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7 yrs ago
Current Malfunctioning Space Toilet (favorite death post in RPG) : roleplayerguild.com/posts/4…
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9 yrs ago
Example of a "Character Flaw": roleplayerguild.com/posts/32..
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Ash Holloway

Location: M12 (Beach) -> M7
Skills: N/A




The kiss on his cheek was sweet. A rare, tiny piece of innocence in a world that destroyed innocence outright. Ash gave another smile and hugged her closer for a moment. It occurred to him that if they got any closer, the two of them would have to learn how to eat while sitting in each others' laps. Giving it some thought, that wasn't really so unpleasant a prospect. Hell, he might insist on it before too long. Ash shook his head slightly and returned to his meal. It was amazing how one could absently consume a meal without consciously being aware of it. Such was it with Ash, who looked down to a mostly empty plate that he fully remembered eating in hindsight but which still gave him a microsecond of surprise. Tilting back the last two tiny, round potatoes, Ash rose alongside Thana, agreeing wholeheartedly with her suggestion for the remainder of the evening. Get this put up, carry her ass to bed. "Sounds good to me," he said, readying for Step One of the overall plan.

Ash did have his concerns about Thana using her leg after sitting down like they both were for a while. She didn't seem to mind very much. Even punctuated this concept by sticking her tongue out at him. Yeah, she was fine. But the second that Step Two of Thana's master plan came into play, he was snatching her up like a Black Friday toaster oven and hauling ass.

Getting back to the compost bin and dish tub brought the pair in line of sight with the stage. Now, Ash was never really an N'Sync fan. Music of any kind these days was a blessing, no doubt about it, but this was a special case. Looking at these men, these really tough guys, performing particularly bad choreography to a hit from the boy band era, Ash realized that he probably didn't have that kind of courage. Facing down hordes of animated corpses that wanted to gnaw his face off, sure. Fighting off cultists, or cannibals, or bandits, yeah. Gathering his people together after their home collapses into a sinkhole and embarking upon a year and a half (plus change) long quest to find a woman he met and fell in love with, goes without saying. But to somehow draw from within him the courage to do that? Not unless the upper management of Camp Mexico Beach profoundly upped the drink limits for these soirees.

All that was left, with the exception of staring oddly at the stage for a moment or so longer, was to do as told and get Thana the hell out of there. A look of mischief took Ash. It was time for Step Two. "As the Commander requests," he said with a nod of his head, and swept Thana up in his arms. She did say carry her to bed. Confident steps brought them away from the beach en route to Officer's Housing. He noted that others were likewise on their way back to their quarters or wherever beckoned them at this hour of the evening. That was their business. The only business that mattered to Ash was in his arms, her form comfortably pressed against him as he walked along, careful not to aggravate her not-quite-fully healed leg.



Thalia Carmichael

Location: M7 (Condo, 17B)
Skills: N/A



A lot to take in. A lot to adjust to. Trust was still not an easy thing to come by. Being inside of walls and living by someone else's code of conduct was also not particularly easy for her. If this place wasn't run by Thana's people she might have more of an issue than she did. And of course the cincher was that she had actual blood family here as well; a brother through their father, though they had different mothers. That was not the kind of thing that she could just walk away from. Shiny metal arm that she had to learn how to use, not to mention the necessity of using her left for detail work now. Though that was not something brought about by this place. It happened because she got sloppy. So, fine. This was home now. The idea of getting some time to herself in the woods or the hills, fire hardening a stout sapling or straight branch into a spear was not going to happen for a while yet. Maybe it was for the best. Thalia had so much to relearn. She felt like such a novice.

Thalia was already walking off by the time the last song of the night began. In contrast to the ones which had come before it, this one wasn't live. It was enough to make Thalia turn around in the sand and give the stage a quick peek. Not because she liked the song any more than the rest of them, but because it was different. Different, out in the world, usually meant "pay attention, dumbass", otherwise she wouldn't have bothered. What she saw was seared into her retinas so badly that after closing her eyes and shaking her head a few times, she could still see it. No, no this was a good time to slip away before anyone noticed. "What the hell kind of place did I wander into?" she whispered to herself. The man from whom she would hopefully be taking military training was up there, gyrating away. Thalia moved away slowly until she felt comfortable putting her back to it, then left it behind her. It wasn't until after she cleared the scene and was halfway back to her assigned bunk (with Joaquin, which was kind of nice) that she started to laugh at what she saw. It felt like the first time in a while.

Dodging people and letting the children have a wide berth in front of her, Thalia finally made it back to her quarters. She would deal with this treasure hunt, or whatever it was, when it was convenient to do so. It was time for sleep. Check that; it was time to sit someplace, uncomfortable in semi-civilized surroundings and making security sweeps of her assigned room, until she could turn off her more cautious senses enough to slip into a state of rest. She expected that starting tomorrow, things would get busy.


Ash Holloway

Location: M12 (Beach)
Skills: N/A




Ash loosely curled one arm around Thana's waist again and held her closer to himself, even as she curled against him. It was like he was compelled to be as close to her as possible and if that meant he only had one hand to enjoy his seafood boil with, then he would make due. It felt good to be close to someone else in this way, and it felt better that it was Thana. The founders of CMB couldn't have come up with better timing for this soiree, either, or rather the time seemed to fall into place with their exit from Quarantine and Thana's return. He might have wished for a tiny change in the way that rumors of her demise were squashed before they had time to fester, but if everything in this new place was perfect, Ash would probably suspect something. It was all in the past, anyway, be it the very recent past. New chapter on his life; page had been turned, and suchlike.

