[ Jesse’s smile is sad as he shifts a little, getting more comfortable. It’s hard with the clamminess of his skin now, but he’ll wait to go change into a lighter set of pajamas. ]
Preachin’ to the choir over here.
[ And maybe it’s the lingering guilt he’s not sure is even warranted, or maybe it’s the start of the fever frying his brain, but he keeps talking. ]
About a year ago, I woke up hoverin’ over my bed like some kind of drone. Turns out I’d been that way almost a month, just sleepin’. Wouldn’t wake up. Happens sometimes to people around here, and it’s harmless other than losin’ your time, but… it freaked me out so bad that I couldn’t be in my own bed for months. When I did sleep, it was on the couch or the break room at work, with a lot of whiskey.
Sure, it gets the job done. But it's not gonna work forever.
[ She's a little caught off guard by his tone. She'd been expecting more of a fight and less understanding. She let out a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding in while he spoke and shifted a bit to get more comfortable against the pillowed serape.
Instinctively she reaches out for the bottle, but her hand falls and she just takes another drag from the cigarette. ]
A month long nap, huh? [ If it didn't sounds so weird, it might have sounded nice. ] Guess I can see where that might mess a person's head up. Hopefully you at least have a comfy sofa and at least whiskey gets the job done. You know I haven't drank like this since....
[ She trails off, changing the subject, because the way he sounds makes her wonder if he's all right. ] You uh...you okay over there?
[ Since when? Jesse’s surprised how much he wants to hear her finish that sentence. Was it something he’d missed? Or had it been one of the many mishaps with the gang he’s been able to track over the years? Certainly not one of its successes, if it brought her to drink.
And then he realizes the absurdity of that whim, a dry laugh rasping out of him as he presses the heel of one hand to his forehead. The metal of his palm actually feels pleasant against his skin. This whole thing is absurd. He should know better than to have shared that story with her at all, but… old habits. They always pop up when you neither expect or need them to. ]
Hmn? Yeah, yeah-
[ He lifts his hand, waving it dismissively, again disregarding that they’re on audio. ]
Fit as a fiddle. No changin’ the subject on me now.
[ Yeah, the sound of his voice makes her frown. Could you die from the illness after coming back from dying? That wouldn't be good. Chloe had been sleeping over at his house, just waiting for him to return. The girl would be devastated if he died again. She'd been told it was like a bad flu and cleared up after about a week. But the last thing he was, was fit as a fiddle.
She almost demands he give a video call to prove it, but...then he'd see what she was using as a pillow. ]
Fit as a fiddle? More like sick as dog.
[ Hadn't she kept an eye on him once when he was sick. Eh...she couldn't remember. But he's trying to go back to the subject. She'd trailed off for a reason and wasn't going to go back to it. But there were topics they could discuss safely enough, even involving the subject of her drinking. ]
Hey...
Do you remember that one gang that we uh... had a lot of trouble with in the early days? [ A gang that had been real trouble for a lot of the Southwest. They were dangerous and they'd lost to Deadlock in the end. ] The ones we took care of? [ And not in a loving way. ]
[ Jesse doesn’t deny it. The effects of death are well-known, so it’d be a waste of their time to go back and forth about it. He'll be sick, then get right back to living.
And then his thoughts are suddenly back in the middle of a firefight. Dust and blood, the feel of grit and shrapnel on his skin. Ashe, so much younger than she is now-too young, they’d both been too damn young- clutching her weapon. Their eyes meeting as bullets whizzed between them. ]
Sure do.
[ He doesn’t have to ask for her to clarify. There’s only one gang she’d ask about like that. ]
[ With her cigarette done, she picks up the bottle of whiskey and holds it, watching the amber liquid with too deep a desire as she thinks about it.
They had been too young and she'd been too wild and high on it all, and she hadn't had anyone pull her out of it or change her life. Luckily she had been good enough at it to not end up like that gang had. It had been a terrifying fight, and that fear had been brought up all over again ever since he came riding back as a ghost with figures of the past as his army. Now how to put the next part without letting on to the fact that she'd actually been terrified.]
