The Walking Dead - Among the Ruined [March to Death]

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Claiborne Bonder - Morgantown - Scarlett

"I don't think you understand. You or any of your people are in no position to make requests. We have absolutely no obligation to any of you. We opened our gates out of pity and spared your lives. I'm unsure what you see here. We are survivors. These walls have been up for a while now, not because we stay hidden, but because we fight," Claiborne exclaimed, standing from his swaying chair and turning his back on her to look out his window.

"Tyler is a threat. The soldier is a threat. You, the children, the others are all a threat to us. We do not know you, those papers you fill out aren't sufficient enough to let us know you either. What we do from today onward comes down to what you are willing to do for me."

Claiborne faced the girl again and started around the desk. With hands still in his pockets he stopped when he stood behind her as she now stared at an empty pendulum-like chair.

"On the back of that piece of paper I need you to write names. Names of the people you want to save. Whoever is not on that list will be evacuated to our other school further west. Edward Thomas is the person who overlooks all operations there, he'll keep them safe I assure you. He's an old friend of mines. After all, we're not murderers Ms. Scarlett. But we are not guardian angels who will ensure they arrive at Edward's. They will have to make it there on their own. Now I'll leave you so you can think about who makes the list."

Claiborne then stepped out of the room. He knew it wasn't his call to make such independent executive decisions, but he implemented the idea that he could. These people didn't know him, but knew he was a top dog. Using this knowledge to his advantage, he created an aura of fear around himself to scare his victims into surrender. Unfortunately for Scarlett, she had become his first.
 
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Elliot - Natchez - Rob

Elliot allowed Damian and Rob to lead the way, for his communication skills were lacking when it came to anyone but Danny. He wasn't sure how Damian would have felt about someone deaf taking charge, but after his experiences with Joe and Outpost, Elliot was loath to press those kinds of issues. He backed up the other two by keeping a keen eye on their trail just in case something tried to sneak up on them, dead or not. Damian had made a few comments here and there about becoming itchy with the anticipation, but the guy hadn't yet gotten into the habit of looking clearly at Elliot while he speak, forcing the boy to catch only half of what he was saying.

How Elliot felt about Damian wasn't quite clear to him. The guy seemed agreeable enough, though he was prone to ostracizing himself to clean his katana in an almost ritualistic fervor. When Elliot learned he used to own two of them, both named, he'd thought it was pretty weird. He was also sure Damian and Holly had been together, but nothing had really indicated that was the case. Elliot wasn't about to ask or anything. Either way, Holly and Damian had both stuck with them since the escape, cementing them as allies in Elliot's mind. They were nice to have around when Danny got distant, anyway.

It was then that Elliot bumped into Damian from behind, having not been looking forward at the time. Both him and Rob had stopped in their tracks, leaving Elliot feeling a bit alarmed. He looked around Damian to see Rob giving the both of them strange looks, his eyes darting around the corner as if to indicate something was there. Elliot started to sign, but his hands froze in the air as he remembered it was only Danny who knew. Damian decided to grab Rob by the arm and pull him back around the corner, taking his place at the front to look around the corner. Once he saw whatever was waiting, he looked back to mouth the word 'scouts'.

As Elliot mulled this over, he knew they couldn't trust anyone right away. Their experiences back in Baton Rouge made sure of that. He waved his hand away as if to indicate they should get out of there, but Damian shook his head. 'We'll follow' he mouthed, before turning back to the corner and watching intently.

 
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Enrique- Morgantown Plaza - Imogene, Hank, Andrew, Others.
​
Enrique watched as Jon and Hank disembarked from the truck and began approaching the man, Hank stopped and talked to Enrique briefly. Enrique put his hand on his rifle and watched the two men approach the girl with the crossbow and the tall man. It would've been easy to just kill the guy, but they were good people. The girl next to him spoke and he turned his head slightly, his eyes still on the tall man. Her tone was slightly offputting, the last the two had spoken she'd been aiming at him with a bow.

