Sigil

🧚🏻‍♀️ The Walking Dead - Year 6 Part 1

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Ash Holloway Location: Mess Hall (C) -> Beach (L11) Skills: N/A

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"All I gotta do is outrun you." Oh, she was kidding. Ash knew she was kidding. She was kidding, right? It was true, though. Out in the world, those who were fleet of foot, constitute, and knew how to get out of sight survived. Pondering over this tiny point of worldly wisdom, Ash barely noticed that Thana, hurt previously and at a point where Doc had advised her to take it easy, instead darted off at a sprint.

Call it at a point of mild paranoia, but after the declaration of her intent to survive the onslaught of a rampaging, iron-armed Gonzalez lady followed by a sudden dash in any direction away from the Mess Hall, Ash's first impulse was to glance behind them to make sure that no danger was urgently present, barrelling down upon them. As he looked, his feet reflexively began to tap the pavement beneath him, carrying him forward, and more importantly, away. It was after a couple of steps that his brain registered with him that nothing was coming to get them. She was running for fun. And that concept struck him even harder. Running was for survival. No one did this for fun anymore. Was this place that safe? Well, that didn't matter right that second either. Even though Thana wasn't at her best, Ash still had to pour on the speed to catch up with her after her head start.

It must have been an interesting sight, the two of them running along the settlement's streets toward the beach. It took Ash a few paces, but he started to genuinely enjoy chasing after Thana. It was like they were kids, playing some game to disguise the fact that they were crushing hard on each other. Though Ash could only speak for himself, it was highly appropriate from his end.

At the beach, a destination that they reached far to quickly for Ash's preferences, he sat heavily down next to her. He was about to suggest something when she began to speak, herself. And what she said made him look at Thana with adoration and wonder. It was probably the first time that someone had described his eyes like this before; probably the only time anyone had bothered to pick out the exact color - including himself. And to have it compared to something as powerful, timeless, and beautiful as the ocean made his sense of modesty creep up more than a little. Even moreso was her description of how the similarity, and her note of it was enough to make her pick back up from this place of safety and go find him. To say it was touching was an understatement.

Following Thana's example as she spoke, he removed his boots and let his feet explore the sand a bit. He was rapt with attention to what she was saying, which was apparent by his expression and the way his eyes never left her, even as he was finagling with his footwear. Proper words of response were not coming to his lips with any formal bidding. How could he hope to match that? Instead, Ash shuffled up closer to her and wrapped an arm around her huddling form. "That's a beautiful thing to have said, Thawna," he said softly. "I promised you well over a year ago I'd make it here. I'd do it all over again if I had to, if it meant coming back to you." Gently, Ash pulled Thana into a supportive embrace, feeling the warmth and strength of her in both of his arms. He sighed contentedly, continuing, "Wherever you are is home." He might have said this once previously, but the sincerity of the statement was apparent.

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Thalia Carmichael Location: Mess Hall (C) Skills: N/A

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So... was this the psych evaluation? More than that, was this lady trying to pry something from Thalia in a room full of people? The point that she had given an answer that pleased the Russian lady was a positive thing, she supposed, but what was that supposed to mean as far as her getting onto D Roster was concerned? Or was that just the Major shooting the shit after a full day of silently telling people to fuck off with her eyes? Thalia was not exactly a lady of social skills, nor presence of any diplomatic sort, so she knew that trying to figure this one out at first sitting like this was bound to be a fruitless exercise. Not her wheelhouse. No, her wheelhouse had something to do with moving quietly and stabbing things, then disappearing into the woods for an extended period of time while people tried to figure out what the hell just happened. And that wasn't going to help anyone right now.

It did strike her as pointed that the first thing the Major wanted to speak about when Thalia had brought up the possibility of a psychological evaluation involved her thoughts and feelings about offing people. Not how she handled stresses of daily life, not questions to figure out if she had some martyr complex, but to the issue of her kill rate. Specifically, and by context, her kills on warm, living targets. Probably everyone had to snuff a dead guy every now and again, but she had a lot of blood on her hands. So again, Thalia was glad that the answer she gave was satisfactory to her.

But to the topic of Eden - maybe she had said too much. Not volunteering information, and not leading up to anything on her chest as her plan was to unload that on Joaquin later on, Thalia was confident enough to meet the Major's gaze and answer honestly, "No. Knowing Navy, I'm sure the report's thorough." She couldn't help but notice the increase on intensity of gaze that the Major lay upon her. If the point of this impromptu talk was to study for a reaction on Thalia's features, attempting to do so by asking a direct yes/no question concerning something both violent and personal was a good place to start. Kudos to the Major. But while Thalia was an emotionally open person, she did not have a lot of shame nor insecurity bubbling to the surface about Eden. The only regrets that she had were about losing Lola and the level of opportunistic brutality she turned on and off like a switch.

All the same, the silent interrogation, if that's what it was, did not constitute a reason to ignore her meal. Placing a piece of fishy goodness into her mouth, she chewed, savoring the fresh tuna with a satisfied, "Mmm," and a small chuckle. She did enjoy good food. Taking a more serious expression, she did confide one thing to the Major, meeting her gaze once again, "The attack was personal for me as much as it was sound tactic. Right thing to do awl around. The reason I asked is this is the first time we talked evah, and out of the gate the question's about me killing people. Makes a girl curious." Thalia considered making some show of indignation, give a harsh stare, something, but not only would that be counterproductive, she didn't think the Major would be very affected by her usual methods of asserting her presence. Strategically unsound, even. So she turned her attention back to what remained of her food. It softened her features immediately. She even smiled at the lady a little. It was a little unsettling to those who might know her.

Overall, Thalia had the impression that she might like the Major.

🧚🏻‍♀️ The Walking Dead - Year 6 Part 1

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Ash Holloway Location: Mess Hall (C) Skills: N/A

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"Beach." It was a simple, single word statement that was equal parts consideration and immediate approval. It wasn't his first choice, persay, though he really didn't have anything particular in mind. Over the next .7 seconds that he allowed to mull over the idea, it became more and more appealing to him. "Yes, beach. Excellent idea." he rolled off in his slightly peeking Virginian accent. Ash gave a little, crooked smile and nodded his head in agreement. When he saw that Thana was further along with her meal than himself, Ash increased his pace, eager to wrap things up so that he could have some quieter time with her.

