the place, or himself. And he had no idea what kind of person he'd discover he was, or the kind of person he'd leave the place as.

🧚🏻‍♀️ The Walking Dead - Year 6 Part 1

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Emanuel "Manny" Newman Location: Education Center Skills: N/A

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It was clear the day was taking a toll of Alexander. It was on Manny, but hearing his testimony earlier it appeared that this was something personal to the old veteran. Manny wished he could understand it better, but there were probably a lot of deep memories that he couldn't even begin to understand with his fellow baby boomer. But he thought he had some understanding. Hunter was a troubled former soldier who had a long list of fuckups and appeared to have no ability to deal with the consequences of it afterwards. Either the direct effects, or the other people around them. His poor social edicate only made things worse from there. Alexander on the other hand? Other then knowing he had served years ago, and like many vets of the era they had faced backlash from the public, and were misused by their own governments on countless occasions during and after the war. Manny never being a soldier could never truly understand those struggles though. Only what he heard from those around him. Alexander though, saw a bit of himself in Hunter as the boy fumbled around making things worse for himself. But Manny could see the kind of man Alexander was now. If the man could see a bit of himself in Hunter that had to be a half decent sign right?

Manny turned to ask Alexander a question, only to be interrupted by a loud series of noises that could only be described as a Fuster Cluck. The thud and the string of swearing in a split second sentence pulled Manny's attention towards the back of the room, where a followup sound that could only be described defeat in its final form. Who at the center of it though, other then Thalia. The poor woman despite her best efforts found herself the center of attention yet again. After excusing herself and leaving in a justifiable hurry Manny could only mutter. "She seems to be having a rather rough day herself." Manny being the person he was wanted to help her, but he knew there was nothing he could do in this case other then to just pretend like it never happened. This was a case where acknowledging it only made it worse. He turned his head away attempting to put his thoughts back in place to where they were before the fuster cluck. He realized he was going to ask his fellow baby boomer a question but in the chaos of Thalia's exit, he had forgotten it. He hoped it wasn't anything important, but he didn't think it was.

Hunter was brought back onto the stage, and the trial was coming to a close. Guilty. Manny couldn't say he was surprised. The boy had fucked up on every single account. It was just the decision of how he should be treated for his crimes. The General explained the bind he was in, as despite the issues Hunter has presented for himself he hadn't gone into some breaking point yet of causing harm to another person. But it was still a risk of keeping him around. Manny did not envy the man's position but he did respect the man for taking that responsibility. He respected the man for not leaning towards the death penalty on the possibility of what Hunter might be, while acknowledging he was still a risk. The result though? He gave Hunter the choice. He knew the final decision would be a hard one but that was not something he had expected. Stay, but in the ward to be watched and reexamined. Or be banished, but sent so far away with both the Appalachian mountains and the Mississippi river as barriers. The river alone would be a barriar of it's own. With few bridges long enough to span it outside of cities which would be flooded with the undead, the river alone would prove nearly impossible for a single person to cross. And he had little reason to believe Hunter had the social skills to be able to cross with people who would not only have a boat, but have reason to cross. The choice was Hunter's to make though in the end.

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Hunter Monroe Location: Education Center Skills:N/A

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Hunter listened as Joaquin spoke. "I've... tried." He wasn't sure how else to put it. "It's..." He hesitated. He didn't want to give off the wrong message, or sound like he was brushing off what Joaquin said. "It's hard to know when to act, and when not too." Today's trial showed very well Hunter's ability to over react to problems. Over think himself to the point where he'd cling to a few words, and see that as the only reality. There had been a time when it had been the total opposite end of the spectrum. Where he'd stand back, let things happen until the damage was so catastrophic that there was no recovering from it. His mind kept going back towards Don and his group. How when given the chance to end things, stop the damage before it was made worse. He froze. Pistol drawn, aiming down the sights, the look of surprise on Don's face as he stared down the barrel of his pistol. Then the change of expression to anger as he stomped over taking his gun, and shoved him down. He wondered if faced with that situation now if he would have pulled the trigger before Don had the chance to turn around, let alone walk up to him.

He had no idea now. He didn't know for sure if what he was doing now was overcompensation for his lack of actions years ago or if his ability to face problems only showed itself when it was a none issue, or when he was backed into a corner he couldn't pull himself out of by ignoring the problem any longer. Either way it was a problem. A problem he couldn't avoid, nor face head on like he had with previous problems. The lack of a problem for him, was a problem in many ways. It felt like that meant there was one, but he couldn't see it. Except in this case, it turned out to be himself, dragging down everyone else with him. He thought back to Tatiana. How she wanted him dead. How in her eyes, he was to her, as Don was to him. The main difference being she knew when to keep quiet, and if given the chance, she seemed like she wouldn't hesitate. The time for dwelling was over though. It was time to return to face his final sentence. He hesitated again, stopping behind the door for a moment unable to leave the confines of the restroom and its relative safety from his consequences. He shook himself out of it and worked himself to face this. "...okaay..." He returned without another word. He glanced at Cage, wanted to take the chance to say something. But nothing in the end as he had no idea what to say to the man.

Guilty. Even he could have guessed that. He expected nothing less then that. What mattered was the consequences for his crimes. What also stuck with him was that there was no one to vouch for him. No one that knew him outside of the last few weeks he had been either in lock up or quarantine. It was the same the other direction for Hunter. Despite some people seeming trustworthy, how well did he know any of them? Granted, they weren't the ones who were in suspect for being a threat to the lives of everyone here. Not just the residents, but the newcomers as well. He wasn't a fan of being compared to a toddler, but he kept that to himself. The General seemed conflicted as he spoke. He had no idea what he expected of the man he had never talked to directly outside of this trial. He had heard what other's have had to say about him. The first thing being what Maddoc had told him while in quarantine. This man did not seem to fit that description. Or maybe he had a better poker face then Hunter gave him credit for. Or maybe Maddoc was trying to scare Hunter into submission before releasing him into the crowds? He had no way of knowing in this moment. But the man before him. The General made a point to say he wouldn't be executed. That was reassuring. Then his options were presented to him.

Hunter's face sunk when he heard the options. They saw him as a dangerous crazy person. So the idea was to lock him where they held the crazy people until they either got better. Or they didn't. And they never left. But like before, he was given an out. A much more restrictive out that put him in a situation he wouldn't know how to face. All he knew about the central states where they wanted to drop him off was that they were sparsely populated compared to much of the east coast. He had nothing that direction in terms of family, or places family might have gone towards if things went wrong. At least in the far north, there was at least his great uncle's property his father had talked about from time to time. But west was an empty start for him, and still no Izibell. But the fact that the man had brought her up made him question, was she still on the table? He wasn't a fan of either option. But the worst option was finally off the table. He let out a weak and strained nervous laughter for a few seconds. Then stopping when it appeared his tired state had hit exhaustion and had no more fumes left to run on. "Fuck nuggets..." He muttered to himself. He was stuck between a rock and a hard place. If he stayed, best case he'd be That guy that parents would warn their kids to stay away from, and people would go out of their way to avoid. But if he left, it would be a totally fresh start. No past to chase, nothing to hold him back other then his own thoughts. He had learned a lot about himself he needed to fix and work on while in his stay in the camp hopefully meaning he'd have a better idea of what to do next time he came across people. But he'd have to be lucky. Luckier then he had been so far to find people who wouldn't shoot him on sight. His luck was running out though.

