#kjasdhajskd

[ashton-ryder]

"You sound like my sergeant trying to train me in solitary confinement," Ashton snorted at the memory, he was always a fidgety person aching for things to do 24/7 since young. Doing nothing is sometimes doing something, he tried to hammer into young cadet Ashton. Guess it didn't really stick. But he liked the idea of still being able to solve problems stuck in his room, "well if you have a problem to solve with my brain, you know which door to slip it under to." An appreciative smile grew, knowing Mr Wexley was trying to make him feel better. Even if he sits still, his mind his constantly working, might as well put it to good use rather than stray onto a wayward path. Ash looked down to the notebook, thumbing the pages; the first half was actually his physics notes, and slowly evolved to maps, scout observations and survival notes, "just a trained habit. They always say intel is your best weapon." It's why a part of him still wants to believe his comrades were still out there, fighting for the city, even if everything that's happened laid out in front of him says otherwise.

Honestly he felt as if he was in trouble, as if walking into a principal's office. There was an uneasiness at first when Ash moved as instructed and sat up straight on the chair, listening intently to Mr Wexley's words to him. Perhaps he just wanted Ash's opinion on it. A committee would be helpful to build structure in this micro community, yet it could also completely backfire, creating a hierarchical landscape that sows discontentment. Ash was crafting his opinion on the idea until he heard the rest of Mr Wexley's sentence and request and he blinked processing the words. "Didn't we just talk yesterday about how I'm not meant to be a leader?" Ashton cracked a joke, but mostly as his way of stalling for his own reply. He paused in silence as he fell deep in thought, thumb absentmindedly flicking through the pages on the notebook in his lap, eyes gazing into empty air but slowly scanning through as if creating a mental rundown of the proposal.

There was hesitation in his gaze but as he took a breath and closed his eyes, lifting them up again to face the other with a serious tone and gaze reserved for his special ops missions, "we're gonna need a map of Manhattan. A big one. A list of volunteers and their skillsets, no lying or fluffing it up - it's not a resume, work out ideal team allocations and.." he thought back to the others he spoke to as they thought about volunteering, "a space, for people to learn to defend themselves before going out there. They have to be physically and mentally prepared to go out there if they want to make it all back alive."

"Well, I don't think anyone would ever consider you useless, Son. Maybe it's a good lesson in sitting still. Besides, with all that other work done maybe we could figure out newer things to turn all that brain power onto." Eyes dropping to the notebook as it made his appearance, Tobias couldn't help the appreciative chuckle that accompanied his acknowledging nod. "Seems you're way ahead of me, I shouldn't be surprised."

Reaching the heavy and ornately carved ebony french doors to his office, Tobias opened on side for Ashton and ushered him in with a gently guiding wave of his hand. Closing it carefully behind him, that same gesture offered him a chair as he took his own at his desk. "Had I had any doubts about what I wanted to ask you, they'd have been wiped away just now, Mr. Ryder." Demeanour taking on a lighter version of his businessman persona, there was still an almost playful nature to the professionalism he'd taken on.

"I've been thinking it's time we establish a sort of committee here. Not even really a governing body, essentially, but organization is going to be essential the longer this continues. Rosie for rations, Charlie has already agreed to head inventory. Toby will head the medical personel of course..." Trailing off as much to build tension as anything, he paused a beat before dropping the other shoe. "And I'd like you to head up the Scouts, partnered with Zach Sanders, of course. That way he can take over while you're in quarantine."