"Men like him are good, they keep people honest," Enrique began, his voice was low and resigned, "The men who are dangerous are the men who keep people alive. Leaders like him have to be scary, to keep their men in line. We have to be that danger that the world is nowadays, that which makes people scared is what great leaders need to conquer. I may be fresh to this group, but if shit gets real I'll put down the threat."
​
He looked over at her and then at the bow next to her, "You looked like you were ready to kill me back there, do you think you coulda done it? Not emotion wise but skill wise. Could you have killed me before I shot?"
 
Scarlett - Morgantown - Claiborne Bonder

The blonde stayed quiet as she held her tongue back as Claiborne went on about the community. She had nothing but respect and gratitude for them, seeing as how they indeed saved them. Still, she had every right to ask them for this favor. She wasn't asking them to keep Tyler and Katie. She was asking for whatever the outcome may be, to keep the two together. She could care less what happened to the other or herself. She'd keep Liam by her side though. The boy had been with her and trusted her the most.

Once Claiborne left the room to give her some privacy, Scarlett let out a long and frustrated sigh. She wondered if he would ask everyone to write down names or just her. Even if everyone did write down names, it was still a huge weight to be dropped on her shoulders. To decide someone else's fate. It was necessary though. To ensure everyones survival; at least the others were going to be taken to another community. With that, she began to write down names. "Should I include the other group?" Her eyes stayed fixated on the piece of paper with the names scribbled on it. Would Hank and the others make it to the community?

The thought of Hank and what he had told Scarlett before the group had split into two turned Scarlett's cheeks red from anger. She jotted down Hank's name as well, wondering what Claiborne might think of it. She didn't want to give out her explanation on why she chose the people she did. She just wanted to hand the paper back to the man and go back to find Katie.

"I'm done!" Scarlett exclaimed, rising from her seat and setting the paper on the other side of the table where Claiborne sat. She couldn't exactly just leave the office, since she didn't know what else the man wanted. Scarlett just hoped that this would be the end of their little meeting and she could leave as quickly as possible.

Aubrey - Morgantown Plaza - Enrique/ Others

"The men who are dangerous also become paranoid and start killing their own friends and family." With that being said, she kept quiet on the subject and turned her attention back on the world around them. While everyone was busy watching the men have their little moment, she scanned the building and trees around them, looking out for any living or dead that might be out to kill them. It wasn't uncommon for people to get ambushed. Someone would fake an injury, or fake being in need of help; their friends waiting near by.

Enrique's question took Aubrey a bit by surprise, but she still didn't turn to look at him. "I was ready, and I would have done it. I don't give warnings, so consider yourself lucky." After her answer, she turned around and smiled, "Plus, you were on top of a building. I didn't feel like going all the way up there to retrieve my arrow."
 
Joselina - Morgantown - Mel, Nathan, Riley, Stacey, Tyler

Joselina huffed and heaved through the confines of her snug, leather muzzle, the mask bounded by two leather straps encasing the behemoth of a woman's head firmly into it's metallic grasp. Shockingly and willingly, Joselina handed over Stacey her Mosin-Nagant as well as any other weapons that she was carrying with her. Judging solely by her willingness and overall strange behavior, Joselina was oddly cooperative. Perhaps her very ruthless and frankly reckless nature was a reason for this, not finding much value in her own life. After all, in this hellish world, there are simply people who are much more likely to thrive than her. A sad yet truthful fact that Hispanic had grown to accept silently long, long ago.

Looking down at Stacey with firm, almost glaring eyes, the six foot psychopath turned her attention to Nathan, whom seemed to be inquiring Mel. Despite her barbaric appearance, Joselina held some intelligence, enough to comprehend those around her. Granted, she often ignored such blabber, her bloodlust and savage personality often overriding basic logic. Clenching her hands into fists, her muscles contracting and expanding with each breath, as if they carried an enormous weight to them, Joselina's head ever so briefly tilted at the man's words.