He took a deep breath. "I'd like the chance to..." He was scared of fucking up his wording even more then he had already. If the situation wasn't as serious as he was, he imagined it would be a great argument to tell kids to stay in school and not to cheat on your ELA classes. "I'd like the chance to stay. and uh... improve and fix the wrongs I did." Ashton was right. It was a simple jester, but no one had any reason to believe he actually cared about the wrongs he did so far as he was mostly only outspoken about how he was wronged. He hoped he got his message across without it sounding like something he was trying to get by anyone, or as him trying to manipulate the things he had heard today. None of that was his goal. He wanted to do better, but as far as he could tell this was the only way that was happening.

🧚🏻‍♀️ The Walking Dead - Year 6 Part 1

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Emanuel "Manny" Newman Location: Education Center Skills: N/A

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Watching the testimonies take place was a show none the less. Watching as the opinions ranged from working probation to strait up execution it reminded Manny just how close things were and just how on edge everyone was. It showed who was willing to take a risk for Hunter, and it showed those who had been in situations a little too close to home and didn't fancy making the same mistakes again. Manny personally had experiences that differed. He had taken the chance with those who were troubled, suffered for it, but it had been the right choice in the end. Even if not all the stories had happy endings to them. Even before the end of the world, it wasn't uncommon for Manny to offer jobs to teens and young adults who were in shoes like his own when he was younger. Give them a job working to help maintain his workplace, and letting them leave with a half credible reference depending on who you asked.

Ashton spoke after Manny. The words he had spoken talked of a buildup of character, and how someone more well known could have had honest words spoken in their defense from people who knew them. But Hunter wasn't that. And in his chance to attempt to patch his own situation, he attempted to justify it rather then show remorse or say he would try and fix things. Even the lack of an apology was noted. Manny wanted to believe remorse and guilt were shown differently for each individual person, but Ashton had a point. And made his thoughts clear. Manny was a little reassured that maybe he wasn't just blindly optimistic when Amelia came up to speak. He had spoken maybe two sentences to the woman but she held a very identical view on Hunter. A bit of an unlikable asshole who radiates problems, but as of yet hadn't done anything to warrant death. And exile in his state, was death. There would always be the concern he'd get worse though, and those problems could easily turn into danger for others.

Thana had even come down to give her thoughts on the matter, and Manny at first was optimistic about her response to the situation. She went the bureaucratic route. In simple terms, he agreed to the rules from the start, and broke his contract. There was more to it then that, but it was the starting foundation for the rest. Yet more points that had some solid logic behind them. Nikki, the girl who had been with Hunter a couple times, and had probably the most success with Hunter outside of Nigel. He did take note how Nigel hadn't come up to speak. He wondered if that was because he wasn't sure if there was anything he could say to help things, or if he had given up in general on Hunter's ability to integrate into society? A little of both maybe? He took note that Thalia hadn't climbed up to the stage either, but that made sense in Manny's eyes. For reason's Ashton listed, she had no connection to Hunter, and had little personal comparison to Hunter. Or if she did, she didn't want to share it. There were a lot of options listed in between though, and many people seemed to fear what Hunter would do outside the walls once he was free to his own tools.

Manny moved down towards his previous seat by Alexander with his hands balled up together learning face first as he contemplated the situation at hand. The option provided by Mr. Freedman had gotten Manny's attention. It made logical sense, but it worried Manny. Wards especially older ones had a rough history of causing extreme isolation related issues. Many had a tendency to cause more harm then good. Though for all intents and purposes this was the modern world. It was ran in a rather classical styled military camp style at times, but it was still using modern techniques whenever possible. He worried the isolation would only exasperate the problems Hunter had. But maybe it wouldn't run like how Manny had always known them to run? But it made sense for the kind of person Hunter was now. Was he worth that much specialized effort? Logically no. But Manny was always hopeful to see a young lost soul recover from a worse lifestyle.

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Hunter Monroe Location: Education Center Skills:N/A

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It's amazing what an outside perspective could do to a person. A few stuck out to him as people spoke. Ashton hit hard. In the words he attempted to speak to Atticus, Hunter generally felt a lot of guilt and remorse for the crap he pulled. But he rarely knew how to word it, and in fewer cases he knew how to take the steps to fix the problems he created. But the way Ashton explained things felt like a punch to the gut. Hunter always had someone or something else to blame for his problems. Though he could acknowledged he had his own problems, he never addressed them or how they effected others around him. Even now after Ashton had pointed it out, he still couldn't completely wrap his head around the ideas that were now presented. Though it did make more sense then the thoughts Hunter had attempted to piece together himself. Though he still advocated to kick him out. Other's didn't, but they all seemed to have the same thought of he was too dangerous to be left out of sight. The Russian mother advocated for an execution comparing him to someone who had lost it and turned sour in the past. He tried to think who in his life he could hate as much as that woman seemed to hate him and the man she compared him towards?

But that was a short thought. Don. Not because the man had attempted to kill him. No definitely not that. Hunter had sat and had rather pleasant conversation with people who had tried to kill him in the past. No. Don and the people who followed him were a plague worse then the dead. Don hadn't tried to kill Hunter. He had invited him in and made Hunter one of his own, and now that was what that woman saw in Hunter despite his best efforts to destroy every semblance of that past. He had helped kill most of Don's crew, had tried to correct the wrongs he made while with Don, and he had paid for his crimes while tied to a post. Is that what they all saw? A step or two away from someone like that? Combined with rather aggressive reactions from his own overthinking and his lack of apparent remorse? No that was wrong again wasn't it. Even with the outside perspective on the person they saw him as his ability to have remorse on this was weak. He knew at this point he should had it. Maybe because he wasn't thinking specifics? Or due to the massive influx of information he was struggling to process? He couldn't be sure.

There were a lot more surprises for Hunter as things went on. He found himself surprised at just how many people, despite seeing his outbursts both in past and present advocated for him to stay. People wanting him out made sense, and it wasn't unlikely that maybe one or two people might push for him to stay but the amount that were was staggering to Hunter. Even Dolittle, with the clause that Izibell no longer stay in his care. Cage advocated for life in prison. It seemed the worst of the options presented. Even more so then the bullet to the head. Even Ted advocated for Hunter to stay which confused Hunter even more as he was pretty sure the last words he said to the man was "Fuck off". Human beings would forever confuse Hunter. Even Nikki advocated for him to stay. People wanting him dead or kicked out made sense to Hunter. Even those who wanted him held here to keep an eye on him made a little sense to him. But everyone else? He couldn't make sense of it. There was even the option thrown on the table to lock him in a ward for some time to see if he improves. That option was unsettling to Hunter more then anything. It was the option reserved for crazy people who were no longer stable enough to be with other people anymore. Was he really at that point? Maybe.