Now, what did manage to snap him out of the fuzzy and nostalgic bent that his brain had gone on for the last several seconds were the insinuations that Thana herself was putting across to him. Ash definitely raised an eyebrow at the idea that she wouldn't need her strength for what was to follow their romantic time on the beach with fresh seafood, the stars, and each others' company. Though she was likely just kidding with him, Ash was amazed to find out that it did give a fraction of a second of genuine worry. However, the follow-up that he would most assuredly need his strength, and insisted that he eat up for that reason, smoothed that over rather readily. It even sounded like an order. He smiled. As a career Army man before the world fell apart, he was accustomed to receiving and following orders from a superior officer. And be they of different branches, Thana held the higher pay grade. Ash raised his hand into a proper military salute and responded with a subdued yet cheerfully acquiescent, "Yes, Ma'am," and saw to his meal with all of the decorum of a man who was set to do his proper duty. As many times, point of fact, as necessary until the task was completed to his superior's complete satisfaction. Digging deep, putting his back into it, setting his nose to the grindstone, and otherwise throwing himself wholeheartedly into the blissful labors thereof; so long as Thana was happy, so was Ash.

Leaning over, he kissed the side of Thana's neck and said, "We have all the time we need. All the time in the world. An' I'm happy I get to spend it with you." The general feeling in the air, at least for Ash, was that they were at the precipice of something big, and something new. For now, he could simply sit back and enjoy the salt air, the clear, night sky, and he couldn't ask for better company. It was a very nice night.



Thalia Carmichael

Location: L11 (Bar) -> M7 (Condo, 17B)
Skills: N/A



The lack of response about a skin artist in town settled that question for the time being. It was probably for the best anyway, seeing as a simple infection could claim lives nowadays unless someone in town knew how to make penicillin. But that really wouldn't have surprised Thalia, either. So to hell with it. Ask again later, different people, try to have something to trade for the service. As she was thinking this, her eyes couldn't move from the graceless acts of an over-intoxicated Hunter. It was not flattering in the least, and it seemed to strike Thalia a little more personally than she thought it might have. This was a person who apparently had a survival strategy not unlike her own, and that colored the rather antisocial nature of the both of them. She had made different decisions, though. And she always had a goal to work toward. Those two points counted for a lot. A mild change of perspective and the guy might not get himself banished via catapult, which was a funny concept in theory. But that would mean that he would be more like her... Nah, maybe it was better this way.

The off-and-on conversation around the bar continued with Adelaide describing Chase. While Thalia wasn't sure exactly what the stereotypical "Weather Girl" might be useful for, subsequent explanation had that making a lot of sense. Blonde, cute, 30s, loner, chased tornadoes back in the day. Hence the name. Monitored equipment, presumably related to her former profession. "Yah, thanks. Haven't met her," was all she would say about it. Not much of a discussion without a common frame of reference, but if she felt like continuing her mid-coital exploits with the home team here, she knew one that was single. File that away for a maybe.

The announcement that alcohol was shut down didn't overly bother Thalia. She had consumed one beer and switched away from it altogether. The tea tasted better to her anyway, and thought on the subject had her taking another sip. Yeah, good stuff. On the upside though, the idea of starting a Guild and getting shirts was being received well. Not much of a joiner, persay, there might be something to it anyway. It did make her think of a friend of hers from a while back, though, who would have jumped at this kind of opportunity. She was a loud and obnoxious bitch, and Thalia missed her greatly. But back to the present. The laughter of the local lady at the bar turned her head around at first, but it was the further discussion from Ada that inclined her to speak again. "I thought Yondar Sex Rock was a band. Or am I thinking of something else..?" she mused, before her brain registered something else from two seconds earlier. Less, maybe. "You guys gaht a D&D group here? I played in college. Hell, some of the lessons from it kept my ass alive when the Zeds came, y'know?" Like humanity started over as Level 1 characters and those who kept surviving got to level up. Thalia made a mental note to speak on that philosophy a little later on. It was good stuff. Another mental note - find the D&D group. Again, later.

It seemed that she had her own quest to fulfill, and it didn't involve dungeon crawling nor abnormally sized lizards with flaming halitosis. Thalia downed the rest of her tea with a series of gulps, wiped her mouth with the back of her ...no, she already hit herself with a steel arm once today, try again... (ahem) pulled the paper out of her back pocket and read it again. To the women with whom she had been talking, she said, "Pahty's winding down. I'm going to wind down with it. Hunt fucks with you anotheh time, alright? G'night then." It was probably as polite as she could scrape up right then, even to the point of surprising herself a little. Thalia found the appropriate spot for her glass, then took her leave.

Joaquin had some explaining to do.


Ash Holloway

Location: M12 (Beach)
Skills: N/A




The fact that Thana was able to guess who had called together the Great Fuck Hunt of Mexico Beach was telling of both the place and the people in it. Ash had to stifle a laugh from getting a touch out of hand. He wasn't accustomed to laughter quite so much anymore, as least when it came from him. It would have to be something he got used to again, and he felt that in this place, he just might. CMB had a cast of characters, all right, and they seemed to know each other well enough. It had all the earmarks of a community, and not just a gaggle of refugees. "I'm sure she knew I was spoken for. Even said as much, more or less," commented Ash, remembering the sarcastic quip that came from Nikki just earlier. Ash remembered feeling slightly insulted, if temporary, as the woman referring to Thana as a fuck that he had found. All in good fun, he supposed, but it didn't sit well with him. But this wasn't a moment to think about her. Too young, too flighty, too not Thana. That last distinction was the most important.