Protectively placing her left hand on her teddy bear, which was hugging her waistline, the masked woman slowly barked out, her voice slow and husky.

"Threat...I c-can b-be....you've seen...nothing."

Joselina hissed, her voice broken yet sounding spiteful, as if she was talking to some filthy degenerative. Keeping her stance, either being extremely brave or extremely stupid, Joselina kept her ground, not wanting to be talked about as if she was a canine or wild animal. Which, was ironic, given her oh so fittingly appearance of bounded and gagged woman littered with scars and dried viscera.

@Akashi @Atomyk @C.T. @TheSpringwoodSlasher ​
 
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Nathan - Morgantown Community - Stacey, , Melanie, Joselina, Tyler
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His eyes glanced between the new stranger and Melanie. The more he heard her voice, the more ignorant he became. It was as if he was talking to a child. However, once Stacey was able to get the weapons from Joselina with ease, he spoke up. "If this is a resource you've gathered, as you say, then make sure she doesn't do anything foolish." Nathan had noticed how rugged up her clothes were, it was as if she had been in a war zone.

"Threat.. If she means to be a threat, you better hope its towards the undead out there.."

There were already too many mouths to feed in the community. "Get her cleaned up and have her get checked at the medical room. After that.. Have her join up with the others in the gymnasium.." Not even waiting for a response from the little brat, who Nathan actually trusted, despite her young age, and her capabilities as a leader, he started to think otherwise. Shutting the door behind him after he went back into his office, his eyes veered over at Tyler and the papers, which were filled by then.

"Good.." He forced a smile on his face, before grabbing them, and adding them in a little folder. Nathan did not even check if the guy wrote anything true or false on the paper. Throwing the folder away as if it meant nothing, he continued his important conversation with Tyler. It was going to be a little different than what the man may have considered. "Listen.. I dont really care what your occupation was before the outbreak. To me, it doesn't really matter.. So I'll cut to the chase."

"How many have you killed?.." His voice was much deeper and serious. Nathan hoped that Tyler understood exactly what he meant. He was especially not referring to the undead out there. There was also more on Nathan's mind. He needed to talk to Claiborne about something important.

@C.T. @Atomyk @Krieg
 
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Tyler - Nathan's Office - Nathan

Having not been able to catch much of the conversation outside, Tyler realized he had nothing better to do than just fill out the forms before him. Most of it pertained to his personal details or life before the apocalypse, details the man didn't feel a problem sharing. His late wife and son inevitably crossed his mind momentarily, but Tyler put them out of his like he'd done so many times before. They were gone now and didn't matter. Nothing but Katie mattered anymore.

It didn't take long for Nathan to return and move the papers into a file. He didn't look concerned about reading what Tyler had written in the slightest, which put the waiting man at unease. He sat up straight and placed his hands on the table, meeting Nathan's eyes evenly as the other man spoke. The question laid out before him was one he'd been asked many times before in many different ways. Obviously, Nathan didn't mean the walkers and instead was looking to see what kind of person Tyler was. Tyler could recall giving a number of different answers to these sorts of questions, at least more so than remembering how many lives he was responsible for ending.

Letting the question wash over him, Tyler began to lean back, slowly sliding his hands off the desk as he did so. He'd ordered the execution of men, thrown them into pits of walkers, threw other loyal men into danger. Couldn't it also be said he was responsible for the life of every woman lost in the catacombs? During his time as Thomas, even more lives had been lost because of him. Did those count as well? At the end of it all, Tyler's body count was vast, and anyone who heard the number would likely see fit to shoot him right then and there. A new narrative would have to be made for Nathan, just another in the long line of narratives Tyler had weaved for himself. Tyler knew well that the best lies were always partly truthful.

"Eight."

