Plague

[Kuno]

PLAGUE

INT CHECK | LORE | SU

 

[Kuno]

DAYBREAK

Mission Report: 10/19/21 | 06:30 | St. John's Recreational Hall

Summons came through like a sniper's round. Command didn't like to drag their feet when it came to assignments: the earlier tasks could be meted out, the better. The way they saw it, they were lucky to even be alive to enjoy the dawn. So here was a golden opportunity to seize the moment - much to the Reaper's chagrin, as the summons came through only an hour and a half before.

Briefings tended to be hosted in the Recreational Hall. What had once been a center for sports and games had since been commandeered by Reaper Corps. into something far more suitable for the soldier's needs. The gymnasium in particular was a good place for assemblies and recruitment try-outs, but to suit the needs of just shy of a dozen people, the upstairs Conference A room would suffice.

It was enough space for a meeting. A large, U-shaped conference table sat in the middle of the room facing a white projector screen. On it hung the former U.S. Army logo, and off to the side, a man sat at the computer at the desk, muttering low under his breath as he searched in vain for the right slide to use.

He was a teacher once. Trainees were used to seeing the ruddy-cheeked private at training checkpoints. Most of the recruits favored him; he was, after all, an excellent teacher and generous, to boot. Richmond had come in several hours earlier to prepare the room for the meeting: A table hugging the right side wall held an assortment of cups, plates, drinks, fruits, and muffins for those coming in. The observant eye would even note the rare sight of bananas perched atop the humble bounty.

Pvt. Richmond started the meeting promptly at 6:30 am.

"Good morning. Glad everyone could make it here."

He fought to hide a smile at his own unintended joke. None of them had been given much of a choice in the matter - either you showed up to a summons, or you could kiss your next assignment goodbye. Hello, court martials.

"Please, take some refreshments if you haven't already. I'm just going to run through the protocols, and then we'll cut to assignments."

It was the same monotonous routine every mission. Command thought it was a good way to keep the guidelines fresh on everyone's minds, so they forced a full blown seminar on it every single venture outside of the walls. They figured if they kept stomping it into people's heads, the bad apples might not be inclined to disregard them. Live it, love it, learn it, so they said.

It drove one individual in particular up a wall.

"Jesus Christ", a low grumble came from the side. Should the others turn to look, they would see another person leaning against the wall by the refreshments. It was not clear when she had slipped into the room. She was dressed much alike Richmond, though the gold and red collar of her fatigues told of her higher rank. Her eyes bore out tiredly; dark circles encircled her under-eye, and she sighed as she poured coffee into a mug.

Richmond said nothing to address the comment, though his rundown of the list noticeably picked up in speed. Every once and awhile his eyes would dart to the back of the room, where the woman stood, eyes half-lidded and bored.

Finally, the magic words came out of his mouth.

"Let's get to the assignments. Sergeant?"

From the side-wall, the blonde woman nodded slowly, and the older man gestured towards her.

"This is your squad leader, Sergeant Ona Sumford," He began as she approached the front, coffee mug in hand. "Some of you may have met her already. Ah, Sergeant Sumford, would you-"

"Oh, now don't get all formal on me, John." Her voice was low and husky, dry as rain-parched dirt. "Gimme the damn laser pointer thingy."

Despite himself, the older man's lips twitched with a smile, and he placed the pointer into the woman's hands. The tall woman took the man's place at the front of the conference room, and Pvt. Richmond took a seat at the computer.

"Let's keep this short and clean, ladies. As stated, my name is Ona, but you may call me Peaches. Life's too short to stay hung up on titles, and I'd rather you call me something quick and short besides bitch when we're in a pinch."

Perfectly stoic, her eyes dotted about the room before landing on a familiar face, and she gave a mock salute.

"Otto, it's your lucky day. You're First Officer on this mission. Any questions pertaining to it can wait 'til after the meeting, 'kay? Ok."

She ploughed through the agenda like a tractor carving up cornfields. It was apparently all she had to say on the matter, and she looked once again at Pvt. Richmond, her smile tight.

"Alright. The mission. John?"

As she took a long sip of her coffee, the display on the map zoomed in to show what was formerly the state of Illinois. At her urging, John clicked forward, until the slide showed the city of Naperville and it's immediate surrounding territory. Lines and symbols had been marked all around to draw out supply lines, reclaimed territory, and reported hostiles. A red circle darted around the city as Peaches bobbed the laser pointer about.

"Naperville's been in a bit of a firefight with some insurgents. Radio silence has been maintained throughout the city from base, so damned if we know what's transpiring there. Squad 4 was dispatched 'bout 4 to 5 weeks ago to the west end for a little recon, but we ain't heard back from 'em in a week. So we're gonna meet up with them...so if we can't make some sense of this shit. So we'll come round through the east side.

"But if you look at the map here-"

Her laser pointer darted around an ominous looking shape marked just south of Naperville.

"We got a known savage ratfest smacked there right dead center. So we got two options: take a long way 'round the encampment and meet with Squad 4 in Naperville ASAP...or bust clear through the sum'a bitches and clear through cards in the process. We'd have that clear path through, and a helluva easy route back to Springfield."

Peaches turned. Despite the tired dark of skin around her eyes, her gaze was surprisingly bright, and she met each Reaper's eyes as her eyebrows lifted slightly.

"I'll leave the decision up to you. Y'all know the protocol. We know what we're here for, and we know what to do. If you don't-" Her eyes landed on some of the newer faces, and she smiled kindly "-Well now's the time to ask, sugar plums. I'll take questions 'fore our little brou ha ha. Last chance to buck before the ride, ya know."

GM NOTE:

You as the players get to decide where we go next! Should we take the scenic route to skirt around the boonies and reach Naperville immediately? Or should we plow right through known savage territory and see what happens? You decide! I can't say for certain which path is the safest way :^)

Feel free to reply more than once to this round! I'm sure your characters may have some questions and/or concerns, and I highly encourage interactions between your soon-to-be camper mates.

After all - we've got a long road ahead of us...

 

[Red Thunder]

Jedidiah Schmidt
the Family Man

​

Arms crossed, slouching just slightly in his chair, Jed listened to the briefing with the rapt attention of a newly trained bird dog. It was all important to know, what they were saying, it seemed to him, but hell if he followed most of it. He sat there, head cocked to one side slightly, as if the change in perspective would give the man quicker mental facilities.

Maybe Jed could be forgiven his obtuseness. Not a stupid man by any stretch, he'd been forced to drink in a lot of change and structure he was unfamiliar with, starting first and foremost with the martial law like environment he had placed himself in. The military routine was different, but ultimately vaguely familiar, like being made to watch the kid of your cousin you met five or six times at family reunions over the course of your own childhood. The not quite a week he'd spent in Springfield hadn't really acclimated him to everything, but he was at least starting to adjust.