The moment after she finagled that kiss from him, Ash followed with, "If everybody doesn't already know I've got a 'thing for ya', then I'm doing something really, really wrong here, Thawna." He wore a lovestruck smile on his face; something he would likely have, off and on, for a very long time yet to come. Ash nodded knowingly as she confessed her duality of want at that moment. He understood the feelings there, as he was having them himself. Was it better to keep this moment alive for the time being or go back someplace truly private to make up for lost time? It seemed a pity that they couldn't do both. He laid a hand on top of hers and spoke with a clear, soft voice. "I lost you a long time ago, Thana. Lived for a year and a half, just about, not knowing when or even if I'd ever see you again. Now here we are, sitting under the stars, the sea breaking in front of us, and a warm wind blowing through our hair. All this miracle around us, and I still can't stop looking at you. So, as long as I'm with you, no matter what you want tonight, I'm truly satisfied." Ash leaned forward and stole a kiss of his own, letting it linger as he heard yet another crash of sea against sand in front of them.




Thalia Carmichael

Location: L11 (Bar)
Skills: N/A



"Depends on my tastes? Yeah..." responded Thalia, followed by a nonchalant shrug. "I've got no fucking idea what my 'tastes' are anymoreh." It was a strange thing, as she thought about it. Her sexuality and proclivities therein weren't a thing up for debate prior to this whole "Apocalypse Thing". Thalia was what she was and, so long as things were discreet and convenient, she was good. Invariably her partners were male, around her age and had marginal variety - as much variety as one can expect from central Boston, anyway. But since then, it was something she had to think about. But as any good survivalist would tell you, one has to adapt to their environment to succeed. Whether the stark reality of just staying alive stripped away the conventions of her environment or social programming, or whether she independently realized this of herself because she spent so much time traveling and surviving with primarily other women, Thalia could not say. What she could say, because it was as true as anything else, was, "My 'tastes' are pretty goddamn fluid. And considering I just got dumped, I don't think it'd be fair to grudge-fuck one of the locals." Not without knowing what the mood was like for casual pairings in Camp Mexico Beach. What someone might take as a connection she likely would not.

Thalia took a sip of her tea. It was good. Of course it was, though. It was tea, and it had sugar in it. Both were things that she remembered liking, and both were things that went beyond the concept of luxury items now. She motioned with her glass, swallowing before speaking again, "I met Roy, I think. No clue who Chase is." So many new people to observe and figure out. And the people of CMB were no doubt doing the same to her. Lisa even said something similar, just then; checking out the new prey. Thalia was no one's "prey", if she could help it. She narrowed her eyes briefly, choosing to continue conversation (such as it was) while taking mental notes. "Turning into a thing," she began guardedly, "Wild Fuckhunters' Guild? We get t-shirts or matching cutie marks?" A little sarcasm, maybe, but it served to lead her into another thought. "Anyone in this town a tattoo ahtist? Meant to get some ink a while back, but, friggin' Zeds..."
Ashton Jameson Holloway
"Get behind. I'll clear the way."
- Combat Engineer maxim

⚘ Looking Inside
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Ash is a person of some duality. Those who have seen him at work will tell you that he is a man driven to mathematical precision in his thought and action. He is a skillful planner and deliberate executor of said plans. Ash is disciplined, intelligent, patient, and driven. Anyone who knew him before, outside of work will tell you a different story. They would describe him as a hard drinking, laid back, casual kind of guy who knows how to slow down and enjoy the simple things in life. Also, fire might be involved. His rural Virginian upbringing comes to the forefront on these occasions, as does a more pronounced accent.

Since the outbreak began, his casual side shows less and less frequently. He felt some responsibility for the deaths of his people over the last two years (starting with his novia), which caused him to withdraw from many personal interactions. The irony of this: he needs people in his life to balance out his psyche. Without people, Ash can become very dark. For a time, his mental stability was questionable. Ash took Newman's loss hard to begin with, but it filled him with a sense of purpose. He has a mission, for himself and the people he calls family. The continuing irony in his life is that, with next to nothing left and hope coming in an eyedropper, his mind is clearer and he is more alive than he has been in a long time. His sense of compassion, while still present in his psyche, has grown into an empathetic sense of responsibility. He still cares, still has mercy - but no longer allows it to affect the hard decisions.

⚘ A Brief History
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⚘ Relations
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Male ↕ 34 ↕ Caucasian
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5'11" ↕ 180 ↕ Athletic
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Blue ↕ Brown ↕ Light
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Psychology

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Abilities

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Languages

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Skills

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Profession

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Family

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Character Trivia

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Thalia Angelica Carmichael
"I wouldn't get my hopes up, Gramps. Between now and mealtime, lots can fuck up. Lots."
- to Mugsy, before the attack on Eden

⚘ Looking Inside
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Thalia is a young woman who shows steady support to those she chooses to let close to her, or those to whom she pledges herself. She is dedicated to family and those who prove themselves worthy of her trust. It is not blind compliance, but she is loyal and will do what is needed of her. When pursuing an end, or just going for a walk, Thalia always looks for the best situation or plan of action. She needs to know where the exits are, what contingencies are available, and who to attack first in a scenario; generally aiming at an end beyond immediate action while keeping an eye on her surroundings. In most things, Thalia prizes her capacity to think and act with an assured sense of self-reliance. Her independent nature tends to keep her more comfortable operating alone or within a small group, though she recognizes the value of community. Thalia merely prefers to keep toward the fringe where possible.