Time flew faster then Hunter realized. He had zoned out into his own thoughts trying to understand the full scale of his situation. He was snapped back into real space when Cage asked him about the restroom. At first Hunter shook his head, unable to make eye contact. He then hesitated, attempting to process things still and struggling. He then nodded still unable to look at Cage. Words. Use your bloody words. The thought ran through his mind as he attempted to think things through. "Yeah uhm.... yes please." He didn't need to use it int he traditional sense, but he needed a change of scenery to help clear his thoughts. Hunter entered the restroom without struggle like before resting his back against the wall and taking a few deep breaths to calm his nerves.

Cage stood the door like before with Joaquin watching him from inside to make sure he didn't fuck off or do something stupid. "So... thanks for not... well... shooting me. When I did all that on stage back there. Thanks." He wasn't sure how else to word it to the man. Joaquin had shown restraint in a situation where if the rolls were reversed Hunter likely would have had his gun drawn and sighted ready to fire. He still instinctively reached for where the handle of his shotgun used to be when he got startled. "That... that comment earlier wasn't meant to be..." He hesitated. He still wasn't totally sure how to clarify his thoughts to a man who he had antagonized. "I wasn't trying to imply that you or the people here were murdering psychopaths. It was..." More hesitation. He didn't know how to word his backwards thinking to a man who he barely knew who he was already on poor terms with. "Getting shot hurts. A lot. The comment was more of... well supposed to be... I just didn't want it to hurt if that made sense? Looking back I can see where that fucked up. I can see how that comment sounds now. Sorry dude." If he stayed, he'd imagine he'd have to have a lot of conversations like these. If he was smart, he would have gotten a head start while in lockup. God knows there was more then enough people there he had fucked things over with while there. Cage was on that list too, but he didn't even know where to begin with the man. He'd return without fight once he had a moment to calm down again and catch his breath.

🧚🏻‍♀️ The Walking Dead - Year 6 Part 1

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Hunter Monroe Location: Education Center Skills:N/A

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As the day continued on it was easy to see just how badly Hunter had fucked up the last few weeks. With an outside perspective he had been able to get another perspective on how he was seeing things and how his actions appeared to everyone around him. It was jarring and pointed out the obvious fact that everyone around him had already figured out. He had no idea when to shut up. Even looking back to when the world first started falling apart, he struggled with that. But in those cases, it was the opposite end of the spectrum. He was quiet when he should have spoken up until the problems got so bad, that there was nothing left to do but the most extreme actions. Now he couldn't keep quiet for the life of him until only the most extreme options were left. Lashing out at everything assuming the worst was to come from it. It was an over compensation of extreme proportions. Looking back he tried to think of what times in his life speaking out would have done anything more then speed up the final result? There wasn't many. The biggest he took note of would be his time with Don and his gang. HE let them get away with far too much before he took action to stop them. And even then, most of that action wasn't even prompted by himself but a woman named June had to make it impossible for him to be ignorant to the damage they were doing. Not only to him, but to every group of survivors they met, and to those who were still close to him. That was years ago now, and since then he hadn't been in a situation even remotely close to that.

Since then it was easy to tell how to react to things. If someone shot at you, you shot at them back. If someone needed help you offered what you could, and you avoid everyone and everything that you aren't confident you can take in a fight if things go wrong. Until you push a stretch of not being able to see another sign of human life that you can't be sure how long it is. So seeing that helicopter weeks back threw a rather massive wrench into Hunter's go to plans for most situations as he didn't initiate any of it, it was a fight he could clearly not win in any regard, and he was surrounded rather quickly. His thoughts hit a speed bump as he attempted to apply his rough logic path to those operating the helicopter that day. At first all they could spot was some lone dude in the road with a dog, and likely had a similar train of logic. It left him wondering how many of his encounters people had the same thoughts he had, but were better about keeping those thoughts to themselves? Or if they were just better at reacting to those thoughts. Considering he was on trial he guessed the latter. No matter how things went, he would have to figure out how to curb his reactions to everything. Easier said then done, but he likely wouldn't get as lucky as he did here again. It was easy to tell how things were going from here though. As he watched those who were about to give a statement, he took note of a few. Several would have nothing good to say, and the ones who might have been so fucked over by himself that it could easily go either way. Likely leaning negatively. This is likely the last time he'll get to hear anything any of the people here have to say.

The first man to speak was one of the old med from quarantine. Alexander, another former soldier who was struggling with his own battles with good days, and days that could be better. Hunter listened to the man's words with a heavy heart. In many ways the man sounded like his father in their last few arguments. Though this wasn't an argument to confront Hunter on his most recent fuck up. Not in the same ways at least. He felt guilty, this near total stranger who he had caused distress in the past putting up a better case then he himself put up for why he should stay. When Alexander wished him luck, he froze. He wanted to reply back a thankyou, but couldn't bring up the courage to speak again. Everytime he had spoken it seemed to make things worse. Except Nikki. Even then, it was a huge risk that he could have found himself with a couple more holes in him then he did this morning if his guard wasn't as disciplined as he was. He simply held his gaze for now, and mouthed it simply. Thank you. If he got the chance to stay, he'd have to know the man. He took note that Nigel did not come up to the stand. Hunter couldn't blame him, not after how today went.

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Emanuel "Manny" Newman Location: Education Center Skills: N/A

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The time had come for the survivors and the members of the camp to testify and give their final thoughts on Hunter Monroe. Manny wasn't sure what he could add to help in this case. And even then, who would he aim to help? It was clear Hunter was on a very delicate balance on a near constant basis. Kicking him out was as good as killing him with what little was left out in the world. Letting him stay was its own risk though. Though he hadn't gone violent yet, how far away was he from going to that point? He had a pretty good idea what he was going to say though. Manny went up to the stage with Alexander and others as the testimonies came into play. Then when Alexander spoke about Hunter Manny's whole perspective shifted a bit. Those concerns where in place, but seeing how Alexander viewed Hunter definitely had an influence on Manny. How he saw a bit of himself in Hunter.

When it was time for Manny to give his thoughts, he hesitated. Now he wasn't so sure on his thoughts anymore. The optimist in him though had a few words, as well as his own experience at a younger age. "Hunter Monroe is impulsive, confrontational, irrational, and a bit of an ass. From what I can tell, he is also a bit remorseful of at least some of the things he has done today. But I won't claim to be the best person in trying to understand the boy." He wasn't sure such an expert existed as it seemed that Hunter didn't fully understand himself either. "What I do know is he wont get better out there. And I highly doubt that there are many who would take him in as is. I also know that if he were to stay, it would be a lot of work on whoever ends up working with him. And there will also be work he will have to commit himself towards if he is to stand any chance with any community, not just this one. Or anyone for that matter." He took a breath, thinking about his next words carefully. "To put it bluntly, he fucked up. Badly. And will likely be dealing with the consequences of those actions for the rest of his life." However short it may end up being. "If he stays, it will be a lot of hard work on his part to show he is willing to improve himself, and a lot of hard work to make up for the damage he has already done. I think he shows potential for improvement. And if he does try to do something to harm anyone, Ms Decker has proven he isn't too hard to drop. And he has made it more then clear he can't cause any trouble without drawing every ounce of possible attention he could to it." Even before the trial any time he had fucked up, there were more then enough people to see it coming and saw it turn out exactly as expected. If the boy was trying to cause any real harm Manny figured post trial, everyone would be watching him like a hawk to make sure he never stepped out of line again. "Keep him busy, keep him productive, and keep an eye on him. If he puts some effort into it, I'm sure he'd show improvement over time." That was the hope at least. The optimistic side of him was suppressed by his fear of what the boy could become if given the time or the chance. Alexander helped remind him that everyone had their troubled times. Some were just better at recovering from them then others were.