Well, they showed up with you when you rode into town as a ghost cowboy. Sounds like people were haunted by lots of different things, but that gang...well they've been tryin' to get to me every night since. [ Torturing her was more honest. ] Only just stopped, I'm guessin' because you came back.
[ Jesse’s breath catches in his throat. It’s hard enough to imagine himself as this ghostly ringleader everyone had been describing. Another altogether to think of himself leading that gang right to her, and not doing a thing to stop it.
She’d said it wasn’t him, and he knows that’s true… knows it, but that doesn’t ease the twist of guilt in his chest. ]
Ashe…
[ He sits up, feeling like he should… do something. Or at the very least not be relaxing now that he knows this. ]
No wonder you’ve been drinkin’. Hell, I’d be too in your shoes.
[ There’s the sound of shuffling on his head as he turns, sitting properly on the couch with his feet on the ground. He hunches over, elbows on his knees. ]
[ She'd managed to stay safe enough, but facing the ghost of the gang leader had made her blood run cold and she'd never fully gotten used to it. Just when she'd think she was free of them, when they'd go for a night or two, suddenly she'd see them again. She'd been some bratty teenager who thought she knew better and somehow Deadlock had managed to take out the older more experienced criminal. So of course his ghost had been giving her hell. She'd woken up on night after a respite for a few days only to see him staring through her widow. She'd screamed so loudly, B.O.B. had stopped recharging early to come to her defense. ]
Not completely. Always got away, but there were a couple close calls.
[ She stayed laying down, her eyes fixated on the liquid. Everything she needed to shut the bad stuff out was in that bottle. She chuckles softly, before moving on with a faux upbeat tone.]
On top of that, you missed a lovely walk down memory lane. But, several others got to see it, so apparently the puppet master thinks I need to remember somethin'. Guess they missed the memo on it bein' impolite to air the dirty laundry of others. [ It had almost been worse to have other people see her past than face it alone every night. ]
[ Jesse relaxes a little when he hears she’d gotten away. Doesn’t mean it hadn’t been a living nightmare, but it could’ve been worse. Whatever that’s worth. ]
Chloe mentioned that. I missed it last year, too. Bein’ asleep and all.
[ He’s about to ask her what she saw, then catches himself. If she wants to tell him, she will. He shouldn’t pry. Rather than give in to the urge, he stands, making his way into the bedroom on unsteady feet. ]
Sounds like one hell of a time though. Extra emphasis on the hell.
[ She'd thought a couple of times when the leader had raised his gun it might get worse, but B.O.B. had been ready to show down, bless his soul. The beloved omnic was a big part of her success in staying alive. People who would take her on, wouldn't take him on.
Uh oh, Chloe had apparently told him more things. While the bad memories armed against future wrong, the good ones she cherished privately in her own way. There were a few people who had seen both, and she hadn't liked it much. ]
Guess it's a sneak peak into my future. [ She didn't believe much else would be waiting for at the pearly gates. ]
She said you saw the past. Stuff from when we were kids, but she didn’t go into details.
[ Though she’d said plenty of other things besides that.
You left her. Like you promised you wouldn't. Again.
And when everyone you care about has left you, having the same person do it twice is going to be that much rougher to get over without this place dragging it up too.
Jesse stops and leans against the doorframe, suppressing a huff. This had all been settled. They’d left it behind. What right did Deerington have to bring it all up again and give it teeth? ]
[ Then she hadn't given too many details, which was a relief. It would take time for her to feel more comfortable walking through all their memories. Especially the fact that Chloe had seen them dancing in both the past and the supposed future. Deerington had certainly found a way to dig at her biggest insecurities.
When he mentions it not being a lot of good times though, she pauses. She spits out the next question before she can even stop herself. ]
Is that how you remember it? Whole lot of bad times? [ It's not accusatory, but she is confused. If it had been mostly bad times, she wouldn't have cared a bit to lose him. ]
[ Jesse blinks, eyes widening before narrowing as he frowns. ] That’s not what I meant. I just figured this place would stick to tryin’ to make you miserable as possible.
