Sigil

🧚🏻‍♀️ The Walking Dead - Year 6 Part 1

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Ash Holloway

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Location: L11 (Beach, Dance Floor)
Skills: N/A

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As was a little self-conscious by the sudden jolt of his rural, high-elevation, Virginian heritage, particularly as it reared when speaking Thana's name. His accent was always very slight, mostly by means of his training it down amid schooling, only to emerge under cover of alcohol or extreme relaxation. Or both. The fact that it did arise despite the small amount of moonshine consumed, if only for a moment, was further sign that Ash was setting aside the person of extreme responsibility. If we truly ever was, Ash was not a Captain right then. He was some guy dancing with his sweetheart on the beach, and that was more than enough for a lifetime.

Ash had a moment of relief when Thana kissed him again and told him that she liked the way he inflected her name. "Just my Virginian acting up again," he explained. His family had been rooted in that area for many generations, no matter where the individual branches may have stretched. Though he whisper add a heartfelt, "Thawna," with a captivated smile, like he was musing over the novelty of it. Maybe he couldn't address her that way all the time, but now that he knew that she liked it, perhaps he wouldn't try to suppress his accent when it came about naturally.

There was the slightest amount of annoyance that flashed across his face when the extended togetherness between he and Thana that wore the excuse of a dance was interrupted by someone tapping on her shoulder and inquiring if she was ready for something. Ready? About ready for what? It hit Ash that this was something brought up earlier. Damnit. For the time being they would have to not be attached to one another. It was as depressing a thought as any. The good news was that Thana still wanted him to stay close. Ash nodded solemnly, responding with a clear, "Of course," like it wasn't even a question that needed to be asked. Ash transferred their handhold over to his left hand, then slipped his right around her waist. It served the twofold purpose of keeping her even closer than she would have been otherwise and giving her more support if necessary. He was ever the gentleman, of a sort, even if he got a sense of greater fulfillment providing this for Thana, specifically. "Let's get you up there," he said, moving along at precisely the pace she set for herself.

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Thalia Carmichael

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Location: L11 (Beach, Bar)
Skills: N/A

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It seemed that even while picking up the pieces of a world shattering apocalypse, scrimp thievery was still a pervasive and reaching issue, like it was hardwired into the human psyche to steal otherwise unassuming scrimps from law-abiding citizens. Thalia wondered quietly when such horrors would be removed from them as a species, and more than that, if she wasn't a nobody then she would have to do something about this injustice. Naturally, all of this was internal and very, very sarcastic, as the level of fuck-giving involving an appetizer that wasn't hers was at a heretofore unseen low. And the matter seemed to solve itself.

More than that, Thalia's eye wandered to the happy couple in the dance area, as it had been off and on since they went out that way. They seemed truly happy just to be with each other. It made her feel a little jealous - not of Thana specifically, though they had a good friendship based off of an initial bout of silent rage and blood. It was a good way to start such things. She knew that this was a real thing between the two of them, even if she didn't know the Army guy at all. She knew Thana. Better than he did, possibly. And she had never seen her like that before, until he came back. Thalia was jealous of that type of connection, because it was the greater possibility that she would never have something like that for herself. People died. People left. Most of the time it wasn't their choice, yet sometimes, she found, it most definitely was. That stung a bit.

Lisa... took on an image of the welcoming crew. Speaking about having fun. Yeah, that was the most important thing. Fun. Maybe she was jaded. Check that. She was definitely jaded. But she kept her thoughts on it to herself. Yeah, she could use some fun right about then, though the definition of that was probably different than what she had in mind. Still, she raised her drink with her good hand in the same manner that Lisa did and presented an uncertain smile before taking a small sip and returning to the conversation she had at hand with Nigel.

"Sword." It was a flat statement. But it was almost like shop talk, so she went with it. "Yah, kindah. I'm good with a short blade. One handed; knives and especially up to the longer machetes, punch blades, too." She thought for a moment. While not formally instructed in many things, the specific way in which her family taught her to stab people lent itself to difficulty in explaining it in exact terms. "Improvised cutters, things like that. Wait, spear!" It was almost an exclamation. "Formal training with short and long speahs, while back." Spear and shield was getting to be her thing for a while, and a long poled stabber was a godsend to her while surviving on her own for the longer period that she did.

Then Hunter weighs in with inquiry. Fair enough, if a little stretching into her own personal business. But here she was with a metal limb from the forearm and down. Fine. She looked at the guy for a couple of seconds, trying to work out what his angle was. The man left a bad starting impression with her, but listening to him, they had some marginal similarities so far as how they stayed alive so far. Maybe this was just his way of being sociable, be it blunt and ham-fisted. Okay, benefit of the doubt. Thalia pointed to Thana, and then to Manny out in the gathering of people. With very direct and no-nonsense tones, she explained, "Bit. A Zed took a piece of my arm. Those two cut it off with a jury-rigged power saw a while north of here." That was one of the differences between she and the man to whom she was speaking. She could survive on her own for a long, long while. But being with people, if only temporarily or on an intermittent basis, helped keep them all alive. "Still adjusting. Matter of time."

Still adjusting. It was one of the reasons Thalia pushed herself so hard - ballet, physical training with the Army guy in Quarantine, seeking out the Marines for more serious training, even seeking out Nigel to spar with. Thalia was a weapon whose edge needed honing. Still dangerous, but she could be so much better. But even those thoughts got pushed away for the time being. Food was being given out near the fire. She tensed and straightened up, a predatory look coming over her, like she was about to pounce on an unsuspecting animal with the intent to dismember and consume bloody. "Scrimp." she rasped, sounding very much like her deceased uncle even while poking fun at Dusty from just earlier. "Nnn..." came the lingering growl. It seemed she had a target.