🧚🏻‍♀️ The Walking Dead - Year 6 Part 1

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Hunter Monroe Location: Education Center Skills:N/A

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Well Fuck. Hunter watched as The Professor grinned a grin that only meant on thing. Bad news. If this woman's reaction was anything to take away from this, the whole trial served the purpose of attempting to break him down and make him snap in front of the whole camp. It would explain the moments that felt like they served no purpose other then to humiliate him, and it made sense. No matter where the verdict went, they would appear as the good guys. They'd either banish the unstable person for a win, or they'd look like the good guys for showing mercy to someone who clearly seemed unstable. She made a comment that seemed to be trying to justify the words said about his mother. Though they were vague at the time, they implied too much about her. Everything the professor pointed out had done a near total redirect on what Hunter had been thinking to this point. He still had the realization that he had fucked up on countless situations, but the final stretch of the trial refueled that suspicion that maybe this was another group with ill-intentions.

He had a chance to try and give his final thoughts on things before witnesses would be called up and the verdict was made. He had no idea what he was going to say, despite his efforts it seemed a choice was already made. His inability to explain his own thoughts had also come back to bite him in the ass, and he found himself on damage control with no idea how to do that. He stood awkwardly for a long time clearly wanting to say something but stumped for words and little clue what to say. Eventually he decided, fuck it, and would just attempt to clarify what he could. "I'm not lying to you. I have no fucking clue how to explain my logic of things the last few weeks. I'm no lawyer, nor English major, nor a phscy- pschy- ... Fucking mental doctor." Great start. He knew the word, but over thinking it he was starting to mix it up with other words that sounded similar. "I was never the smartest kid in school either. I loathed school for the most part finding it a total waste of effort and time and boring as hell. That's come to bite me in the ass too now it seems." He took a deep breath, and calmed down. He was stressed and felt desperate. "You want the truth? The whole truth? Even after this, I'd still have trouble trusting anyone in this room. It has 100% crossed my mind to prepare for hostile action. Especially that first week in quarantine. The place operates like a prison with armed guards, who's sole purpose is only to keep people in and nothing else. I had made a several mental notes on what I would do if I had to force my own way out, but nothing warranted things to go that far so I had no reason to act on it. Even with the writing on the wall of where things are going now, I still don't have reason enough to act on it. Though you can only get fucked by those above you so many times before getting into that mindset. SO for final clarification, yes. It had crossed my mind. But no, I have no intentions on acting on it. Ever. Even if this goes to shit in this room today I have no intentions on acting on it. I'll be pissed yeah, I'll be upset yeah, I will hate the guts of every person who took Izibell away from me. But I wouldn't take a rifle and start firing pot shots at the walls, or lobbing explosives over it, or lead a fucking horde to the walls. I'm a fuck up, a huge and total fuck up with a long list of problems I have to sort out. But I am not some monster who would take glee from trying to harm some dude's home." He wasn't sure what he planned on saying, but it wasn't that. The rant had lasted a hell of a lot longer then he planned on it.

He took another breath, though it was a long winded rant it wasn't an outburst in the traditional sense. But it was clear he was speaking as he himself processed the information. He figured he had to wrap things up. There was a good chance his long winded rant would be one of the last things he'd ever say here. "I think your late policies need work too. Two of those charges are related to that and trying to manage a lunch break and walking a dog who doesn't want to go back inside is difficult to manage in an hour." Something to say that served no personal or emotional attachment. A little breather to help calm down and keep his thoughts in check. But he knew there was more to it then just being late, part of it was everything else that was tacked on with it. But the bureaucracy of it could easily grind things to a halt or create more problems in his eyes. Not that he knew anything about management. "And no, my fuck ups are not an excuse for someone to talk poorly about my family. Especially my mom. She did the best she could with what she had. With me as her oldest. So considering only one was a total fuck up and it was by his own means I'd say she did pretty decent." Tacked with the list of regrets he had, was not mending things with his family before things went to hell. Before his unit imploded on itself, before the dead rose, before they left. "I am also aware of the contradictions. But a good portion of what you are asking about happened more then five years apart. I have had a lot of time to think on all of those choices I made now. And I do mean, a lot of time. During basic I'd like to think I was pretty decent at being a soldier despite my reservation of authority figures. To be fair they were mild compared to what they are now. You get a few incompetent and selfish officers getting your whole unit killed to save themselves and it leaves a bitterness that never really washes away. They didn't seem too bad at first either." He shrugged. "I guess that sums up a lot of my thoughts on this place. The worst people I have ever met didn't seem too bad at first. Especially with the world the way it is. Will always be waiting for that hammer to drop down and drop down hard. Think there's a term for the irony here though..." He paused trying to figure it out. "Self fulfilling Prophecy. I know it's not a good answer but it's the one I got for ya." His hope was to clarify the contradictions and explain his path of logic even when it was poor logic.

Hunter returned to his seat and returned to fidgeting. Things were set in motion to decide for all intents and purposes what could be the rest of his life.

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Emanuel "Manny" Newman Location: Education Center Skills: N/A

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To say Manny was in surprise of the situation was an understatement. Hunter had made it clear he was not 100% there, and from Manny's guess the boy possessed some sort of mask to hide a portion of himself behind when under stress. He wondered which was the mask though. The socially awkward boy who seemed easily overwhelmed, or the boy who lashed out at anything that seemed like an immediate threat whether it was or not. The optimist in him hoped it was the latter and that his outbursts were some flawed attempt to protect himself. But Manny had seen what people who had gone too far were capable of. Eden. That place would forever influence his choices and opinions on people. And he wondered if Hunter was one of those people that might have been indoctrinated instead of tutored. Both maybe? He had no idea when it came to Eden. Seemed like a great way to hook people though. Torture them, break them, make them do horrible things so that they can't be with any other people except the ones who have done the same thing. That group was gone now though. The real question is now, can Private Hunter Monroe integrate into any form of modern society?

Hunter had revealed a lot about himself though which did help clarify some of what was going on in the boy's head. Some. Manny at this point figured Hunter had at one point in his life, the best of intentions. But there was clearly something he was leaving out. Something that went wrong. Something that happened while his unit was out during when things fell apart? He tried to think of the guard unit that was tasked with protecting his safe zone. How they were so spread thin internal security wasn't even an option. So spread thin that when the infected had turned inside the safe zone the soldiers were nowhere to be found. He imagined that could have been it. Or was it something that happened afterwards?