The reminder that they didn't have a private beach just for the two of them resonated with Ash. He was done within a couple seconds of Thana and slid off of the stage himself, following along closely in case he was needed, and just because he wanted to be near to her. Like Thana, he bused his tray and made for the door. Also like Thana, Ash stopped mid-stride, head turning in the direction of the throng of people sitting and eating. Something piqued Ash's fight-or-flight response, tempered only by a sense of personal discipline. He forced his feet to remain where they were, yet he could not ignore the primal chill passing through his body. It took longer than he would have liked to admit to realize that what he was hearing was the sound of laughter, and it was coming from the Gonzalez lady. "Jesus, she's just like Caesar," he commented, turning to look at Thana to guage her reaction. He had to give a double take as Thana was not, as expected, at his side. Instead, she voiced her concerns about the younger woman killing someone and hightailed it for the door. "Wait, um... she's your friend." he said after her, mild sarcasm coloring his words. But make no mistake, Ashton J. Holloway knew when to take social cues that would result in a continuing lifespan, and thusly followed Thana out of the door posthaste.

The air still had the same quality of buffeting humidity that he had grown accustomed to, if not fond of, living in Georgia for the past chunk of his life. He was glad that the sun was on its way out for the day, and the more tolerable temperatures of the evening might be upon them soon. he walked along with Thana, giving her a smile every so often but otherwise simply delighting in her presence. Ash was making a conscious effort not to think about the maniacal laughter from moments ago, not the man of whom he was reminded because of it. He had a beach to go to and a lovely lady with which to walk upon it. That was all that mattered.

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Thalia Carmichael Location: Mess Hall (C) Skills: N/A

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The most Thalia could do at this moment was stare down at the Major, wondering precisely what the hell she was talking about. Not only did she not address the subject put before her, that being a possible psych evaluation (or maybe she did in Russian and she couldn't tell; it was not one of the languages that Thalia spoke), but she began talking about what Thalia could only assume was a point of philosophy. It reminded her a little of her "Intro To" courses from college, both psychology and philosophy. Not that she ever got a hell of a lot of use from them aside from making the necessary credits to get her degree. And a fat lot of good that degree did her, what with the world turning into a buffet line for walking corpses not but shortly thereafter. The Major did motion for her to sit, though. It was with a slightly exasperated look that Thalia took her up on her offer.

"Do I ask why I pulled the triggah?" inquired Thalia. She wanted to make sure that this was a personal question and not something rhetorical. Major wasn't wrong though - Thalia had killed many people. The woman must have talked with Thana about her traveling companions, Thalia included. She didn't know how to feel about that. "Whrn I had to take a life, I didn't think about it. Happened 'cause it had to." Her trademarkable directness was in the forefront just then. It seemed stupid not to, considering that Thalia needed a psych evaluation from her and by extension of the fact that she was qualified to administer such an evaluation, she might be able to tell if Thalia was lying, hiding something, or taking too long to answer. Off-guard questions were fun that way. "Every single time it was clean. Protect someone; me or someone close. And some assholes? Leave them alive it endangers a laht of others." So long as she was sitting, she might as well eat. Sushi didn't exactly keep for very long. Popping a bite into her mouth, she followed up, "Navy..." It was a minor conversational setback. Thalia was the only one who called Thana this so it probably required clarification. "Did Thana talk to you about Eden?" She'd get back to the parts about finding humor in insanity later on. Thalia had quite laughed enough for one evening.

🧚🏻‍♀️ The Walking Dead - Year 6 Part 1

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Ash Holloway Location: Mess Hall (C) Skills: N/A

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Asking Ash if he was happy gave the man a touch of introspection, as if he didn't do that enough anyway. When it came down to it, he did have an answer to the question. "Yeah. Actually, I am." The tone and demeanor of his words gave considerable suspicion as to whether he was addressing the overt query, concerning Thalia leaving after his little burst of sarcasm. In truth, he was really answering another question. Was he happy? Looking to Thana, just being able to gaze into her eyes, share a meal, and be with her after such a long time out in the world; the answer could only be a resounding affirmation. Of course he was happy. More than that, and probably the most profound realization of this part of his life - Ash was allowing himself to be happy, without putting up his usual guard, without looking forward to possible tragedy. It was liberating. And a little scary.

As she scooted up closer to him, Ash put an arm around Thana's waist. He could maneuver a fork with one hand and it meant being a little nearer to her. That seemed to be a priority thing at the moment. After the day he had with the horrorstory bathroom, the emotional moments at the gravesite, then scrubbing up human remains from a jail floor that he got himself locked in was admittedly not the best day in the world. It wasn't the worst by a long sight, though. And it was coming to a close with the best company he could ask for. But she hadn't asked him what he did. Thana asked him how his first day was. "First day..." He considered giving a blow-by-blow account for maybe a half second, and then quickly discarded the idea. He was assigned work, he did it, and that was that. "It was okay. Getting a lot better now." Ash smiled a little and leaned into Thana briefly, then returned to his plate.

It was a line that had so much cheese it could have been spread on a cracker. Honest, but it was apparent that Ash hadn't really had a lot of practice "putting the moves" on anyone in a very long time. After a moment, he was struck by an idea. "Hey, I don't know how I feel about sharing you with everyone in the Mess Hall. What do you say that after dinner, we take a walk someplace quieter?" He was nearing the end of his tuna salad and didn't want to just cut the evening at that point.

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Thalia Carmichael Location: Mess Hall (C) Skills: N/A

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Not a soul alive had heard Thalia laugh except for Joaquin. Ever. There was good reason for this. Raised among the people she was from the age of ten, being biracial but looking like a dark haired Blanca gave her an interesting start to life. She had to be more serious than those around her, more threatening when necessary, more like her uncle or her father than anyone in the periphery of their Familia, to get the same respect as anyone else initially. Until they got used to her, at any rate. It was a lesson she learned early. So her nature became quieter, more insular, less prone to showing ease or frivolity. Not lacking of emotional displays, as that was encouraged openly, but it might have even been assumed that she lacked a sense of humor. So the rare occasions that she laughed in a way that wasn't sardonic or wry, it sounded ...off.