🧚🏻‍♀️ The Walking Dead - Year 6 Part 1

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Ash Holloway

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Location: L11 (Beach, Area in front of Stage)
Skills: N/A

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As the songs continued to roll out and night fell upon the seaside beach party, Ash remained with Thana. Sure, the dancing that they did wasn't exactly in full harmony with most of the music being played, but Ash would have been extremely hard pressed to give a rat's hindparts about the opinions of the rest of the Camp. From a logical standpoint, this should have been the time that he made his rounds and was seen by the locals as much as possible, away from whatever duties he would be assigned so that they might get to know one another on a personal level, but again the whole "rat's hindparts" issue came into play. He was just fine where he was, and with the company he was keeping, period.

Thana's suggestion about keeping close versus singing on stage caught him a little off-guard. "Oh, I think staying close is more humane to your family, rather than havin' me sing. I'm good with cadence, ah, and get me liquored up I think I can sing "Paint it, Black", but I really can't." Ash smiled a little, now fully realizing that she was kidding (and damn grateful for it), "I'm pretty sure the Army would've revoked my commission, to be honest." And yes, as the first hints of grain alcohol settled into his corpuscles, his Old Dominion Virginian peeked out with a touch more color, like one might expect an old Confederate officer to sound like, with full enunciation. In more ways than one, it was a dying accent.

When she began to talk about the last party they attended, Ash's face straightened a little. It was the best night of his life, very likely; a day when he was reminded that it was okay to live for himself as well as others, but mostly because of her. It was funny how life's unexpected changes could be so beneficial, so positive. Of course, change often heralds more change, related or not. It was also the last night that Newnan stood. Thana's voicing of that memory as well had an impact on Ash. For many, the destruction of Newnan happened almost a year and a half ago. That was a long time in this new world. For Ash, the days following it, and up until about a week ago, were all part of the mission that started the day that their home got swallowed up by the earth, and most of their people died. For Ash, this just ended. And he was glad that it did.

Ash felt Thana dance closer to him, resting her head on his shoulder. He wrapped his arms around her a little bit more and kept dancing with her, bending his neck down so that he could kiss the side of her head through her soft, brown hair. She did have lovely hair. Even post-apocalypse - like it was a gift somehow. Her words resonated with him, and he understood that kind of worry, be it a tangible, rational danger or not. He didn't think that he would be strong enough to survive something like that again, either, whether it was surviving out in the open world for that long or just being without her. Still dancing, he declared, "Thawna..." before realizing that his accent just warbled her name for the first time ever. "...the hell was that..?" he mused, then got back on topic, "Tomorrow we're going to wake up next to each other, and the rest will just be a memory. We had our trials, survived, and found each other. Now we get to be together." Admittedly, her trials sounded rougher than his. Ash held her close, insomuch as he was able without putting discomfort to Thana, before relaxing the embrace. A little. Their dancing might have resembled a prolonged hug to a third party.

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Thalia Carmichael

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Location: L11 (Beach, Bar)
Skills: N/A

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The bar seemed to be where the action was. In her experience, it tended to be. Why she decided to go over that way in the first place was a little baffling, until she remembered that she was trying to be a little sociable. And there was beer. If anything was going to get her to open up some, it would have to be alcohol. Thalia was not a big drinker. Not remotely as much as others in her family, anyway. And living outside of walls presented fewer times when it was smart to imbibe. This was a rare thing. Likewise was a rare thing that she felt a slight, self-conscience twinge about some notes of her sarcasm. Thalia was a naturally guarded individual, even a little insular. She wasn't necessarily rude nor cynical. Antisocial, sure. Which was probably why her reaction to attention from strangers was met by an encompassing smartassed comment. They were being polite, and trying to include her. It itched a little bit. As did the sudden awareness of the number of people in Camp Mexico Beach, made evident by the now greatly increased number of people standing on the beach. This was not within her comfort zone.

Still, her situational awareness checklist kept ticking off, like the training she got once upon a time might have prompted. Hunter approaching, asking for booze. Probably the only person less socially comfortable than her for miles around. The barber comes up for a drink. Harmless enough, still not the type to piss off unless you want to cut your own hair indefinitely. He did a great job on her. Conversation between Hadrian and the bartender continues. Preacher has wine. That makes sense. Food being served. That and so many other details about what was going on and Thalia started to feel like she should find someplace to put her back to and just observe from a dark corner, preferably with a means of escape handy. Again she caught herself absently feeling for a knife that she didn't have anymore, before she caught herself. This was not what she came here for. She was not in the woods, these people were not potential threats.

Taking a steadying breath, Thalia leaned on the bar where she was standing and took an impressively long pull from her beer. Three, four, five, six gulps or so until she stopped. It was right about then that she realized that someone was saying something to her. Blonde girl with Hunter. "Naht the tiara type, girly girl," she mused, though by that time Nikki was going to find her fun elsewhere. Quite the social butterfly. Well, once, long ago, Thalia was the established urbanite herself. Still a little antisocial, but it was better tempered by circumstances. She could hang out and talk to people, and goddamn it, she was going to. At first, Thalia leaned over in the direction of Lisa and Adelaide, after getting such a glowing if brief assessment from the local girl (even if Lisa didn't address her directly), flatly stating, "Thanks. You all seem nice. I don't do the "people thing" much. Get to know me and I'm a real peach." It was said in such a way that made it difficult to tell if she was being serious.

Others came and went, including the two girls who were obviously a couple, down to matching hairstyles. Kind of. But they looked to have other plans involving a walk along the water. Quiet walks were nice. But suddenly, another thought went through Thalia's mind. Looking to Nigel, she gave a quick, "Hey!" to get his attention, followed by an observation, "You're a Espada y Escudo, um, 'Sword & Board' fighter, right?" and then a quick suggestion, "We should see about getting some sparring time in, yah?"