Until he volunteered for the Reapers, that is.

He never really came out and said why he did volunteer. Maybe they needed bodies. Maybe he was starting to get cramped. Likely, his missing family was weighing on his mind fiercely, and any chance to take a look for them was jumped at. Regardless, all that had resulted in his seat at this briefing, and in over his head or not, he was damn well going to be a part of the team.

"Why don't we go 'round first," Jed said, eyes on the map thoughtfully. He was no tactician, but that didn't preclude common sense. And he had plenty of that. "That way, we meet up with Squad 4 and have a bigger team. If turns out we need or wanna clear Naperville on the way out, we can. Or, if Squad 4 been wiped, we can leave back way we came, without risking our own hides."

 

[Azurewinter]

"I disagree."

Perhaps she'd interjected too quick over the man she couldn't help but imagine having the head of a hound dog. Alert and astute, but somewhat distant. Poevettea Domovou sat in her seat, a chair lengths away from Jed, prim and proper which spoke against her untucked fatigues and messy hair, currently pulled back into a tail.

"We know about the hostiles, and can assume Squad 4 did too before going silent. If the worst has befallen them, it is most likely danger we are unaware of. We should clear out the danger we do know, and ensure ourselves a quick exit should we need one--"


a hand rose and she swept a few stray strands of hair that had escaped her nest of hair from her face before resting her posture a bit and sitting back in her chair a bit more comfortablely. She then began to mouth something to herself. Ona. Oh-na. Peaches, P-ches. a scowl drew itself into her brow, Bitch... bitch? Her aliases weren't making addressing her any quicker at all.

"Sergeant--" a instant of hesitation, "--Peaches. If I may, I suggest we clean the area of the savages. Allow ourselves wiggle room. Any futures operations through the area would also be made more accessible."

Although she was no veteran among the Reapers, she was all too familar with military protocol, and upon finishing her statement, snapped back to attention in her seat... while also thumbing at one of the muffins that had been available. What? You can't burn down a village of disgusting savages without breakfast.

 

[Dakota K5]

Otto White
Interactions: Peaches @Kuno and Jedidiah @Red Thunder
Mention: Poevetta @Azurewinter

-----
Otto was fitting with his bowie knife, an Arkansas Toothpick, as the meeting progressed. This was old hat for him at this point, army life did that to you. He looked up when he was assigned as first officer and nodded in affirmation at Peaches before listening to the rest of the brief. "Hmm." Otto silently hummed to himself as the information about squad four was given, he had gone on an assignment like this before with rather tragic outcomes for the group who had failed to check-in. He heard the rural looking man's suggestion, Jedidiah was his name as Otto recalled, as well as the rebuttal by the woman, again Otto recalled a name, Poe or Poevetta, and they both had opposite opinions on the matter, Jedidiah wished to go around and Poe wished to go straight through the savage camp.

"Too little info to go on for a direct strike and the area could always be reoccupied after we leave if we clear it but at the same time leaving it there presents a hazard to us and anyone else looking to go through." Otto resheathed his blade and leaned back. "I'm always down for a little bit of the ol' ultra-violence now and again but discretion is the better part of valor here in my opinion." Otto spoke with a shrug. "Though we could set up a nice old bushwack if squad four is still out and alive but if they ain't we then got to care for wounded or infected team members along with a savage camp at our flank." Otto looked to Peaches with his arms crossed. "Damned if we do, damned if we don't it seems here boss lady."​

 

[Raven]

Jade fixed her goggles and did a quick pat-down to make sure she had her bag just before finding her way towards the food. Upon her face was a very obvious grin for even in these darker times she tried to keep a positive mood. Plus she was rather glad to spot a few recognizable faces among the crowd. Eventually she found herself a place to sit and continue eating a muffin she picked for herself.

Soon the meeting began. Jade listened then glazed around to spot Otto who was just announced first officer. When she spotted him she had one thought, 'note to self remember to congratulate my friend,' soon Jade's attention went back to the briefing. She did her best to take the information in and process it all. Soon discussion about how to tackle the task was brought up. Jade started by listening to every opinion while her eyes studied the map for when on the adventure or well mission she could be a bit familiar with it.

Jade wasn't sure just yet if everyone spoke. But she did feel it was her turn to share some thoughts. "Hello, those who don't know me. I'm Jade or well you'll come to know me as Monkey sometimes even Grease Monkey. Well, we don't know the situation with those of squadron 4 since the evidence of lost contact. Now, I'm not certain about the best route myself. However, no matter what way we go I would recommend not only adding any updates of things that could have changed map or otherwise but also take notes for as we go encase we must back track due to some unforeseen circumstance. But I am up to supporting whatever the team ultimately decides as the best route to take." Jade wasn't sure if the idea was of help but for now that was all she really had. She planned to share more of her thoughts after hearing a bit more from others. Right now it sounded more half and half both sides making very reasonable points in her opinion.

 

[Dvyniai]

JAMIE ENDO

location: Reaper HQ --- interactions: Everyone --- mentions: Peaches, Otto, August, Jade​

6:30AM was a horrible time for a meeting. But he couldn't really complain. He had signed up for this shit, hadn't he?

Jamie rubbed at his good eye sleepily, a cup of coffee in his free hand, while he pretended to listen to everything Richmond was saying. He tried not to yawn. It was the same speech every time, and Jamie had gone through this enough he could probably repeat it word for word in his sleep. Sleep, which he very much wished he had gotten more of. Sighing, he curled further into his chair, cradling his cup to his chest almost protectively.

'Maybe I should retire,' he thought idly. He definitely… probably, had gone on enough missions to qualify. Could settle down, work in the infirmary, or take on training new recruits instead of risking his neck every couple of months. Take it easy, for once. He definitely wouldn't have to wake up at the asscrack of dawn like this.

But no, he could never give up the Reapers. Absently, his thumb stroked over the edge of his coffee cup. Never. Not till he was dead.

Which was very likely to be soon, given the nature of their job.

Jamie forced himself to refocus when the squad leader stepped up. Sergeant Sumford, or Peaches, as she was called. He knew her. Well, knew of her. It was hard not to, given her reputation. He hadn't been around for the formation of the Reapers, but he had come on shortly after, so he had heard plenty of stories about the first squadron leader. He also recognized Otto, although he didn't think he had ever been on a squad with either one of them.

'Brou ha ha?' he mouthed to himself, quirking an amused eyebrow as he took another sip of his coffee.

His gaze bounced around the table, following the conversation and taking the time to study the rest of the faces of those around him. He thought a few of them seemed familiar, but there were also quite a few that didn't. Across the table, he noticed that kid who had shadowed him a couple months prior.

