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[h3][color=4682b4][i][b]Ash Holloway[/b][/i][/color][/h3][i][b][color=4682b4]Location:[/color][/b][/i] Mess Hall (C)
[i][b][color=4682b4]Skills:[/color][/b][/i] Perception
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	Ash wasn't sure why he hadn't seen it at first, but Thana had indeed saved him a seat. Sadly aware of his present, less polished appearance, it still did not prevent him from accepting the place next to her. And it seemed that she could take one look at his damp, smudged form and know exactly how he had been spending his day. If it was offensive, he would understand and take a seat elsewhere. This was part of the reason why he gave a little smile when she nudged his shoulder. [color=4682b4]"Hey,"[/color] he responded, leaning into her shoulder a little as well. A tiny piece of contentment was reached in that second, and regardless of the fact that there were many other people around them. He was even a little amused at the way that she not only knew what job he had pulled, but discussed it with him in brief as if they were already in the middle of an unspoken conversation about it, complete with the knowing look of a lady with experience in the matter. [color=4682b4]"It can always get worse,"[/color] he declared, otherwise nodding his agreement with Thana's statement. [color=4682b4]"One of those constants of life. Besides, still not the worst job I've had before."[/color] Flashes of his training days, and early assignments as a young Lieutenant doing seemingly unending civil engineering work, some of which involved primitive septic systems, haunted his thoughts. His eyes looked skeptically to the tuna casserole on his plate. Yes, he was still going to eat it. And yes, he was going to need a second or two first. 

	His attention expanded somewhat as he heard his name mentioned. Not the abbreviated version of his name, [i]Ash[/i], that most people used when referring to him in casual conversation, but his full first name, [i]Ashton[/i]. Fork in hand, his eyes darted in the direction of the man he thought might be addressing him. Nigel. The Romanesque individual, to use the term loosely as he was not personally representative of architecture, persay. But it seemed like he was talking about him, not to him. Benign conversation that merely used him as a reference to the military, which made sense. He was a career soldier, once upon a time. But did one ever really stop? Ash gave a nod to Nigel, noting that his name was invoked but not wishing to interrupt his conversation with Alexander. It looked like the older man's respiratory distress was doing a good enough job of that for him. Ash tensed for a second, waiting to see if the moderate amount of emergency medical training he received would need to be applied, though it seemed to work itself out. This allowed him to settle back into enjoying his meal with Thana, for however long they had. 

	To that end, a table-wide address caught his attention next, this one from his work partner for the week, Hunter. It was an apology for the previous night at the party, apparently. Ash wasn't around to fully see what had transpire. His eyes were elsewhere, naturally. He even looked to Thana during the course of the apology, then back to Hunter. He wanted to say something reassuring to the guy, but at the same time, didn't. The younger man seemed like a mess in progress, some of which was his fault and some of which wasn't. The apocalypse did things to everyone. [color=4682b4]"We all do stupid things, time to time,"[/color] he started with lowered voice. Lord knew he had a fair share of poor decisions under his belt, spanning a lifetime. [color=4682b4]"I can fill a day talking about mine. It's what you do after. Ask me about it sometime."[/color] They still had half a day's work ahead of them and they were stuck with each other for the week, at least. If he wanted storytime, he could have it. 

	Ash couldn't help but get a little defensive about her calling out his food choice. Oh, he understood the reasons, in hindsight. And admittedly he didn't think that far ahead, putting two and two together. Hot tuna casserole and the far less than desirable work he was doing. [color=4682b4]"Hey, comfort food,"[/color] was the only explanation that he might provide, though the conciliatory expression demonstrated a clear understanding of her intent. It was too late now, anyway. If it was his destiny to see his meal again, in a much less attractive form, then it would be. Feeling very Zen-like, Ash continued with his meal. 

	The continuation of lunch was a more hurried affair than breakfast, it looked like. That made sense. Breakfast was getting the day going, then he assumed that supper might be wrapping the day up, but the midday meal (and he considered himself very lucky that there was enough food to go around that they had three decent meals a day) was in the middle of work. More than ever, people needed to do their jobs to keep the world, or their piece of it, running well enough to allow for those three squares. And their safety. Not to mention their health and sanitation needs. So it didn't surprise him that Thana had somewhere to be not too long after he showed up. He was grateful for the time they had, and he knew that they would have more later. He got a tiny smile at the kiss on his cheek prior to Thana leaving. This was something that he could get used to. He reached his arm up to give her a little squeeze around her waist, but hesitated for a couple of reasons. First, he recognized that pulling her in close while he was in a state of aromatic disrepair might not be the nest idea. Additionally, his position would have him placing an arm near to where one of her injuries lay. Accidentally putting pressure there would be, in a word, bad. [color=4682b4]"Dinner, then. It's a date."[/color] They'd have better room for conversation then, too. It was nice having those few moments with her in the middle of the day nonetheless. Ash risked a look behind him, watching her bus her dishes and leave. The limp notwithstanding, he did appreciate the view. 

	Looking back forward, he was intrigued to see Thalia sliding underneath the table, apparently in an effort to escape her brother while he was in rapt conversation with Nigel. They were in some sort of discussion when he initially approached the table, but he didn't ask into it. Whatever went on with that family was probably not something he needed to get in the middle of anyway. An eyebrow raised on Ash's face though, wondering exactly what the hell she was trying to accomplish even as her eyes locked with his, slowly disappearing from sight. 



