[ 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. ]
Guess B.O.B.'s gotta work on his communication. [ It was said in jest towards the omnic. He'd always had a soft spot for McCree, much to her chagrin sometimes.
She did note the wobble, but there wasn't much that could be done. The omnic seemed to have an eye out for him anyway. Jesse was foolish really, walking all the way over here while dealing with a death flu. Snuffing out her cigarette in the ashtray she kept on the porch, she stood up and faced him. With a step added to her height, she could almost see him at eye level. She gave an amused chuckle as she tried to judge how he sick he really was. ]
Kind? That's somethin' I haven't been accused of in awhile.
[ And Jesse has always had a soft spot for B.O.B., even when they did end up tossing bullets at each other. There were few others he’d have trusted to walk alongside him in the dark, unarmed and compromised as his skills are. ]
[ The response makes her roll her eyes and she scoffs. It was bad enough that he knew that she'd shown any kind of caring. ] Yeah...yeah.
[ She turned around and walked up the couple of porch steps to the large door and opened it.
The inside of her house was quite large. The wooden post and beam structure was large but attractive and reminiscent of the types of homes they were familiar with in the American Southwest. Even the massive stone fireplace, floor to ceiling windows, and antler decorations were familiar and homey, but too empty for its size.
She led him into the living room, where the bottle of Jack she'd been toying with drinking. Inside in the light it was easier to tell how sick he was, probably made it worse by walking over here. She pointed towards the couch, before flopping down on one side of it herself. ] Have a seat, you look like you need one.
[ It’s familiar enough that Jesse stops momentarily in the entryway, eyes drifting from detail to detail, as if uncertain if he was seeing it truly or hallucinating a bit. But a few hard blinks confirm it’s a completely new house. The things it has in common with Ashe’s childhood home are more in spirit than design.
After following her in, he sinks gratefully down onto the couch, gaze catching on the bottle nearby for just a second or two. ]
It’ll take more than a walk like that to get me winded.
[ As if his being a little out of breath were the worst of it. ]
Nice place. Didn’t really see the inside, the last time.
[ Back when they’d been de-aged, and he’d come to watch the fields burn with her. Might as well have been a lifetime ago, and not the mere few months it had actually been. ]
[ The house had been another way in which it felt like Deerington was toying with her insecurities. She would have done just fine waking up in an apartment for one. She did appreciate that it was at least to her aesthetic taste. ]
Please...I think I saw B.O.B. just roll his eyes at that.
[ Her own eyes look over to it. She both really wants a drink, knowing that it would take the edge off the situation, but she also doesn't want to seem like she has to have it. Her eyes glance around the place. ]
Yeah, Guess we got busy with other things... [ While their friendship had grown again as teens, it just added another layer of complicated feelings to everything. This was awkward. Maybe not unwelcome but awkward. Fuck it. ]
Naw, B.O.B. would never do somethin’ that mean-spirited. Would ya, B.O.B.?
[ He calls out the last part to wherever the omnic might be standing, the rest of his attention fixed on Ashe. She looks good, but maybe too good considering the circumstances. Like someone trying real hard to look more fine than they feel. ]
Sure would. No better cure for the flu than a shot or two of whiskey.
Suppose you're right, B.O.B. is the nice one. [ She smirked at the comment. ] Guess that may have been me rollin' my eyes then.
[ Standing up, she walked over to a small cupboard which housed a collection of fine glassware and pulled two glasses. At least Deerington had provided. Even her cosmetics had been laid out in the bathroom when she'd first arrived, which had allowed her to cover up the signs of exhaustion. Nothing like a couple layers of make up to cover up the pale skin and dark circles.
She came back to sit down near him on the sofa and poured two glasses, offering one before holding her own towards his. ] Nothin' loves you or heals you quite like whiskey.
[ Jesse ignores the way his hand shakes when he takes the offered glass, and can only hope Ashe hadn’t given it any more notice. ]
Sure, until you wake up the next day wishin’ you’d never seen a bottle in your life.
[ Far be it from him to preach sobriety- but at the very least, he can keep her from finishing the entire bottle alone. Just for one night. And if any remaining ghosts decided to rear their ugly heads, then there’s an extra set of hands on-site to fend them off. With that in mind, he flashes one of his crooked smiles as he holds up his drink. ]
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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.
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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?
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[ 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.
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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. ]
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[ 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. ]
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[ 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?
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[ 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. ]
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[ 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?
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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. ]
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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.
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[ 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.
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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. ]
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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. ]
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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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She did note the wobble, but there wasn't much that could be done. The omnic seemed to have an eye out for him anyway. Jesse was foolish really, walking all the way over here while dealing with a death flu. Snuffing out her cigarette in the ashtray she kept on the porch, she stood up and faced him. With a step added to her height, she could almost see him at eye level. She gave an amused chuckle as she tried to judge how he sick he really was. ]
Kind? That's somethin' I haven't been accused of in awhile.
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I’ll bet. Don’t worry, I won’t tell a soul.
[ He mimics zipping his lips shut with a smirk. ]
On my honor.
[ As if he had any of that to spare. ]
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[ She turned around and walked up the couple of porch steps to the large door and opened it.
The inside of her house was quite large. The wooden post and beam structure was large but attractive and reminiscent of the types of homes they were familiar with in the American Southwest. Even the massive stone fireplace, floor to ceiling windows, and antler decorations were familiar and homey, but too empty for its size.
She led him into the living room, where the bottle of Jack she'd been toying with drinking. Inside in the light it was easier to tell how sick he was, probably made it worse by walking over here. She pointed towards the couch, before flopping down on one side of it herself. ] Have a seat, you look like you need one.
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After following her in, he sinks gratefully down onto the couch, gaze catching on the bottle nearby for just a second or two. ]
It’ll take more than a walk like that to get me winded.
[ As if his being a little out of breath were the worst of it. ]
Nice place. Didn’t really see the inside, the last time.
[ Back when they’d been de-aged, and he’d come to watch the fields burn with her. Might as well have been a lifetime ago, and not the mere few months it had actually been. ]
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Please...I think I saw B.O.B. just roll his eyes at that.
[ Her own eyes look over to it. She both really wants a drink, knowing that it would take the edge off the situation, but she also doesn't want to seem like she has to have it. Her eyes glance around the place. ]
Yeah, Guess we got busy with other things... [ While their friendship had grown again as teens, it just added another layer of complicated feelings to everything. This was awkward. Maybe not unwelcome but awkward. Fuck it. ]
You want a drink?
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[ He calls out the last part to wherever the omnic might be standing, the rest of his attention fixed on Ashe. She looks good, but maybe too good considering the circumstances. Like someone trying real hard to look more fine than they feel. ]
Sure would. No better cure for the flu than a shot or two of whiskey.
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[ Standing up, she walked over to a small cupboard which housed a collection of fine glassware and pulled two glasses. At least Deerington had provided. Even her cosmetics had been laid out in the bathroom when she'd first arrived, which had allowed her to cover up the signs of exhaustion. Nothing like a couple layers of make up to cover up the pale skin and dark circles.
She came back to sit down near him on the sofa and poured two glasses, offering one before holding her own towards his. ] Nothin' loves you or heals you quite like whiskey.
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Sure, until you wake up the next day wishin’ you’d never seen a bottle in your life.
[ Far be it from him to preach sobriety- but at the very least, he can keep her from finishing the entire bottle alone. Just for one night. And if any remaining ghosts decided to rear their ugly heads, then there’s an extra set of hands on-site to fend them off. With that in mind, he flashes one of his crooked smiles as he holds up his drink. ]
Cheers.
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