Authority for its own sake makes little sense to her. Thalia will follow orders, but from people that she respects or had pledged to. Even then it is usually taken as a hard guideline, changeable as the situation changes. The same applies to the reciprocal of this; Thalia is not always comfortable taking on positions of final authority. Specific circumstances would have to be present for her to volunteer for leadership roles. She has no desire for power over others, preferring to contribute to a group as an individual pulling her weight, working within her skill set. Along a similar line, she is eager to learn whatever will make her stronger and more adaptable from people who might teach her. Sustained survivability is top priority.

Concerning new situations, or any to which she has reservations, Thalia can be overly cautious. Her tendency toward tactic has her observant, reserved and unrevealing, often reluctant to open up or speak more than is absolutely necessary. Even at her best, Thalia appears restrained, holding something potentially dangerous back; the human equivalent of a predator pacing back and forth inside of a cage. Thalia shows signs of becoming at least partly feral. When committing to speech or socialization, Thalia is straightforward to a fault, rarely softening conversational blows and often without internal mediation. She is direct, making no attempt to disguise unpleasantness. When committing to action, Thalia does so at a punishing pace, pushing herself to break limits. And when in conflict, she is savage and remorseless, trying to end things as efficiently as her means allow. Thalia is coldly barbaric in the application of violence.

A decent person, if very rough around the edges. She has a profound sense of family honor and its darker aspects. She also loves to eat, and has a lack of formal manners in that regard. Oddly enough, she is one of those blessed types with a freaky ideal metabolism. She can keep shoveling it in, the calories only serving to maintain her form without causing noticeable gain. Another interesting thing of note - Thalia has shown signs of budding pyromania. It remains to be seen whether it is an interest or an obsession, but so far she has not been foolish about it. The girl just likes fire.

⚘ A Brief History
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⚘ Relations
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Female ↕ 29 ↕ Mestiza-American
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5'9" ↕ 145lbs ↕ Athletic
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Hazel ↕ Black ↕ Pale Tan
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Psychology

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Abilities

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Languages

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Skills

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Profession

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Family

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Character Trivia

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Ash Holloway

Location: L11 (Beach, Bar -> Kettles) -> M12 (Beach)
Skills: N/A




It had been a good, long while since Ash had sauntered up to a bar. Even more so since he had come upon a boatload of spontaneous, conversational laughter. He was still an outsider, and this was reinforced heavily by the conversation at hand and the various reactions of the people present. The one-armed woman's general and continuing snark notwithstanding, he was going to refrain from addressing directly at this time. For a lady who wanted to have an in depth conversation with him, she sure as hell wasn't scoring any brownie points. Ash did have an interesting if very mild moment of detachment as his more formal recognition (sir and ma'am) of the others present was laughed at. "It's considered polite where I'm from," was all he would comment to Lisa, directing his attention back to the bar immediately thereafter.

Objectively, it was nearly impossible in the circumstances not to direct one's attention to the bar, as the bartender went into a rant about the capture and evolution of the Wild Fuck. Not one to interrupt the progression of a conversation that he had just wandered into and had no desire to join for any length as he had someone to get back to, Ash merely stifled a chuckle and accepted his drinks with another polite intonation of, "Ma'am," and nodding when she gave instructions about the bottles. His eyebrow quirked a bit as Adelaide busted out with the absolute worst Croc Hunter impression that he'd heard in his life, culminating in her collapse behind the bar. At least everyone was having fun. For himself, Ash was a little rusty at it.

Ash took a second to try to work out the best way to carry two capped bottles and plates besides when he received a bit of commentary from the younger woman, Nikki. It took him a second, context being what it was, to puzzle out that she has meant that Ash had found a Fuck in the Wild. But by the time that realization came in full, she was already on her way off to do her own hunting. Overall, Ash wasn't sure what to make of the most recent series of interactions. Were people of Mexico Beach razzing him for being the new guy? Or were they acting in a more familiar manner to make him feel welcome? Since arriving, it seemed like even the people he'd known for the better part of this particular Apocalypse were distancing themselves. But that might be the easy explanation that they were giving he and Thana time to devote to each other. Yeah, Ash was definitely rusty at having fun.

Effecting a smile, Ash looked back to the bar and gave a somewhat warmer, "Thank ya much," before strolling off toward the kettles. Be it that things were winding down overall, Ash had little difficulty moving the distance from A to B and locating two of the plates on the more sparsely appointed table nearby. He looked over to the sovereign authority of all matters foodish, intoning, "Taking for two, ma'am," Maybe he did speak with social formalities too much. Well, best to err on the side of courtesy until he knew how things worked here. Ash no longer set policy. He slipped each of the beer bottles into his front pockets and picked up one plate in each hand, nodding his thanks with a polite smile and issuing a direct, "Thank you." He might assume that Cook knew for whom he was taking the extra plate. It was apparent that he and Thana were joined at the hip since she arrived.

Direct steps removed him from the area of the Kettles and brought him around the stage. He kept is pace moderate and even, tempering a desire to get back to Thana quickly with the practicalities of carrying plates of food. As he came closer, the smile shifted from the polite and sociable to the more genuine. Though deep down (deep, deep down), Ash was a social animal, he really only wanted to be around one person right then, and might feel that way for a long time yet. "Sorry if I took too long," he started, handing over a plate. "They were screaming about hunting feral Fucks at the bar. Hell of a thing. Got away as soon as I could." One of the bottles in his pocket followed the plate.

Settling in next to Thana, Ash looked into her eyes. "The view here is amazing," he commented simply. One might note that he hadn't looked at either the sea or stars since returning.