 
Mel - Morgantown - Joselina, Nathan, Riley, Stacey

"I'll try my best there, bossman." She replied, pushing off the wall where she had been leaning against. "And yeah, but at least it's less of an issue than it would be if she'd gone unnoticed you know? An outside threat we're unaware of? That would be--" The rest of her reply fell on deaf ears as Nathan stepped back into his office and shutting the door with a click. Her eyes narrowed at the sight of the door, trailing off with a muttered call of "prick." With a shake of her head, she turned over to Joselina.

"Yeah, I'd hate it too if someone talked about me like that too much. Get her cleaned up, go do this and that and all the shit like that. You can talk, clearly think. A little messy sure but hey with the world being what it is right now? Messy ain't all that bad. So we got running water, if ya want to take a shower. Get a doc to look ya over, maybe some food too. Ya look a little hungry. Whaddaya think?'

@Krieg @Atomyk @TheSpringwoodSlasher​
 
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Riley - Morgantown - Joselina, Nathan, Mel, Stacey

Riley didn't see it as his place to comment when group leaders spoke among each other. But just how easily Nathan seemed to brush off Mel and Joselina annoyed the teen. So much so that his hand holding his trusty socket wrenched tightened it's hold. He was sure the man had done good stuff for the community and that was fine and all. It kept Nathan useful and it helped keep this a stable community for Riley to feel any inkling of concern to go out every now and then and aid.

Once Nathan walked out and closed the door behind him, Riley's grip relaxed and he'd reach up and lowered his bandanna before spitting upon the ground that Nathan had been previously standing upon before raising it back up.

"Short and sweet, but rude. Don't like that. Not one bit."

At the mention of cleaning Joselina up, Riley turned and looked up at her. She seemed pretty alright in his eyes. Not that he cared too much about cleanliness to begin with. If anything her being as messy as she was could have been taken as a badge of honor. That she survived out here for so long and had the muck and grime to show for it.

"Look fine to me."

@Akashi @C.T. @Krieg @Atomyk​
 
Andrew - Morgantown Plaza - Imogen/Hank/Etc.

Andrew watched as the man approached him, his fingers clasped tight over the long gash across his palm. He swore as it began to burn, a couple drops of blood seeping through his tight-clasped knuckles. He swallowed as a bit of fear as the man called down the girl with the crossbow, referring to her as "Imogene."

Andrew shook has head to the inquiry of more weapons. He then stated, "Well- no... My axe is inside." He nodded to the building beside him. "I just told your friend that I have a car around the back." He slowly reaching to his belt loop and unhooked the carabiner clip from his belt his keys. "One of you can check it out." He held the keys towards the in a submissive manner.

He eyed the man, who looked a about as rough, if not more so, as his partner. He saw a look in the guys eyes that made him uneasy. "I guess a stranger's word isn't very weighted, but I promise I'm not a threat." He said, hoping that his luck could turn up.

qsjHTUP.jpg


@HellHoundWoof @-QT-
@Damo028​
 
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Enrique - Morgantown Plaza - Aubrey, Jon, Hank, Imogen, Andrew
​
Enrique smirked, she was being playful. This was one of his first interactions in quite some time, she was even smiling. It was a strange contrast with what she said too. He watched as the tall man pulled some keys from his pocket. Enrique realized he didnt know this girl's name and reached his hand across the car to her.

"So you got a name?" He said with a small smile.

Enrique noticed some roamers moving closer, he nodded to the girl's bow and grabbed his rifle from the floor. He opened the driver side door and leaned out putting his arms on the door and the roof. He looked at Hank and Jon then around the area briefly, not many but they'd pick up in numbers soon.

"We'd better get going, got corpses moving in on this position," Enrique said banging on the roof, "We popping this guy or is he riding with us?"​
 
Joe Redhawk - Morgantown Plaza - Enrique, Audrey Jon, Hank, Andrew, Imogen
"Fuck . Just what I was afraid of. "


Watching the Shamblers coming closer, Joe pulled out his knife. This whole situation was going to shit. Hearing Enrique straight out suggest killing the new guy bugged the hell out of Joe. This guy was being cooperative, Motioning to Jon, Joe would talk to the group.