"you can only get fucked by those above you so many times before getting into that mindset"

That stuck with Manny, and it left Manny thinking was it a specific person Hunter was thinking of? Or was it society as a whole? Hunter seemed to have his own list of grievances. Though his way to approach them seemed to be head on until it either wasn't a problem or it got worse and out of his control. Another thing that got Manny's attention was the fact that he did appear all bark no bite. Unless there was some missing information, Hunter seemed to outburst when things didn't go his way. But he hadn't been physically violent yet. The question was how far he was from that point? Was it close or was it that his voice was the extent of his ability to strike back? Then he remembered, Hunter had been out there on his own for years. Maybe there were others along the way, but you don't get far on your own for any amount of time without some fight in you. He thought back to one of Nikki's earlier testimonies as well. Where he called himself a violent psychopath. Though he wanted to be optimistic, the fact that in his drunken state he viewed himself like that was concerning.

🧚🏻‍♀️ The Walking Dead - Year 6 Part 1

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Emanuel "Manny" Newman Location: Education Center Skills: N/A

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Watching things unfold was a mess. Hunter seemed almost like many of the events he was watching himself for the first time instead of being the one who was in the center of it all. Manny had no idea what he thought of the boy at this point. He knew for sure Hunter was troubled, and that he was unstable and easy to set off. Manny got the idea that Hunter didn't fully understand to what degree either. He seemed to show remorse for it though once it was clarified. That seemed to be the repeating pattern. He'd react to something, Many times inappropriately, there would be consequences or effects, then realization and regret. The issues seemed to be it kept happening. Some things he realized faster then others. Some may never be understood by the young soldier.

At the very least of things, Alexander seemed to be doing better. The trial seemed to be stressing out his fellow baby boomer as it continued though. He had no idea the things Alexander had gone through before the apocalypse, and he only hoped that Hunter's actions and the trial with it weren't too taxing on him. Manny was determined to make this fishing trip happen. A nice time out on the open ocean or some river or canal having a nice relaxing day. That would be a nice day off to end all of this madness off with. Manny continued watching the trial, hoping things would become more clear towards the end of it.

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Hunter Monroe Location: Education Center Skills:N/A

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Hunter watched intently as things continued. At least tried too. The fidgeting was still pretty bad, though not as bad as before. More things were said that were gut dropping and as things continued his gaze broke off slowly. When he was asked to explain himself he struggled with what words to use again. He hesitated, and followed up an earlier comment instead of answering. "It uh... wasn't about a threat. That last one. It was more like..." He had no way to explain the thoughts in his head in that moment. He made eye contact with no one, and he mumbled a bit as he spoke. "I... well..." He thought about the question, and figured it related a decent amount. He spoke in an attempt to explain his own thought process in a way that may make sense. "I don't want to die. I don't... think so at least." It was hard to explain. What kept him going the last few years was his search for his family. When that had hit it's last dead end, Izibell had kept him going day by day since. He has had countless nights where he would debate if it was worth it to keep going on day by day. There were a couple days where he'd stay in the spot he slept in for a day or two barely moving, only deciding to move again once something had taken him out of his trance.

He had to think now though. He wasn't sure that was a viable answer to the question. "I'm not intentionally trying to push anyone. To see what I can get away with. It's just... something that happens. Easily. And a lot." Piece by piece. He didn't have a total answer, he wasn't sure how to answer it but he attempted to answer what he could. Even if it had to be done piece by piece. It was hard but he wasn't sure how else to approach it. "I don't think I have the answer to that either. I think it's more of this place holds all the cards, and those in quarantine with me didn't. Even now, they don't. I think it's a case of..." He struggled with words again. He was never good with presentations in school, talking to people was barely he could do and even then struggled, and he was no lawyer who knew how to choose his words to get his point across. "I think it's just a case of you could. Even if it wasn't your intentions." He wasn't sure how to word it. And though it didn't paint the most accurate picture of what he wanted to say, he hoped it at least explained things in a way that didn't make things worse.

🧚🏻‍♀️ The Walking Dead - Year 6 Part 1

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Emanuel "Manny" Newman Location: Education Center Skills: N/A

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To Manny, Hunter gave the impression of someone who saw an enemy in every person he met. Someone who was legitimately hostile, people who were total strangers, even those who were potential friends were seen as an enemy to some degree. The boy seemed unable to relax, and unable to completely trust anything or anyone. The boy had opted to speak during his trial which didn't surprise Manny at all. The boy seemed to yearn for the chance to be heard. Maybe he might have learned from what had happened so far, but it's hard to say now. Though Hunter seemed to be slipping from time to time he hadn't had any real outbursts during the trial. But looking at him, he seemed only moments away from some kind of mental break. He was struggling, but Manny had no way of knowing if it was the stress of being confronted with what had happened here, in the past, or the setting of the court alone. Watching his posture change when Gunny went up and soon after himself caught Manny's attention. Though not hostile, he seemed to hold a grudge in his worn state. The boy clearly needed help, but it was impossible to say if this was the place to do it. Or if it was worth the risk of what he was now.

Alexander brought Manny back from his deep thoughts on the matter. Manny had to be careful with that, he was letting his thoughts spiral to the point of conspiracies and it was only a matter of time before they could control all of his thoughts if he wasn't careful. What helped? Seeing Alexander able to relax a little bit more now. He was stressed, and struggling. But he was the strongest man Manny knew, and he was holding on despite everything. "No problem." He spoke with a reassuring tone and smile. Even the strongest needed to be reassured sometimes. He wondered what thoughts were going through the old veterans head at the moment. What he thought of Hunter's situation. Was there concern what the boy was capable of doing? Was there some connection with their military history he couldn't hope to understand? He'd like a chance to get some of this cleared up with the Alexander later. Right now it was just a fight to get through the day.

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Hunter Monroe Location: Education Center Skills:N/A

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Things continued on and by the looks of people on stage and a few in the audience many had seemed to think he would have opted to stay silent during his questioning phase of the trial. He had no idea how many exactly as he had to refocus his attention on things rather quickly. For all he knew, they could have been surprised because this was entertaining to them. But he needed to speak now, things had gone wrong fast for Hunter, and only worse as things went on. He felt alone and isolated again. He felt he had no allies left after he had burned what few bridges might have remained at that point. If he didn't let himself speak, it would be a repeat of the retreat to Buffalo. It would be a repeat of the Guard Base when the National Guard broke apart. It would be a repeat of what happened with Don and his gang.

His own thoughts held him up a bit. He had to remind himself that these people were not Don and his gang. They weren't the worst of the worst of the Guard. They weren't some selfish Colonel that got the bulk of his unit killed. Hopefully. hopefully. He felt sick. Though he had no reason to believe anyone here was as messed up as those people, any comparison that could be possibly made was made. Each small comparison adding more and more to the distrust he felt towards those around him.

He had things explained to him. He watched the professor with a tired look as she explained how things would work, replying with a simple nod alone. His first question, did he deny? He thought about it for probably longer then he should have. He debated calling a couple redundant, but assuming the woman meant what she said he'd get a chance to say something later. "Nope." It did him no good to deny any of it. Even with the evidence presented, he would have given a similar answer with the exception of likely speaking out about the redundancy immediately, or trying to defend some of it in the moment. He'd decide later if it was worth approaching at all.