In this particular instance, Thalia had to force herself to swallow the bite in her mouth before she exploded. It was hard. Then she began, a rolling guffaw followed by a series of mirthful lurches that spilled out in such a manner that sounded almost exactly like a Disney villainess. Raw but strangely melodic. Deeper than her speaking voice by a notable margin, like a dark force was borrowing her body to express rage and joy simultaneously. It was frightening in a way that might inspire those around her to wonder if she was taking profound delight in some medieval torture; sadistic in its rolling, gleeful dance through the available scales of tone. It was punctuated by the rhythmic thump of her steel hand upon the table next to her. For a person who did not like attention being drawn to her, she was doing a fine job of it now. Thalia was living purely in the moment with her mask torn away and her feelings laid bare, and it was scary. There was a reason she remained outwardly guarded constantly. This was part of it.

But the fact that Joaquin was gay and/or bisexual didn't make her laugh. Though it was never formally revealed, it was suspected. No, the part that got to her with such intensity was a little more visceral. More personal. An interesting fact about both Thalia and Joaquin was that, despite the differences between them, they both had the same father. And as it turned out, their father was a Catholic priest. The history behind the timing of his vows being taken and him siring offspring was legitimate, even if all of his kids weren't, so the church was grudgingly okay with it. And they had no choice. Damage done, so to speak. But for Thalia to look upon her brother, finally knowing for solid fact that not only did he date men but was dating a Catholic Priest, and one who was trained by their father; not to mention that there was a passing resemblance between Atticus and and Dear Old Dad, gave her pause and limited her outward emotional control. This was rich.

"That's some really Freudian shit right there, hermano," she finally said as the laughter subsided. "You gaht some Daddy issues." Thalia gathered up her plate again and stood. "I love ya, but I'm the fuck ottah here." Gracefully, she made her way away from the table, shaking her head.

Then she spotted her next social acquisition, such as it was. The Major, sitting by herself. By herself. This could be it. Quietly, she approached the older woman. When she was at a respectful distance, she spoke directly and firmly, "Major? Maddog told me to come to you about a psych evaluation. Going on D rostah. Also, do you mind if I sit? Everyone else is fucking nuts."

🧚🏻‍♀️ The Walking Dead - Year 6 Part 1

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Ash Holloway Location: Mess Hall (C) Skills: N/A

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The pat on the stage and the manner in which it was delivered gave Ash a sort of calm reassurance. Now he had a defined endgame goal for the next few minutes; a Point A to the Point B of the cafeteria line to which he might return. Ash did like having a plan for things, even if it was as simple as getting something to eat. Even in this, he had to note the privilege involved, regular meals being a luxury more than a right, overall. Taking an air of stoic gratitude, Ash hopped in line and moved along with the flow of shuffling foot traffic. It was a piece of familiarity, not unlike his time in the military proper. One wants food, one gets in line. Obligatory commentary about the bootleather quality of the Salisbury Steak that was really leftover hamburger patties from a couple of days ago, rehydrated in canned gravy and served over instant rice. It was a strange form of nostalgia that Ash actually found himself missing that Class C, repurposed, misappropriation of edible calories. It marked simpler times, when one could afford to complain about dinner.

Finally to the front of the line, Ash grabbed his tray and pushed it along, giving a "Thank you," to the persons behind the line who loaded him up. It sounded quite sincere despite the usual granite exterior that formed the neutral rest to Ash's face. Memories of the day's labors; grime and blood, brains and teeth (the most pleasant part being the memorial service, oddly), didn't exactly have him in the mood to eat something particularly warm or heavy, so he opted for the tuna salad. Yes to the broth, yes to a piece of fruit. He just wasn't much of a sushi person if an option was given, and the casserole was the opposite of what he had in mind.

Ash remained friendly to those around him, sparing a nod, small wave, or the odd "Evenin'," for people he had already met formally, "Sir" and "Ma'am" aplenty as the situation dictated. Before too long, he had traversed the Mess Hall and, tray in hand, made his way back to Thana. Those who might be paying attention to his general facial features might note that his solid, stoic expression softened somewhat as he came within polite speaking range. Much in the same manner that he observed Thalia set her plate down and hop up onto the stage next to Thana, Ash ascended and settled down on the other side of her. He smiled, looking to the beauty before him with continued adoration. If anyone had asked him right then, he might have easily responded "...what scars?"

Instead, he gave the casual greeting of, "Hey again," leaning forward as to steal another kiss before getting to his meal and hopefully talking about the day with Thana, but paused briefly, as if something struck his mind. He leaned out to the side, getting Thalia in full view before speaking in a sarcastic, faux-concerned voice, "So... we're going to be making out here for a while, me and Thana. Don't want you feeling jealous, okay Miss?" His Virginian drawl was noticable, but lessened from the great Thawna-ing earlier.

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Thalia Carmichael Location: Mess Hall (C) Skills: N/A

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Rumors. Well, her new bestie did seem to take them in stride, and knowing full well that they were floating around about her probably meant that she was in a better position then not knowing. Again, Thalia hadn't much use for the rumormill recently, as her days being a Security Specialist were far behind her. The preferred response to them, as described by Thana, was enough to give her a single amused exhalation of "Hnn," that might have been a laugh, be it a little dry and cynical in nature. "Yah. People ah assholes." She'd heard enough rumors about herself, back in the day. But a good, old-fashioned Undead Uprising and survival with minimal contact with other people did wonders to remove gossip. For a while, at least. "Funny how rebuilding society has to involve people tahlking shit, isn't it?" Thalia shook her head. Then she laughed. Once, loudly, followed by her left hand clasping over her mouth. As if she hadn't considered this before, she looked to Thana and asked, "What do you think they're saying about me?" She could only wonder, given that she had family here, coupled with the circumstances of her initial appearance in town. The partly feral instincts she'd devolved into out in the world. Or the many and various ways she had demonstrated her discomfort with luxuries like clean sheets and air conditioning. At the core of it, Thalia didn't overly care, feelings weren't hurt, etc., but a sense of morbid curiosity took hold of her.

Events passed, as events tend to, and Ash returned, bearing food. After he informed her of his possible intent to get very affectionate with Thana right in front of her, Thalia announced, "Okay... I'm the fuck outta here. Talk at yah later, Navy." As she spoke, she piled what sundries she had onto her plate and slid down, off of the stage. She might be a bitch half the time, but Thalia was going to give those two their space.

Having caught sight of Joaquin, she made a measured beeline over and plopped her tray down at the table across from him. Sitting heavily, Thalia took another noisy bite from her unpeeled orange, chewed thoughtfully for a moment, and sighed. "Hey, Joaquin. More cling that a roll of plastic wrap, both of 'em." She motioned with her metal hand over in the general direction of Ash and Thana. "Had to escape. What're you guys tahlking about?"