"Guys, we gotta go now, or take out these few Shamblers now."

@Atomyk @HellHoundWoof @Wolverbells @-QT- @StrictlyChaos
 
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Nathan - Morgantown Community - Tyler
​
The man had to think. Think in order to give him the answer he was looking for. Nathan was closely observing Tyler, he, indeed, wanted to know what kind of a man he was. "So... Eight.. Huh?!" He rhetorically added, not for one second believing the words uttered by the stranger on the other side of the table. "I see.." There was definetely more to the guy than what he displayed. It had to be more than just eight.

Nathan realized to an extent that the man may be a danger to the community, but perhaps the reason behind the killings were justifiable enough for him to understand. Perhaps he would have done the same as Tyler if he was in the same position, but then again, he wouldn't know. Leaning back against the chair he continued. "Tell me about Katie... I believe she's related to you?.. Yes?.. Or did you happen to find her out there, alone. Did her parents die?. Do you feel some sort of responsiblity? Is that why she's still around?. You can obviously stop me as I guess my way forward.."

There was a certain reason for why he brought Katie up. Yes, the little girl was attached to the man before him, but why? "Is she your daughter?.." Nathan wanted to know if the subject he brought up would allow him to understand Tyler more. He knew the man was keeping things. His first question made sure of that.

@Atomyk
 
Hank - Morgantown Plaza - Jon, Andrew, Enrique, Joe and Others.

"We're not doing that," Hank answered in regards to Andrew's gesture. There was no way he would risk one of his own for a couple of inessential supplies. The car could stay were it was and keep its materials confined. Nobody knew what they would find at the location of the car, nor if there were people waiting there for them. For all they knew, being ambushed was the most likely scenario, so the risk outweigh the benefits.

Returning his pistol back to its holster, Hank turned around after hearing Enrique call out for them to go. He noticed the walkers heading towards them and nodded at Jon, signaling him that it was time to get going. Letting Imogen get in the truck first, Hank followed suit only to stop as he reached the front passenger door. He looked at the handle for a second as though lost in thought.

With an exhale, he turned back to the right and took a few steps back in Andrew's direction.

"I only see two options for you here. Either you stay here and fend off for yourself against all of them, or you get in the truck bed and come with us. I don't care what you do," Hank stated, looking back at Jon as he go into the vehicle. The only reason he offered the man a ride is because he knew that's what the others wanted. Hank honestly just wanted to pull the trigger when he had raised his gun earlier, but for some reason he didn't. It would have been easy. He could of killed him right there and ended all the possible future problems. They knew nothing about this man, but were giving him a chance. A chance to help, or a chance to destroy. Either way, it was his decision now.

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Claiborne Bonder - Morgantown - Scarlett

Looking over her shoulder, Claiborne made sure Scarlett's list looked complete. He noticed that the number of names did not account for the amount of people who arrived at Morgantown - which is what he wanted. Like stated before, there was no possible way of keeping everyone. Such numbers would call for more scavenging for food, medicine, and other essentials. Though there would be more distributed labor, it was too risky to believe they'd pull it off. It would also be near impossible to keep track of everyone's whereabouts - which is one of Claiborne's most desired burdens.

Picking up the paper, he moved it into the file he put her other information into. He didn't say a word yet, just continued to clean everything from his desk and keep things neat. A guard suddenly knocked on the door in which Claiborne took the liberty to open.

"Mr. Bonder sir. I just wanted to inform you that both Mel and Riley have returned. I caught a glimpse of them before they entered Nathan's office," the guard spoke.

