[center]If this were a democracy then the decision would have already been made; the vocal majority all seemed in favor of pushing forward with the idea of going to the bastion of capitalism and consumerism that was Costco. Of course, if it was a democracy then everyone in the group would have a say, but some seemed content to simply be taken under the umbrella of general safety. Jimmy still had her doubts no matter what people said. She found herself agreeing with one of the groupies that she hadn't really had time to get to know - she was sure he was named after a major city just that she wasn't sure which one exactly. Costco dealt in bulk and in socks that people enjoyed way too much, and a place like that was probably ransacked when the news first made a reporting of the undead. By now what would be left? Dog food? Only one member of this group would enjoy that. 

[color=#a350f9][b]"I won't stop you from going, I just don't want to run afoul of some people who might have decided to make Costco their new home. We're not exactly built for that."[/b][/color] Jimmy hated sounding like the negative Nancy, but when something like a Costco presented itself it was easy to see why some would see the trees but not the forest. Still, she didn't have a better solution and it was better to think positive. Maybe there would be a box of cookies that fell under one of the shelves or maybe one of the coolers still had power and there was a trove of Ben and Jerry's ripe for the taking. 

[color=#a350f9][b]"I think I should go with the town group. If there's a drug store or pharmacy then I should be there to see what can be used. I'll go with whoever wants to come. I assume you're taking KT to Costco?"[/b][/color] Jimmy looked to her side expecting KT to speak up, but she had gone back a ways and seemed to be speaking with an elderly member of the band. Regardless, it seemed the nearby town would be their next stop which was as sensible a decision as could be made. It got them off the interstate and a town at least had all the familiar trappings of how it used to be; not to mention that it was easier to hide from potential threats amongst buildings and such than it was on open road with clear sight lines. 

[color=#a350f9][b]"Whatever we do, we should take a headcount first. Just so we can be sure that we [i]all[/i] reconvene no matter what we run into."[/b][/color]


They were going into town. It was just a matter of who was going where, and Daisy didn't need to be there for that. She just needed to know where they were going and hoped someone knew how to get there. Navigation wasn't her job. Getting them to their destination safely was, and so far? She had a good track record. She couldn't take all the credit, it was a group effort even getting this far, but if anyone was keeping score like some kind of video game, Daisy was sure she'd be top of the leader board here. Every shambler sent back to the ground was another minute of survival for this group and it was another bullet saved. 

While the adults, or the ones who pretended to be, talked it out, Daisy returned to the side rail to lean against it, taking stock of the immediate area and their place within it. The group really was large for the amount of supplies they had, and sooner or later the numbers would have to course correct however they could. It wasn't something she figured most people wanted to talk about, but the unfortunate reality of their situation was that some of these people belonged to the camp of expendable. With any luck it wouldn't even come to that, but the only luck around these days tended towards the bad side of things. 

Daisy kept a list in her head of those she would just as soon excise like a bad tumor, but given that many likely disliked her for what they considered immoral and she considered pragmatic she kept that list firmly in the vault that was her mind. By the time their stop in Otwatonna County had concluded she wondered if her list would need to be updated, or names crossed off. It was no wonder damn near everyone kept their distance and saw her as a necessary evil; even Daisy wasn't a fan of the thoughts she was having of late. These people were more than just percentages, and yet...when she looked at them it was hard to remember that. 

As if to nudge Daisy with a reminder, one of the members of their group had come to rest next to her. Old Man Ollivander ([@BeastofDestiny]), as she referred to him (though often without the 'Ollivander' part), with his cane and his composure. She was about ready to remove herself from the railing and the conversation as a whole...but then he had to go and talk about the one thing that sparked her interest. Sure, he might have been wrong in his assumption, but Daisy wasn't going to belittle him for that; he seemed a learned man but even the well educated had room to learn. 

Maybe she would've taught him under better circumstances, assuming he was the type to frequent museums. 

[color=#345286][b]"You've got a decent eye, but it's not a falchion."[/b][/color] Daisy was trying not to sound like how she spoke now. Brusque. It was difficult, but this was the first time anyone had asked her about the weapon at her waist other than one of the teenagers calling it a knife - which was damn near insulting. How rare it was, now especially, for her to be able to 'geek'. Once upon a time she led tours. Maybe one day she'd be able to do so again, but for now this would have to suffice. [color=#345286][b]"Falchions are European swords  that are similar to the more ancient Chinese sword known as the [i]dao[/i], which, interestingly enough, was one of the four traditional weapons along with the [i]gun[/i] - or staff -, the [i]qiang[/i] - spear -, and the [i]jian[/i] which is a sword with a double edge."[/b][/color] It was around this part where people visiting the exhibits typically nodded their head, said how interesting that tidbit was, and promptly moved on to go find the dinosaur bones. 

[color=#345286][b]"I don't recall of many Arabian warlords in history who would have used a falchion, theirs was more a curved blade. A [i]scimitar[/i] or the Persian [i]shamshir[/i]. Scimitars date back as early as the Abbasid Caliiphate, or the ninth century, where it was also used by Turkics."[/b][/color] She was geeking. She was actually geeking and it was to Old Man Ollivander who probably was just trying to be nice and not move along to talk to someone else. Someone who wouldn't geek out about ancient weaponry and Asiatic cultures. [color=#345286][b]"The Turkic scimitar is known as a [i]kilij[/i], by the way. But no, my sword isn't a falchion or a scimitar. It's South Asian in origin, Bhutanese. It's a [i]patag[/i], one of a select few to belong to the [i]Lungdri Chenm[/i] family. If you're interested, the next time we make camp I'll tell you the myth about Dupthob Jangkha Lap and the first [i]Lungdri Chenm[/i]."[/b][/color] 

Daisy cleared her throat, suddenly aware of how much she has spoken about. She had to remind herself of where they were, or else she would be caught rambling on about swords as a shambler ate her good arm. Still...it was nice to feel...normal, even for that brief moment in time.[/center]