[ He can’t imagine Deerington showing anyone their happier memories, unless there was some ulterior motive. The whole point was to torture them all, wasn’t it? Jesse rifles through one of his drawers and pulls out one of the less winkled t-shirts. The Fluid gets switched to speaker and set on the dresser as he changes, pulling on a pair of jeans while he’s at it. ]
Oh. [ That logic made a certain amount of sense. She's not quite sure why, but the response causes a feeling of relief to wash over. She takes a deep breath and lets it out slowly. She's going to need another cigarette if she has any hope of proving she can get through the night without drinking herself to sleep. ] Yeah. That makes sense.
[ Though she thinks maybe that's why Deerington is trying to remind her of everything. It hurts. It hurts so much, because after years of isolation and loneliness from her parents and peers, she had found him. Only to have that happiness taken away.
She hears the shuffling and the change to speaker. She sits up concerned. ]
What, you think I forgot all those good times already? I’m not senile yet.
[ Jesse picks up the Fluid again and moves back into the living room. He’s almost at the door when it hits him, his hand going to his hip. He’d just kind of assumed it’d be around somewhere. By the door where he always put his utility belt, or on the kitchen table. ]
You home now?
[ He answers by avoiding the answer in true Jesse McCree fashion, and leans a hand on the wall to steady himself as he rifles through the umbrella stand, looking for- ah, there it is. The crowbar had actually come with a tool kit, but he kept it here just in case. Better than going out unarmed, or with the flamethrower. Probably couldn’t carry it in the state he’s in. ]
[ She wasn't sure. They hadn't exactly spent any time reminiscing about the good old days together. Things had gotten rocky between them and fast. Too much not talked about. Too much resentment. Too much time. The words bring the faintest of smiles as she teases him. ] Naw, just goin' deaf.
[ The question catches her off guard. It was late, but she hadn't gone in to work that night, taken the night off. For some reason him being back had made her want to hole up a bit. She had other people covering things, and a home office full of plans. So it had just seemed easier to stay in her newest big empty house.
The thought of them talking in person was both scary and comforting. ]
Yeah...I am. You plannin' on headin' my direction with that dead flu of yours? You sure you ain't senile?
It’s not contagious, [ He offers helpfully, testing the weight of the metal in his hand. It’s not as reassuring as his six-shooter, but it’ll do. Getting the boots on is a whole other thing, one that has him cursing and almost dropping the Fluid as he tries to do it one-handed. There’s a thump as he tilts sideways into the wall. ]
I’m just in the mood for a walk. Been cooped up inside all day, hear there’s nuns out in town, so I might as well stick around Clarke Acres. Could end up near your place.
[ As if he’s not planning on headed straight there. ]
[ It wasn't that she was worried about catching the flu at all, but she could guess that he knew that well enough, but she can guess he knows that.
When she hears thump, she sits up straighter, annoyed at the slight concern. He was a stubborn man, matched probably only by her own stubborness. She stands up and moves towards where B.O.B. is chilling, tapping him on the shoulder and motioning silently for him to get up. ]
Yeah...the uh...worst of the Catholic school sort.
[ B.O.B. starts to get up. ] Funny that, B.O.B. is out takin' a walk himself. Maybe you'll see him around.
That so? Didn’t know B.O.B. likes long walks out under the moonlight.
[ Jesse is smiling to himself as he fumbles his keys off the hook by the door and makes his way outside. It’s dark, but he knows the route to the road by heart. It’s not like he’ll be braving the night on his own for long anyhow, by the sound of it. ]
He's romantic like that. [ She can't help but smile at her own joke. B.O.B. had gone with her to Jesse's house several times to check in on Chloe, which had been strange, but at least it meant that they knew the way.