Shit, what was his name? Thomas? Wait, it was like a month. January? No, no, August. That was it. God, he needed to finish his coffee. After giving the other nurse a small nod of acknowledgment he buried his face in his cup.

"I vote we go around," Jamie resurfaced from his coffee to chime in, after Jade had finished. "Play it safe for as long as possible." Like Otto had said, they were probably damned either way. He didn't think it bode well for this mission, if the higher-ups thought they needed two medics aboard. At least they could preserve medical supplies by going around, maybe even combine resources with squadron four, before diving headfirst into a fight.

 

[Applo]

---

"I think it would be better to go round too."

The latest contribution had come from a figure who was filling the air around her with anxious keenness. Under the table the woman's boots shone and atop it a note pad filled with hastily scribbled notes sat next to a muffin that had had it's specks of 'blueberry' carefully removed. There was even a crease pressed into the trouser of her fatigues. The only thing that ruined the prim, proper and entirely military look of the woman was the long swirling tattoo that crawled under the ends of her sleeves. That and the faint hint of not quite fully washed off face paint.

Suddenly feeling like the whole world was staring at her, Esme's gaze shifted to the reassuringly familiar figure of Private Richmond for a moment before returning to the much less friendly looking face of Sergeant Ona.

"Um I don't know a whole lot about south of Naperville, but… erm, the groups round that way, plenty of them went cannibal and stuff. Like real nasty shit."

The fact that the particular groups she had in mind lived distinctly north of the city in question was something Esme kept to herself. Her heart had already skipped several beats when the map had appeared on the screen. Heading back towards home had been a risk Esme had come to terms with when she had volunteered to join the Reapers. That didn't mean she had to happily agree to kicking up a shit storm where people who knew her might hear of it.

"Aint no cavalry coming in after us so why piss everyone off till we know if there is anyone else out there we can rely on. I'm sure we could deal with anything that came at us but like, it doesn't seem super duper smart."​

---

 

[Azurewinter]

Poevettea Domovoi
Interactions --- @Applo @Dakota K5


As the discussion went around, Poe felt herself lean back in her seat as everyone seemed to opt in for going around the Savage village. She bit her lip a bit in thought, until the woman in boots spoke up -- Esme, was it?

"Ain't not cavalry coming in after us--"

As she finished speaking, Poe had to chime in again, and as she did, she found herself poping forward so that she was leaning onto the U-shapped table on her elbows.

"As far as squad 4 might be concerned, we might just be their calvary--" as if to emphasis a shift in seriousness in her tone, her southern-draw began to drag her words out, "--it is exactly that reason we need to take the risk to give ourselves a guaranteed escape route. I don't know about any of you, sugar, but I'm not all that interested to having the safe route blocked off and being stuck between two different forms of cannibalism-- I don't have enough napalm for that."

Her back fell into her chair and her arms crossed, feeling she had more properly presented her case.

"It might not be the smartest route, but it's a whole lot better than taking a route we didn't secure ourself."

As if remembering she was at a military briefing, she sat straight again and her lips pulled into a slight smile and her hands raised in a fashion that relayed willingness to debate.

"I just wanna make sure we're seriously considering both our options, not just jumping for what appears the most secure."

 

[CloudyBlueDay]

August Thompson​

Listening quietly as opinions batted back and forth, August swiveled around in his chair, digesting every opinion and the team assembled before him. He'd had the pleasure of interacting with a fair amount of them; fixing up burns for Jade and icing Peaches' bruises. Scanning the faces, August's gaze settled on the most familiar, Jamie. At the man's nod of acknowledgement, August politely waved back, sitting up in his chair slightly. August knew he was green, but as far as he could tell, he no longer needed to shadow any higher ranking nurse. That meant - at least he hoped it meant - they were equals.

Then the question arose; whether to plow through infected territory sooner rather than later. His gut turned at the thought of what Squad 4 might be enduring, stuck out there in radio silence. Just two numbers higher and he'd be feeling it that much more, demanding that they get there as quick as possible. But even then the cost could be just as high.

Truthfully he didn't know which side he fell on. August hadn't really expected to be faced with such a decision so early on, and he wasn't even sure he had anything to add. He wasn't a strategist, a fighter, and definitely wasn't planning on being the person on the frontlines. There was definitely merit to clearing the path now. If Squad 4 was in the worst condition and they had to go all the way around again, treatment would be delayed and lives would be lost. But, maybe Squad 4 didn't need a full extraction, and would benefit from them getting there as quick as possible.

Lightly spinning to and fro, thumb over his lips, August mused. Either side had already offered evidence, and while he supposed Poevettea could use another vote in her direction, he didn't believe a vote coming from him would really mean much. And though plowing through the infected territories now would benefit their return home, he didn't like the idea of all the wounds they'd open so early into the trip. That was his job, though, wasn't it? Stitch up any holes no matter the decision the cavalry made. Jamie was here too, and while it certainly made August feel a lot more at ease, he couldn't help but wonder what they were being thrown into if there was not just one but two nurses on the team.

He was hopeful, but he wasn't stupid. There wasn't any such thing as an easy first mission. Didn't stop him from wanting it to be, though.

Thus, he decided to stay quiet. Peaches had the final say anyway, and he trusted her already. They'd only interacted once before, but she had the makings of a leader, that much was obvious to him. Whatever this team decided, they were capable and clever, even if the world out there didn't really like cooperating with plans. So, August kept quiet, and kept spinning.

 

[Raven]

As to question of which route continued. Jade still listened back and forth. It seemed to her there was certainly more votes to go around. Did she too really think going around would be best? Well, she was familiar with some of those she would be teamed up with but not everyone. Perhaps going around would be the safe bet but would she have a chance to look for scraps she might use towards a personal project. Most otherwise would there be things the Reapers needed for tech? Those were some of the other factors she had been thinking on while the group talked. Then once again the mention of weighing all options came up. 'Are we comparing every option thoroughly? What did become of the other squadron? Could those of squad four be having tech issues? Perhaps an unexpected radiation interference with the vehicle com. Wouldn't they have been able to send by now if that was the case?' Jade scratched her head lost in thought for a time. 'I suppose if that was a problem they might had found a check point to send a response that way perhaps. Maybe there is a point the fact we know nothing about the round about path ahead. Could that make the safer bet a route known we'd have to clear.' Jade refused to focus long on the possibility that squadron 4 might have some injured now among them. She knew it is possible but preferred to think more positive.

