[hr][hr][center][h1][i][b][color=steelblue]Ash Holloway[/color][/b][/i][/h1][img]https://68.media.tumblr.com/c6f0f86d13839f8542e4b754c251da73/tumblr_ojog8uNf9k1qdhps7o1_r1_500.gif[/img][/center][hr][center][color=steelblue][b]Location:[/b][/color] Hordebuster -> Arnco Mills Safehouse (E10)
[color=steelblue][b]Skills:[/b][/color] Leadership [/center][hr][hr]

	Ash had absolutely no idea where the bump in the road came from, nor why Riley would do something that would cause the door to fling itself open. Whether the damnedable thing did not close fully the first time around or no, the fact remained that the former music icon got unceremoniously hurled from her seat (Shameless plug for seatbelts here, even in the midst of the Apocalypse, boys and girls!) and very almost impaled upon a mailbox post. This was highly counterproductive to survival. Ash had lost enough people to stupid mistakes and chunks of unforgiving misadventure in addition to the standard ways of checking out these days - disease, bullets, and the teeth of the Dead. Hell, they were just opening up to each other in the midst of all this chaos, and were very close to settling into a safe, dry spot to crash for the evening. 

	It was enough to snap Ash into a state of readiness. Before he fully knew what was happening, he already had his seatbelt off, gun drawn, and had crawled across the seats to see about Riley's safety. She was moving, breathing, and quite alive. He pulled himself out of the Hordebuster from the passenger side and stood over the prone woman, scanning the area for any signs of walking corpses that might make life difficult before giving her a hand up. 

	What happened next made Ash smile. Genuinely smile. Not at first, mind you. First, a strange car was pulling up to their location, prompting the first adrenaline spike of a fight-or-flight response. His .45 began a rise toward the vehicle, stopping when he got a glimpse behind the windshield. Then the near face-splitting grin took hold. [color=steelblue]"Hot damn, Riley. We just got reinforced."[/color] Someone else survived. It was just the two of them, but someone else survived. Ash was cautious, but temporarily happy. They weren't alone. [color=steelblue]"Jack, Tiffany!"[/color] he risked raising his voice a little, [color=steelblue]"Let's make sure this place is secure and gather what resources we've got."[/color] His words commanded, but his voice was full of relief. [color=steelblue]"Talk after. More might be coming."[/color] Ash put away his pistol, and went back into the truck for his pack and bow. Might as well get started. 

	




[hr][hr][center][h1][b][i][color=dc143c]Thalia Carmichael[/color][/i][/b][/h1][img]https://img.roleplayerguild.com/prod/users/e4117d5f-65c8-4b8e-98df-5810a59267c5.jpg[/img][hr][b][color=crimson]Location:[/color][/b] Eden, Bushes in front of Main Building (E10) -> Entry
[b][color=DC143C]Skills:[/color][/b] Stealth, Survival, Pistol, Sharp Weapons, Shield [hr][hr][/center]

	It was a rare thing when someone facepalms in the middle of a pitched battle. This was one of those times. If there was a person who would be recording the events of this day for future, she really, really hoped that this bit of it didn't make the final cut for the movie. First Thana rushes past, screaming like some redneck berserker on a murderous rampage. She might even respect that, owing to her many training sessions and supply runs with a certain spearwielding angry blacksmith who used profanity like oxygen. But this time? Vastly outnumbered [i]and with a working plan in place[/i]? It was a good thing that she didn't die in the first three seconds of the exchange. It might deprive Thalia of the privilege of handling it personally. 

	But when the flow of combat took a turn, you either went with it or got smashed into the rocks. Alexander had come to this conclusion just before her, apparently, screaming "[i]Charge[/i]" and running past her with his gun a'blazing. [color=dc143c]"Gahd. Fucking. [i]Damnit[/i]."[/color] she breathed, her hand moving to cover her face as best as possible, considering it was gripping a machete soiled in the blood of their enemies. She stood up from her crouch and breathed out a massive sigh. [color=dc143c]"Fine. Let's do this."[/color] At least the way in was clear. 

	The idea of being quiet had still not left her altogether. She heard the shots fired inside, followed by the banter common to situations like this. She knew about banter. It came with the territory of belonging to her family. Usually, the back and forth was more gruesome in nature, though. Ah well. It would have to do. Whatever got her blood pumping and blade singing, she was all for. 

	Thalia entered the main building to see the bodies of the dead, dying, and undead strung above her. Her people honored and revered the dead. This was a horrible mockery. Dama Muerte would consider this place an abomination, one that deserved to be burned to the ground along with anyone who was sick enough to participate in its upkeep. Starting with that asshat who was hiding behind the pillar. She could see his shirt and the toe of one shoe poking out from the hard cover. But as of yet, Asshat had not seen [i]her[/i].

	Let the others fire away. Let them talk. She preferred to walk a different path just then. Thalia looked to Thana and cracked a potentially unsettling smile beneath the skull painted over her features, and edged to the side a little way. Then she sprinted. Direct line and her machete trailing behind her, Thalia ran with soft steps toward the other side of the pillar the Edenite was taking cover behind. As he was more interested with the supposedly dead lady who was shooting at him, it was just a matter of placing the blade in the right spot before he could swivel his gun around. 

	As the man soon realized, it was awfully difficult to do that when you were partially decapitated. Thalia had stepped sideways around the squared pillar, pausing just long enough to give the confused man a wink before the sweet spot of her blade entered the side of his neck, fountaining his life's blood and tacking him to the wooden pillar even as his legs kicked and bucked, dancing a little jig of death. Thalia laid a hand upon his gun arm to prevent any last twitches from discharging his firearm anyplace dangerous, then recovered her machete, allowing his body to slump to the floor. 

	The last thing the Edenite glimpsed before the darkness took him was Thalia recovering his walkie and holding it up to her lips. She depressed the talk button and issued a low, wordless growl into it. The factor of intimidation was chief among the reasons why, but also, anyone else with an active radio in hearing distance would have their position compromised. She ducked back behind the pillar and nodded to Thana and Alexander. They were in the middle of it now. No sense in going gentle.