B.O.B. tipped his hat at her before he headed out into the night. At least Jesse would be safe with B.O.B. An odd juxtaposition to where they had been back home with the omnic firing off his big guns. She swallows. ]
Everyone just got used to havin' you back, so don't you go and do somethin' stupid.
[ In the meantime she stared at his serape, wondering what she should do with it. ]
[ Jesse stops at the end of the dirt drive leading up to his house. It’s not smart to linger in one place when there’s something afoot in the night around Deerington, but he just. He needs a minute, is all.
It’s all Chloe’s fault. She’s gone and put some pretty absurd ideas in his head, and it has him reading way too deep into things. Or it might be the fever helping with that. ]
Got no plans to start trouble, unless it goes and finds me.
[ He’s strangely serious when he says that. And he means it. ]
But I better hang up. Walkin’ around talkin’ up a storm is a good way to attract the wrong kind of attention.
[ Ashe has moved towards the window to look outside in the direction of where B.O.B. has gone. She can't make him out anymore, so it's just a matter of time.
She nods before realizing again that he can't see her. He's right though, the phone is a bad idea right now. She knows how Jesse moves at night and in the dark. Normally she wouldn't even think twice about his ability to dodge danger, but that stupid flu. ]
Yeah, in this town, a quiet walk at night is safer. If B.O.B. finds you, you two enjoy the fresh night air.
[ She pauses as she goes to hang up, before adding, in her typical bossy voice: ] Stay safe. You got people who want you alive.
[ She hangs up before he can give a reply, but while she waits for him to show up, she makes herself busy by first picking up the few scattered things and carrying his serape into her bedroom. Next she goes towards her bathroom to make the minutes pass by fixing up her face with at least the basics of her make up to not look so pale and to try and hide the dark circles under her eyes so he won't know just how exhausted she is. Though she considers changing, she worries it looks like she's trying too hard, so she stays in her simple tank top and pajama pants, throwing an oversized sweater on over and going to wait on the front steps with her cigarettes. At least she doesn't have to worry about their old enemy gang tonight as she tries to smoke away the anxiety. ]
[ Jesse takes the Fluid from his ear and stares down at it for a few seconds after Ashe has hung up. Even feeling cheated out of a chance to get the last word, he has no idea what he would have said to that.
Jesse mulls over it as he wanders out down the road toward her house with his hands in his pockets, the crowbar in his boot. Occasionally he stops, makes sure he isn’t being followed, and takes a deep breath of night air to clear his head.
It’s not long before he spots a flash of silver and gives a quick, good-natured salute to B.O.B.; and a short time after that, they’re walking together up to Ashe’s house. His eyes are drawn to the faint, burning ember of her cigarette in the dark. ]
Fancy meetin’ you here.
[ He stops well before the steps, not able to see much of her in the dark; but he can see enough to know she’s dressed casually. And why wouldn’t she be, being at home? It’s the first time he’s seen that in years though. Since they were kids. ]
[ The whole night had been a little weird. Probably more like everything had been a little weird since she'd arrived her back in April. Hanging up had been the fastest way to collect herself before actually seeing her in person, and she'd tried make it look like she hadn't done anything to look better than she had. In hindsight maybe he'd noticed, because she tended to put a lot of thought into her clothing, whether casual or dressed up.
The whole thing felt familiar in a way. Jesse coming over to her house late at night. Sure they were older, but it was like a scene from the past. Even the house behind her was unnecessarily large and a little foreboding on the hill. Not as big as the mansion had been, but too large all the same. It's colder though than it would have been when they were growing up, but not terribly so. She stared for a moment towards their figures. She briefly wondered what the boys would think of this situation. Oh well, like she needed their approval for anything she did.
Tapping off a bit of the embers to the ground she leaned forward, resting her arms on her knees. ] Well now, I told B.O.B. to take you home, but I guess he misunderstood. [ A teasing lie, and her tone told as much. ] But since you're here, you might as well come inside.
Must’ve been a miscommunication. Ain’t that right, B.O.B.?
