Jesse isn’t a stranger to nightmares, but it’s been a while. Last bout he’d had of them was after a certain incident in the woods of Deerington well over a year ago, before Ashe had even come to town. That had thankfully been a short-lived problem.
These reoccurring ones that have started up again since Rapture are a different sort altogether. He’d had them before almost a decade ago, night after night to the point where he’d driven himself half-mad from lack of sleep and grief. The fall of Overwatch. The deaths of his friends. The death of one man in particular.
What’s different now is that he’s seen how Gabriel Reyes’s life actually ended. It had been clear as day. He’d heard his own name on his mentor’s lips as the man had breathed his last.
Sleep hasn’t come easily since, not even with Ashe at his side. Falling asleep in her arms is more than he could ever ask for, but it doesn’t stop him from waking in a cold sweat, gasping for air. Every time, he either succeeds in slipping away without waking her or making up a convincing lie. And every time, he struggles to keep his thoughts from reaching her through their link.
If she knows about her nightmares, she’ll ask about Reyes. That’ll lead to thoughts of Reaper, and that… that will lead to a scenario he’ll do just about anything to prevent.
So when he wakes up yet again in a blind panic, the first thing he does after catching his breath is to check if Ashe is awake beside him.
These reoccurring ones that have started up again since Rapture are a different sort altogether. He’d had them before almost a decade ago, night after night to the point where he’d driven himself half-mad from lack of sleep and grief. The fall of Overwatch. The deaths of his friends. The death of one man in particular.
What’s different now is that he’s seen how Gabriel Reyes’s life actually ended. It had been clear as day. He’d heard his own name on his mentor’s lips as the man had breathed his last.
Sleep hasn’t come easily since, not even with Ashe at his side. Falling asleep in her arms is more than he could ever ask for, but it doesn’t stop him from waking in a cold sweat, gasping for air. Every time, he either succeeds in slipping away without waking her or making up a convincing lie. And every time, he struggles to keep his thoughts from reaching her through their link.
If she knows about her nightmares, she’ll ask about Reyes. That’ll lead to thoughts of Reaper, and that… that will lead to a scenario he’ll do just about anything to prevent.
So when he wakes up yet again in a blind panic, the first thing he does after catching his breath is to check if Ashe is awake beside him.
Ashe was not the heaviest sleeper. Decades of gang related trauma and violence had left her with the need to watch her back and that often transferred into her sleeping patterns. Deerington hadn't helped matters, but Jesse was a comforting presence besides her and he'd replaced her need to turn to a bottle every night.
Still, with his increase in tossing and turning, she'd been aware the nights had been a bit harder on him. For the most part she'd let him be, and if he stirred her, she'd been too sleepy to press and would simply try to soothe him by reaching out a hand to make him aware of her presence.
The month had been tough and for whatever reason things in Deerington had been harder on him recently. She felt it strongly through their connection, and she felt too that there were things he was holding back. They seemed to have an agreement on when to push and when to back off, but she was starting to want to press for answers.
She doesn't know what number panic attack he's on, but this time it does bring her out of her slumber as she feels the shift on the bed. The terror and panic is enough to filter through her consciousness and she can't ignore it, she wouldn't have been able to roll over and fall back to sleep if she wanted to. Sitting up, she leans into him and presses a string of tired kisses against his shoulder, while her hand strokes down his back in a soothing fashion.
"Just a bad dream darlin'. You're safe."
Still, with his increase in tossing and turning, she'd been aware the nights had been a bit harder on him. For the most part she'd let him be, and if he stirred her, she'd been too sleepy to press and would simply try to soothe him by reaching out a hand to make him aware of her presence.
The month had been tough and for whatever reason things in Deerington had been harder on him recently. She felt it strongly through their connection, and she felt too that there were things he was holding back. They seemed to have an agreement on when to push and when to back off, but she was starting to want to press for answers.
She doesn't know what number panic attack he's on, but this time it does bring her out of her slumber as she feels the shift on the bed. The terror and panic is enough to filter through her consciousness and she can't ignore it, she wouldn't have been able to roll over and fall back to sleep if she wanted to. Sitting up, she leans into him and presses a string of tired kisses against his shoulder, while her hand strokes down his back in a soothing fashion.
"Just a bad dream darlin'. You're safe."
Text | UN: CrescentRose | Sometime after Chloe let everyone know about Ashe's birthday
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clickclickbloom
2020-03-23 05:46 pm (UTC)(link)
Happy Birthday!
<3!~You're Old~!<3
<3!~You're Old~!<3
[After seeing McCree's post.]