🧚🏻‍♀️ The Walking Dead - Year 6 Part 1

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Emanuel "Manny" Newman Location: Education Center Skills: N/A

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Many of the testimonies started to sound rather alike. No one really paid the young soldier much mind until he lost it, and things fell apart. It was overall a rather big mess from start to finish, and as things continued on things were looking worse and worse for Hunter. Manny had spent time with a lot of people in his lifetime, many of them deemed as the most violent and unlawful people imaginable in some ways. Though the statement wasn't true, the rumors didn't start from nothing. Hunter's impression was that of someone who would give all of those people second thoughts on their actions in life. It made him question exactly what Hunter had done to survive in the world out there. Part of him wondered if Hunter was like so many of those people who mentally couldn't comprehend that the world was ending the way it was, but unlike the others had gotten through the initial chaos and somehow survived past it. Manny had seen a few of those people in the first year, maybe two years. People who had mentally either shut down, or had been unable to process what had happened and were only functioning at the cost fragmenting their mentality. That was the extent of the old dentists theories though. Though he had the most basic understanding from his own experiences and a few areas that he got introductions to from schooling, he was no expert. Seeing how things went though and other conversations he has had with people since he arrived he wondered if he should have gotten into microbiology or into psychology in some capacity. It was too late in life for him to ask those questions now though and expect answers. But maybe he could ask them for future generations to solve.

Most of Manny's thoughts were cut short when Alexander went up to testify. He was struggling, the memory of the situation taking a strain on him as he spoke. When Alexander returned to his seat Manny was there to greet him as best as he could. He wanted to reach out, ask if he was doing alright. But he clearly needed some room to breath and collect himself. When the old vet sat besides him Manny reached out and firmly grabbed his shoulder in a reassuring manner. "You did good." He kept it short and sweet. The man had a lot on his mind, but he was hoping the small reassurance could help. When this was over, he was going to try and get the man a cup of coffee and a chance to relax. Maybe they could take that fishing trip soon and take that as a real good chance to forget the crazy of the old and new world for a moment or two? That sounded good.

The next portion of the trial was at least as much of a mess as the last part if not more so. The boy clearly had some kind of confrontational issues, jumped to conclusions, and seemed to hold more then a healthy dose of hostility towards everyone around him. Between the events that took place with some of those in charge, and those who where present with him while in lock up it was clear that the boy had more then a couple issues. From what Manny could tell, he had some remorse to him. But the way he was handling things, that had a tendency to get blotted out by his urge to face every problem no matter the size or how serious it was with everything he could throw at it. And here, he had nothing but the words he could think of in a moment's notice. Manny wondered how much of those thoughts were just lashing out with anything he could say to cause damage, or were genuine thoughts of the boy? Somewhere between maybe? The events showed did not look good for the boy at all. Social was a low on any skill set he had. He wondered how Hunter handled things before they feel apart? Did he have any severe issues then or was this all new developments caused by the stress of the end of the world? He supposed that didn't matter now. Now, it seemed everyone was an enemy to Hunter until proven otherwise. And even then, it didn't take much to go back onto that list.

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Hunter Monroe Location: Education Center Skills:N/A

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Hunter had a lot of trouble staying focused as everything that was going on. Though he did his best to follow along, much of it he found himself leaning forward eyes locked to the floor if open at all. His hands held together by wedging his fingers between one another to keep from fidgeting anymore then he already was. It did little good as his he still found himself fidgeting with his foot tapping the floor rapidly, or his hands coming undone and him attempting to adjust his fingers, hand, wrists, or even elbows as if they were parts to a machine slowly falling apart and he was attempting to put them back together. Only stopping when he realized he was doing it, and would eventually go back to locking his fingers together, and return to tapping his foot. The attention was getting to him. His fears of integrating back into society had led to the worst case he could imagine, ironically by his own hands and fears. And now he was nearing another breaking point. Unlike past times, it was easier to notice it coming as there was no singular even that was pushing the few limits he had left, but rather the collection of the trial as a whole was starting to take it's toll. With each person who came up to testify, he willed himself to sit up and try again. The only calming factor being the quiet between the statements. But as they went on he regressed more and more into this state, each time taking less and less to get there.

Something that helped was that the statements were getting shorter and shorter as people came up. Most saying the same thing, adding less per statement, and others just stating they had nothing new to offer. A couple more unique perspectives came into play. Others who needed to do their own thing while Hunter got pinned to the floor. The one that stood out the most to Hunter? The man with the very heavy limp to his step that broke up the usual statements between each other. It was an odd sensation, the heavy thuds as the man walked. Alexander was the name that came to mind. His statement was different in the sense that the man was clearly struggling in his own regard. There was a mix of guilt and reassurance with that thought. Guilt that more were suffering from everything that had happened, yet reassurance that in some fucked up way he wasn't alone in his struggles. And more guilt with the last one. He hoped the man got a chance to recover from this mess. No matter how this went, damage was done to a lot of people. No matter how it went, it was going to end up being a lose-lose situation. Part of him regrets not taking the offer to leave, but he didn't. So it he needed to make it worth something to make up for the damage that was done.

Alexander went off, and Nikki came back up. Her statement was short and simple. And with how the day had gone, and what had gone on with Nikki earlier, it was unsettling to hear her say anything positive about him now. Next, was another rather harsh nail in the coffin. Gunny and Hunter's many less then great interactions. Hunter wasn't sure what he felt about that one. He lashed out, a few points were made attempting to justify them. But at the end of the day it was still them trying to take away his dog. It could be spun any way they wanted, but they were trying to take away the only thing he had left he still cared about. No justification would ever change that for him. There were few emotions Hunter had that were stronger then the guilt and remorse he held. Hate, bitterness, spite, and anything that happened to be attached to those when they showed. Unlike previous times where Hunter would attempt to hold contact with those giving the testimony and then fail to keep it as the stress, guilt, and remorse. This time, he held the gaze the whole time still struggling with the previous emotions, but the bitterness of the justification barely making him hold his gaze. He still regretted losing it, but the continued justification seemed to hold no purpose other then to humiliate him and to keep hammering the point that had been made. Maybe if it wasn't concerning Izibell, or it was following everything else that happened through the day he would have been able to face it more. But at that moment it felt like nothing more then a violent jab then a testimony. It still didn't stop him from fidgeting with his hands and foot as it continued.

It ended soon enough, and Hunter took a moment to try and calm down hiding his frustration. He wondered how much of it was frustration from the events that took place back then, or how much of it was the built up stress hitting the breaking point. Cage came up soon, and by that time Hunter was feeling more burned out then anything else. The fidgeting slowed, his gaze and overall pace slowed, but he did his best to continue to try and focus. Hunter learned a few things, the main ones beings that his cell was recorded with a half decent video recording system. Nikki made contact at some point, mouthing something he couldn't make out. His conversation with Ashton stood out. The man was probably the first person to give real hope of the place to Hunter. Sure, there were individuals that held his attention, but the place as a whole never seemed to connect until Ashton had talked about it. It didn't stop things from getting worse from there, but it was one of the first key starting points he remembered. There was one of his many rants about Cage, which Cage took the time to make eye contact with during. That's around the point where Hunter's guilt won out again and he broke eye contact. The man had gotten the leftover spite from the Izibell situation and the emotions that followed it, their first interaction wasn't the most pleasant either, and everything that could be taken as a negative from that point on was a negative in his eyes.

