Turn 2: Disappearances

[eyeball]

on the third time Paulson was asked if he needed anything by a waitress he took notice. paulson wasn't the sharpest tool in the box but he knew he was not a great catch and to have very attractive bar maids asking after him just didn't sit right howevr nice it was.
He looked round, all his buddies where getting special attention not just himand a blonde was almost draping heself over Quinn.
the next time one of the waitresess asked if he wanted something he ordered some food and water something in the back of his head was saying maybe not the best time to get drunk.

[BarbarianMathematics]

Ava Blake stayed a few paces behind the rest of the squad, taking in her new surroundings as she walked alongside the Marines toward the Beerwolf. She kept her eyes scanning the area, always aware of her surroundings, her green eyes reflecting the unease she felt. The tall grass around the village, the scattered buildings, the distant hum of the tents—it all felt so different from the sterile, controlled environment of the ship. The air smelled of something real, earthy, with a mix of oil and grass that clung to her senses.

The Marines were already loosening up, but Ava kept her posture straight, walking with purpose. Being new to the squad, she wasn’t sure how to navigate the fine line between fitting in and keeping her distance. She'd heard the chatter, observed how Soles led the group with a confidence she admired but didn't yet understand, and how the others followed his cues. Her brown hair was pulled into a tight ponytail, and she kept her gear close, ready for anything. She didn’t know these men yet, but she was learning their dynamics as they moved through the village.

The quiet, almost domestic setting was a sharp contrast to the grim mission that had brought them here. Her stomach growled, but she didn’t let it show. There was something almost disorienting about the juxtaposition of military tension and the homey feel of the bar. It made her feel like an outsider, like she hadn’t yet earned the right to relax. he was still getting used to the camaraderie that seemed to come naturally to them. The easy banter between Quinn and Torres made her smile briefly, but she quickly turned her attention back to the task at hand.

"One beer, please," she said, her voice steady and polite, though she wasn’t quite sure what to expect from the local brew. She didn’t drink much, but a quick drink might help settle the nerves from the long hike and the tension that still clung to the air. Her mind was already whirring. The disappearance of colonists, the other scenarios playing in her mind. Once the beer arrived to her, she nodded and got the bottle to her lips before responding with a subtle "Thanks" before taking a sip, though she kept being reminded of the comms work she would likely be set to in the near future. She watched her squadmates, noted their reactions to the locals, and tried to fit herself into this unfamiliar puzzle.

Ava's mind was always processing, trying to piece things together even when she wasn’t talking. She could handle the technical side of things, the data and the signals. But the social dynamics of a squad like this? That would take time. She sighed quietly to herself, her fingers drumming lightly on the edge of her bottle, and then took another careful sip from the neck of the bottle, her eyes darting between the others as the conversation around her flowed.