🧚🏻‍♀️ The Walking Dead - Year 6 Part 1

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Ash Holloway Location: Mess Hall (C) Skills: N/A

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Looking blankly to Thalia and then to Thana, Ash's expression changed somewhat. He wasn't sure what to make of this new wrinkle in his expectations for the evening, or how much of it might be a joke. So much as he trusted Thana, and he might stress vehemently that he did, Ash had made peace with the idea that if, during the year and a half that they were apart and didn't even know if the other was alive, she sought comfort with another. The concept started with Gavin Comfort. He and Thana were in a relationship, once upon a time. He wanted to rekindle things, and the both of them were on the other side of that ravine when the earth split open, scattering them all. He knew that Gavin would do any and everything to keep Thana safe, and took solace in that. Even if he wasn't especially cozy with the situation. His budding jealousy was secondary to her safety, at best. When Ash saw Thana with Mizrahi, and noted the protectiveness with which he looked after her; when he learned of the overland, long range missions they had together, he suspected something had happened between them. Curiously, he was better with it. The chances of his and his people's survival decreased dramatically the longer they were out there, and they were all out there for a long time. He assumed that they had, and almost instantly made peace with that, too. It meant that she was safe. That was all that mattered. They could have a shot at being together, if she was still willing. And if she was not, then Ash had fulfilled his promise to her and got to see her alive again. Even this, he anticipated and processed emotionally. It was okay.

Still, Ash did feel a little relief and even a touch of guilt when he found out that his paper suspicions and peace-with-self anticipations were meaningless. After a long and open talk about things when they finally had some privacy, Ash fully believed that Thana had remained as true to him as he to her.

Never in a million years, then, might he have anticipated that Thana might have had something going on with the Gonzalez chick. But again, he didn't know what Thalia looked like when she was joking. Or if she even ever did, owing to the quietly jagged nature of her family. Still, something told him that this was a heap of bullshit. He just didn't know how big the heap was. It was an amazing tell that Thana's eyes widened and she looked to her friend with an expression that might be described as "incredulous", though the sarcastic comment in his direction did raise questions of its own. No, no... Heap of bullshit. Ash was being messed with. "Uh huh," he started, brow furrowed and mouth slightly agape. Well, he wasn't going to let this get him down. Ash leaned in and gave Thana a soft kiss, lightly cupping the side of her face for just a moment. "I'm ah, I'm going to go get a tray. Save me a seat, Thawna?" Damn. Unbidden, his accent plucked a heavier note in his regular speech. He shook his head, flashed a quick smile, and strode confidently over to take his place in line.

He'd probably be having the fish.

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Thalia Carmichael Location: Mess Hall (C) Skills: N/A

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Now it was Thalia's turn to be surprised. Not at Ash, but Thana. Ash's flush of insecurity was so minuscule as to be undetected by anyone who wasn't immediately, intently looking for it. But Thana's response got her questioning some fundamental things about their relationship. Yes, she knew that her friend was joking, and no, she hadn't considered pursuing anything with her. Thana seemed to be spoken for, even if the guy was probably dead (not that she was sad to see that he wasn't, after all). And their relationship was more sisterly than anything else. Oh sure, she'd noticed things about Navy girl. Thalia's recent years of womanly self-discovery and preference for both genders made her acutely aware of things like that now, whether she wished to act on it or not. Theirs was a relationship built on mutual loss, mutual violence, and mutual revenge. The friendship was seeded in blood - theirs and their enemies alike, germinated with the hot crimson spillage of knives and ammunition. They bonded over hate, finding kinship in each other as warriors, be they of very different backgrounds. To actually consider her a potential love interest seemed wrong, somehow. But to have someone who didn't mind playing along if it meant raising a speculative eyebrow, well... that was a new thing for her.

But if Ash hadn't survived, could they have? No, Thalia shook off the thought. This was the happiest that she'd seen Thana, ever. There's no way in hell she'd even entertain the scenario.

It did not escape Thalia's notice that, even though she still had an arm around Thana, Ash went in for his kiss anyway. For just a second, they were in an odd huddle that probably looked highly questionable from more than a few paces away, and they were on a raised stage area in plain view of the whole room in the middle of dinner. This was fairly unlike Thalia. She was not the type to draw attention to herself. Once Ash had walked away to join the line, she leaned in to Thana a little more, half-whispering, "Ah jaysus, I'm sorry, Navy." She risked a surreptitious glance around to see if anyone was paying too much attention to them, and continued, "This is how rumors staht. I'll move ahn when your man gets back, ahright? Give you some you time." Not that she gave a tinker's damn about rumors, herself, but Thana probably didn't need that. And it would do Thalia some good to find a form of stress relief sooner or later, herself. With a low growl, suitable for a mildly irate canine, Thalia tore another bite from her orange and started munching noisily. Peeling was for suckers, anyway.

🧚🏻‍♀️ The Walking Dead - Year 6 Part 1

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Ash Holloway Location: Mechanics (K) -> Mess Hall (C) Skills: N/A

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It took Ash a little bit to realize what Ted was saying, overall. It wasn't actually until the man came out and said outright that he wasn't done with his shift that Ash understood what he was getting at. Ted had to come back to this cart for work, and it would be highly counterproductive if he had to run back into the building to grab his stuff. Point made. This meant that Ash got to shave a few minutes off of his expected time to get to Mess and meet up with Thana, even it did feel somehow against his sense of work ethic. But he made a point. "Alright, alright," relented Ash, "No blaming The Ted." He said it flatly, nodding, but the barest hint of humor might have been glimpsed if one listened hard enough. "Good working with you," he did finally say as the man started to walk off.

Ted looked like he wanted some space, so Ash gave it a five count before moving out, himself. He looked to their hitchhiker, Amelia, and voiced the event of the hour as if it were a question, "Dinnertime?" motioning his head in the direction of the Mess Hall. "Come on, I have a feeling it's fish." He shrugged, and started on his way. The walk was short, as were most things in a semi-urban setting wherein one already had sight of the building they were going for. And on the off chance that he might have forgotten where the meals were being served, Ash had only to look at the focus point for the camp at that hour; it was the one place that everyone seemed to be going to or coming from. It was like that when he was with the military, proper. Everyone on base could tell where the food was kept during three blocks of time each day, guaranteed. Even if you were new to the base. Even if you were new to the Army. Period. Ash gave a glance to see if Amelia was following, but ultimately that was her business. As he said, be it in a mildly joking manner, he had a date.