Jade knew they would eventually hear what Peaches had to say. Her decision would be final Jade was pretty sure about that since she is the Squad Leader. Though that didn't mean Jade couldn't speak up her own thoughts now that she had gathered some. "I know everyone mostly is thinking we should go around. I again will be fine with whatever the ultimate decision is. Though the point about how we aren't certain what befell the others. If they did take the round about route well," Jade paused a moment as if to select her words wisely, "well, We could run into something that would make us too not be able to make contact back to home base. Or slowed down where it could be harder to get to Squadron 4 whom we don't know the condition of. They could be fine or they might not be... Which to me makes more sense to strongly start to consider maybe going straight through. Meet up with Squadron 4 hopefully them be well enough for questions of what actually was on the round about path. In theory they would have created a map update and we could use that to help us inform base about what they encountered. We might have to in the end do both paths for all we know. Just the order is unknown."

Now Jade wondered exactly what Peaches might chose. If she would side with the majority or if her opinion was actually the one with least favor. She also wondered if her view had changed any minds or if everyone else remains the same. Herself well she definitely saw going and making a straight clearing actually could be best because then once meeting Squadron 4 they could decided as a larger group if it was needed the quick exit or if they should then go the round about way.

 

[Red Thunder]

Jedidiah Schmidt
the Family Man

tag: @CloudyBlueDay
​

"You'll get dizzy 'n sick, doing that."

It wasn't loud, that voice, like the distant rumble of a thunderstorm on the horizon. It was cool, like a fresh breeze after a hot day's work throwing hay bales. It was gravelly, like a creek bed. It was familiar, the first voice to give Peaches any opinion. And it was directed at August. Jed's chair was propped back precariously, balanced by sheer gumption on two shaking legs. He'd secured himself against the table with a hooked foot. He was looking back behind him, around the backside of whatever flesh had opted to sit between, and staring right at the boy over the rims of his silver pince-nez.

"Why don't ya weigh in?" The brown caterpillar on his lip shivered as he spoke, rising and falling in waves. Maybe it kept that top lip of his warm, but it sure didn't like the thought of the chill outdoors. "You gotta trek, same as us. Might as well say something while you can. Everyone got their own perspective."

The space betwixt his eyes wrinkled, and he placed a gnarled finger on the bridge of his glasses. Pince-nez style glasses are funny things, ya see. They sit tight and don't come a-sliding off your nose like your typical models, when your face gets slick with sweat and oils from honest work. But like with anything precise, if they don't sit just so...

"Dammit," he muttered, pulling his vision aids off his face. A blue handkerchief sat tucked in his hip pocket; he fished it out, gave his nose a solid scrubbing to clear away any inconsistencies, and jammed the glasses back on with all the familiarity of a farmer throwing his tractor into 3rd.

"Anyway, I don't see the point in not hearing from everybody, given we all gotta team up. Maybe I don't know how it works; this only my first rodeo here." Jed shrugged. "But ya can't herd cattle if you're bickerin' with your crew."

 

[rissa]

RINGO

Ringo had made it to the upstairs conference room with two minutes to spare. She'd slept a solid three hours and dearly wished she hadn't; nightmares had plagued every minute of it. Despite that, her face softened at Private Richmond's welcome and somewhat awful joke, and mingled at the back of the room as he began the protocol seminar. Ringo paid little attention to the protocols, as she knew she could recite them verbatim, and instead took stock of the bounty sitting off to the right side.

Bananas.

She snagged two, devoured the first one with a small, fond smile, and poured herself a cup of coffee to go with a muffin and her second banana. By the time she snagged a seat, Sergeant Peaches, as grumpy as ever, got up and moved the mission report along to the good bits. Ringo's attention turned sharp and she stopped nibbling at her muffin and taking turns staring at all of those gathered. With rapt attention she listened to Private Richmond explain the mission at hand and stared long and hard at the map presented.

It was a few hours north of Peoria and the Colony she had escaped from and just the thought of it gave her chills. She resumed her nibbling as Sergeant Peaches gave them all the option of going around the known savage encampment or busting right through them. Ringo sipped her coffee quietly, thanking the black richness for clearing her head of sleep and waking her fully. She savored the second banana as she took in all the options that were laid on the table and thought through what her own take on the situation was.

"Ain't no route "safe", if you ask me," Ringo said after a while. "There's gunna be complications no matter what route we take." She took another sip of coffee before finishing, "I say we clear through those cards so we got an easy route back from whatever the hell is going on in Naperville."

 

[CloudyBlueDay]

August Thompson​

The young doctor continued to listen as two more voices piped up, Jade' and now Ringo. So many opinions, so many voices, and yet only two options. As he bounced to and fro within the spinning desk chair, a hand drumming on the arms, August continued to mull. It seemed to be nearly split down the middle, and he couldn't decide if the people wanting to plow through the infected territory were simply in the mood for a good beatdown, or those advocating for the quiet route were perhaps more scared. Neither seemed to be blatantly true, but August couldn't help but wonder.

August's chair came to a sharp halt the moment he realized there was a voice being directed his way. An apologetic look quickly crossed his face as he scooted to properly face Jed, turning red with embarrassment. He'd been noticed. It was probably ignorant of him to think no one would, but... hey, the chair spinning calmed his nerves. Allowed him time to collect his thoughts. At least now, when Jed had politely turned all eyes on him, he had something well thought out to say.

He opened his mouth but shut it just as quickly as Jed began fumbling with his glasses. August's brow furrowed, never really having to deal with such a problem, and also a little surprised that the man bothered with such archaic looking eyewear. Yeah, it was a bit apocalyptic out there, but it wasn't the twentieth century.

"Sorry." August said briefly, standing up straighter. His cheeks had finally died down in redness. "Wasn't sure I had any say, as the second nurse aboard. I'm not the one doing any of the fighting. But... in the best interest of Squadron Four, I'd say it's better to clear the infected path now." He offered a gentle nod of acknowledgment to Ringo and Poe. "If they're injured, we'll be able to get there and bring them back that much faster."

He physically restrained himself from restarting the spinning.

 

[Kuno]

P E A C H E S

---

Interactions: EVERYONE | Mentions: @Red Thunder @Azurewinter

There was an unassuming reticence about Peaches that put one at ease. Her eyes were cool pools of grey, tranquil and calm, and though attentive, they betrayed no emotion as various members of the squad weighed in on the debacle before them. Every once in a while her attention would shift down to her mug, as if the coffee in her hand was a part of the discussion.

Hell, it may as well have been. It was the only thing keeping her eyes open.

Harry had come knocking again last night. She'd heard him around midnight, skritch-scratching and pawing at the door like a stray cat. The Nacs had messed him over again; she'd warned him not to overdo it, but he was off in a bad way. She didn't pretend to have his demons, but she could at least understand them in a way his husband never would. He got more Nacs from her, and Peaches...well, she supposed she got the comfort of having another soul in her home. Four hours were all she'd snagged for sleep.