Thalia Carmichael

Location: L11 (Bar)
Skills: N/A



Too many drinks. Yeah, Manny looked like he was dead-on right about that. Well, it happened. Thalia wasn't exactly a bastion of moderation herself, being just as prone to excesses. Food, obviously. Though that was, in recent years, a survival strategy based upon the idea that she had no idea when her next reliable meal was going to come from. Taking out whatever crossed her path with a pointed stick or a pistol shot (if she was desperate), she kneejerked toward cooking and consuming as much as possible in one sitting. Likewise the element of pushing herself in training. When she was strong enough to, she pushed herself physically like her life depended on it. Simply put, it did. A tiny amount of consideration put this time heavily in the latter. She was strong enough to train now, and being relieved of her dominant hand from the forearm down had decimated a lot of her key survival skills. Thalia always was her skillset, period. She needed people now, and it sucked. Well, adapt or die. Thalia had business to finish first.

But back to the point of this train of thought. Hunter's excesses had eliminated one social avenue but it seemed to open others, in the form of someone checking up on him. Strengthening community, and in his case, hopefully instilling an element of trust because someone was going out of their way to make sure he was alright. Maybe getting shitfaced early in the night was going to be to his favor in the long run. If she cared enough about the situation, she might have crossed her fingers. Sometimes apathy was a blessing.

Of course, someone did answer the question she had posed. Couple of them. Adelaide's mention of The Great Fuck Hunt drew a smile from her, and the almost simultaneous "Finding fucks for the evening" from Nikki fully backed up the claim, informing her that it was not just something she had made up. Though her face spoke to the slightly amused, Thalia's voice was a little more even as she responded to Nikki, about the arm being badass. "Thanks. Still getting a feel for it." She gave it a little more consideration, twisting it with the more limited range of motion that her stump allowed.

Perhaps the reason for the even voice but lingering smile was the Australian accent, imitated poorly by Ada. It seemed a lifetime ago that she heard a similar, neighboring accent. Memories of Lola came back to her, the Kiwi tank commander that kept her from spending a winter stuck in one place, huddled for warmth. She might have saved her life that winter, as the season was notorious for claiming the alone, unlucky, or unprepared. Lola definitely saved her life on that last day, or rather, her last day, before being gunned down. She had grabbed Thalia and heaved her back just before the ground swallowed her up, like it had done to others standing close to her. Lola had occasionally flirted with her, making comment or suggestions but never pushing a physical agenda with her. She expressed interest, and while relations of that type were still pretty new to her, Thalia had never taken her up on it. It just wasn't how she viewed her. Lola was a steadfast and honest friend; her best friend in a very long while. After saving her life, Thalia had decided to throw her a bone by, well, throwing her a bone, metaphorically speaking. But later that day, before any bone throwing was possible, Lola's life was taken from her by Edenite bullets. It killed Thalia to leave her body there. It just wasn't fair.

The first sip of her sweet tea was magnificent. It was a moment that she might remember for a good, long while, but none of it showed on her face. Instead, her eyes welled up with tears and a single line of moisture spilled down from them. Everybody had lost people. Everybody still would. Beatrice, the only woman since Lola that she allowed close in that way (only person, period, thinking about it) left of her own accord. Just left her, and the flowery promises about looking into her family meant nothing then. Was that why Thalia's mood was toward the irritable that evening? Was that why she was coming close to ignoring Thana, arguably her best friend in the world now? There was the guise of giving her time with Ash, but how true was that in her thoughts? She had only tried to approach when she wanted something explained to her, and left abruptly after giving them both The Finger. Or Ash, a guy she didn't really know - she was being rude as hell to him. Yet here she stood, weeping slightly with a stone face. Tio Caesar might be proud, except that she was laid low by a shitty Aussie accent.

Well, fuck feeling sorry for herself. People left. Either they died or they moved on, and Thalia just had to get used to the part about people moving on. She had family here and this was a place where she could get stronger. That was enough. Thalia raised her arm to wipe her face on the back of her sleeve, completely forgetting that it was made of steel and, of course, there was no sleeve there. Thalia succeeded in bashing herself in the face. It wasn't enough to cause damage, but it sure as hell got her attention.

Quite independent of the discussion around her, Thalia set her tea down an exclaimed a very surprised, "Well, fuck!" as it seemed to be thematic of the conversation. She dried her face with the proper arm this time, and sighed. Turning back to the bar, she began to chuckle at herself. Indeed, this would take some more getting used to. Nikki had left, going fuck hunting. Ash had left, probably back to Thana. The guy might be an asshole but he was a straight shooter. Looking to Adelaide, she mused over what she remembered hearing from her last. "Fuck Hunt? Like that video game from back in the day? ...hate that dog..." Another sip, "Assuming I'm ahn the hunt," which she really wasn't, but it would do her good to converse with people outside of her own, tiny circle, "who ahll's open?" The question was phrased openly to whomever was still around the bar rather than just the bartender.


Ash Holloway

Location: M12 (Beach) L11 (Beach, Bar)
Skills: N/A




"Angel?" The word sounded strange in Ash's ears. Or rather, he didn't remember that word being used to describe the young woman. "I was close with some of her family. We're lucky if that's the worst of it." Indeed, getting a rude gesture from her cousin Alicia or her uncle Caesar was like getting bid a fond "Good Morning" from anyone else. But as much as the stroll down memory lane might have been a bittersweet and rewarding process for him, Ash was far more interested in building new memories, and it showed. "Well, whatever's irking your friend'll have to keep for a while longer." It could be deduced that he was still quite eager to spend quality time with his lady.