Then came the part he thought he would dread the most, but now seemed to be rather mild compared to what had happened. One of the older woman took center stage to speak primarily to him but in a tone so everyone could hear clearly. What she stated seemed true as it could be. When addressed he did his best to not seem as defeated as he felt. The time came for him to be questioned. There was no telling what they would ask. He had no idea what of his past they would ask, what of his intentions they would ask, or if they would just stick to his time while in camp. He had no idea if they would throw him curve ball questions meant to throw him off to see if he'd get confused, or if there would simply be vague questions to see how he would answer. When it was his time to answer he stood up and looked The Professor with a deadpan expression that read of remorse, regret, and an ever so slight tone of bitterness expressed as "Do your worst". "I'll answer whatever you want to ask me." He wasn't sure if the bitterness was towards the people here, though he figured unlikely. Towards himself or how things played out? Maybe. Likely a general bitterness and acceptance that things were fucked now. They had little room to get any worse then they did. He sat, completely still for the first time in hours.

🧚🏻‍♀️ The Walking Dead - Year 6 Part 1

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Emanuel "Manny" Newman Location: Mess Hall --> Education Center Skills: N/A

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Manny Enjoyed his conversation with Alexander. The man had a whole world of experience that Manny couldn't even begin to understand. He had a stronger understanding of what it was like to handle blue collar jobs, where Manny cleaned teeth. Alexander went to war, where Manny went to school. When the apocalypse hit it was his skill with a rifle that proved his most useful, and Manny's skill with a scalpel that was his most useful. Manny avoided asking too much about Alexander's early life, as he knew others who were in his war that struggled a lot with those memories. It appeared Manny hadn't shared too much of his early life with Alexander either, as the old vet asked about Manny's former Husband from years before after following up Manny's comment about fishing and boats. "I look forward to be dragged kicking and screaming into a nice comfortable boat." He said with a joking ton about it. Then the question came he wasn't sure how to answer at first. But with some thought, he put the words together. "Two actually. Technically, legally we weren't allowed to be married. But for all intents and purposes we were. Then once after the world fell apart, and I don't think anyone really cared about those rules anymore." Though legally he was never allowed to marry him and his partner did everything they could to work around it with... mixed results.

He finished his food with that on his mind. "To be fair, the second marriage was rather short. But I knew the him before things fell apart, so it's not like it was an on the whim thing. I think at the time we were both just..." He paused thinking of the right word. "Lonely." Looking back, he wasn't sure how much he actually felt love in that relationship. In that case, it was more a desperate attempt to get some joy out of his life in a time where any day could be their last. Alexander explained much of his life involving sailing, his struggling relationship with his father which Manny could understand rather well. But there were good moments, and Manny was glad to see his friend was able to get some familiar happiness with his wife years later. "I think Id o know. Yeah." Manny nodded a little with his words, though those days were long gone he still felt good looking forward on things. He made note of Alexander's comment about his time int he service and stayed focus as he explained it. "My mistake. I can ask her about it when we got some time." Manny took his seat near where he sat before, but not 100% confident it was the same seat. A part of him was worried it was age again, but he had to remind himself that it is likely just a case of it's a big room, and all the seats look alike. Though something to pay attention to, he'd need to hammer out those thoughts as best he could over time.

The trial continued on to a point that was arguably the lowest moment of quarantine. The moment Hunter had snapped on the Russian Mother. One at a time they were called up to explain their sides, even the guards who were on duty gave their perspectives. Though they gave justification for their inaction, he was still frustrated with it. When his turn came to give his statement he stepped up to stage attempting to give everyone he made eye contact with a nod of Acknowledgment. "I didn't see what led up to first contact, but I recognized the sounds of it pretty easily. Things escalated verbally, then calmed down. Moments after is when Hunter has his moment. I was personally hoping the guards would have gotten involved before things got out of hand, but thanks Beatrice while she was still here he was pinned and restrained before things could have gotten worse. He spoke a lot of things, that maybe could have made more sense if I understood what Tatiana said in full context, but he seemed frustrated to a rather extreme degree." Frustrated was the wrong word. He lashed out at her, lost all sense of self control, and he clearly was not completely together in the head. "He seemed to hesitate before he snapped at her. I remember noting how odd that was, and can't personally figure out why. Maybe he had second thoughts he ignored, or maybe he wasn't able to process what he had just witnessed." Remembering back to Beatrice was harder, she had been gone for a little over a week now, but it felt like lifetimes ago. "Beatrice had pinned Hunter after a few people had attempted to verbally put him in his place. He seemed to resist a bit, then slow down, then picked up rather drastically soon afterwards. She let him go soon enough, and reminded him to back off. He isolated himself afterwards near the coffee machine." He tried to be detailed without going over the top, but he wasn't really sure what they were looking for, so he hoped he didn't miss anything. When he had the chance in the future, he wanted to push for different responses from guards. Though looking at him now, he didn't seem like he could be threatening to anything other then by being loud and maybe a stern look. But in that moment, he seemed like he could have escalated things quickly, maybe quicker then the guards could have reacted if he went that far.

Manny returned to his seat, giving a glancing look at Hunter who seemed to be having trouble focusing on things. He even took note of the nervous swallowing the boy did as he was doing from time to time. Assuming his theory about the boy being some conscripted scout was wrong, he wondered when the last time the boy had interacted with a real person was. Part of him wondered if there was anyone after those first few months. No, he didn't seem that far lost. Five years was a long time, and anything could have happened in that time. But that still brought up the question, when was the last time he had an actual conversation with another human being? Manny sat down after breaking his glance towards Hunter.

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Hunter Monroe Location: Education Center Skills:N/A

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His question about what a LARP was never answered, to that it was a shame. But he had gone this far without knowing, so no harm he guessed. Despite his mind being occupied with countless thoughts, he took the moment to respond to Cage. "If the only thing I cared about was being alive I wouldn't have come here in the first place." If just staying alive was his main concern, he would have stayed home five years ago when things first started going bad, or when he last returned from being in the military. He wouldn't have gone south, he wouldn't have returned to the safe zone that wanted nothing more then to shoot him, he wouldn't have gotten on the chopper to first get into camp, and if staying alive was his only concern he'd have taken the offer to leave when the trial first began. He didn't know how to word what he wanted. But there was more to it. Cage was uncomfortably close to Hunter's wants. Every time he had made a move to do what he wanted, he had found himself at gun point in some way shape or form. Sometimes by his fellow soldiers, sometimes by those he'd share shelter with later, sometimes by scared and hungry people who had no idea how to view him, and sometimes it was just a wrong place at the wrong time. Ironically, the last event that started with shooting before he even realized there was a gun on him probably ended the best for him.