Ash just hoped that she wouldn't be pissed that he was late.

Entering the Mess was everything the he imagined it might be from lunch, except he wasn't still damp from having to hose off from a mess so epic it might have been a cautionary tale. His emotions, while internal as a rule, still clung to the coloration they took on from the memorial service earlier. Simultaneously, he felt that this new chapter in his life might be the point where he could turn things around for himself and those he cared about. And speaking of those he cared about, Ash was surprised (and a little nervous) to see that Thana had taken a perch on high ground, amid the swirl of CMB locals shuffling to and fro. He cracked a more honest smile and diverted his course over to her, stopping every so often to allow others in line or moving toward the line to pass without interruption, as he would hope others might when he made his move for the foodstuffs.

"Hey! I missed you. Sorry I'm late," he started, shaking his head apologetically. "Last job was cleaning out the stockade. Got locked in for a while." He leaned in a little, feeling out the situation before actually making a full move to steal a kiss. "Off Duty. You?" It was best to make sure, lest he commit a grievous error in judgement.

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Thalia Carmichael Location: Mess Hall (C) Skills: N/A

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Did Thalia mention that she didn't like crowds? Because she didn't. Mouth-breather behind her was standing too close for her likes, and knob-head in front was taking too long. But it was okay. It was all good. These people weren't enemies. They weren't even adversaries, nor rivals. They were survivors just like her, operating in their capacity as useful members of a society and blah, blah, blah... And no they weren't just like her. They had two complete arms and probably never had to dig for earthworms or strip off pine bark for calories after climbing down from a tree they tied themselves to for a secure night's sleep, or what amounted to a secure night's sleep considering the on-and-off misting of rain. They probably never had to outrun a bear or a gang of lovesick former accountants (for the same reasons, no doubt), nor had they ever had to nail someone to a wall with a fire-hardened stick to defend a single, precious, unopened bag of cheese flavored snack crackers. Or hell, maybe they had. For all Thalia knew, they could secretly fly. Either way, the Angel didn't feel particularly angelic right then, and as soon as she got her food she was going to find someplace in a corner, or at least away from the bulk of the people present to eat her supper. Past that, she had no idea what she was going to do with the rest of her evening.

Thalia tried to scan the room, looking for people she knew that would make suppertime more tolerable. Maybe if she had looked behind her, she might have seen Atticus and Joaquin getting into the line, which might have made for an acceptable pair or dining companions. But no, her eyes were out to the tables. Then it was that she spotted Thana, disengaging from the line ahead of her and moving to... the stage! Perfect. Out of the way, good vantage point, and with someone she considered a rare friend. Good. Plan intact, Thalia kept her shit together as best she could without offering Mouth-Breather an elbow to his trachea, quietly requested the sushi plate, then grabbed an orange and something to drink. She turned and made for the stage, and Thana.

Unfortunately, that meddling bastard Captain America found his way over to her first. The urge to gahd dammit rose, but she tamped it back down as best she could. It only eeked out in the form of a burning gaze and slight snarl, like a pissed-off rottweiler who ordered itself to heel before it was too late to pull its teeth out of someone's left asscheek. Did she mention that she didn't like crowds?

No problem. This could be gotten around with tact, dignity, and grace. Possessing none of these traits, however, Thalia had to improvise. She strode right up to where Thana was sitting and rested her tray to the side, then immediately turned her back to the stage and hopped up to sit right beside her, legs dangling below. Thalia snaked her metal arm around Thana's shoulders into a one-armed hug and looked down at Ash, her other hand picking up the orange from her tray. She bit into it like it was an apple (because she'd re-learn that peeling thing another day) and began chewing it up, flesh and rind, both. Through a mouthful of citrus, Thalia tersely and directly stated, "Claimed."

🧚🏻‍♀️ The Walking Dead - Year 6 Part 1

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Ash Holloway Location: Jail (AA) Skills: N/A

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Ash observed the conversation from the passenger's seat of the golf cart. The nonchalant discussion of the remains of the former Mr. Dimshit reminded him that the lived in a period of time where life was simultaneously very precious and very cheap. Considering that he didn't know the man whose partial remains had decorated the jail floor, Ash had little problem disconnecting from the task at hand. That, and living as he had for the last chunk of time made one numb to the brutal things one did to survive. But Ted lived and worked with this person. His level of disconnect was curious, unless sarcasm was the method of choice for psychological defense mechanisms here. If so, Ash could relate.

So far as Nikki's curiosity was concerned, it was noted that while Ash and Ted knew a little more than she did, neither of them were letting on. This was a thing with which Ash agreed. Loose lips, need-to-know, and all that. If Cage felt like sharing, that was on him. It was not Ash's responsibility to communicate these things and he had no right to, in the name of whatever was left of military jurisprudence. And he didn't know a hell of a lot more, anyway. He did speak up about one thing before getting back to Ted concerning their next stop, however. With the mildest of annoyance, Ash noted that a woman he had spent the better part of a year and a half with in a dump truck had arrived following Nikki and hadn't so much as glanced in his direction. Maybe he told too many Army stories during all that time. He had a habit of relaying information of a historical or practical nature as it applied to the work at hand which some people found offputting, like he was still training grunt sappers. Yeah, that must be it. So with a twinge of good-natured sarcasm of his own, Ash bid Amelia a good day with his own, preemptive greeting. "Good evening to you too, Amelia. Glad to see that you're surviving the sea air and regular meals here. Real trooper." He followed it up with a smile, an act he wasn't well known for among former Newnanites.

The question that Ted posed him was still in the air. "It's a long walk from Mechanics to the Mess but I'll make due," he said with a faux eager nod. "Besides, if she's pissed I'm just going to blame you, Ted." The sarcasm wasn't fully used up on Amelia, apparently. Seriousness was re-asserted with a sincere, "But I'm sorry, I should help you unload, anyway." It was an oversight on his part to request a dropoff when the work wasn't technically done. "Ready whenever you are."