"Thank you," Claiborne simply said, showing gratitude to his trusted colleague. With the door still open, he went ahead and told Scarlett that they were finished. He instructed the guard to return her to the gymnasium. Clay himself would head over to Nathatn's office to meet Mel there and to handle what they should have done a long time ago. Then he would finish dealing with the new group in the gymnasium.
 
Tyler - Nathan's Office - Nathan

Tyler had been expecting to Nathan was going to ask him to go over the encounters in detail, but he turned out not to be concerned with that. Perhaps he just thought Tyler was lying, but who knew if any number in the single digits sounded like the truth. Death and destruction was the way of the world now, and not just for Tyler. In any case, if Nathan was displeased with the answer, it didn't show on his face. Tyler crossed his arms and tried to keep cool under Nathan's stare.

"She's my daughter," he said quickly after Nathan had guessed it. He found himself smiling slightly, leaning forward on tot he table. "She's my everything, actually. Lost her mother soon after this all started. Her... brother too. It's been me and her for so long. She trusts her daddy-- she believes in me, and she will follow me wherever I go, for better or for worse." The smile was gone now, replaced with an intense glare. All Tyler wanted was a safe place for Katie to be, but he felt like he was being made to jump through hoops just to achieve that. "Everything I've done since this started has been for her. Her future. Eight kills or whatever, it was all for her sake."

Tyler paused, taking in a deep breath. His head swam with thoughts of Katie; all of his concerns and worries over his daughter washed over him like a sudden chill. Tyler was already feeling uncomfortable being away from her this long. "If she were dead, so would I be."

 
Rob - Natchez - Elliot/Darmian/Strangers

We Follow

Rob was not pleased with the idea of following them. He felt that maybe just going in the exact opposite direction of this was possibly a good idea. But Rob had to admit that if the scouts were here, then it meant that they were going their direction. Better to find out where they were going, and just maybe if there was somehow a collection of people somewhere near here. Hopefully they weren't cannibals or anything.

So, (Begrudgingly) they followed. Silently through the streets, one or two walkers stumbled onto the roads. But were quickly dispatched by the strangers. Rob felt strange, his heart pumped with excitement. He couldn't help himself, He always felt adrenaline when he was technically hiding from someone. He gripped the corner of the wall he was at. Where are you going?

Further on they saw the scouts meet up with a truck. No, two trucks.

Great, this meant that clearly they were some sort of community, or perhaps a raiding party. Either could be cannibals really.

With closer inspection (Or as most as he could see from the distance). There seemed to be some some of symbol on the trucks. It looked like some weird blue...bird...thingy.

He shot a glance at the other two, The strangers seemed to be talking to the others in the trucks. Clearly this couldn't be too far off a populated centre. Well, they have to be well armed. Two trucks were kind of noticeable.

What Do We Do Now? He mouthed slowly, Not exactly confident in what should happen next.

Do We Keep Following? He spoke silently again. What If They Get In The Trucks?

His mind flashed to the fact that Holly and Danny were still back waiting. They couldn't exactly go too far.
 
Andrew - Morgantown Plaza - Hank, Imogen, Enrique, John, etc.

Quickly, Andrew calculated the losses in his head. The man had put him a cross roads that he would've preferred to avoid. "Deal. Thank you." He said, nodding to the leader of the men and the girl.

He'd decided that the few supplies in his car were worth leaving, and the car itself had almost no gas in it. He hurried to the station door, went inside and grabbed his axe, and walked back outside. He extended his hand to the man before climbing into the back of the truck. "Name's Andrew." He said, and then jumped into the truck bed

 
Nathan - Morgantown Community - Tyler
​
It was well established, especially by what Tyler said. Katie was his daugher, and he'd do anything to keep her save. The determination to protect her could be seen all over the man's face. It reminded him about his own unborn child and Alannah. Once the man finished answering, Nathan reached for another paper from the desk behind him, placing it on the table before the both of them, along with a pencil. However, he did not state the reason for why he had another piece of paper on the table. For now, Tyler could guess as to why that was.

