[hr][hr][center][h1][i][b][color=steelblue]Ash Holloway[/color][/b][/i][/h1]
[img]https://img.roleplayerguild.com/prod/users/0d55b471-c5e5-4224-a6dd-f93f52f38ebd.png[/img][/center]
[hr][center][color=steelblue][b]Location:[/b][/color] Building [b]A[/b] (Home) [/center][hr][hr]

	The Captain stood inside of his house, sticking near to his door. It was interesting to him that Thana seemed to make herself at home rather readily. Faster then he did originally, now that he put some thought into it. It was a good thing, though. He felt the corner of his mouth tighten into a small smile. Hallucinations be damned, Ash considered himself a passable judge of character. And objective enough that the fact that he had opened up to someone both physically and emotionally for the first time in a very long while wasn't going to cloud that judgement in any meaningful way. A slice of happy for himself wasn't going to make him forget about the security and stability (insomuch as anyone's life was [i]stable[/i]) of his people. It was a quality that made him a decent leader, even if he greatly wished that Leann was still alive to handle the job. 

	The thought of Lt. Colonel McCormick caused him to reflexively move a hand up to the collar of his jacket. It used to belong to the woman, and her grandfather prior to that. If anyone from his old unit could see him, Captain Ashton Jameson Holloway of the United States Army Corps of Engineers, Combat Division, parading around in an old Army Air Corps flight jacket, they'd hit the floor laughing. He might flatter himself to believe that he was as qualified to handle this extended emergency as well as Leann did, and it took him a little while to grow accustomed to wearing it. 

	Waxing introspectively, it seemed that he had been surrounding himself with strong, capable women as of late. Leann, Alicia, Zoie, Bridgette, Astrid, and now Thana. A moment of sadness passed over him. All of these women had one thing in common, except for Thana: They were all dead. Worthy of surviving, but lost to a world that didn't deserve them. 

	As Thana returned, Ash snapped out of his thoughts. Maybe it was the shock of being referred to as "Captain Tight Pants". Back when that series was running, he was still a Lieutenant. He didn't become a Captain until all of this mess started, and by then no one was really talking about cancelled shows from the FOX network. Then again, the principal protagonist in that series started out as a Sergeant, so he was doing just that much better than another specific ex-military man caught up in constant dilemmas of one form or another, fictional though he was. [color=steelblue]"I remember that show..."[/color] he said in an almost sleepy tone. [color=steelblue]"I liked the pilot. Good guy."[/color] 

	Shaking his head, Ash picked up his pack near the front door. [color=steelblue]"Standard bug-out ruck. Useful for fast exits or extended runs."[/color] He probably didn't need it, especially with the choice of transportation he intended. If everything was normal, roads were clear, and there weren't people trying to eat you (living or dead), it would have been a mere jaunt up the road and back. Life wasn't like that anymore, though. They might want something from the pack if circumstances forced them to find another way home, or God forbid, were forced to maneuver on foot for a prolonged amount of time. [color=steelblue]"Alright ma'am, let's get you armed and outfitted for a scouting run. We have a little more ammo a Mossberg with a bayonet mounting you might find interesting at the Armory. How are you with a scattergun?"[/color] 

	Ash stepped outside, slipping the bag over one shoulder. He gave Thana a lingering look of admiration before stepping off of his porch, beginning to lead the way to the Armory.


[hr][hr][center][h1][i][b][color=firebrick]James[/color] & [color=dc143c]Thalia[/color][/b][/i][/h1]
[img]https://v.cdn.vine.co/r/avatars/6AE78329E91063505631975227392_pic-r-1396533712688c4afde8ecf.jpg.jpg?versionId=ZnGOSit0zozlhxpJk0w6QVx4cSozVRdq[/img] [img]https://i.pinimg.com/236x/b4/fc/02/b4fc025b04e4d7775b99388fb448ca3d--grimm-first-time.jpg[/img][/center]
[hr][center][b][color=firebrick]Location:[/color][/b] The Meet (Three-way intersection near the Hershall Norred Water Plant) [/center][hr][hr]

 	Mild annoyance gripped Thalia as Lola took point, [i]again[/i], and kicked off the conversation with some of the most outlandish bullshit she had the pleasure to witness. It was Lola's way, controlling the conversation by starting things with raw shock value. Shook a lot of people up. She could stay cool and collected while people struggled with a conversation that kicked off with a "dafuq?" moment. Sometimes it was useful. But Thalia's mild annoyance was due mainly to the fact that her friend hijacked the opening salvo on an exchange involving her family. She opened her mouth to assert herself into the conversation when the man in the center of the intersection spoke, breaking her confidence in what remained of humanity as a rational, sane species. 

	[color=firebrick]"Oooh, lordy-lord no, little lady. Y'all don't wanna hit Eater's Cleaning offa 85. They like to dress up Cocker Spaniels in yo best undies, then make those inter-species erotic movies with 'em. No ma'am, you ain't gonna catch a man like me yonder, 'less they's got strippers givin' 'way free hot dogs in the parkin' lot an' the cameras're pointed somewheres else, get me? Now, Reese's up on Brown Street? They the shit."[/color] He waved his satphone in front of him, then slipped it in his pocket and adjusted his stetson hat upon his head. [color=firebrick]"But beggin' yo pardon, Miss Kiwi, there ain't no reason to be cussin' muthafuckas out. I'm [i]very much[/i] that dick on the phone."[/color]

	Thalia was not about to let these two get into a lengthy conversation about what amounted to verbal one-upmanship. In a loud, clear voice, she blurted out, [color=dc143c]"How did she die?"[/color] She wanted to cry, wanted more to stay stone-faced, and partly wanted to unceremoniously put a bullet in each of these people and wander off in the woods alone. [color=dc143c]"If you're for real, you would have told me on the phone if Alicia was okay. So how did she die? Then tell me how her father went, and why the fuck you're still standing if those two aren't."[/color]

	James's mildly amused look vanished. [color=firebrick]"Damn, girl. You really one o' them, ain't you?"[/color] he took off his hat and held it in front of him, bowing his head slightly. [color=firebrick]"She went out with a gun in hand, helpin' someone else survive. I was there. Sumbitch made it, too - [i]that[/i] day."[/color] Tears welled up in his eyes, thinking back to how he was powerless to do anything but watch her die. [color=firebrick]"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry, girl. Muthafuckin' horde took her. Her man wound up puttin' her down after she turned, luck had it, and it damn near broke him. They buried her next to her pops."[/color] There wasn't a hint of mirth on the man's face, humor having drained away, leaving someone obviously under emotional strain. 

	Her own tears forming, Thalia stepped closer. She stuck her own phone back into a pocket and asked the follow up of, [color=dc143c]"And how did 'her pops' go? Huh?"[/color] 

	[color=firebrick]"Same day. We was under attack from these fuckbats from Peachtree City, usin' the dead folks as cover and distractin' us. They waited till we had supply teams out and pinned us under fire. In the mess, half a goddamned Walker slipped offa the top of a building. Big Daddy Caesar shoved this girl name o' Meghna out the way, took the hit himself. Bad muthafucka knew he was goin' out, just went full-out [i]monster[/i] on all the dead folks 'tween us and the armory. [i]He[/i] went out givin' us a fightin' chance. In the end, though, he asked this girl Zoie to bleed him out quick and put a blade in his skull. No way he was gonna put his folks in danger. Kinda man he was. That an' scary beyond all reason."[/color] 

	Thalia just nodded. [color=dc143c]"Thank you."[/color] she spoke quietly.