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Thalia Carmichael Location: Education (M) -> Mess Hall (C) Skills: N/A

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Contrary to Thalia's previous disposition toward the sleeping student, wherein he didn't hold her interest and could spend the rest of his life growing dirt for all she cared, the impulse to grab the kid and shake the ever-living shit out of him suddenly took hold of her. She figured that it was because of the comment that he made about grabbing food (not like she couldn't use some more of that sushi herself), labeling the kid's priorities which didn't involve helping out his classmates. Thalia remembered college. She remembered the wastes of space to hung on the underbelly of project groups and got their easy grade for doing the least amount possible. It irritated her. Thalia held a tiny daydream whereupon she dusted off her Familia's talent for motivation, pulled a knife and begin screaming at him unintelligibly in Spanish until he either agreed to shoulder his part of the workload or pissed himself; either way was good with her. Then she might use his urine-soaked undergarments as a gag, thumping his kidneys with her heavy, steel prosthetic every so often if he didn't write down something insightful at least once a half hour. Ah, but who had the time anymore? Thalia would be back. This wasn't done.

Okay it was, but assigning it some mote of extra importance felt good for a moment. Done now, moving on.

Anyway, Western Gate Duty. That's where she would find the Major, and begin dealing with Part Two of the epic two-parter that involved Thana getting herself into proper training. Then again, armed with the knowledge of where she would be and around what time was a better, less exhaustive, and more probable option to get in touch with her. Something like an ambush. Or just catching her during her off time. Tactically, it made sense. And one couldn't forget that it was where they kept the food. It was a sushi day. It felt like a sushi night, too.

The midst of her thought process, or more accurately, the moment that she put the fore of her thoughts back in the present, revealed to her that Thana had gone ahead. Nigel had also gone ahead. And the students... well, it was time to go. Thalia paced away, intent on getting to the Mess Hall but not feeling the need to run. Oddly, she had the idea to keep a steady look at her surroundings, checking this way and that with her eyes only as if searching for something that she had either forgotten about or only half expected. Something did catch her eye, though it wasn't anything really that she needed. Just one distraction among many, though this time she bit. It was the signup sheet. "...DnD..." she mused aloud. Thalia took a minute or two before giving in. "Hell with it." She had her assigned job, hopefully her training after a lengthy psych evaluation, but this one - schedule permitting with everything else - was just for her. In truth, it was a pretty big step for Thalia, volunteering for something social that didn't involve direct violence somehow. Maybe it was the scene from the study area that put her in the frame of mind to be open to it, but the whole thing reminded her of her own college days at Boston's picturesque Suffolk University. Go Rams. If it proved to be too big of a step, schedule was not permitting, or if something seemed off about it, she could ghost it completely and not think twice. Her only misgiving was that, based upon her stunted manual dexterity, whomever saw her signature might think that a four year old had a hankering to roll for initiative.

After not too long, Thalia had made her way into the Mess Hall. Oh, she knew what she wanted. More of that yummy raw fish and rice. Chopsticks ...weren't a thing. They waved bye-bye to her the moment she lost her hand. But it didn't matter at lunch and it wasn't going to matter now. That sushi was going down. Waiting in line was becoming irksome, though. Not the fact that she had to wait, though that was not her favorite part of it either; but that Thalia was stuck between people, one of which was standing right behind her. Whether he was or not, if felt like this guy was leering at her, murmuring unwholesome things and mouth-breathing all the while, possibly considering an act of assault. It was her hesitance to be in crowds talking, she knew that. It was also the cause of her staring at the knob on the back of skull of the man in front of her, wondering how much force she would have to use with her metal hand to bonk the guy unconscious if she needed a human shield against the imaginary antics of the slackjaw behind her, and others.

Again, Thalia did not like crowds of people. This was coupled with a habit of trying to plot escape routes in any given situation as a survival measure. Eyes on the prize, though. It was sushi time.

🧚🏻‍♀️ The Walking Dead - Year 6 Part 1

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Ash Holloway Location: Jail (AA) Skills: N/A

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The continuing back and forth coming from Hunter and Ted was interesting, at the very least. Having gotten over the majority of his annoyance with the situation, Ash started to reflect on what he'd seen from the two men locked in the room with him. He didn't disagree with a word of what Ted was saying, if he looked at it objectively. It all sounded pretty straightforward. True, he reminded Ash of a drill instructor who was trying to call out a single person who was screwing something up in front of the unit, a tactic that was usually successful when it came from a person in a position of authority and in front of peers. Again objectively, he didn't figure that Ted was actually angling that way to instruct or motivate. It was just something that reminded Ash of a detail of another life.

A tiny, barely perceptible sigh of relief came over Ash when the door opened and cage entered the room. A fragment of him still thought that this might be a significantly less ideal situation, but all turned out to be well. This place was still new to him. He hadn't figured out the quirks just yet. As the older man entered bearing what he assumed was Hunter's supper, Ash reflexively found himself straightening his posture. Old habits, he figured. Had to be. Ash patiently waited as the quips flew between his workmate and Cage. It made him think back to Newnan, or an aspect therefrom; it was said that Newnan ran on alcohol. Fuel, heating, medical application, cleaning, incentive, and reward. If that was true, the humble distillations of grain acting as the great social lubricant of the settlement, then surely sarcasm held the same role for Camp Mexico Beach. This place contained more pure, unblemished snark than Ash could hope to demonstrate in a lifetime, and he had plenty of practice in the craft. So he just shook his head and let the moment wash over him until Ted left. He was neither giving nor receiving it this hour.

This stance of non-involvement persisted until such time as Cage gave him an eyeballing, followed by the proclamation of shit to do and a decided preference that he leave. This was just fine by Ash, who was already behind schedule. "Yes sir," he responded promptly, stepping over to the cleaning supplies to grab what Ted had left behind. He hesitated for a half second to initiate eye contact Hunter, if only to let him know that he did hear him and was listening. This did not stop him from getting the supplies together while he spoke.

Ash did not address the apology directly except to make eye contact and nod again. Shit happened, shit was apologized for, so long as a repeat wasn't in the making, that was all that needed to be said to him about it. When all was said, he did finally speak aloud, "Thank you, Hunter. And you're welcome. I'm pretty damn sure I wasn't 'stuck with you', Monroe. I'm thinking we were assigned together for a reason." More and more, his mind drifted to the possibility that it was no toss of a coin, no roll of a die that had them assigned for work detail now and put as roommates in Quarantine initially. Whether it was for a greater good or merely to observe what might happen, he believed there was purposeful decision behind it. "But I appreciate. You acted with humility and respect, and I thank you for it. If I can please offer a suggestion? How you just spoke - try doing that with others, whether you think they deserve it or not. I guarantee it'll be a turning point for you." The last of the supplies gathered, Ash rose fully and cocked his head in Cage's direction, adding, "Start with this guy. He looks like he does deserve it."