A blessing. She normally only got two.

Her legs crossed. Peaches used her top knee as a prop for her elbow, and she leaned her cheek against her hand as opinions volleyed back and forth like a game of badminton.

This was Command's idea of team-building. Sitting back and letting the squad hash a decision out themselves while the Squad Leader sat idly by with a thumb up their ass. No input, the memo had read, and Peaches, opinionated as she was, found it difficult to detach herself from the decision-making process. That was, after all, her entire function, was it not? To make the decisions?

In the interim, Peaches assessed her new teammates. A few of them she knew already; a few of them were fresh out of training while others had gone through the gauntlet a few rounds already. She noted the immediate reply of the new guy - Jedidiah? Her memory was hazy - and picked up on the rush to action from Poevettea. It did not take much to get answers from some while others required a cattle prod to get them going. An appreciative nod of her head came as Jedidiah once more took the initiative with Nurse August. A plus for the former; she saw a potential squad of his own in his future. Should he want it.

The discussion ended up finishing with a stalemate: three for going around, and three for busting through, while the rest straddled the fence and watched the breeze drift by. As the final comment made from August hung in the air, Peaches finally shifted in her seat.

"Nicely said."

It was the first words she'd said since the discussion had begun, and they came out low and rough as if from disuse. She cleared her throat, though she knew it was to no avail.

"'Damned if we do, damned if we don't'...right? Yeah." An unkempt brow raised languidly as she echoed her First Officer's words, and she chuckled. "That's a fair assessment from you, Otto."

She placed her coffee mug down on the table besides her. Her hands folded in her lap, and she shifted until she was sitting up straight, her gaze panning around her audience.

"Squad four is being run by Sgt. Thomas Grant. Due to the nature of his assignment, he was granted-" There was a nearly imperceptible twitch of her lips "- three executioners and two medics. They're packing a lot of heat...I doubt things went south without so much as them giving a holler. No word from them could mean many things. Sometimes no news is good news...sometimes not."

Peaches shrugged lightly.

"It's a hard decision. There are no certainties either way, and I don't claim to know what exactly is lying between us and the west side of Naperville." Her words had taken on a slow, tranquilizing cadence. "But I agree with some of you. And since I break the tie, my decision stands as such: we'll mirror Squad Four's path and go around. There's no need to go in guns blazing just yet- not until we're better manned."

Her eyes went pointedly towards those who'd been in favor of storming through the encampment. Deep down in her heart of hearts, she agreed with them. The savage rathole was better off blown to bits than left to haunt them on their return to base. But there were the newbies to keep in consideration, as well as their prime directive: primum non nocere. First, do no harm.

That included the Reapers too. She'd be damned if she lost one of her teammates from a lapse in judgement.

"Unless anyone has any questions for me, you're dismissed. We'll be shipping out at dawn tomorrow, 'kay? Alright."

With that, she rose, ambling over to the refreshments table to get more coffee.

 

[CloudyBlueDay]

Dad Jokes to Spare, Sir?
collab with @Red Thunder

Despite advocating for the more violent option, August's sigh of relief was just barely audible when Peaches made the final call. "Nicely said." Did she mean everyone? Or just him? Truthfully he hadn't really said much, just reiterated a few logical points made beforehand but... with a squad as well armed as Four's was, their radio silence just didn't make any sense. But rash decisions generally earned harsher consequences, and planning that rash decision out ahead of time didn't make it any less dangerous.

So while he believed that the hard choice might be better in the long run, he was still glad that danger wasn't going to come too quickly. Especially when it was probably bound to come either way.

August stood from his chair with a small stretch, eyeing the refreshment table and planning to snatch a few goods and a little bit thrilled by the prospect of some fresh fruit. He hadn't wanted to eat while the meeting was going on, but now was the perfect time to grab his fill while he went over his supplies and made sure everything was accounted for before dawn tomorrow. Maybe he'd coordinate with Jamie, do a few check ins with the other members before setting off. Hopefully, this would be smooth.

"Sorry about the spotlight."

Jed had been eyeing the young man thoughtfully ever since his answer. Even after the group's dismissal, he remained in his seat, fingers interlaced across his belly as he leaned back. There had been a good deal to think about, from tactical logistics, to packing enough for the trip in correlation to the camper's carrying capacity, to even the interpersonal relationships and general comradery of the group as a whole. Likely the latter would be his own responsibility; he'd probably become the defacto camp counselor, if in fact he wasn't that already.

Besides all that, the fact of the matter was that he was certainly the most experienced in this particular dynamic, not to mention the way they worked. The Reapers had made a name for themselves that had even reached his tiny commune, and the farmer was not about to come in behind and screw everything up without a bit of perspective from those he'd need to work with.

"Glad you said summat, though," he said, standing with a grunt. A hand went absentmindedly to a pocket where it began fishing around. "Hadn't thought about a retreat. What else can ya tell me, 'fore I get neck deep in Kentucky mud?"

August nearly jumped three feet in the air along with the muffin in his hand when Jed's voice suddenly erupted from behind him. Even though the wisened farmer had a fairly calm presence about him, August couldn't help but find him a little intimidating. He was confident, blunt, and all of those things basically freaked him out.

Regaining his bearings and the muffin he'd almost dropped, August cleared his throat and tried to stand a little taller. "Not a problem at all, sir." He said with a respectful dip of the head. Well, yes, it had definitely put him on the spot, he didn't think it a bad thing. A moment that spooked him, for sure, but it was nice to know that at least someone wanted to hear what he thought.

Neck deep in Kentucky mud? That had to mean, uh… stuck in some shit. Right? "I was only really reiterating some points the others made." He said with a small shrug. "I'm just the nurse. Might be better to ask them."

"Yer a nurse; that means ya care 'bout people. Not ev'rybody's built that way."

Finally, that erstwhile hand extracted itself from the farmer's pocket. It held a pipe: the neck curved slightly, the bowl bearing scars and cracks of a long and rough life. The smell of smoked pipe tobacco filled the air, where it had been before only faint around his person. Without ceremony or even explanation, he placed it gingerly between his teeth.

"Ah, damn. I forgot." He extended a hand in greeting. "Jedidiah Schmidt. From Tennessee. I guess I'm the Catcher; I'll try to not stay in the rye too long."

August blinked in surprise. Well, he wouldn't disagree with that statement. He smiled softly, nodding with a slight blush rising on his cheeks. "I… try to." He offered sheepishly, a brown raising as the pipe was brought out. He physically refrained from spitting out a list of the health detriments smoking caused, figuring that he likely already knew.