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[h3][color=dc143c][i][b]Thalia Carmichael[/b][/i][/color][/h3][i][b][color=dc143c]Location:[/color][/b][/i] Mess Hall (C) -> Administration (A)
[i][b][color=dc143c]Skills:[/color][/b][/i] Stealth, Intelligence
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	Mention of that bowling trophy seemed to dominate the table's conversation for a while. More than she was really comfortable with, as being the center of attention was generally not one of her life goals. Thalia had to admit that it was unusual enough of an occurrence to warrant a few words, so she bore the weight of the discourse and kept filling her mouth with sushi. Damn, but that was a good idea. Soy or not, wasabi or not, this was a good idea. The thought that this place might make her weak crept into her thoughts; an internal piece of worry that outwardly paused her, a bite half-chewed still waiting to be swallowed. No, it couldn't. She had been through far too much and survived things that would have killed others outright, to be defeated by air conditioning and regular meals. But the thought did concern her a little. 

	What got her mind back into the present was Alexander's unexpected use of the name, "Mr. Caesar". Though pronounced with an American accent, that was how some people in (what used to be) the corporate headquarters for MSS, the company she used to work for, referred to her uncle. It was an interesting custom of the southeastern U.S., referring to people in positions of respect by a title and then their first name, depending on circumstance. And her uncle Caesar was the boss. But Thalia knew that the old man was dead. Amid a list of others in La Familia Gonzalez, she searched for him for a long while, and was too late. Maybe if she found him sooner, he might have made it. Her cousin Alicia, too. They were the survivors. How Thalia made it this log and they didn't was fully beyond her realm of imagining. 

	And yet, the damn bowling trophy was still on the lips of her friends and acquaintances, or bowling in general. She glanced over to Thana, now finding out that the trophy might belong to the guy who told them to sort out that basement room in the first place. Her addition to the conversation based upon this revelation was a simple, [color=dc143c]"Hnn,"[/color], mostly just to acknowledge without sharing her feelings on whomever owned the damn thing in the first place. The gash on her face seemed to throb once, as if it knew it was being talked about. Though bowling lane in the church? That was dedication, and use of resources. It said a lot. In any case, Thalia silently agreed with Alexander about the nature of older trophies, giving him a small gesture with her metal hand though not pausing her meal to do so. In fact, it wasn't until Nigel spoke his question that she made any meaningful contribution to the discussion at all, and around a bite of raw fish, at that. [color=dc143c]"It didn't find its way onto a military camp. The military camp found its way around it."[/color] Thalia recalled that Thana had mentioned Mexico Beach used to be a vacation/retirement spot, specifically Gunny's. Still chewing, she continued, [color=dc143c]"This was someone's home, once."[/color] Tactically, it had to have perfect initial conditions, supported by skilled individuals and people who could recognize it and pull together fast enough. She shrugged, and kept eating. [color=dc143c]"Whatever. To hell with that trophy."[/color] 

	The entrance of Navy's boyfriend led to the extreme likelihood that any heart-to-heart with her would have to be put off for again. Fine. Thalia wasn't the most patient person in the world but she could be in certain instances, important ones, mostly involving waiting for a tactical advantage or in the pursuit of her continued survival. This was, admittedly, neither. But the theory was sound. And naturally, the way that her brother was acting was another nail in the coffin of social discourse with Thana, even to the point of seeing her friend set her head down on the table. The Middle English vomit from her dear half-sibling aside, Thalia nonetheless sat, staring at Joaquin and hanging on his words, trying to make heads or tails of it. Finally, there was a piece of paper handed over to her. She accepted it with a measured, cautious, [color=dc143c]"Thank you,"[/color] though it was a little cold in its application. She took in a breath and let it out. This was the reason that she stayed in CMB? It was a guilty thought. Of course he was. He was family. A very different kind of family, but beneath the flashy attire and flowery Anglophile speech, he was no one to mess with. Thalia read the paper before jamming it in a pocket, finally understanding what it said but completely without any grasp as to what it could possibly mean. Her expression showed as much. 

	[center][i]I always point in the right direction. My instructions are written in black and white. Disobey me and pay the consequences. I will never say more than two words at a time. When you know what I am, find me and you will be one step closer.[/i][/center]

	Army Guy Ash and Other Army Guy Hunter found their way over. The two of them had their moment, which gave Thalia the extreme impression of high school sweetheart lunchroom antics. She declined to comment. Far be it for her to rain on anyone's parade. Her friend was happy. In fact, his entrance along with the back and forth between Joaquin and Nigel meant that attention was off of her for the moment. Hunter's apology did likewise. When Thana mentioned that she needed to get back on the clock, she knew that it was her time as well. As soon as the Thana stood up and left, Thalia began to slide down in her seat, making her way underneath the table with the hope that no one would notice while lots of other stuff was going on around them. Sadly, she could tell that it was not exactly successful. But she kept doing what she was doing; to cease at this point would draw [i]more[/i] eyes to her. When her head was completely under the table, she reached her hand up and snatched the last piece of sushi off of her plate and crammed it in her mouth. 

	With as much grace as she could muster, Thalia emerged from under the table on the other side, where Thana had just been. She stared directly at Ash as she sat there next to him, reminding him with a whisper, [color=dc143c]"You still owe me that talk."[/color] before recovering her plate and rising to put it away. It was not the stealthy exit she had hoped for, and she very likely looked like half a dumbass in the process. But what was done was done. 

	Over the course of the next few minutes, Thalia found herself back out of the AC and in the open heat of Florida. A more polite individual might have waited for her work partner. She was interested in putting some distance between herself and the Mess Hall, hopefully to get her task for the day accomplished and see what came next. Administration, sorting... This was not the life she might have chosen. Objectively, she knew that she would have to deal with a lot of crap work before she'd be allowed to train or take on a job more suited to her abilities. Life wasn't exactly bad though. Sushi counted for a lot. And that chowder, first day? Stellar. And a big fire the night before. Family, too. Push through the bullshit first, prove she wasn't just here to use the community, and she'd have her time.