Ash looked to Cage, giving him a final, "Sir," before making for the stairs. Before he left, he made sure to give a final, parting, "Be seeing you, Hunter," and exited the lockup.

Making his way to the golf cart outside, he was surprised to note that Nikki was there. Whatever conversation she and Ted were in or about to be in was a big chunk of "not his business", so he merely gave her a polite nod and expressed, "Evening, miss." Ash placed the cleaning supplies in the back neatly, secured the goods, and settled into the passenger's seat. He wasn't sure what time it was, but he was fairly certain that he was late as all hell for his recommended therapy session. There wasn't a reason not to go, and the odd stigma that came with attending sessions like that in some places didn't seem to be present here. In fact, these guys were anxious to make sure you got your head checked out and squared away for the betterment of the community. Plus, getting a fully clean bill of health, mental and otherwise, meant that he could rejoin the ranks of the officers, so to speak. Maybe not immediately, for reasons both personal and of social prudence, but he wanted that option open for when it was time. He did first want, and probably a little selfishly, some time to just be with Thana, laboring as the community saw fit, with some sense of normalcy after so long a period without it, and without her.

Then Ash suddenly felt like a dumbass. So much as he was struggling to get done to attend therapy and then hit the evening meal, even going so far as to tell Thana that he would be late getting to supper because of it, his brain left out the detail that the schedule was posted that day. He signed up that day. He was technically clear until Thursday for his therapy schedule. Shaking his head at his foolishness, Ash looked to Ted, "Thanks for waiting. In case you're going someplace else, could you drop me off at the Mess Hall? I think I have a date." If he didn't have a date persay, he did want to meet up with Thana as soon as he could.

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Thalia Carmichael Location: Education (M) Skills: N/A

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Thalia let out a short but sputtering laugh at Thana's comeback to her vulgar insistence that she engage in oral copulation. She shook her head a little and, as she was beginning to get in the habit of doing, pinged her metal middle finger into the upright position temporarily and nodded a bit, motioning to it like a game show host showing off the lovely prizes that were up for grabs in the next amazing installment of whateverthehell wheel-spinning, cash snatching, big money big money no whammy no whammy, trivia guessing bullshit was about to come into America's homes at prime time. The mirth gave way to a little jealousy. Not much, just a tiny undercurrent. Thana was someone. Thalia was almost afraid to have someone. She regarded it like seeing the couple in Quarantine - the ballerina and the guy with the same local accent as herself - having the out and out hardcore courage to have a baby in the middle of everything. Courage to continue with life was a highly underrated and oft overlooked form of it these days.

But not to be rude in any sweeping amount with Nigel, Thalia went back to what he was just saying about her brother. Of course, being dismissed from Profesora Coño's presence meant that it had to be addressed in the hall on the way back to the doors as they all walked in that direction. "Sharpen his blade? Yeh... Joaquin's good, no lie. The few times be spahhed back in the day, I had to cheat to beat him. That was when I had both hands." Then again, this was during her younger formative years. He had left to seek his fortune before she matured to a woman and really come into her stabbing, bitchsmacking own. And that did put to focus the fact that a knife fight wasn't the kind of thing you could "cheat" at, not when survival was on the line. Still, she didn't have the manual dexterity she used to. Hell, she didn't have both the manuals she used to. It threw everything off in a permanent way.

The mention of food definitely piqued Thalia's interest. Not so much the snoring kid and the girl who was about to play paper ball free-throws using him as a basket (though that was kind of fun). To put it plainly, she could eat. But a more pressing item was on her To Do list for them moment. Some two things before she sat down to a plate of fish and homegrown edibles: Finding the Major and locating that One Way sign. Thalia supposed that getting herself checked out took priority. "Ah shit... hey Navy, you see where Major was on the wahl? Or you thing she'll make it to dinnah like the rest of us if I wait around theah?"

🧚🏻‍♀️ The Walking Dead - Year 6 Part 1

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Ash Holloway Location: Jail (AA) Skills: N/A

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Rosie's bathroom. The invocation of the name of that place struck Ash with a sort of internal revulsion. He was the new guy, and already subjected to one of the more ...interesting... aspects of CMB that might be related over drinks at a fire at a later date. But more to the point, it was being used as a comparison of Hunter's attitude. "Hmm, wow. Too soon, Ted. Too soon." He had recently gotten away from that place, and during that time was kicking himself for getting the tuna casserole before going back to it. Fate had placed his work elsewhere, but the very thought of the near miss there was close to a gag-worthy event. Still, Ash was interested to note that his sense of sarcasm was developing back into his casual conversation. It was oddly comforting.

The abrupt change in topic had almost blotted out the answer that Ted had given him from his memory. But as the issue calmed a little in the foremost portions of his brain, Ash processed what he had been told. Ted went an got himself in a heap of trouble when he first got here. Oddly, he seemed a little bit like a cautionary tale, if such a thing existed anymore aside from the usual rule of law outside of walls, summed up as "Be paranoid at all times, or you will likely die". Such was life.

Mulling everything around in his head, Ash finally spoke up, "Well, this room isn't permanent for us. Guy in charge'll be along. Place is clean." Looking to Hunter, "This room isn't permanent for you, either. One way or another, you still have options." Again, unless the Powers That Be have moved more than a fair sight away from the Uniform Code of Military Justice. For all Ash knew, he stepped into Napoleonic Code a few stops back and they were waiting with a cigarette and a firing squad. It would definitely be an ending to an odd day. Ashton shook his head and redoubled his efforts to nonchalantly lean against the wall.

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Thalia Carmichael Location: Education (M) Skills: N/A

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The nonchalant manner in which La Profesora addressed Thalia's potential ability to write in cursive as met with an arch of her eyebrow. Much as most things were a cause for annoyance to her, she really couldn't help but feel a little annoyed by the exchange. "Good to know," she said carefully. In truth, it really was good to know. Such things weren't on her "To Do" List right at the moment and really weren't up there on her list of priorities overall. Thalia was on a mission, and this was just part one of two. Now that it was coming to a close, Thalia was anxious to move on to the next step.

The question of Nigel proving himself academically took her by surprise. For a moment, Thalia thought that the Professor was talking to her until she looked up and saw for herself who was being spoken to. Of course she was talking to Nigel. Books weren't her thing anymore. Then again, the thought of being in a position where she would eventually be able to concentrate on more academic pursuits did have a sort of appeal, so long as it didn't make her weak. Or dependent upon others. Or worse yet, others dependent upon her. This whole "living in civilization" thing was going to take some getting used to again, especially the social aspect of it. In a passing effort in that regard, she looked to Nigel, a guy that she really only knew as the other weapon and shield person from quarantine, and surmised, "Guess we'ah officially the first, then." As mentioned earlier, there would probably be more that signed up after a while.