🧚🏻‍♀️ The Walking Dead - Year 6 Part 1

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Ash Holloway

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Location: L11 (Beach, Area in front of Stage)
Skills: N/A

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Thana singing a Rolling Stones cover sounded great, except for the part where she would have to move away from him to do it. Considering how long it took to get to her, and the assisted assumption concerning her mortality, Ash didn't want her going anywhere she didn't have to, unless it also involved him. Clingy, maybe even a little possessive even, but that was where his mind was at. His voice was ever so slightly more diplomatic about it. "Hey, if you promised. Just come on back soon, huh?" Ash smiled, practically beaming at Thana. He had much to be thankful for. Thing to be thankful for Number One: she didn't have to go and sing immediately. They had a little time. These days, it was a precious gift.

The slow dance they performed was less of an actual dance and more a demonstration that they wanted to be near each other. In case anyone didn't already know that they were together and had no plans to the contrary, this might have tipped them off. The only problem with the song was that it ended too quickly for his liking. End of the song meant end of the dance, right? Well, just as quickly as Thana threw off the shackles of tradition to solve that very dilemma, Ash was just as quick to agree. The kiss on his cheek was just icing. No, he had no intention of stopping, not while she was still willing to slow dance. This was where he needed to be; let the rest of the party do whatever it was going to do around them. "Good," he replied simply, holding Thana solidly to himself.

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Thalia Carmichael

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Location: L11 (Beach, Bar)
Skills: N/A

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People giving her shit back at the fire. Her first impulse might have been to extend her middle finger in the time honored tradition of her people. But her formerly dominant hand made that difficult without a little forethought, what with its loss and all. Ah, next time. At least they were more or less good-natured about it. It was an odd sort of settling for her, she figured that a group with actual intentions of harm might try harder to kiss her ass before lowering the axe. Giving her a little hassle in the middle of a community outing was actually a little bit of a relief. If she had to be out around people, at least they weren't sycophants, trying too hard to be agreeable.

Though it seemed something did begin to go down while she was getting her beer - it seemed the moment that Thalia ambled up to the bar, she was beset with interactions. At first, she side eyed Nigel and his apology for, if she got this right, speaking near her. "Wasn't listening to you. Listening to the fire." Fire good. Fire very good. She heard her name mentioned. It was correct, but she neither confirmed nor denied anything. Instead, she wordlessly took her beer as it was passed over, by someone again trying to be friendly. Thalia had just about taxed her willingness to be open with new people already. This was pretty simple though. Name for person A, name for person B, yay beer. "Yeah, Joaquin's sister," she repeated back to Adelaide. Bartender lady didn't seem to press conversation. Of course, if Adelaide's only experience with her family was knowing Joaquin, then perhaps it was a survival tactic keeping terse. She and her brother were different that way.

Thalia looked to Nigel, then Adelaide, and now Lisa, who had just spoken to her. "Nnn," she grunted back to Lisa, before sarcastically wondering aloud (and to no one in particular) in her trademarkable Boston accent, "Well, don't I feel like the prettiest girl at the Hahvest Moon Ball?" She took a quick pull of her beer. Yeah, it was beer all right. Maybe four or so more and she'd feel like opening up. Wait, that probably wasn't best, either. Coin toss.

🧚🏻‍♀️ The Walking Dead - Year 6 Part 1

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Ash Holloway

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Location: L11 (Beach, Bar -> Area in front of Stage)
Skills: N/A

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Such as anyone could enjoy a piece of the world that used to be, Ash was letting himself live in the moment. The tiny voice in the back of his head (metaphorically this time) that told him to remain vigilant, that no one was safe, ever, was still present; it was muffled enough for Ash to enjoy himself. Everything could come to a crashing, screaming halt any minute now, but that was highly unlikely. And honestly, the opportunity for some actual R&R was worth the risk. It had been a while. A long while.

Ash thanked Alexander and Manny for stopping by, even though they very likely just came over to give Thana a touch of accolade and he stepped into it with his own agenda, benign as it was. He needed to try to branch out and get to know people as more than personnel assets. For instance, the old guy was also an Alice Cooper fan. This was progress. They could talk music later. It wasn't his responsibility to tally assets, personnel or otherwise, anymore. Hell, all he had now was the responsibility of keeping Thana happy. No problem. As best he could, anyway.

Speaking to Thana's claim that she had done a cover of "Paint it, Black", Ash gave her a studious look, a nod, and then said, "That's something I would like to hear sometime, Thana." The thought kept with him for a moment as his mind drifted back to the video of her from Quarantine. "Live, I mean." Did she know that video was in there? He raised his glass and smiled behind it. The smile retreated a little bit when she changed the subject over to Riley. It had been another long while since he had heard her sing, too. "She's the real deal, all right. Never really listened to her stuff back Before, but the girl's got talent. Maybe I ought to leave something in a suggestion box about it." He shrugged uncertainly. Doubt lingered as to whether there was something along the lines of a suggestion box, but that was hardly the point. "Still want to catch you belting out 'Stones." He smiled. Some might find it roguishly charming, others might believe that he was trying to dislodge something from his teeth, unaccustomed to smiling as he had become up until very recently. He did somber up a little at the toast, downing his second with the intonation of, "Absent friends." They probably deserved more than a shot, but Ash wasn't out to get sloppy drunk this evening.

The sudden shift to a slow song had Ash looking to Thana with renewed interest in dancing, a sentiment that she beat him to verbally. At her insistence that he sweep her off her feet, Ash dropped an arm behind her and, with stalwart, confident grin, whisked her from the ground entirely to hold her in the traditional "crossing the threshold" position. As he stepped nearer to the area in front of the stage, Ash answered her question about dancing. "Learned a little at VMI, formal ball stuff. I was okay, but I'm a little out of practice, so..." It wasn't highly encouraging, but for Thana, he was going to give it a good attempt, so long as it didn't put her in any danger. She was still healing, and was supposed to be taking it easy. "I'll know enough," he assured her, carefully lowering her feet to the sand. He maintained a simple, appreciative look as he stared into her eyes, and began moving in a passable slow dance, supporting her as best he could. "Offer to carry is still on the table," he whispered in reminder. It had been a long time since he had danced, and was glad it was with her again.