Putting down the muffin, August brought out his own hand to shake. His grip wasn't very firm, but well meaning nonetheless. "August Thompson. I'm from Seattle." A pause came over him as the gears in his brain worked to catch the joke between catcher and rye, before an embarrassed grin came over him. "Good to meet you. Is this your first mission with the Reapers?"

He got a nod in response, followed by a fairly deep sigh. Reaching into his other pocket, Jed began fishing around again, but his eye strayed Peaches. Nose twitching, he removed his empty hand but left the pipe where it was.

"Yeah."

Lacking something to hold, the fingers of his left hand began to fiddle absentmindedly with a silver band that encircled his fourth finger. Judging by his expression, he wasn't even aware of it.

"Been about for a bit, but I don't got a clue what tah expect. Not really." He took another deep breath before looking August in the eye, the corners of his mouth pulling his cheeks. "What m'I in for?"

Why did everyone bore into his damn soul so easily? August got the sweats at the thought of making such direct eye contact. He felt like Jedidiah was practically digging around in his brain with a stare like that. His gaze fell to the man's hands, watching him fidget with the ring on his finger. Oh. A ring. His stomach fluttered with sympathy. You never knew these days if people's families were safe and well.. Usually such a happy ending wasn't the case.

"O-oh, no, I, I'm in the same boat." August mumbled, flustered as he pulled his hand away from the shake and rubbed the back of his head. "Couldn't tell you, really. Been around the base for a few months now but never out too far in the field. Guess Peaches was right about us being a little green."

"Oh! Well." Jed gave August a small slap on the shoulder and flashed a crooked smile. "We'll figure it out, then. Sorry; I took you for a bit experienced with the Reapers.

"So. Nurse, huh? Dunno how ya manage the sight 'a innards 'n whatnot. Better man than me for it. Best I ever managed was prepping the damn pigs for eatin'."

He stepped passed August, grabbing himself a muffin before turning back to face his companion.

Another flush crept on August's face, one intensified as he stumbled a bit from the smack on the shoulder. Him? Look experienced? The young doctor stood a little taller, a smile poking dimples into his cheeks. "Ah, yeah… understandable." Absolutely not understandable but he wasn't about to jinx it." "Glad I'm not alone."

It took August a little while to work through Jed's accent. "I try not to see the innards of people too often." He answered honestly. Blood and bones had never bothered him… it seemed silly for something like that to stop his pursuit of putting people back together. "You were on a farm, then, before this? I'm a city slicker myself, can't say I've had much experience in the rural parts."

"City gives a body diff'rent perspective. You prob'ly understand people better 'n most yer country folk. Don't downplay it.

"But yeah; had a farm. When the- mess started, me 'n Lizzy got with summovar neighbors 'n started us a little commune. Nice and comfortable." Food in his right hand, his free fingers began fiddling with his ring again. He shifted his weight to lean against a nearby wall before crossing the left arm beneath his right, closing off the line of inquiry into his own past before it was even made.

"Helluva story you must have, though, to come to Chicago from Seattle."

He took a bite.

August was now growing a little bit suspicious that Jedidah's goal was to boost his ego. He hadn't been told anything bad or criticizing, and that felt a little wrong when he knew he was surrounded by smarter, stronger, and more skilled people than he. But perhaps it was true, that being from a city gave him more perspective. He wasn't really sure what that perspective might be good for anymore.

The amount of sympathy bubbling up in August's gut would be rather obvious to Jedidiah. The catcher hadn't said it, but by standing before him in this Reaper outpost, he was practically implying his family was with him no more. Whether or not they were alive, they were separated, and August knew that pain well. Nice and comfortable. He could imagine it; a peaceful life on the farm, surrounded by the people you trusted most. A family. Kids, maybe. Gone.

It took his mind a moment to switch gears and realize the conversation had been shifted back onto him. He wouldn't pry, and August already felt like he knew too much. "I was studying medicine in New York. Didn't quite get to finish but figured… this was the best hands on experience I could get out of anything else, right now. Made the trip." Watching Jed dive into the muffin reminded him of his own, and he methodically peeled the wrapper away, a strange amount of meticulousness for a muffin.

"Everyone's got their own story, how they came to the Reapers. It's… an interesting assortment." August murmured.

"For certain."

It was a quick, somewhat muffled reply, and in society before Armis, it'd have been considered rude. Jed wiped away the bit of bread that tumbled from his mouth with his words and fell silent to at least finish his bite. Just because the world had ended didn't mean that Emily Post should be forgotten entirely.

"But New York to Chicago is no less the journey. Glad to know we do have an experienced traveler with us.

"Anyway." With a ferocity that was something of a sharp contrast to his projected cool demeanor, Jed demolished his muffin before wiping the bit of crumbs onto the shoulder of his shirt. "If yer a city-boy, I'm guessing you dunno how to shoot? Or did I make an ass of myself again with my assumption? Wouldn't be the first time."

"I… took a plane…" August admitted quietly, still fidgeting with the muffin wrapper. Experienced traveler? Not him. Planes were still a thing before the world… ended? No. Slowed. That was better.

"No, sir, you're fairly on the nose." He said with an awkward shrug. "I've received some basic combat training from the Reapers but I'm no good. Maybe if I got lucky I could land it right."

"We got time; ya wanna practice? Only way tah get better." The farmer gestured over his shoulder with his thumb. "I got some drills we kin run through."

August's posture straightened as his eyes lit up. "Oh - really? Y-yes, actually! That'd be great." He babbled gratefully, ripped up muffin forgotten. "Let's get right to it."

 

[Applo]

---

Sitting in her seat as if she hadn't heard Sergeant Sumford's dismissal, Esme tapped her pencil against the notepad covered in the scrawling mess she called handwriting. The notes she had made had nothing to do with anything that had been discussed by anyone in the room but rather the arguments for both sides of the choice she had to make now; should she tell these people, her team now, about her life before joining the reapers now or not.

On one hand, it wasn't something that Esme kept secret; how could she when anyone who saw her in her work out gear could have a pretty good guess at the truth. Plenty of people did know; Private Richmond certainly did. On the other hand, would it be better to wait till they were on the mission before informing any of the people in this room who didn't. By then everyone would have had a chance to get to know each other a bit. First impressions stuck. Esme hadn't missed the way the sergeant had described the settlement south of Naperville, or how keen some people had been to 'bust through it. Rats in a larder would probably fare better, possibly rightly so. If she outed herself now, before having had a chance to prove herself, would they look at her just the same way? But then if she didn't tell them now and they found out themselves, would they feel betrayed. Like they could no longer trust her. In the field that wouldn't just be bad for her, it would put everyone in danger.