But that wasn't what Thana had commented about. She had made leading comments about their instructors in the finer arts of inserting and removing steel into living and undead flesh. And she recalled part of the conversations from lunch, before she disappeared under the table and booked it for parts elsewhere. Thalia's eyes narrowed, and she quoted one of the few literary passages she remembered from college, "Cry 'havok!', and let slip the dahgs of war...?" If anyone in that place knew how to handle a short blade, or a long blade for that matter, it would be Shakespeare.

In regards to the line of pure bitchery perpetrated by Thana, signing in cursive just to spite her (which in truth she didn't regard as such until the tongue-sticking-out incident), Thalia leaned her head back a little as if to size her up. Her expression was summed up efficiently enough by the words she chose to mark the occasion: "Yah. Go eat a dick, Navy."

🧚🏻‍♀️ The Walking Dead - Year 6 Part 1

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Ash Holloway Location: Jail (AA) Skills: N/A

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Hunter's story sounded much like many of the other stories coming from military men who had made it past the first six months. Ash supposed that his own wasn't too different. Specific of circumstance, certainly. Told from the point of view of one of the people making a decision or two rather than merely following orders, yes. But not too different than the multitude of others. It was almost comforting being reminded that he wasn't particularly special in this regard. Still, the point of view from Infantry's side of things was slightly different than that of Sappers. It was interesting to note. Ash listened intently, nodding knowingly every so often as a familiar concept came up. Like the hordes around New York. "Massive infection rates in high population densities. Hordes form. Cities diffuse slowly, but they don't usually go too far..." He could really only speak to his experience. City runs were nigh-suicidal sometimes, especially on foot.

The impromptu camaraderie with Ted, Soldier in the Army of Colonel Harland Sanders and Keeper of the Eleven Herbs & Spices, was a bit of stress relief for Ash. It had been a while since he had gotten to know a detail about someone new that didn't have something to do with the screaming necessities of life, such as ammo counts or securing a perimeter, or briefing on new surroundings. Or catching up, though that last part was precious to him. This was just shooting the breeze with another human being in the context of getting to know someone, even in passing. And being that they unknowingly shared some real estate a while ago, back when the world made more sense, it was cause for minor celebration.

Of course, that cracked a little bit when the discussion went to Cage. Specifically, what he was out there doing and what he had already had to do so far this shift. In addition to the last three shifts as well, apparently. Ash felt a little foolish. Based upon what Ted had told him, he had assumed that Cage was leaving them in there until he took his own trip to the Mess Hall to take a break, grab some dinner, then get back around to letting them out when he felt like it. His trademark stoicism helped him out there, keeping his internal voice internal and prompting him to change the subject. The fact that he was thinking it, though, gave Ash an attack of creeping guilt. He was still an asshole as far as Ash could tell, but he was demonstrating diligence to his job.

It was also a kind of relief that this man, Ted, didn't seem to know about Newnan or Eden directly. Or Franklin, for that matter. Or Fairburn's Castle Town. So Ash settled back against the wall for the time being, mulling over their predicament and the use of NOID, a thing he hadn't heard in years. "So he'll be along soon enough. Takes away some worry." Ash even permitted himself a chuckle, and asked (partly in hopes of avoiding a continuing, strained conversation), "So what did you do to get stuck down here overnight, Ted? If'n you don't mind my asking." There had to be more to the story than banging on a door.

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Thalia Carmichael Location: Education (M) Skills: N/A

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Of course, it had to be written. This was going to be her big hurdle, Thalia could tell. A place with paper meant a place with paperwork, especially if it was being run by the military. Or a reasonable facsimile thereof, anyway. Of course, the problem with that was that, of all the things she was beginning to really get the hang of with her non-dominant hand, writing was not one of them. She remembered having to fill in her entrance questionnaire while in quarantine. It looked like a toddler with some kind of palsy tried to write it. Thalia was honestly surprised they didn't throw her out for smuggling alcohol inside somehow and getting blotto before the big test. But they did see the lack of hand she was sporting. It was hard to miss. This was probably a good indicator that she used to be right handed, too. But back to the present: Writing. It sucked. It sucked pretty hard, but she should have seen this coming. Moving on.

Accepting the papers from Profesora Coño, Thalia gave them a brief glance before looking back to Thana. She was right. Thinking about it, considering the number of hardasses in their combined groups, ex-military, and cutthroat survivors, she would be surprised as hell if she and Nigel were the only ones. They were probably just the first. She gave a passing expression of agreement to Thana and held it until her face oscillated back to the Professor, terminating with a shrug and nod that supported their shared suspicion; more would be coming. It was just a matter of time. Then she got back to the papers, awkwardly holding them with her flesh and steel hands, maneuvering to turn the page as necessary. "Blah, blah... party of the first part bullshit, la la la..." she mumbled to herself, seemingly unaware that (while quiet) it was out loud. "Jaysus, this is corpsec basic all over again..." Again, spoken with discretion. She listened to the rundown given about the content of the paperwork, but didn't give it a ton of serious thought until she saw it in print in front of her. Sharps, shield, hand to hand training. "Well shit, that's almost why I'm here," said Thalia, a little more openly than her earlier mumbling. She looked over to Nigel for a second before going back to the papers. She wanted to spar with him, being a fellow weapon and board guy. She needed to adapt to soldiery from these people. Learn another way, compensate for her abbreviated dexterity. Broaden her warrior's horizons and whatnot. But if this was Step One, fine. Thalia would get there in time. They were just making her take other steps first.

"Oh, I'm moving up to C Rostah," vowed Thalia, this time speaking openly. She had reached the bits that required her signature and sighed. She'd have to try another approach to using a writing utensil. Acquiring one, she placed it in an underhanded grip in her metal hand, securing it in place by articulating her fingers one at at time to tenuously grasp without letting it slide. It was a little harder then it looked. Secured like she might use it to impale someone, Thalia began the mildly infuriating task of signing her name, one blocky letter at a time. "I hope cursive isn't required."

Thalia did have to pause in the middle of her own personal hell to look up at Thana, quirking a brow quizzically when she foreshadowed something about their instructors.