[ He pats the omnic on the arm, flashing him a grin before walking up to where Ashe is sitting, steps wobbling just a little. In the dark, he could nearly pass for someone completely healthy. The flush on his face from the flu and the walk over is much less obvious, the bruises under his own eyes less visible. ]
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
no subject
Preachin’ to the choir over here.
[ And maybe it’s the lingering guilt he’s not sure is even warranted, or maybe it’s the start of the fever frying his brain, but he keeps talking. ]
About a year ago, I woke up hoverin’ over my bed like some kind of drone. Turns out I’d been that way almost a month, just sleepin’. Wouldn’t wake up. Happens sometimes to people around here, and it’s harmless other than losin’ your time, but… it freaked me out so bad that I couldn’t be in my own bed for months. When I did sleep, it was on the couch or the break room at work, with a lot of whiskey.
Sure, it gets the job done. But it's not gonna work forever.
no subject
Instinctively she reaches out for the bottle, but her hand falls and she just takes another drag from the cigarette. ]
A month long nap, huh? [ If it didn't sounds so weird, it might have sounded nice. ] Guess I can see where that might mess a person's head up. Hopefully you at least have a comfy sofa and at least whiskey gets the job done. You know I haven't drank like this since....
[ She trails off, changing the subject, because the way he sounds makes her wonder if he's all right. ] You uh...you okay over there?
no subject
And then he realizes the absurdity of that whim, a dry laugh rasping out of him as he presses the heel of one hand to his forehead. The metal of his palm actually feels pleasant against his skin. This whole thing is absurd. He should know better than to have shared that story with her at all, but… old habits. They always pop up when you neither expect or need them to. ]
Hmn? Yeah, yeah-
[ He lifts his hand, waving it dismissively, again disregarding that they’re on audio. ]
Fit as a fiddle. No changin’ the subject on me now.
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She almost demands he give a video call to prove it, but...then he'd see what she was using as a pillow. ]
Fit as a fiddle? More like sick as dog.
[ Hadn't she kept an eye on him once when he was sick. Eh...she couldn't remember. But he's trying to go back to the subject. She'd trailed off for a reason and wasn't going to go back to it. But there were topics they could discuss safely enough, even involving the subject of her drinking. ]
Hey...
Do you remember that one gang that we uh... had a lot of trouble with in the early days? [ A gang that had been real trouble for a lot of the Southwest. They were dangerous and they'd lost to Deadlock in the end. ] The ones we took care of? [ And not in a loving way. ]
no subject
And then his thoughts are suddenly back in the middle of a firefight. Dust and blood, the feel of grit and shrapnel on his skin. Ashe, so much younger than she is now-too young, they’d both been too damn young- clutching her weapon. Their eyes meeting as bullets whizzed between them. ]
Sure do.
[ He doesn’t have to ask for her to clarify. There’s only one gang she’d ask about like that. ]
Why bring 'em up now?
no subject
They had been too young and she'd been too wild and high on it all, and she hadn't had anyone pull her out of it or change her life. Luckily she had been good enough at it to not end up like that gang had. It had been a terrifying fight, and that fear had been brought up all over again ever since he came riding back as a ghost with figures of the past as his army. Now how to put the next part without letting on to the fact that she'd actually been terrified.]
Well, they showed up with you when you rode into town as a ghost cowboy. Sounds like people were haunted by lots of different things, but that gang...well they've been tryin' to get to me every night since. [ Torturing her was more honest. ] Only just stopped, I'm guessin' because you came back.
no subject
She’d said it wasn’t him, and he knows that’s true… knows it, but that doesn’t ease the twist of guilt in his chest. ]
Ashe…
[ He sits up, feeling like he should… do something. Or at the very least not be relaxing now that he knows this. ]
No wonder you’ve been drinkin’. Hell, I’d be too in your shoes.
[ There’s the sound of shuffling on his head as he turns, sitting properly on the couch with his feet on the ground. He hunches over, elbows on his knees. ]
They didn’t get to you, did they?
no subject
Not completely. Always got away, but there were a couple close calls.