Ash listened to the whisper from Thana with a supportive grin, like the idea of privacy was just the thing for them at the moment. He could meet and greet the greater of Camp Mexico Beach's population when he started to whatever job they assigned him tomorrow. Tonight was his and Thana's. He completed his turn back in the direction indicated by her, behind the stage and nearer to the pier. One might still hear music from whomever was getting up to play next, but as it was broadcast in the opposite direction it truly was background music. When he found a suitable spot (accepting every piece of input Thana might have on the subject), Ash carefully set Thana down and gave her a quick kiss, promising, "Drinks, plates, and I'll be back as soon as I can be. Okay?" He started back toward the party at a jog, then halted, turned around, and came back for another kiss. "Sorry, needed one more. I'm good now. Be back soon." He grinned like a schoolboy, or just a man in love, and took back off in the direction of the party, proper.

At the bar, Ash saw a couple familiar faces and a couple not-so-familiar ones. Walking up, he could have sworn that he heard the younger woman, Nikki, about to embark on an epic quest to troll for easy and temporary nocturnal companionship, and the less familiar woman agreeing with her, saying something about a hunt. Very much not his business. Extremely not his business. Mustering as much courtesy as he was capable, Ash instead tried to spark up a quick professional dialogue with the bartender. "Ah, Miss Adelaide? 'pologies for interrupting you soon as you get a plate." His Virginian accent was starting to flare again, though he was remembering his manners. "I'm carryin' back drinks and plates for two, if you've got anything that travels well, or has a lid? I 'preciate you, thanks." Ash gave a courteous nod to those who were present at the bar, extending a series of monosyllabic greetings, "Ma'am. Ma'am. Sir," as necessary. Drinks, food, Thana. It was good to have goals.



Thalia Carmichael

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



The ongoing conversations around Thalia might have made for interesting conversation had she not been mildly annoyed right then. It occurred to her that she was being toyed with by both her brother and Thana, with a tiny mark of betrayal inking its way in there. Then it occurred to her that there might be a difference between "being toyed with" and "playing a game with". One was a potential cause for stabbing. The other was meant to be fun for all parties. It had been a while since she had done anything purely for fun, with the upright arcade game back in Quarantine being an exception. Even then, Thalia could have said that it was to train her left hand to take over more duties. This thing might be fun. Still, it didn't do her any good to let anyone else know that just yet. Fun. It seemed a foreign concept.

Still, the area around the kettles seemed like a breeding ground for conversations she's rather not be a party to. Most especially the alcohol inspired ramblings of immense incoherence from the other person present with social issues. Well, we all had our bad nights, and she was certainly no exception. Just right then, she didn't feel like being too near to someone who might spew at any moment, nor the attempts to coddle him. Not the most compassionate thought she'd ever had, granted, but it was honest and she was keeping it to herself. Small miracle, that.

Thalia redoubled her efforts to finish the food on her plate. It was all simple enough, though admittedly the corn posed a little it of a challenge to someone with one fully working hand. That was a sobering thought, if ever there was one. She had been described as a "dexterity monster" at one point in time, and much of her training played off of this. Thalia was going to have to learn different ways to do things she'd been doing instinctively all of her life. It sucked and it didn't seem fair, though at least she had been getting pretty good at using her "off hand". Thalia hated feeling weak like this. Her food, at least, fell mercilessly and quickly under her onslaught; she then rose, moving to the spot for plates and compost bin. Her little act of sustainability handled, it was time to move elsewhere. The bar was good enough. Mental note was made to find Maddoc and ask about training. That could wait a little, though.

Having missed the conversation concerning The Great Fuck Hunt, Thalia couldn't contribute in any meaningful way. She did make it a point to not give any one person a sustained length of eye contact. Maybe it was a piece of survival instinct, or maybe it was just born of a cynical weariness that was starting to creep into her bones. She couldn't quite tell. It did look like she was a little less nervous about being around people than she was a hour ago. An unspoken mental list was made as she approached, "Nikki, Lisa, Adelaide, Manny, Ash. Wait, the fuck?" Knight-Errant Captain America was here, by himself? Oh, he must be doing bitch work for Thana. Whatever. Thalia raised her metal hand as she leaned on the bar. She had forgotten to un-extend the middle finger still. Something to keep in mind. Staring at Ash, Thalia undid the locking mechanism and folded the finger back down with a sound reminiscent of metallic knuckles popping. Yes, she was starting to like this hand a little more. When a moment presented itself, she asked the bartender, "Ada, you had, um... Tea? Back there? I haven't had tea in years." She mulled over, "Yah, years. The biggest damn glass you can spare, please."

Looking around to everyone else, "What are we talking about?" Large crowds bothered Thalia. Smaller ones, she was getting better with. The bar crowd seemed okay.


Ash Holloway

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




The approximate time it took to have Thana down from the stage was just long enough for Ash to get over to her. It struck him as very odd at first that, even though Ash had been acting as her personal transportation since they had arrived, and indeed helped her up to the stage in the first place, they felt it necessary to assume the same role without prompting. But that was just at first. Thana had been hurt for a while, and he assumed that even after (and during) a lengthy session of healing, she wasn't going to stop doing what she wanted to do. In truth, she was still healing. Continuing on this train of thought, it was probably second nature for those close to her in the community to move in prearranged ways to help her. Whether or not there was any truth to his assumptions, he was there with her now, and he took over the personally gratifying task of helping Thana get around.