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Thalia Carmichael

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Location: L11 (Beach, Fire Pits -> Bar)
Skills: N/A

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Thalia regarded Mizrahi silently as he cryptically answered her question. The training began whenever she asked. Okay. It seemed a little free and loose for a Marine training regimen, but if they already had a system for it then great, she was game. The thoughts of how to stage it around Tatiana's routines dancing gave her a piece of consideration; she did not want to drop the ballet lessons. It would mean layering two physical disciplines on top of one another, in addition to her work duties, whatever they might be. She would be forcing herself to exhaustion just to get through the day, and her recovery periods would be hell. Oh, and lest she forget her physical therapy for the use of a prosthetic limb. If she didn't break herself first, she was going to walk out of this beast. Ok, a beast who knew how to pirouette.

The food preparation around her seemed to snatch away her quiet time with the fire. While they had made no indication that she should move on, and in fact quite the opposite as conversation was broached, Thalia knew that the relative quiet of her fire-staring experience was done. The first part of that occurred when Morales, whom she was actually glad did not use her fashion advice from earlier, made a crack about her brother Joaquin. Thalia observed the man for a second, the thought "...no speedo..." escaping her mouth at a whisper, mostly covered by the crackle of the fire. She nodded satisfactorily at the thought, just as the guy received a whack from the back of a spoon. In an odd way, the exchange reminded her of some of the big gatherings back home, where the abuelitas got everything together and ran the kitchens like a boss, while you either helped out while holding on for dear life or, more wisely, got the hell out of the way.

In this instance, she stayed out of the way. Being that as it may, Thalia attempted to employ something akin to manners, looking around at those immediately present and saying flatly, "Save my spot, please. I'll be right back." Actually saving a spot standing around a firepit was kind of ludicrous; it was more an indicator that she wasn't leaving because she was being rude nor that they were annoying her. She still felt like she needed to stay on guard a little, but logically understood that it was because she didn't know these people. Thalia was a roughhewn as of recent years, not intentionally rude. Usually. In any case, she was trying to open herself up to the idea that this was a party. Glancing over to the bar, she noticed that Thash had left the area, with only a couple of preexisting locals remaining.

Thalia sighed, mumbling, "Interacting with people. Nnn..." while walking over. She didn't bother making small talk, instead resting her arms, metal and flesh both, upon the bar and looking over the options available. Losing her senses was not the goal. She wasn't so comfortable here that she wanted to dull her ability to think or fight, if need be. At the same time, she really was trying to be a part of the festivities. "Hey, um," she began, a little unsure of herself, "Can I um, ...hmm. Beer?" She noted the people present around her. At this second, aside from Adelaide, another local woman she hadn't met yet was leaning against the bar. She took note of the woman's posture and demeanor, a habit birthed from earlier days of threat assessment. Satisfied, Thalia's overt attention returned to the objective.

🧚🏻‍♀️ The Walking Dead - Year 6 Part 1

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Ash Holloway

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Location: L11 (Beach, Bar)
Skills: N/A

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Ash couldn't help but smile as Thana leaned in and kissed his cheek. "Yeah..." he said quietly, his tone colored by both his smile and his Virginian accent, "I miss the peach stuff, too." Spurred on by her mention of counting down from sixty, Ash recognized the intent. The last time he had peach moonshine was the night of the wedding; the night that he and Thana shared a perfect evening together.

Ash noted the old man with the prosthetic leg sauntering up, so much as he was able to saunter, persay. He was part of Thana's group, when they had split up last year. Ash didn't recall offhand seeing the man with a fake leg then, much like the familiar looking girl had both of her hands back then, too. They must have had a hard time of it. In any case, far be it for Ash to get in the way of the old man - Alexander, yes that was his name. He returned Alexander's nod and make a token show of gesturing toward Thana, indicating his lack of problem with the interruption. The mention of Eden definitely got Ash's attention. He hadn't heard much of the story about what went down there, only that there were heavy losses and the result was that Eden was just as demolished as Newnan. Ash still wished that he could have been there. He had trained for it, only for him to be denied by the earth itself, splitting open while he was on the wrong side of the chasm. "Thank you, Alexander. I said something to Thana, and your angry one-handed friend, but it was all of you. You finished the mission I couldn't. You saved lives. Thank you."

It was then that he noticed Manny. Also in Thana's group, though if memory served he mentioned back in Quarantine that he was a rescue from Eden. Another life saved by them, and he probably returned the favor often enough. It was how people survived anymore. He gave Manny a polite nod. They hadn't talked very much, he and the dentist/apocalypse doc. Maybe he'd strike up a conversation after he and Thana had their words. It occurred to Ash that the Eden group were keeping relatively close together, in comparison to his people from Newnan. They were integrating or sticking to themselves, while Thana's team had more of a shared identity. In the Mess Hall, too. He found it interesting. Alexander's mentioning the Rolling Stones gave Ash the barest hint of a smile. "For the record, I'm an Alice Cooper fan, too. But he never did 'Sympathy of the Devil'."

The mention of music seemed to cue the actual tunes on stage. It him a little by surprise. It wasn't his kind of music, but any music, this day and age, was a blessing. Ash poured two more shots, one for him and Thana, and slid her glass over to her. "Two to get things rolling, then I'm slowing down," he promised. Whether anyone knew it or not, that was a sign that he was loosening up in a fundamental way; a habit going back before the Outbreak. But what really got him was the song selection as the eclectic group of CMB dwellers began to belt it out. "Hey, I think I know this song," said Ash. "Yeah, James used to play it in his truck..." And with that, he just made himself sad. James was a good man who died right in front of him, the same day Newnan fell. He was a good friend and marvelous barbecue-er.