Correction:
<3!*-*~You're REALLY Old~*-*!<3
Correction:
<3!*-*~You're REALLY Old~*-*!<3
[ There's a box with a purely amazing gift inside. Plus a small birthday card with a quickly scribbled note inside. ]
You look so young for your age.
Try not to kill your cowboy.
You look so young for your age.
Try not to kill your cowboy.
I heard it was your birthday. I think someone is lying about your age. You barely look over 30. I don't have anything to give for a gift, but I thought I would show you this!
[He holds up a soda can, with a hole in it. He rattled the can and it was clear something was inside. the Bb pellet that he used to shoot from his sling shot.]
I thought you should be first to see. I got the can today. Knocked it right off and put a hole in it with my slingshot! I'm getting better at it! Not much of a gift, but I just thought you'd like to see.
[He holds up a soda can, with a hole in it. He rattled the can and it was clear something was inside. the Bb pellet that he used to shoot from his sling shot.]
I thought you should be first to see. I got the can today. Knocked it right off and put a hole in it with my slingshot! I'm getting better at it! Not much of a gift, but I just thought you'd like to see.
[ Man she adores this kid. There is a proud smile on her face when she sees that he's shot it, and she whistles low. ]
Well now, Look at you, that is some damn good shootin', I'm real proud of you. Seein' that is all the birthday gift I need.
[ She chuckles though at the other part. ]
Yeah, he's lyin'. Just turnin' forty. I guess it doesn't sound so bad when placed against 55. He's just gettin' me back for tellin' everyone he was fifty on his birthday last April. But to be fair, we kinda hated each other then.
Well now, Look at you, that is some damn good shootin', I'm real proud of you. Seein' that is all the birthday gift I need.
[ She chuckles though at the other part. ]
Yeah, he's lyin'. Just turnin' forty. I guess it doesn't sound so bad when placed against 55. He's just gettin' me back for tellin' everyone he was fifty on his birthday last April. But to be fair, we kinda hated each other then.
[ She knows that she should probably be staying safe and hunkering down with all the crazy going on, but Chloe's not about to let something like this go forgotten. So she waits until she knows that Ashe won't be at work before she shows up at her door, a large box in hand, with a smaller box set on top of it.
She manages to let herself in, heading for the kitchen so she can put the boxes down on the counter as she calls out for her. ]
Hey! Birthday lady! Special delivery!
She manages to let herself in, heading for the kitchen so she can put the boxes down on the counter as she calls out for her. ]
Hey! Birthday lady! Special delivery!
[ Ashe had actually treated herself to the afternoon off, and is considering taking the whole day for herself and spending it with the people she cares about. They seem to be in abundance here. So when she hears Chloe calling to her, she emerges from her bedroom still in a tank top and pajama shorts and one of Jesse's nightshirts.
She smiles when she sees Chloe. Though Ashe isn't big on her birthday and hasn't even celebrated in a really long time, she looks happy. ]
Well my, my...look at this. How you doin' sweetheart. [ She pecks her cheek before taking a seat on one of the counter stools. ]
She smiles when she sees Chloe. Though Ashe isn't big on her birthday and hasn't even celebrated in a really long time, she looks happy. ]
Well my, my...look at this. How you doin' sweetheart. [ She pecks her cheek before taking a seat on one of the counter stools. ]
[ While K rather has his doubts about Ashe's purported age, he does take one bit of advice from the post. This results in a bouquet of multicoloured roses from the local floral shop being left on her doorstep, with a handwritten note included: Happy birthday, miss Ashe. -K ]
[ Never one to celebrate her birthdays much, the gifts are something that she's surprised but deeply touched by. All the same, when she gets them, she's smiling as she puts them into a vase. Then she sends off a quick message. ]
Thank you for the flowers. My favorite kind.
Thank you for the flowers. My favorite kind.
what you said the other day about this place being better than derry
your right
adults are the worst but i've met a few who are worth it here
i never thought it would be okay but you got to believe me when i say there are some good ones
your right
adults are the worst but i've met a few who are worth it here
i never thought it would be okay but you got to believe me when i say there are some good ones
It’s been almost a month now. A month without Ashe, aside from a few… notable exceptions. Both as a wolf and as a kid, Jesse just hadn’t been able to stay away from her, and it’s given him a lot to think about. As if their initial fight hadn’t. But he’s had a lifetime’s worth of hang-ups and stubbornness to work through, so of course it had taken a while.
Still. A month is a long time.
He knows she’s home, both by the lights on in the house and his own enhanced senses telling him so. And she’s alone, aside from B.O.B. Good. He doesn’t want an audience for this, whatever this turns out to be. He hadn’t exactly rehearsed. He cuts the engine on his bike and sits there in the road for a moment, looking up at the farmhouse that has become his own home as much as it is hers.
