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[h3][color=steelblue][i][b]Ash Holloway[/b][/i][/color][/h3][i][b][color=4682b4]Location:[/color][/b][/i] Education Center (M)
[i][b][color=4682b4]Skills:[/color][/b][/i] N/A
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	Maybe Thana didn't realize it, but she had generally agreed with Ash's synopsis of executions, public or otherwise. He smiled to her when she gave the terms upon which she would inert a bullet into the back of his head. Or the front, whichever worked best. But mostly, his smile was because he heard her mention aloud and in public that she loved him. Even if it was followed up by threat of imminent death. [color=4682b4]"If I intentionally screwed over the community, then my execution would have a practical purpose. If you handled it, it'd also be one hell of a symbol,"[/color] he remarked, referencing what he had said just earlier. 

        There was an element of pride that Thana likewise took community over individual, objectively speaking. Ash was positive that he would have a harder time making the same call if it came to a question of Thana over Camp Mexico Beach. He suspected that Thana's own objectivity would have her partaking in a heaping spoonful of self-sacrifice in the event of this and Ash would have to go along, respecting her wishes on the matter. It didn't make the idea any easier to swallow. But like she said, this was if she broke the trust of the people. In whatever hypothetical scenario this occurred, a lingering shadow remained in the back of Ash's psyche of the intertwined dichotomy of Ash as a man and Ash as a soldier. That separation which sometimes spoke to him and kept him alive, and on task. He could be just as objective. It was a curse and a blessing. 

        Ash rose as Thana rose and nodded to Nigel as he left. It looked like the man was mulling over events and he couldn't blame the guy. He glanced to Thana as she popped her neck, slightly impressed at the demonstration. Like her, Ash did not agree with the decision and like her, he was going to continue along without disrupting anything. He agreed to live by the rulings of this community and he would do just that, until he or they decided that he wasn't suited to remain. It would be a shame either way as Ash had fought hard to get here, and to Thana. This is where he wanted to be. Moreover, he genuinely wanted to be an active, involved part of this community. He was a soldier, officer, and engineer, and remembered very clearly the words spoken to him about involvement in their administration, so long as he worked toward it and the governing body gave a nod. He'd do his part and make himself useful.  

	[color=4682b4]"I love you too, Thawna,"[/color] Ash said in a direct, optimistic manner, responding to the beginning of her sentence which ended in his brains being hypothetically sprayed across the landscape. His Virginian twang sounded more than he realized as it was coming out. 

	Ash watched Hunter being led away and breathed out a sigh. Ash hoped that this was going to work out okay, even so far as to pose the hypothetical question of whether there was something he could do to help him. Or even if that was appropriate. Maybe he'd see in six months. When the door closed behind the security detail transporting Hunter, Ash looked back to Thana. [color=4682b4]"Would you do me the honor of having dinner with me?"[/color] It was time to move on. It was also time to clock out, as much as anyone really could anymore. Ash had a feeling that the next six months in civilization would change them almost as much as the last year and a half out in the world had. 



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[h3][color=crimson][i][b]Thalia Carmichael[/b][/i][/color][/h3][i][b][color=dc143c]Location:[/color][/b][/i] Mess Hall
[i][b][color=dc143c]Skills:[/color][/b][/i] N/A
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	Let it never be said that Thalia's decision to attempt socialization was a good one. Ever. Granted, her initial approach was less than stellar for making friends, and this might even be the last time that she would give it the "old college try" for at least six months, she figured, barring something significant. It was a conservative estimate, to her thoughts. In any case, this had to have been one of the stranger personal interactions since coming into town. 

	To recap: From Thalia's point of view, she got a rousing success being quiet and sneaky, making her way through an occupied room with open lighting undetected. She needed that boost to her confidence. Something about losing more of her arm than with which she was comfortable, having skills which came naturally to her get backtracked a [i]decade[/i] or so, getting abandoned by the one person she let herself get close to physically in a few years, and finally make an utter fool of herself in the Education Center's theater, was making her feel measurably less-than-useful and a little vulnerable. So, making friends seemed in order. Or at least opening a casual dialogue with someone with no expectations past it. Thalia's social skills were never great. Even at her best, she was a tool to be pointed in a direction that didn't have enough fear or chaos in it and/or had an overabundance of breathing people, all of which she stood a good chance of being rectified by her presence. So walking up to practical strangers and saying, [color=dc143c][i]"Hi,"[/i][/color] was kind of a big deal for her. Was she actually feeling lonely? That might have been odd. 
	
	What she got was a rather generic yet completely acceptable conversation opener about staring at a lesbian couple and someone's favorite animal. This sounded like it was begging for context and was, again to Thalia's thinking, pretty damn grade-school vanilla. It could be worse. Still willing to work with it. Guy made the corner of her mouth twist to a smile. She took the ninja comment as a compliment. It was something she was shooting for. Thalia even responded to Lisa's question, not giving much thought to the free and easy reference of The Great Fuck Hunt. [color=dc143c]"Yah, doing great."[/color] A little gruff. Conversationally, she was definitely not in her element. But maybe this was how people spoke who weren't eternally in some life or death drama. Though Thalia felt out of place, she told herself that she would adjust. Like a normal person. She shoved the other half of her sandwich in her mouth and destroyed it a little too efficiently to be a novice at the craft. It didn't even have time to scream for help, if it had the ability to do so. She then turned her voracious attentions to whatever remained as whatever conversation was going to develop, developed. 

	Mid-chew, Thalia stopped and began to stare at Lisa, who had taken the nigh wholesome if a but simple conversation and squeezed it through some kind of a singles-club wringer. Seconds. Literally seconds later; few enough for her to count on one hand (which was convenient as she only had the one), Lisa began eye-humping Guy and making what sounded like open flirtations to him. Thalia knew that look. She gave it to Roy not too long ago. Just a quick sizing up to make him a little nervous. Maybe think about things. He was one of a few to whom she might give consideration, so far as pure stress relief was concerned. In any case, Thalia was staring at Lisa with mild incredulity. The sudden conversational schizophrenia was effective in making her a fifth wheel and she was already done with it. Her hand felt around on her tray, settling on the metal fork thereupon. 

	Eyes on Lisa, Thalia intentionally hucked the fork onto the floor a few meters away. With deadpan sarcasm, she declared, [color=dc143c]"Oops. I seem to have dropped my fork. Excuse me."[/color] She grabbed up her tray, locking the edge of it down in her metal prosthesis and [i]noped[/i] the hell away from the table, pausing only long enough to snatch up her fork from the floor. Thalia didn't look back.  

	After busing her tray, Thalia made solidly for the door. She thought she might still have time to get back to the Education Center before judgement was passed. Unfortunately, she caught sight of a number of people who were previously there making their way to the Mess Hall. Well, she'd just find out what happened with everybody else. Right then, catching sight of Shears making his way up for supper, Thalia suddenly had bigger fish to fry. She very unsubtly made her way over to the man, stepping around the occasional person like an obstacle to he dodged until she was right in front of the man. A quick, regarding head tilt later, she spoke to him with a sense of directness, [color=dc143c]"Hey Sheahs. You got something for me."[/color] It was not a question, and it was not phrased like one. Whether this was the end of the clue hunt or just another step, Shears was in her sights. The game continued.