"That's respectable.." He started, referring to Katie and her father. Pausing for a few seconds as the silent echoed throughout the room, he continued. The community was growing with more people and there was just not enough supplies to keep them around. Things had to change, and Nathan obviously went along with Claiborne's idea. That's how things are done there, no matter how harsh that may seem. "But we both know that you've killed more than eight, whatever the reasons may be.." He rhetorically added, not allowing the man to give a response.

"But since its only you and your daughter. I mean, she is your entire world, and we are not the type to let children roam around in this world.. Not anymore. I'm sure we can keep her safe, give her the normal life she deserves, as best as we can, that is. Obviously, her father can stay as well, contribute to the community." Nathan stood up from the chair, with a stern but serious expression plastered on his face, he was not done talking.

"I know your capable of handling yourself out there. I can see that in you.. And the people you've brought in with you, they all seem to trust you. You guys have been through alot, no?" Leaning against the wall close to the door, he crossed his arms before his chest, his hazel eyes gazing at Tyler.

"So, when I say a safe place for you and Katie, then I mean just the two of you. The rest, we cannot keep around. I assume you're alright with this, yes?" Then there it was, the dealbreaker. Nathan had to see if the man would do whatever it took to give his daughter a place to stay, and or, sacrifice the others. He'd kill people for her safety, so, letting the others go would benefit the guy.

After a few seconds, he spoke up. "This may be a hard decision for you, Tyler, but in this world, decisions like that are always around the corner.. You and I both, know that."

@Atomyk
 
Katie - Playroom/School Room - Liam

She was NOT a happy little girl.
Later on she would feel bad about the naughty things she had done, but when it happened she had been too angry to care.

The woman, Anna, had checked on her rib and Katie had tried to be brave but had cried a little in pain. The lady had asked who had done it and Katie explained that the bad meb had tried to take her daddy away and she had gotten mad and been bad. She told the woman that she hadn't meant to be bad, but they had hurt her daddy badly so she had wanted to hurt them back. Anna had assured her that she was not in trouble for that, that she was a good girl to love her daddy so much, but that she needed to try and control her temper.

That didn't last long.

And now she sat outside the door with a man making sure she didn't move. She was supposed to go and explain herself to a man named Nathan. Katie wasn't scared of him. He didn't seem mean. She was scared of the other man, with the name that sounded like "Clay-born". He looked mean. She wondered if he ate little girls for breakfast or if he would hit her like the other men had.

The man who was watching her spoke to the man Nathan.
"Sir, there has been an incident in the school room," he said then looked at her pointedly. Katie was more naughty by sticking her tongue out at him before looking up bravely at the man Nathan.

"They started it," she stated the automatic defense of every child.
"Leo and Hunter," the guard said. "There was a fight between them and her."
"They started it," she insisted again. "They were mean boys! They called Liam stupid and retarded. Then they called my daddy weak because his leg is hurt."
"After she said that if they didn't shut up she was going to tell her daddy on them," the guard supplied.
"They kept saying it!" Katie said, getting angry again at the memory. "So I made them stop."
"She punched Leo in the balls and bit Hunter three times."
Katie looked down. She had punched the boy in his no-no place, but just because he wouldn't stop. He had stopped after that.

She looked up at the man Nathan, her face like a soldier about to be shot for treason. She would take whatever punishment he gave, as long as he didn't make her apologize. That would be the worst possible thing ever.
"I'm not sorry," she informed him.

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Jessalyn - Plaza - Group

He had survived. She had known he would. Had never doubted his will to survive.
But she did doubt other things now...

Floyd had climbed into the van beside her. Ben had gurgled happily at the familiar face. Jess bounced him lightly, trying to keep him quiet in case they were not out of the woods yet. She didn't speak at first, her mind and heart still aching from what Heather had said and from her own self doubt. Finally she felt her love for him fighting it's way painfully back to the surface.
"I am... I'm so happy you are okay," she said, speaking the truth. No matter what became of their relationship, she would never want to see him hurt.