Still, Ash chose to smile. He looked to Thana and tilted his head to the side, inquiring, "Want to wait for a slow one, or would you like to dance?" He smiled a little bigger. "Long as I'm with you I'm good, either way."

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Thalia Carmichael

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Location: L11 (Beach, Fire Pits)
Skills: N/A

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It was impulsive. Not really the kind of thing that Thalia did, just go up to one of the main people in charge of an installation and make a request like that. Too much of a presumption, too much of a risk. For all she knew, that would have been a one-way ticket to garbage patrol for the next five years or so. Thalia felt the weight of that when Gunny crossed his arm and shook his head. Great. Dumpster duty, here she comes. She narrowed her eyes and looked at him for a half second before realizing that he was actually pointing her in the direction of the man who led the team that picked them up outside the walls. Okay, so there was something in place for just such an occasion.

And something else: Thalia instantly and internally scolded herself for feeling bad about the more direct nature of her speech. No, this was exactly the kind of thing that she would have done. Doing so in a larger social setting was what initially threw her off. It was still something that she would have to get used to. She wasn't in the wilderness anymore, she wasn't with a small group either, and she sure as hell wasn't with her Shieldmaidens in their primitive, log-walled village. It was an adjustment, like eating left-handed.

Mizrahi seemed talkative. Four or five words were more than she had heard the man personally say, so any sort of encouragement on his part seemed misplaced, as if Thalia herself had donned a cheerleading outfit and began rooting for the local baseball team. Not that she couldn't pull it off, metal arm aside. She had excellent physicality and she wasn't even back to her fighting best, yet. And one might be able to hide a blade behind a pom-pom. In fact, that might be one hell of a decent ploy, back in the day. But to the present, Mizrahi mentioned that there were others like her, missing limbs? No, she didn't want the frigging Special Olympics version of soldiering. She wanted every piece of the obstacles that a normally able person would have to overcome. To hell with abbreviated training. Or maybe she was reading too much into it. Anger was her comfort zone sometimes. Maybe Maddog had a good setup without pulling punches, or helping them adjust to combat and the like with fierceness. That would be more like her.

"Looking forward to it," she said simply, still staring into the fire. She would have to move when the real cooking got started, but for now she had a fire to meditate with, and it was all good. "Do yah know when he takes on new recruits?"

🧚🏻‍♀️ The Walking Dead - Year 6 Part 1

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Ash Holloway

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Location: M10 (Beach) -> L11 (Also Beach, Bar)
Skills: N/A

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"Counting down from... ?" wondered Ash aloud. He was sure that he knew what Thana was talking about, but it just didn't click with him immediately. A second later it hit him like someone offered a ballbat to the back of his head. His eyes got wide as clarity was knocked into him, indicated by a slightly elongated, "Oh..." A blush flashed across his cheeks. Yeah, he knew what she was talking about. With so much else happening that evening and then the following day, the return of that detail was a blessing. He slipped an arm around Thana's waist out of a sudden urge to be closer to her. Ash's smile, a rare thing in recent times, seemed infectious.

The idea of a drink and a place to sit worked well for Ash. Not so much the sitting part as he wanted to get about and familiarize himself with his new surroundings, though his want to stick close to Thana was greater. He had spent quite enough time away from her as it was, and besides, enough to drink and he wouldn't have a choice in the question of sitting, anyway. Not that he expected to be allowed enough flammable libation as to snuff out his sense of balance, of course. And if offered, acting in that manner wasn't who he was generally. This might be especially true on the first day of freedom from Quarantine, out into the greater areas of Camp Mexico Beach. It might be an apocalypse and he might have no actual rank nor authority anymore, but in his heart Ash was still an officer and a man of principle. One or two wouldn't hurt, though. Raised on the stuff and being in good health, celebrating a little wouldn't kill him. It might even do him some good.

Introductions with the other alcohol aficionado in town seemed a little chilly. It could be said that Adelaide was busy at the time, though Ash suspected there might be another factor involved. In any case, as the unlabeled mason jar of clear liquid found itself in front of Ash he voiced a simple, "Thank you." Courtesy was still an important thing, situation permitting. He did as Thana suggested and cracked open the jar, inhaling the escaping vapors of its contents. He knew what this was. He was raised around it from the day he was born. This was uncasked, barely aged whiskey, young enough that a discerning individual versed in boozecraft could still pick out the ingredients that comprised its initial mash. This was 'shine. Ash poured some of the contents into each of the shot glasses and, with a sideways nod, tipped the contents back in a relaxed manner.

It was decent stuff. Not produced in the manner of the Holloway Distillery, but very good quality. Ash motioned to the other glass and then to Thana, remarking, "This is not bad. At all." It was an excellent continuation to their evening. "You're next, Thana." He raised his empty glass in the direction of Adelaide, helping Lisa at the other end of the bar. It was a sign of respect from one distiller to another. His attention otherwise was only for Thana.

---

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Thalia Carmichael

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Location: L11 (Beach, Fire Pits)
Skills: N/A

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There was something about a fire that Thalia had come to appreciate since the world decided to eat itself. She couldn't quite appreciate it Before, being as she was a city girl primarily and the only open fires she saw with any regularity were around Christmastime. Even then, it was the broadcast dubbed the "Fireplace Channel" by her and her friends. Real, natural fire was awesome. There were many nights that Thalia would set up on rooftops and build fires in bowl shaped objects and barrels, having secured her surroundings from Zed incursion and just stare into the warm, dancing light. She had become more comfortable in time being alone in the woods or in the hills, having dug out a dakota style fire pit and surrounding her position with crude spears or other bits of bushcraft. She would sit and allow the quiet fire to bring her to a meditative state, ears open to the sounds in the darkness around her. Thalia hadn't done that but sparingly as of the last year. Being with a group meant that her tactics had to change for the betterment of all people involved. This meant taking different shelter. Less fire. Changing survival strategies. Re-entering social dynamics.