The trial was harder to handle at the moment. A lot of it was overwhelming still, much of it was stress built up from before, stress from the shame of his actions, and the new stress from worrying about how things would end. The part of the trial they were at didn't help. He avoided eye contact with everyone at that moment, especially Tatiana. In the moment, he panicked and his panic within his first couple words had escalated into him exploded and lashing out rather quickly. His intention when he started was meant to be good, but it quickly went out of hand as he lost control of his temper and ability to think of what he was saying. Though his understanding of Russian was rusty and broken he could recognize what was said. He sighed unsure what to do now. At this moment he was thankful for the Advil he was given before. He took it realizing his mistake after he put the tablet in his mouth. No drink to follow it up. Shit. He let his spit collect to swallow it, but all he ended up doing was swallowing multiple times as he tried to down the tablet. "Fuck, fuck, fuck" were the words that went through his mind. He struggled but got it down enough that it just left irritation in his throat. He thought to himself, "Congrats fucker, you can't even take a fucking pain killer without fucking it up". He did his best to follow along with the statements given, but he found himself struggling to stay focused again.

Too many people watching, too much attention on himself, too much was going on for him to keep staying focused. He tried to hold up to it before but the longer it went on the more it wore down on him. He took a deep breath, then another swallow as he tried to remove that irritating feeling in his throat. Then another breath to try and calm himself down. Hunter knew how to handle a lot of problems, but not a single one involved how to handle people on a personal level.

🧚🏻‍♀️ The Walking Dead - Year 6 Part 1

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Emanuel "Manny" Newman Location: Mess Hall --> Education Center Skills: N/A

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Manny's attention diverted towards Alexander as he spoke. It was a bit funny as normally Manny's dialog heavy persona tended to get the conversations going. But this time Alexander had taken the moment to get things going. Manny found that comforting, he figured an environment where people felt comfortable talking to one another had to be a good one. Even if they decided to not talk in that moment. "Oh my that does sound good. Land crab is a good term for me though. I know next to nothing about fish, and little about the ocean." Despite living in Florida nearly his whole life, he had spent little time on the beaches. Always full of tourist except a select few weeks in the late fall where there was no spring breaks, less people avoiding the northern winters, and the populace of what seemed like the whole country arriving to the beaches in the summer. "So I will say, The Polawksi fish filet sounds rather good." This nice conversation reminded him of his final year of school when he had finally found a social circle he didn't feel the need to constantly watch his back with.

Alexander described the MREs that he used to have to eat, with that though Manny had a visible cringe to his face. Though he had been forced to eat some in the last settlement he had been apart of, the cooks they had were normally able to make it seem pretty edible. The talk of going boating got Manny's attention though. He asked about Manny's past with boats and Manny found himself unsure. "Never anything deep water. Went once or twice with my father before I hit my rebellious phase. After that, my father and I never got along well enough to go out again." There were other factors in place. Manny in his 20s had made a strong effort to cut out a large portion of his family and heritage. Though he regretted his choice later in life and attempted to correct it, his surviving family made it clear he was not welcome back. "My late Husband wanted to get a boat, he enjoyed that out doors stuff a lot more then I did. Recent years have helped me warm up and respect them a lot more. Never ended up getting one though and after he passed I saw no reason to get one. Now though, it's definitely something I am more open to trying." Manny took note of Alexander's frustration with the side show going on. He looked over and Wayne and Hank and understood Alexander a bit.

Though he hadn't spoken to either men much, he had spent time with Wayne as they shared chores in quarantine and the man was gracious enough to not bring up Manny's inability to keep up after his body had rejected the meals from the first day. He did a half decent job explaining Manny's mood when he was at his near own personal breaking point that same week. But he didn't know the man too well on a personal level. "How about you? Any time with boats?" He paused realizing that was a bit of a silly question. The man had been deployed on the other side of the world, and as far as he knew the army wasn't flown into Vietnam across the world. But then again, he knew next to nothing of military logistics. For all he knew of how any modern military worked, there were hidden tunnels across the planet military forces used to transport soldiers and material. "I guess outside of military purposes." Manny would finish his soup and bread while Alexander replied, paying close attention to all of his words as he spoke. When done, it would be time to make their way back to the trial. Manny would wait until Alexander was ready to leave, then at that point make his way towards the education center to continue things.

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Hunter Monroe Location: Mess Hall --> Education Center Skills:N/A

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Cage commented on Hunter's follow up comments. And it left Hunter with plenty of new questions. "Social lessons? And what the hell is a LARP?" Hunter had never heard of it before, and it was another thing to leave him confused. "Did do a play once. Got a lead part, fucked it up so badly I wasn't allowed to get a speaking part ever again." The first time he went up on a stage in front of a crowd. "Who knew people could be so critical of a third grader. Sure I panicked and ran off stage but damn. Third Grade." The main reason he never found himself in a play of any kind again was more to do with the lack of wanting too after how badly that went. Though the drama teacher was definitely hot happy to have to replace a lead part the day of the play. "I don't know, wouldn't mind a social group though. Not sure if there's a group I'd enjoy but not the worst problem I've worked against."

To Hunter's surprise, he had indeed nailed it. He had successfully gotten a none hostile conversation going. Or at least the start of one. Or at least he thought he did. The preacher had mentioned doing something like what Thana and Ashton were doing and Hunter had a visible thinking face as he processed that information. Looking at couple across the room, then back to Atticus and Joaquin. If he was thinking any harder on it there would be an audible sound of gears struggling to turn in opposite directions and smoke pouring out of his ears. He decided he would figure it out later, but now he was determined to figure out what the man was talking about. Hunter was good on picking up on material details with his years of taking things apart, but when it came to people he had next to no understanding of how to understand them.

As the conversation continued, Atticus made some more of his intentions clearer and Hunter found himself at a loss of words. He mentioned about Hunter's reaction to Nikki's testimony. Hunter debated how to respond to that, or if there was even a response he could give. "It's there. The remorse is there just..." He paused. "Just what?" He asked himself. He wanted to say something now that he started, but he wasn't really sure what? "I don't know." He let out with a defeated sigh. Part of him wondered if it was suppressed by his general fear and mistrust of others or if it was something else. "What else was I going to do? I compared her to the biggest fuck up of my life. I compared her to a person who I failed over and over, let get hurt over and over, until she was a husk like those fucking corpses outside the walls." What Nikki had said stuck. Had he realized how badly he fucked up, he would have found her sooner. Jobs be damned, camp be damned, all of it be damned. Under normal circumstances he would have tensed up on sharing information he had worked to keep hidden for so long. But it appeared much of it was already out, and with everything else it fell rather low on his proities.

He was offered Aspirin and reminded what would be coming next. He didn't care what came next though. He knew he fucked up then too but his mind was so far in thought about Nikki and Lucy that nothing could beat that. Nothing they could bring up could be worse then what was already brought to light. He took the aspirin anyways because if it might help, then great. If not, then oh well. Nothing lost. When asked about restroom he just shook his head, he was ready to get this over with. He got up and returned to the education center to continue his own trial.