The tip of the ginger's pencil became a blur attached to her left hand; the steady tapping having transformed into something more akin to a never ending drum roll. The arguments in Esme's mind had been going back and forth ever since she'd received the orders that had brought her to this room. Still she didn't know what was best and now the time to make a decision was fast running out. Already people were beginning to disperse. It was probably a matter of seconds till she had no choice at all. But then, perhaps that was the right answer. If she couldn't persuade herself to tell people now perhaps she shouldn't and this was just the universe's way of lett-

A sharp stab of pain in her middle finger disrupted the racing trains of thought in Esme's mind like a sledgehammer through a clock. Looking down, her eyes were drawn first to the rapidly growing bright red orb of blood and then to the splintered ends of the two halves of her pencil. It was a strangely clarifying moment. In the space of a few heartbeats the answer to the riddle that had been tormenting for what felt like forever became painfully clear.

Slowly, Esme stood up.

"Hey, everybody. Ummm, before you go I just wanted to say something. I'm Esme." For a moment, the red-head waited for the kind of chorused reply that only happened in movies with her biggest smile stretched across her face. "Umm so first, like, it's really nice to meet you all. Second, I know some of you might know, but if you don't, errrmm, before I arrived in Springfield I was umm, I was part of a group kinda like the one-."

The right words were not coming easy. For a few seconds Esme paused, tip of her tongue against the roof of her mouth, as she tried to plan what she was gonna say a sentence or two ahead. Quite unconsciously, her right hand started to fiddle with a strand of hair that had previously been hanging over her eyes.

"Um dammit it. I was a Savage until I made it to Springfield. Got the tattoos and everything too. I'm fully with the reapers now though. I just wanted you, ah didn't want you to think I was trying to hide it like a spy or something right. I got your backs I guess is what I am trying to say. I left my tribe. Don't think I can ever go back even if I wanted to so I gotta cos I'm skag meat otherwise."

Again there was a slight pause, this time caused by Esme going over a mental checklist of what she thought she needed to say. By her reckoning they had all been covered. The attempt at dark humour seemed obviously bad in hindsight but hindsight was twenty-twenty. The red-head pushed it into a corner of her mind to be embarrassed over later.

"Er, that's it and yeah, it is nice to meet you all."​

---

 

[Dakota K5]

Otto White

Interaction: Esme
Mention: Peaches (Boss Lady), Jade, August and Jed
---
Otto had patiently listened to everyone after he had said his piece on the mission and when Boss Lady had given her approval to going around Otto felt no vindication or satisfaction with being on that side of the argument, make no mistake the redhead was fully behind the going around plan one hundred percent but he was no fool as his skill set was much more...offensive in nature but could be put to work in his current position as protector and executioner as his role demanded. He stood after the brief and made his way to the table of food and particularly focused on the pot of coffee sitting, as he poured himself a cup he turned to look at those in this squad, most were strangers to him with the exception of Jade who he had known when everything was still...well was still vaguely coherent and organized on an old deployment. He also listened to Jed and August speak to each other and while he didn't intrude he kept an ear tuned to the conversation as he indirectly got to know a bit about the two, the accent of the older one, Jedidiah if he recalled, was of a familiar origin to him as Otto had come from the same stock if he had to guess. The younger one was more of a mystery as Otto couldn't hear the whole conversation and the bits about the young man's origin were not forthcoming to his ears.

As he sipped on his coffee he saw another stand, this being a younger woman, and if Otto was honest she looked like she could be his younger sister, she seemed nervous to him as she made her go at saying something, she first introduced her self as Esme before getting to the point of her words, soon enough the point of it becoming clear as she outed herself as a former savage.

There was a pause as she finished speaking, no one else seemed to say anything so Otto decided it would be best to speak.

"Your past ain't your present and the future is never set." Otto spoke directly to Esme from his position, his voice a low drum baritone as it carried across the room.

"You telling us all now instead of letting that secret fester like some wound makes me trust you despite the strong feelings some in this group might have about your past." A sip of his coffee punctuated his words. "Also I respect someone who can be forthcoming about a secret that would probably have best served them unknown and untold to others, I look forward to working with you Esme." Otto finished speaking with a nod to the woman as he leaned back and continued to drink his coffee.
​

 

[Dvyniai]

JAMIE ENDO

location: Reaper HQ --- interactions: Esme --- mentions: Peaches, August, Jed, Otto​

At Peaches' dismissal, Jamie stood and stretched. He was quite pleased with the decision to go around, although he had been a bit surprised that the squad leader had agreed with them. He would've thought she'd be all for busting straight through. But then again, he didn't really know anything about her, he mused, as he downed the rest of his coffee.

The man with the old fashioned spectacles beat him to August. Jamie eyed them for a moment, contemplating waiting for them to finish, or just leaving. He could talk to August later that day, or if it really came to it, they could even hash out their game plan the next morning at dawn. There wasn't much for them to talk about anyways. Other than this 'second nurse' bullshit August had spouted earlier in the meeting. He frowned at the thought.

He also had quite a few things to wrap up in the med bay before they left the next morning, so he wasn't keen on lingering in the meeting room any longer than he had to. He poured himself one last cup of coffee, and as he went to leave, the shattering of a pencil caught his attention.

It was the red-headed girl, the one who looked sorta like Otto, and she was staring down at her hand like it had surprised her as well. She had started to bleed, and while it wasn't that much, it still made him tutt. The mission hadn't even started and someone already hurt themselves.

Since it didn't seem like she was about to do anything about it, Jamie crossed the room to snatch up a couple of napkins, while the girl, Esme, stood up to speak.

The admission of previously being a savage gave him pause as he was headed back to the table. Damn. He hadn't been expecting that. He'd like to say that it didn't change anything for him, but he wasn't as good of a person as he liked to pretend he was.

Shock quickly gave way to disgust and disdain, and something not too far from fear. He had been on enough missions, and treated enough wounds to see some of the barbaric things savages could do; he was sure much of the team was the same. He could never understand how a human being could voluntarily do some of the violent acts the savages seemed to love. What had Esme done, while she was with them?

But, if there was one thing Jamie understood, it was having a messed up past, one that you were trying to make amends for. He clenched his right fist against the phantom pains of bruised and bloodied knuckles. Who the fuck was he to judge?

The smile he gave her was pinched but still friendly. "He's right," Jamie said simply after Otto had finished, stepping closer to offer her the napkins. With them, he gestured in the direction of her hand. "Here," he murmured.

"It's nice to meet you too. I'm Jamie," he said, before he stepped away.

 

[CloudyBlueDay]

Doctor & Doctor
with @dvynai (a few hours later...)

August was already exhausted and the day had barely started. Jedidiah was a skilled shot, and a great teacher when August managed to decipher his thick country accent. But it didn't make handling a weapon any less easy, and the sound of a bullet flying was something he'd never get used to. It wasn't in his nature to harm, not when he'd trained his whole life to heal. But August recognized the importance of being able to protect himself, especially in times like these where some patients just couldn't be healed. That was a reality he had to face.