It was funny how staring into a fire could center Thalia. Even in the company of others with whom she was not personally familiar, in this instance. Those two most immediate to her location were Thana's father and the guy who had her back when she went back out into the world. Navy trusted these men, and so Thalia did, enough not to raise the more guarded of her behavior around them for the time being. She remained as polite as she could muster, giving Gunny passing eye contact as he spoke before turning his attention back to the fire. She was surprised when the older man spoke again, paying her a compliment unless she was mistaken. Or at least relaying one. So Navy spoke highly of her? Curious. Did Thana start the story when they all met? Perhaps when Thalia painted her face as a skull in preparation of multiple murders. Or dispassionately blew that cult leader asshole's brains out of the back of his head. Or any of the number of times she'd seen Thalia revert to her more primitive survival instincts, like a feral dog. Well she wasn't going to call the man a liar - Thalia had good things to say about Thana as well, if she ever felt like sharing. And they did keep each other alive. Mugsy, too. And Manny. And Beatrice.

To the complimentary relay, Thalia gave Gunny a monosyllabic, "Nnn," followed by a quiet and flat, "Thanks." After a contemplative moment, she looked to the man with a serious expression. Thalia weighed her words carefully before inquiring, "Marine, yah?" her mouth parted slightly and she nodded her head, "Can you teach me?" He wasn't sure what that might or might not entail, but it would be a hell of a thing for her to be the first post-apocalyptic Mestiza Assassin Shieldmaiden Survivalist training as a ballet dancing Marine. Hell, she couldn't make this up if she was writing a comic book.

🧚🏻‍♀️ The Walking Dead - Year 6 Part 1

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Ash Holloway

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Location: M5 (Front of Officer Housing) -> M10 (Beach)
Skills: N/A

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Ash was rarely the type to use unnecessary personal attacks, even at inanimate objects like PA speakers, but he was sorely tempted to do exactly that. Or to whomever was making the announcements. Either way, the circumstances of the moment had stolen a kiss from them, and he wasn't feeling exactly festive about it. In a way, this was an indicator that the Post Apocalypse Founding Fathers of Mexico Beach ran a tight ship. And thinking rationally on it, he and Thana had time for each other now. And a social event - the social event, to hear of it - to attend. Like normal people might. Life did not suck. At her insistence that she not play the role of 'human backpack', Ash was a little disappointed but understood fully. He was there to help, not to make her dependent nor delay her healing time. "Gotcha," he responded, moving out of her way so she could get her sandals. "Offer's still there whenever you need me."

Okay, so missed opportunity for extended alone time could be readdressed later. Ash kept to Thana's heels, making more not to crowd her on the way down and out of Officers' Housing. Hallway, stairs, door, and now out onto the streets of the Camp. Ash had the briefest thoughts of worry. He had felt relatively secure inside of the walls of Newnan. Hell, it was a sweet setup that worked for their mismatched little group of survivors, the biggest fly in the ointment being Eden, whose people seemed to be able to enter and leave their community at will regardless of precautions or armed watches, snipers, etc., but that problem had a solution in the works. Point being, there was a sense of permanence with Newnan that was shattered. Ash had that feeling here for a moment, only to have the memory of everything crashing down around them rush to the forefront. He shook it away as best he could. If nothing else, Ash was an engineer. Civil, mechanical, combat. These people were his people now. He would do whatever he could to make it work for everyone. A man like him, while not irreplaceable in the least, was useful in a community.

Ash looked to Thana as their feet found paved ground, and he smiled at her. She might not be the only reason that he was here, but initially she was the most important one. He offered his hand as they walked, not to help but just because he wanted to hold her hand as they sauntered along the uncrowded streets. As the sun began to set on the quiet little Florida settlement, Ash took the moment to enjoy his surroundings. "Beach party, woman I love, sunset in the tropics. There's a lot worse ways to spend an evening." he gave it a little thought, "Experienced most of them too, I think..." He shook his head. Those evenings were not this one, and this one was the only one he had to worry about.

The buildings parted as they reached the the beginning of sand and the uncluttered sound of water reaching shore. It was a pretty sight. Ash looked around at the festivities set up for them. "I'm the new guy here, so... what do you want to do first?" He raised inquisitive eyebrows at his lovely escort, plainly up for just about anything so long as it involved her.

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Thalia Carmichael

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Location: L8 -> L11
Skills: N/A

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The thoughts in Thalia's head didn't turn to the completely dark, but they did serve to isolate her more than she had intended to. Even walking down the street in was was supposed to be a safe territory, she felt alone. More than she had in a long time. The last year had sucked royally, and out loud. Like, "fat guy enthusiastically eating an overripe peach" kind of a loud, sucking sound, which was horrible because Thalia actually liked peaches. Well, when that mental image left her brain, she could go back to liking peaches, because fuck that noise. Anyway, this wasn't healthy for her, and she knew it. But opening up to total strangers, many of which would have no idea what she had gone through? What any of them had? Her thought process told her that she was better off in the fringes, like usual. Away from people. Helping them maybe, but apart. Nothing else made sense.

No, Thalia just needed to find her niche, learn to be a soldier (or something like it) here, and add it to her repertoire of badassery while getting herself back in top form. That was the plan. Move beyond the loss, because everyone else lost people, too. Work with the missing hand, because it could have been worse and now she was part robot, goddamnit.