"Well hell yes, I enjoyed the show," he responded to her comment, landing a quick kiss on the tip of her nose. He gave a warm smile, though it faded a little to confusion as he saw the one-armed girl making a rude gesture at them with her prosthetic. "That's something you don't see everyday..." he mumbled, shaking it off as being hopefully inconsequential. Not that anything with her family ever was without consequence, in his experience. But his attention wasn't for her, it was for Thana. "Yeah," he agreed. "Let's go find a seat."

He hoisted Thana up in a bridal carry and began walking back in the direction of the bar and kettles, then stopped, looked back toward the gulf, and asked, "Would you want to sit for a while on the beach? I can get us a couple of plates, drink or two, and we can look a the stars for a time." There was no telling when someone else, friend or family of hers, might need to call upon her. But a few moments with her on the beach, the sound of pounding surf and music in the background, and a plate of southern shrimp boil was heaven enough. If not now; if she had other wishes or plans for the evening, then he could content himself that it could be reserved for another time.



Thalia Carmichael

Location: L11 (Beach -> About -> Kettles again)
Skills: N/A



Plate balanced in her prosthetic hand and letter in the other, Thalia was walking in search of her dear, long-lost brother. It was a fair bet that as long as she kept her senses tuned for he only Latino who spoke in iambic pentameter for several hundred miles around, and probably the only one left in existence who used the word 'thee', she'd be in the clear. Thalia took a mental pause to consider what her life might have been like if she didn't lose her mother all those years ago. She wouldn't have known about this whole other part of her family. She wouldn't have known that she shared a father with one of the most annoying men on the planet. Oh, she loved him. They were family after all, even if the exact meaning of that had changed in recent years. The thought of it made her hungry. Or mindful of the fact that she had food in her heavy, metal hand. Pausing in her search, she leaned her head down to delicately sink her teeth into a tiny, red skinned potato, then tilt her head back to let gravity deposit it into her mouth.

Chewing thoughtfully, she shook out the paper to better unfold it, and went over the words again. Thalia began to mumble, "Mason, shipwright, carpenter... who wrote about.. ?" Even if she didn't look like it anymore, Thalia received a contemporary education in both Mexico and the United States, not to mention college in Boston. Fat lot of good any of it did her now, but at least student loans weren't an issue anymore. But she did seem to remember something from classical literature, and if anyone knew anything about classical literature, it was Joaquin. Hell, the people here called him Shakespeare, and... "Sostenga el puto telΓ©fono1," she uttered, looking at the exact wording of the riddle again:

"A clue to find a clue, here is a riddle for you: The question is not _'what is he that builds stronger than either the mason, the shipwright, or the carpenter?'_ but who did write of he?"

They were in it together. Thana and Joaquin both; considering that her brother's nom de guerre was Shakespeare in this place, and the passage in the riddle was from Hamlet... the very person she was looking for to help figure this out was the actual answer the entire time. That bastard. Unfortunately, she didn't see him anywhere. He was hiding, or not in attendance. This was not a thing which would be solved today. Thalia stuffed the paper into her back pocket and started toward where she saw Thana last, shifting her plate to her good hand in the process.

What she saw there from Thana? Intentionally ignoring her, like this was all some game. But of course it was. Something to divert, maybe. She didn't know. Oh, that smirk. Thalia would come back to that smirk later. Maybe she just imagined it coming off of Thana, but she responded by raising her metal hand toward the pair of them. Having not messed with it since opening the letter, its middle finger was still quite extended. Fine with her. Thalia returned to the kettles and sat down heavily in her spot, and set to devouring her food in earnest. She'd see about her brother later.



Ash Holloway

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




Though the novelty and wonder of the occasion was heavily coloring Ash's thoughts, he couldn't help but continue to keep a mental checklist on what was going on around him. Maybe that was just how people had to live, anymore, and every so often he thanked whichever incarnation of God was still looking down on them that he hadn't become a truly paranoid individual because of it. All the same, when the ruling authorities of the settlement began to have earnest conversation and point in his direction, Ash took notice. The fact that they were all blood relatives of Thana was just a detail.

In time, Thana's song came to an end and Ash began a spirited round of applause, but that came to an end as her uncle and the guy he had met just earlier in the dance area came to hoist her away. Ash took a balanced step forward, unsure as to what he might do when he got over to her but still of the mindful of her request to stay close, no matter what. As she was carried back, he relented, taking his spot behind the wings again. Something seemed like it was up. Thana looked just fine. Happy, even. He caught her gaze, and her wordless message. Thana meant to sing another song.

It was good-natured ribbing when Thana vented what he said to her privately about singing some Rolling Stones. He knew that. To say that it might sound like a Virginian cat's final screeches after he got himself drunk was colorful, if not entirely accurate. Oh, he couldn't sing a bit, that wasn't the issue. The truth was, for him to get up and sing now, the amount of alcohol he'd have to imbibe would render him partly comatose. He might not even make it to "dying cat" level. He smiled back at Thana, returned the wink. He was about to be treated to "Paint It, Black". That counted for a lot. Likewise, it was nice of her to call out the other Rolling Stones fan from her group out on the road. She was thoughtful that way.

The song queued up, and the first words of it began to roll out from her lips. This was good. This was something he might have gone to see, even back Before.



Thalia Carmichael

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



It seemed that the party was following Thalia, whether she liked it or not. Of course if was a coincidence; she was at the bar with a group of people getting a drink, then they all decided to grab some food at more or less the same time. Even though she was logically aware of this, it still felt like she alone was driving the Party Bus, and everyone else was annoying the hell out of her. Thalia figured that she'd better get used to it. This was life now. She couldn't be a hermit. People had risked their lives, even died, for her to get here, and she had risked her life for the same. Hell, her little group literally paid an arm and a leg to get here. She could try to handle being around people for a while.