You have time to talk?
He shoots off the text, then he waits.
Still. A month is a long time.
He knows she’s home, both by the lights on in the house and his own enhanced senses telling him so. And she’s alone, aside from B.O.B. Good. He doesn’t want an audience for this, whatever this turns out to be. He hadn’t exactly rehearsed. He cuts the engine on his bike and sits there in the road for a moment, looking up at the farmhouse that has become his own home as much as it is hers.
You have time to talk?
He shoots off the text, then he waits.
When Ashe had returned to normal after being a teenager, practically the first thing she wanted to do was run to Jesse and make things right between them. It had been like that last year when they were still very much at odds with each other. She was hoping history wasn't intending to make a repeat performance on any deaths, because she had no idea how she would handle him dying all over again, let alone coming back not knowing who she was.
Despite these concerns she had still held back. He was stubborn, but so was she and she for once she knew her expectations were reasonable. No matter how much she missed his presence in her life, he had to be the one to figure out how to bridge the gap this time.
He was on her thoughts when she receives the text from him, but he was on her thoughts almost all the time. Hope, excitement, and a little bit of anxiety flood her mind and she quickly texts back: Sure. Come on over.
She was dressed down at the moment, in a pair of leggings and an old t-shirt of his, which she doesn't even think about as she rushes to the bathroom and adds a fresh layer of lipstick and fluffs her hair up as best she can before heading back to the living room to wait.
Despite these concerns she had still held back. He was stubborn, but so was she and she for once she knew her expectations were reasonable. No matter how much she missed his presence in her life, he had to be the one to figure out how to bridge the gap this time.
He was on her thoughts when she receives the text from him, but he was on her thoughts almost all the time. Hope, excitement, and a little bit of anxiety flood her mind and she quickly texts back: Sure. Come on over.
She was dressed down at the moment, in a pair of leggings and an old t-shirt of his, which she doesn't even think about as she rushes to the bathroom and adds a fresh layer of lipstick and fluffs her hair up as best she can before heading back to the living room to wait.
Edited 2020-05-09 19:39 (UTC)
[ Being called that still gives her feelings she doesn't fully understand. She's never had a lot of practice at being comforting, so usually Jesse is the more tender person to turn to. She's more to the point on things, but either way, she will put her own hesitations aside. ]
Nope, I can make time.
Nope, I can make time.
... does her not getting it need a cw, it feels like it should
tagartist
- 2020-07-04 04:14 (UTC) - ExpandHeard from out mutual friend Vira-Lorr that you're the best source in town for weapons meant to take on the ghoulies and ghosties and long leggedy beasties around here. You got the necessary for a fella who dropped in armed only with a Webley and his dashing good looks?
[ Bless Vira-Lorr, she brings in so much good business. ]
Well, if you got good looks you're already off to a good start. But since winning smiles are lost on these folks, you have absolutely come to the right place. I can get you everything from a simple Smith and Wessen pistol to your own personal arsenal.
Well, if you got good looks you're already off to a good start. But since winning smiles are lost on these folks, you have absolutely come to the right place. I can get you everything from a simple Smith and Wessen pistol to your own personal arsenal.
sooo any chance you're hiring awesome gunslinging teenagers for your smuggling operation?
So.
Hypothetically.
If a talking glowing pyramid with noodle arms and one giant eye appears in your dreams one of these days to discuss a business deal.
And.
Hypothetically.
If said talking glowing pyramid with noodle arms and the giant ocular implement mentions that I told him to get in touch with you?
Tell him, and I quote.
"I told you to call her, not enter her dreams, dipshit!"
Hypothetically speaking, of course, Ashe.
That might have just been one burrito and tequila shooter too many that night.
I'm still not sure.
Hypothetically.
If a talking glowing pyramid with noodle arms and one giant eye appears in your dreams one of these days to discuss a business deal.
And.
Hypothetically.
If said talking glowing pyramid with noodle arms and the giant ocular implement mentions that I told him to get in touch with you?
Tell him, and I quote.
"I told you to call her, not enter her dreams, dipshit!"
Hypothetically speaking, of course, Ashe.
That might have just been one burrito and tequila shooter too many that night.
I'm still not sure.
[Text][UN:JmpinJackFlash] (Back-dated like mad because mun forgot)
51stcenturyjack
2021-02-27 06:56 pm (UTC)(link)
Hey there. I hear you're the gal in charge of the warehouse. Got a corner I can rent to store a large gift Sodder gave me?
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