It didn't stop her from feeling open and exposed when she made it to the beach. This piece of sand was larger than she had anticipated. The reeds and grasses that naturally provided some separation from buildings and beach didn't really help much. Nor did the water, actually, it made it somewhat worse. Logic stated flatly that deep water was a good thing, so far as protection from Zeds went. Not flawless, but good. And the walls, same thing. And the people that would be here, many of which would be armed. But it was all so open. Thalia shouldn't have wanted to hide, but she did. She really wanted to have that level of control over her situation, as her survival instincts kept pinging inside of her skull. This was not good. Her fleshy left hand began to move to where she used to keep her backup knife, purely out of habit to comfort herself. But it wasn't there. Of course it wasn't there.

Just when she was about to turn back and sit in her new room with the lights off, a flicker caught her eye. She knew what that was, and in truth missed it more than she realized. Steadily, one foot on front of the other, Thalia made her way to one of the fires. She stared at it for a moment, feeling its healing warmth and the crackle of its orangey life making music with the ebb and flow of the tide further out. Okay, she was okay. Thalia took in and blew out a deep breath, then looked around with keen eyes, noting a familiar face who shared a set of authoritative eyes, if even less of a conversationalist than herself: Gunny. "Thana's dad, yah?" she noted in mild Bostonian, albeit in the form of a question. "Easy to tell up close." Her eyes went back to the fire as she continued, if distantly, "Raised you a decent lady."

🧚🏻‍♀️ The Walking Dead - Year 6 Part 1

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Ash Holloway

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Location: M5 (Officer Housing)
Skills: N/A

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Again, Ash was a little weirded out that no one seemed to remember and/or care that he had a strong grasp of the Spanish language. He tried not to react to the way in which he was being casually discussed over shouting distance about matters of mid-coital pursuits, though a corner of his mouth was trying pretty hard to curl upward. Luckily, he kept the red from manifesting on his face. Those two women had history; Ash saw the them the day their paths crossed, and then nothing else of either or them for a long time. They would need some time to themselves eventually, to work out whatever they needed to work out. But that wouldn't be right now. Maybe it was selfish of him, but Ash wanted to keep Thana all to himself for a while more.

As soon as they were back in their quarters and Thana was on the bed removing her shoes, Ash sat down next to her and lovingly ran a hand along her hair. She spoke of his unexpected and surprising presence upon her return to Camp Mexico Beach. This was something that he could relate to, considering the nature of her return. It had been a shock for him as well. A big one. "I thought you were dead. I was braced for the worst, and when your father... Well, I thought you were dead." Ash held her gaze evenly, the details of his expression reacting with a shadow of the emotion he had previously worked so hard to restrain. He remembered the drama that happened directly after the news was dropped. He still had a mark on he side of his face from where Tatiana decked him and her wedding ring had gouged a hole. "I couldn't believe what I was seeing wen you stepped out of that truck." So, it was the tiniest amount of deception. After all was said and done, Ash didn't care. Life was suddenly a lot better.

When she held her hand out, Ash reached out and took it in his, moving in and kneeling in front her. He shuffled closer, until their faces were mere centimeters apart. He glanced toward the door, almost a reflex to make sure that it was locked, and looked back into Thana's eyes. "So, how long do we have until the party?" he inquired, still fully aware that Doc recommended against vigorous activity. While he wasn't planning on any, the guy had said nothing about a little personal, reaffirming affection while they had some time.

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Thalia Carmichael

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Location: L6 -> L8
Skills: N/A

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Thalia gave a sarcastic chuckle that looked very much like a mildly amused huff. "...come up for air..." she mumbled aloud. It was a strange habit to have, occasionally verbalizing thoughts. Or at least it was for someone whose survival strategy included not being seen or heard easily. She let the thought wash away in the stream of stimuli around her. Though there didn't seem to be a lot of people around her right now, the presence of other living, breathing individuals was apparent. No telltale sound of wildlife, even the scurrying of insects was silent. On the other hand, if she listened close, there were snatches of conversation echoing along the hard surfaces of buildings around her. As she was walking past housing, Thalia could swear that she saw curtains ruffle every so often or catch movement out of the corner of her eye. This was not something she was used to anymore, being around groups of people. Even at a distance. The guys out on the road were different. They were all out there together, surviving amid chaos. Even it was something she had to adapt to. When she did, and began acting as part of a small unit (emphasis on small), Thalia could see the advantages. Maybe she'd find those here, too. As long as it didn't make her weak.

It took her a couple of moments to realize that she was instinctively walking toward the beach. Why was that? It had been a while since she had seen the ocean. Since Boston, or back in her previous lifetime, as she had come to refer to the time before the Outbreak. She missed the ocean a little. Was she going there because here were people there, and would be more later? That was unlike her, anymore. You need people to survive, but getting too close to people opened you up to manipulation. Maybe part of her wanted to be involved in something again, even if she did stay to the margins. These were deep thoughts that really didn't do anything for her except to distract her from her surroundings.

Mugsy had a home now. Great. Manny might have himself a purpose that didn't involve amputation. Or less amputation. Whatever. Thana... found her Knight Errant. Good for her. And Beatrice? Maybe she'd get a good answer one day, but today she felt a little abandoned. Again, whatever. She'd lost people to death before. Lots. Lola... she saved Thalia's life the day that she died. But this was the first time since all this happened that she lost someone by their choice. It felt strange. Depressing, even. Thalia continued walking down to the beach, these thoughts rattling around in her head.

🧚🏻‍♀️ The Walking Dead - Year 6 Part 1

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Ash Holloway

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Location: L5 (Mess Hall) -> M5
Skills: N/A

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Our place. Ash did like the sound of that. True, it was not the spacious digs that he had back in Newnan. Two thoughts sprung from this. The first one was that he only used a portion of those spacious digs the vast majority of the time, and the other being that his Newnan home was in a sinkhole. And more importantly, he was living with Thana. Even if the house was right in front of him and in perfect condition, a hovel next door would be preferable if it contained Thana. Okay, three things. Her quarters were simple yet adequate, and had a great view. What could be seen outside the window was nice, too.