Thalia took her plate and ...envelope(?), bidding Cook a wary "Thanks," before wandering a few paces back to the exact spot she was in before, as hopefully those asshats saved that exact spot like they said they would very loudly and very sarcastically. Mostly, it was because it was near a piece of fire, and she wanted to read whatever this was. "Sparrow, sparrow... oh, Navy? Shit, okay," she muttered. Thalia had heard Sparrow before, but her brain just didn't make the connection for a second or two. Without two fully dexterous hands, Thalia had to sit down on the sand, cross-legged, and put her plate in her lap to open and read the letter. "Good thing I brought my letter opener," she said with no small amount of snark, manually extending the middle finger of her prosthetic hand with her left and utilizing it to tear into the envelope. She removed the note inside and stared at it for a while, the most puzzled expression on her face. Absently, Thalia picked up a whole boiled shrimp and ripped it in half with her teeth, chewing it shell and all. She shot a dirty look at whoever even looked like they might say something about it.

While struggling over what she was reading with pure incredulity reading on her, Thalia happened to hear something massively disturbing going on nearby. This was the first example of creepy drunk talk she'd seen in a good long while, and part of her started to run scenarios in her head of what she might do to intervene, if the blonde girl couldn't handle herself properly. The thought did cross her mind that restrain was going to be a lot more difficult than incapacitate or neutralize, owing to certain factors that were difficult to miss with her. Maybe it was the training at her uncle's hands kicking back in after so long. Or maybe she was truly beginning to look at this place as her new home. She didn't even give a decent shit that she was missing some really awesome music nearby, courtesy of Navy herself. She could come back to that.

Tossing a couple more shrimp into her face, she chewed noisily and stared, debating which course was the best option, if any, though the course of walking up and pretending to proposition the girl to give her an out, came roaring back as the option from college. Thalia swallowed hard, and decided that instead of making a scene or rabbit-punching the obviously inebriated and disturbing fellow in the base of his brain, she'd give something else to draw focus.

"Seriously?" she started, a definitive note of annoyance as she rustled the paper in her hands. "First piece of mail I get in almost six fucking years, and it's some Christmas Story decoder ring bullshit?" Thalia rose, plate hooked into her prosthetic's thumb and note in hand. "...mierda de toro fucking bullshit..." If that diverted attention or gave an out, great. Yay tactic. But whether it did or not, she had food to hork back and a mystery to solve. Preferably painfully. Thalia had someone to speak with.


Ash Holloway

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




The lady said stick close, as if he wasn't going to do exactly that anyway. Ash stayed by the wings of the stage, out of sight of those in front of it but within full line of sight with the performers. It was a good song, and well done for the setup they had. Hell, it was the best performance he'd seen in years, if one really thought about it. Ash's concentration was on Thana's vocals, however; the fact that she was singing and the melodic sound of her voice, so that it took him a moment to fully realize the intent behind the actual words. When he did, it was a touching moment. The words seemingly spoke to him, as if to outline the trials of both of them, coming from different ends of the same road.

He caught sight of her looking in his direction every so often, catching his eye, which confirmed to him his assumption that the song was about them. Written for them, perhaps. Even if it wasn't, damnit, it was now and that was the end of it. There was a sense of contentment in Ash's psyche, while not as complete and full as it might have been a number of year before, was more than enough for him now. The ever-present threat of the rest of the world had instilled a sense of wariness within him now that would never go away. Ash was cursed with the knowledge that everything can be taken away in a moment, and in his case, indeed was a few times. But tonight Ash was behind walls. The air mild and tinged with salt, carried along by a breeze from the ocean, bringing with it the sound of rhythmic waves. And most importantly, he was reunited with his Thana. Check that, "Thawna..." he whispered. She seemed to react to it favorably, and to be honest, he did miss the colorful accent of his upbringing.



Thalia Carmichael

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



Meanwhile, back at the bar, conversation seemed to fade away into a light buzz in Thalia's background. Having summarily decided, even through the mild paranoia of her more tactical nature, that the people directly around her were not an immediate threat, not to mention that the level of inquiry about her was slowing down, her attention was being diverted elsewhere. More specifically, it was moving back in the direction of where she came. Food. Her habit was to consume what she could while she could, for the acquisition of another meal was no longer a dependable event, at least up until very, very recently. Old habits die hard, and this one was five years in the making. She could feel a sudden jolt of adrenaline course through her blood, the instinct born of surviving like she had and going without the basics for longer than was acceptable.

There was one thing that captured a part of her attention, at least temporarily, was Nigel asking something about reenacting. She turned her head slowly to him, her eyes only leaving her target at the last possible moment. "No." It was a simple enough reply to a yes or no question, though it seemed like he might have been pushing for deeper conversation on the matter. Funny thing was, he wasn't amazingly far from the mark. "Did some stabbing. Needed range. Found good teachers." Dama Muerte knew that if she had that range when she needed it, she might still have both of her arms intact.

Thalia polished off the last of her beer and left the bottle on the bar, then strode over to the kettles and food table with all of the directness and caution of a predatory creature. It oddly reminded her of her first meal in Quarantine. In a scene that belonged in the most brutal adaptation of Oliver Twist imaginable, Thalia made her way to the kettles and held her hands out to the one known as Cook. Her eyes had a restrained look, but she really was trying to fit in.
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