[ She stayed laying down, her eyes fixated on the liquid. Everything she needed to shut the bad stuff out was in that bottle. She chuckles softly, before moving on with a faux upbeat tone.]
On top of that, you missed a lovely walk down memory lane. But, several others got to see it, so apparently the puppet master thinks I need to remember somethin'. Guess they missed the memo on it bein' impolite to air the dirty laundry of others. [ It had almost been worse to have other people see her past than face it alone every night. ]
no subject
Chloe mentioned that. I missed it last year, too. Bein’ asleep and all.
[ He’s about to ask her what she saw, then catches himself. If she wants to tell him, she will. He shouldn’t pry. Rather than give in to the urge, he stands, making his way into the bedroom on unsteady feet. ]
Sounds like one hell of a time though. Extra emphasis on the hell.
no subject
Uh oh, Chloe had apparently told him more things. While the bad memories armed against future wrong, the good ones she cherished privately in her own way. There were a few people who had seen both, and she hadn't liked it much. ]
Guess it's a sneak peak into my future. [ She didn't believe much else would be waiting for at the pearly gates. ]
Did she...tell you anythin' about it?
no subject
[ Though she’d said plenty of other things besides that.
You left her. Like you promised you wouldn't. Again.
And when everyone you care about has left you, having the same person do it twice is going to be that much rougher to get over without this place dragging it up too.
Jesse stops and leans against the doorframe, suppressing a huff. This had all been settled. They’d left it behind. What right did Deerington have to bring it all up again and give it teeth? ]
Guessin’ it wasn’t a whole lot of good times.
no subject
When he mentions it not being a lot of good times though, she pauses. She spits out the next question before she can even stop herself. ]
Is that how you remember it? Whole lot of bad times? [ It's not accusatory, but she is confused. If it had been mostly bad times, she wouldn't have cared a bit to lose him. ]
no subject
[ He can’t imagine Deerington showing anyone their happier memories, unless there was some ulterior motive. The whole point was to torture them all, wasn’t it? Jesse rifles through one of his drawers and pulls out one of the less winkled t-shirts. The Fluid gets switched to speaker and set on the dresser as he changes, pulling on a pair of jeans while he’s at it. ]
no subject
[ Though she thinks maybe that's why Deerington is trying to remind her of everything. It hurts. It hurts so much, because after years of isolation and loneliness from her parents and peers, she had found him. Only to have that happiness taken away.
She hears the shuffling and the change to speaker. She sits up concerned. ]
Hey. What you doin' over there?
no subject
[ Jesse picks up the Fluid again and moves back into the living room. He’s almost at the door when it hits him, his hand going to his hip. He’d just kind of assumed it’d be around somewhere. By the door where he always put his utility belt, or on the kitchen table. ]
You home now?
[ He answers by avoiding the answer in true Jesse McCree fashion, and leans a hand on the wall to steady himself as he rifles through the umbrella stand, looking for- ah, there it is. The crowbar had actually come with a tool kit, but he kept it here just in case. Better than going out unarmed, or with the flamethrower. Probably couldn’t carry it in the state he’s in. ]
no subject
[ The question catches her off guard. It was late, but she hadn't gone in to work that night, taken the night off. For some reason him being back had made her want to hole up a bit. She had other people covering things, and a home office full of plans. So it had just seemed easier to stay in her newest big empty house.
The thought of them talking in person was both scary and comforting. ]
Yeah...I am. You plannin' on headin' my direction with that dead flu of yours? You sure you ain't senile?
no subject
I’m just in the mood for a walk. Been cooped up inside all day, hear there’s nuns out in town, so I might as well stick around Clarke Acres. Could end up near your place.
[ As if he’s not planning on headed straight there. ]
no subject
When she hears thump, she sits up straighter, annoyed at the slight concern. He was a stubborn man, matched probably only by her own stubborness. She stands up and moves towards where B.O.B. is chilling, tapping him on the shoulder and motioning silently for him to get up. ]
Yeah...the uh...worst of the Catholic school sort.