While carrying a someone piggyback, one of the risks involved was a sudden outburst from the carried party, seeing as they were right next to your ear. Thana was more courteous than most, but it was still taken as a surprise. One of the reasons for the surprise was that Ash's attention was placed on the one-handed lady who was yelling something about a Speedo. Not knowing much about her but being familiar with her family, she seemed to take after her cousin. The return, a lamenting call from Thana, made Ash really wish he never learned Spanish. He suppressed a scoff, not wishing to be involved in the slightest with any of the indigenous personnel and a Speedo. Likewise, he listened to the woman's retort with nary a raised eyebrow. Yeah, Ash was NOPEing out of this one with a bullet.

The order was issued to transport his precious cargo away from this place before uber-revealing European men's swimwear was brought up again. Or rather, so that no more visuals were deposited into Thana's mind unbidden. Well, he wasn't a miracle worker, but he was a set of broad shoulders to lean on and functioning legs with which he might carry her away from this place and its dank, repetitive mention of Speedo related topics. "Yeah, I second that," he agreed, and made a beeline in the direction of the nearby Officers' Quarters. Ash paused at the door to Thana's - check that - their quarters and he asked politely, "Shall I, or do you want the honor?" He gave a little smile. It was an expression that was not commonly seen on him in recent years, though more lately he'd been freer with it. "If you do it, I can carry you for a few more seconds," he added with mirth.

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Thalia Carmichael

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Location: L5 (Just Outside Mess Hall) -> L6
Skills: N/A

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The sudden suggestion about the Speedo was slightly out of character for Thalia. She had been guarded and even a little standoffish for the entirety of her time here at CMB. Hell, she was still pissed about something, but it wasn't yet an appropriate time to address the issue. Maybe it was because she saw Thana exiting the building and knew that she would back her up, like they did out in the world for the past year and more. Or it could just be a rebellious stab against her usual nature to withdraw, easily noticed and easily forgotten. As to the former, it looked like Navy was a different person than when she was out there. Yeah, and why not? She belonged here. It was very possible that Thalia didn't. The only reason she was here and not back on the road with Beatrice was her brother. Admittedly, it was a compelling reason.

She didn't quite catch the response that The Goat made, if any, though the response from Thana could be considered direct. Thalia gave a faux derisive smile in her direction (atop Ash) and responded with, "Cuando termines de hacer tu asalto anfibio con tu Capitán del Ejército, quiero hablarte sobre algo₁." She eyed Ash for a moment, then back to Thana, "Okay? Later, Navy." She took a deep breath and began to quietly walk down he road perpendicular to her position, toward general housing and in the general direction of the beach. Thalia wasn't sure where she wanted to end up that hour, who she might want to end up with (if anyone), nor what she wanted to do when she got there, but she did want a little time to process the realities of her new situation and both the pros and cons therein. A portion of this was trying to figure out what this place had to offer aside from regular food and relative safety. How would this place make her stronger? Maybe, Thalia figured, she would have to speak to a few of the residents. She wasn't so good at social, sadly.

One foot kept being placed in front of the other as she continued to slowly make her way down the street, taking in details that she might have missed on the tour. This was a big place. Far larger than the number of people needed for living and work space. There had to be some generally unused corners of the great civil enclosure that was CMB for her to make herself unseen, and even useful to her own rehabilitation and physical conditioning.

Translations

1 = When you're done making your amphibious assault with your Army Captain, I want to talk to you about something.

🦄 Tartarean Strands - Chapter 1: The Collision

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Caesar Gonzalez

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Location: Soulless Fade Between
Skills: N/A

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Though his interests and cares leaned away from the goals of the people present, Caesar had to admit that he had just received the best deal he was likely going to get from the guy in the stupid hat. He stared into the man's eyes and gave him a wordless nod. So long as they were in the same group, sure. If his scenery suddenly changed again, there was no point in either of them helping each other unless he came along for the ride. But for now, so long as they were together, an agreement could be reached. The one man in the vintage clothing made his cursory search of their surroundings in a manner that reminded him of a fellow investigator, giving Caesar a sort of a buffer; if one man was already trying to harvest clues in a place that he had little interest in anyway then he didn't have to, nor give up anything about himself other than what he wanted to let slip. Great. Less for him to do, more mental allotment to focus on the task at hand. Caesar had a name and a place, even if he had no idea how to get there from his present location.

Then the woman started to speak. She seemed to like to talk. Not as much as the tall Circus guy, but enough. Both of them talked about creatures of shadows and sulphur, like it was a common thread between vastly different groups. Not much of a joiner except under certain circumstances, the older Mexican weighed in, "We took out one, too. Creature you were talking about. I shot it with this. Twelve gauge. Solid slug. It just knocked it back. M'hija got it with an improvised explosive." He looked around at the people in his immediate vicinity. The secondmost talkative one seemed to know something, even if it was a story or something from a history book. The Russian claimed that he engaged one in combat and one of his own was able to destroy it by other means. There was another investigator. Caesar himself was a walking arsenal with decades of experience with violence. And they all had a language in common. The smart call, he figured, was to stay together - so long as everyone was on task and didn't put him at risk. Unless this place has a map or supplies, I have no use for it. Chthonic Groves. Proserpine. If no one knows where, higher ground is priority." Caesar looked down at his boot. He was glad to have them, standing in this water, and glad that he kept them in decent condition. Without another word, Caesar hefted his shotgun to the ready and flipped his machete to an underhanded grip, then began to stride cautiously toward the exterior door. This place might have been a church at one time, but right now it felt like a tomb.