Still, it was exhausting. He kept his energy up the entire training session and thanked Jedidiah profusely once it was done, but he was wrung out. Lunch rolled around and luckily refueled him some, but the day was still young and he had things to prepare before heading out. Supplies to restock, things to account for. Everything had to be checked and checked again, but a realization dawned on August that he had someone important to check with first. His fellow Nurse.

The first place he thought to look was the med bay, and luckily he was correct. Looking certainly more disheveled than he did in the morning, August approached Jamie with a small wave and smile.

"Hey! I'm glad you're on this squad." He slid beside Jamie, overlooking whatever his fellow nurse was busy with. "I was wondering if there was anything you wanted me to do before we headed out." Falling naturally into old routines was an inherent trait of August's, and this one was being a student of Jamie's all over again. He didn't expect anything different.

After leaving the meeting, Jamie had struck out for the med bay to finish up some things before their trip. Mainly work-related paperwork, making sure everything was wrapped up nicely before he was gone for weeks on end. He had hoped he might be able to catch up with August before dawn the next morning, so he was somewhat pleased to see him. The other part of him was… nervous. He didn't like working with someone a second time, it left too much opportunity for them to get close. Not to mention August was too nice. It made it hard to push him away.

Jamie gave a quick, strained smile in return, before turning back to his paperwork. "Hey."

While August's phrasing hadn't been odd, per se, combined with what he had said earlier that morning, it reminded him of what had been bothering him all morning. "You know I'm not your superior anymore, right?" he asked, eyebrows pinching. "I may have more experience, but you're a full-fledged nurse now. We're equals."

He shifted his gaze, pulling out the next set of forms he had to fill out. "Some of the other nurses might see it that way, but I don't want you deferring to me." He paused. "Unless you need help with something. So... what do you want to prepare before we head out?" He spared a glance in August's direction. He hadn't meant for this to be a teaching moment - he wasn't August's mentor anymore, and anyways, that was sort of detracting from the point he was trying to make. But it was, well, a good teaching moment. He wanted August to make decisions for himself.

Equals. August had to admit, that wasn't the answer he was expecting. Jamie had been a good mentor; diligent, focused, and pretty quick to criticize. Which wasn't a bad thing, in his opinion. His attention was taken by his work, just as August believed any doctor should be. But the student-teacher dynamic had settled pretty easily into place when they'd worked together and August hadn't expected much of a difference. It wasn't that he didn't want to be equals, he just hadn't expected it so soon, and hadn't quite let go of the student mentality. But it was definitely time to do so… Jamie was right.

"...I know that." He lied, rubbing the back of his neck. "Thought I'd ask anyway. You know. For old times sake." August doubted that Jamie would buy that, which was why it was important he immediately glossed over to the next change in subject. What did he want to prepare. Well… that was a loaded question.

"My organization process is a bit, uh, overly in depth. I was really just going to go over what's in my pack and make sure everything is accounted for. I like to make lists." It was likely a trait Jamie would have noticed in their time working together. August and his pen and paper were rather inseparable.

Old times sake. Jamie smirked a little, humming in polite acknowledgment. He'd give it to August, sure. But his smirk only widened when August was quick to move on to the next subject.

He was quite aware of August's in depth organization process. Not to mention his love of lists. It was a good habit to have though, in Jamie's opinion. Better than being messy. Helpful, too.

With a few more flourishes of his pen, he was able to turn his full attention to August. "I was going to look over my own bag too," he mused. "Have a lot of restocking to do after that last mission."

At the thought of his last mission, Jamie tilted his head curiously. "Is this… your first mission? As a graduated nurse?" he asked. He tried to count back the months, but if he was honest, he wasn't actually sure when he had last worked with August, or at what point August had been in his training. He… didn't often pay attention to much outside of his work.

Instantly August's mind jumped to speculate whatever had occurred during Jamie's last mission. Savage brawl? Anarchists? TFGs? How many supplies had Jamie had to use? Was every mission that intensive? Was it even that intense or did he just spend a lot of supplies on routine check ins or maybe helping outside parties or their camper getting overrun and the squad sustaining multiple injuries…

August blinked. "First mission. Oh. Yes. Yeah, it is. I mean, I've obviously been here a few months so I don't feel too green, but, officially it's my first. Yes." He blabbed. "Is hoping for an easy trip… wishful thinking?"

Jamie snorted. "Probably. Who knows?" He shrugged, and then straightened, stretching his arms over his head. His back cracked softly and he sighed. "It's either going to go real well, or go to absolute shit."

August cracked a small grin. "Aw, man. Can't even hope for a nice little inbetween?" He asked in a light teasing tone, knowing it was futile to try and predict what they'd come across on this mission. The best he could do was prepare for anything.

After a short inhale of breath August looked back to Jamie tentatively. "Can I ask your honest opinion? Do you think that Squad Four's silence is bad news, or just… a coincidence?"

A brief smile crossed over Jamie's face at August's teasing, before he sobered. That was a... tough question. He studied August for a moment before looking away thoughtfully.

"I don't think it's a coincidence," he said finally. "Something has to have happened to them. But how bad?" He shrugged again, scratching at the back of his neck.

If Jamie was actually being honest, they were fucked. He didn't think it was a good sign that Squadron Four had been given two executioners, and two medics, and yet they had still lost communication with HQ. And now they were sending in another team, packing just as much heat? But, he reasoned, that could just be his pessimism talking. Given that this was August's first real mission, Jamie certainly wasn't going to tell him any of that.

"I'm not too worried though." He reached out to grasp August's shoulder without properly preparing himself, and instantly regretted it when he missed the first time before making contact. Damn eye. "We've got two of the best nurses on board," he said with an exaggerated wink. "And one damn good squad leader. We'll be fine."

A flicker of doubt crossed August's expression. At least Jamie hadn't totally lied to him, passing it off as a fluke or a miscommunication. Something out there was wrong, and everyone knew it, but no one wanted to face it quite yet. It felt stupid to walk in blind, but there wasn't really any other way to walk into it. The only way to break that radio silence was to get there and figure it out for themselves.

He held in a sympathetic laugh as Jamie reached to grab his shoulder and missed. The exaggerated wink, too. "Good aim." August said through a cough, giving a firm nod. "Yeah… I hope we will." He took a step back. "I guess I'll go… sort through my things, then? I'll see you later?"

Jamie squinted, able to tell August had said something, probably sarcastic, when he coughed, but not sure what it was. "Yeah, I hope so too," he said. "See you." Even before August had left he was turning back to his work.