[hr][hr][center][h1][i][b][color=4682b4]Ash Holloway[/color][/b][/i][/h1][img]https://i.ibb.co/9nVT3Qs/Ash-Happy.jpg[/img][/center][hr][center][color=steelblue][b]Location:[/b][/color] L11 (Beach, Bar -> Kettles) -> M12 (Beach)
[color=4682b4][b]Skills:[/b][/color] N/A [/center][hr][hr]

	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. [color=4682b4]"It's considered polite where I'm from,"[/color] 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, [color=4682b4]"Ma'am,"[/color] 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, [color=4682b4]"Thank ya much,"[/color] 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, [color=4682b4]"Taking for two, ma'am,"[/color] 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, [color=4682b4]"Thank you."[/color] 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 ([i]deep, [u]deep[/u] down[/i]), 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. [color=4682b4]"Sorry if I took too long,"[/color] he started, handing over a plate. [color=4682b4]"They were screaming about hunting feral Fucks at the bar. Hell of a thing. Got away as soon as I could."[/color] One of the bottles in his pocket followed the plate. 

	Settling in next to Thana, Ash looked into her eyes. [color=4682b4]"The view here is amazing,"[/color] he commented simply. One might note that he hadn't looked at either the sea or stars since returning. 

[hr][hr][center][h1][b][i][color=dc143c]Thalia Carmichael[/color][/i][/b][/h1][img]https://i.ibb.co/HDh71gd/Thalia-Portrait.jpg[/img][hr][b][color=crimson]Location:[/color][/b] L11 (Bar)
[b][color=dc143c]Skills:[/color][/b] N/A [hr][hr][/center]

	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. [color=dc143c]"Thanks. Still getting a feel for it."[/color] 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, [i]her[/i] 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, [i]throwing her a bone[/i], 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 [i]no sleeve there[/i]. 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, [color=dc143c]"Well, fuck!"[/color] 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. [color=dc143c]"Fuck Hunt? Like that video game from back in the day? ...hate that dog..."[/color] Another sip, [color=dc143c]"Assuming I'm ahn the hunt,"[/color] which she really wasn't, but it would do her good to converse with people outside of her own, tiny circle, [color=dc143c]"who ahll's open?"[/color] The question was phrased openly to whomever was still around the bar rather than just the bartender.