[ B.O.B. starts to get up. ] Funny that, B.O.B. is out takin' a walk himself. Maybe you'll see him around.
no subject
[ Jesse is smiling to himself as he fumbles his keys off the hook by the door and makes his way outside. It’s dark, but he knows the route to the road by heart. It’s not like he’ll be braving the night on his own for long anyhow, by the sound of it. ]
I’ll keep an eye out for him.
no subject
B.O.B. tipped his hat at her before he headed out into the night. At least Jesse would be safe with B.O.B. An odd juxtaposition to where they had been back home with the omnic firing off his big guns. She swallows. ]
Everyone just got used to havin' you back, so don't you go and do somethin' stupid.
[ In the meantime she stared at his serape, wondering what she should do with it. ]
no subject
It’s all Chloe’s fault. She’s gone and put some pretty absurd ideas in his head, and it has him reading way too deep into things. Or it might be the fever helping with that. ]
Got no plans to start trouble, unless it goes and finds me.
[ He’s strangely serious when he says that. And he means it. ]
But I better hang up. Walkin’ around talkin’ up a storm is a good way to attract the wrong kind of attention.
Voice to action
She nods before realizing again that he can't see her. He's right though, the phone is a bad idea right now. She knows how Jesse moves at night and in the dark. Normally she wouldn't even think twice about his ability to dodge danger, but that stupid flu. ]
Yeah, in this town, a quiet walk at night is safer. If B.O.B. finds you, you two enjoy the fresh night air.
[ She pauses as she goes to hang up, before adding, in her typical bossy voice: ] Stay safe. You got people who want you alive.
[ She hangs up before he can give a reply, but while she waits for him to show up, she makes herself busy by first picking up the few scattered things and carrying his serape into her bedroom. Next she goes towards her bathroom to make the minutes pass by fixing up her face with at least the basics of her make up to not look so pale and to try and hide the dark circles under her eyes so he won't know just how exhausted she is. Though she considers changing, she worries it looks like she's trying too hard, so she stays in her simple tank top and pajama pants, throwing an oversized sweater on over and going to wait on the front steps with her cigarettes. At least she doesn't have to worry about their old enemy gang tonight as she tries to smoke away the anxiety. ]
voice -> action
Jesse mulls over it as he wanders out down the road toward her house with his hands in his pockets, the crowbar in his boot. Occasionally he stops, makes sure he isn’t being followed, and takes a deep breath of night air to clear his head.
It’s not long before he spots a flash of silver and gives a quick, good-natured salute to B.O.B.; and a short time after that, they’re walking together up to Ashe’s house. His eyes are drawn to the faint, burning ember of her cigarette in the dark. ]
Fancy meetin’ you here.
[ He stops well before the steps, not able to see much of her in the dark; but he can see enough to know she’s dressed casually. And why wouldn’t she be, being at home? It’s the first time he’s seen that in years though. Since they were kids. ]
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The whole thing felt familiar in a way. Jesse coming over to her house late at night. Sure they were older, but it was like a scene from the past. Even the house behind her was unnecessarily large and a little foreboding on the hill. Not as big as the mansion had been, but too large all the same. It's colder though than it would have been when they were growing up, but not terribly so. She stared for a moment towards their figures. She briefly wondered what the boys would think of this situation. Oh well, like she needed their approval for anything she did.
Tapping off a bit of the embers to the ground she leaned forward, resting her arms on her knees. ] Well now, I told B.O.B. to take you home, but I guess he misunderstood. [ A teasing lie, and her tone told as much. ] But since you're here, you might as well come inside.
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[ He pats the omnic on the arm, flashing him a grin before walking up to where Ashe is sitting, steps wobbling just a little. In the dark, he could nearly pass for someone completely healthy. The flush on his face from the flu and the walk over is much less obvious, the bruises under his own eyes less visible. ]
Mighty kind of you to invite me in.
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