She glanced up to find Heather looking at her sharply and she ducked her head, feeling the woman's eyes boring into her. She couldn't help it. Love did not disappear overnight. And Jess knew that she would always love Floyd, she would never get over him. But she prayed that maybe, with time, it wouldn't hurt so much.

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Heather - Van - Jess, Floyd

Unbelievable.
After all of this the girl jumped right back to the redneck. When had young women gotten so stupid?
What was his game? Was he hoping to get in her pants? He was a man so she wouldn't put it past him. Sometimes men just liked to toy with girls' emotions, getting some kind of sick power trip from manipulating them.

Well he needed to leave her alone because Heather was not going to be the one to pick up the pieces.
"Hey Floyd," she said, her 'no bull-shit' face on, "we need to talk."

"No-" Jess started but Heather cut her off.
"Stay out of it," she ordered the girl. "I'm not going to watch you worship the ground he walks on then cry when he leaves. It's sickening and embarrassing. And if you won't grow a backbone then I will handle this once and for all."
"Stop it," Jess said, her voice starting to shake with upset. "Just stop it."
"So you would rather him play you like a harp? It's just like I warned you honey. Men don't give a rat's ass. You are just another toy to him. Mark my words : he is going to leave you in pieces as soon as a new toy comes along. He's probably already found one."

Jess turned her face away, trying not to cry. If she cried she would prove Heather right.

Heather turned her venom back on Floyd. "Just drop her now and get it over with. It's easier then stringing her along like this."
 
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Tyler - Nathan's Office - Nathan

He eyed the paper warily as Nathan placed it before him, unable to shake the feeling that Nathan was up to something. He knew was being naturally paranoid, but it seemed to him this interview should have ended with the questionnaire. Were they all just going to be turned away after all of this hand wringing? His eyes moved off the page to examine Nathan when he boldly declared that he knew it the real answer to the previous question was more than eight. Tyler tried not to glower, but it took an effort to not interrupt the other man and ask why he thought that.

As Nathan continued his spiel, Tyler leaned back in his chair and let out a sigh. He examined the cieling above him before saying, "I get it." He let that sit for a moment before moving his sight back down to Nathan. "My daughter comes before any of them, so I'm not going to argue. Though, I have to wonder, are you planning to turn away the other children? That girl who can barely walk? Do what you have to, but you said it yourself, you're not the type to let children wander around in this world."

If this was how it had to be, Tyler would accept that. Not even Scarlett came before Katie, though, he'd miss her more than he cared to admit. Caleb, Jace, even George... Tyler knew they could all take care of themselves, but they were the few people he'd managed to gain actual trust and respect from. Replacing them with this Morgantown group was going to be a difficult process. "But why are we here then? What's the point of all these questions if you weren't going to keep most of us?"

@Akashi

---​

Elliot - Natchez - Rob​

Elliot was used to reading lips, so Rob's insistence on mouthing his words was fine to him, even if it came off a bit unnatural to read. On the other hand, Damian only looked back at Rob with a confused look, clearly not having understood a word he was conveying. Elliot could almost laugh at how awful their communication was. If only Richard were here to start up some ASL classes. "Look," Damian whispered, deciding to risk the noise instead of continuing the confusion. He retreated from the corner of the building huddle next to the others. "They'll probably head off in the trucks, so there's no use in us all following. You two head back with the supplies and I'll stay on the ground to sniff out where they're headed. To stay away from them, we need to know where they are."

Glancing toward Rob, Elliot tried to convey his issue with the plan with his eyes. It was best if they all went back and just stayed low in the future. He shook his head toward Damian, but the older man didn't seem to care. "This isn't really a discussion. This is what I'm doing, and what I think you two should do."

 
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