After hearing about Lance's death, Chloe had locked herself in her studio for a couple of days without letting anyone in. It had been the only way to keep herself together, because seeing people meant wanting to talk, expecting her to open up and express her feelings, when she didn't know what her feelings were. She didn't know who had killed him, but she'd known it had to be painful from the looks of his ghost, and no matter the complicated feelings that came with his having murdered Max, it was still Lance. Seeing him die had been destined for a breakdown.
It's later in the night when she'd finally unlocked her door. She doesn't know if Max is asleep or even home, she doesn't go to check, she just needs... air. She needs to get out of the basement, out of the house, away from the town, and there's only two places that are far enough away for her to feel like she's really escaped, and she's already been coming and going from Ashe's house so regularly, it feels like a pretty normal place to end up.
She hadn't been home, but Chloe let herself in anyway, grabbing one of the blankets that Shades' hasn't dragged down into the basement at this point and going for the couch. She wrapped herself up practically like a burrito as she curled up on the cushions. The blanket smelled like Ashe's cigarettes and perfume and something about it was... comforting. Really comforting. It almost made her feel like she could maybe fall asleep, but she does her best not to because she doesn't want to put up with the nightmares.
For her part, Ashe was getting by as usual. She filled the space with work and kept her head low. She was watching and waiting, but not causing a whole lot of trouble. After all, she didn't want to draw attention to anything while she was setting up the pieces. Life wasn't exactly sane, but she didn't show that much sign of emotional wear and tear at the particular moment. Recently, her home had been occupied with individuals coming and going. Though she wouldn't say it out loud, she liked it that way. Loneliness was far from a friend of hers. Between Shades setting up a blanket fort in her basement, Chloe's continual presence, Eddie's attempts to steal alcohol, and Jesse's visits she was busy enough outside of work.
The games were still going on and a lot of people had died at this point, but she was used to violence and death. She'd been keeping herself alive and ultimately that was what mattered. She'd been troubled when Shades had been killed, but even that she'd managed to keep focus on, getting a lot of work done during his absence so that he wouldn't have too much to pick up when he returned. Due to the extra work, she had wrapped up a couple of hours early and decided to just head home, rather than stay and drink or gamble.
When she opened the door, it wasn't even quite midnight, but she was glad to be home. She thought to get some supper and then irritate Jesse for the evening over text, but that idea leaves when she finds a body on her sofa. A certain girl with blue hair was now making herself home in her blankets. Letting out a small sigh, she looked at B.O.B. "Heat up some dinner? Maybe a little extra even? Thanks." Then she headed towards the couch and leaned down. For a moment she wonders if Chloe is asleep. She takes a seat on the coffee table and reaches over to brush a strand of hair from her face. "You awake?" Despite herself, Ashe was growing fond of her and even if it was risky, she was struggling to keep the girl from her heart.
Chloe had heard the door open and the familiar sound of Ashe's boots on the wood floor, but it hadn't done much to make her uncurl herself. It was hard to want to move, to want to break that barrier of safety from the world she'd somehow managed to create for herself. So she'd stayed still, wondering if Ashe would just leave her to rest, or come check on her, and she tried not to get too emotionally compromised by the fact that she chose the latter.
It had been so long since she'd gotten that kind of care from her own mother, and she wanted to soak up the affection from the older woman like a sponge.
"Yeah," she finally croaked out. Her voice was still rough, not necessarily because her throat hadn't healed at this point, but because the only times she'd used her vocal chords lately was to scream or cry. It left it hoarse and painful to speak anymore so she had mostly opted out of it.
It was nice to hear Chloe's voice, despite the roughness to it. It didn't settle well with her that she was still in such pain, both emotional and physical. It wasn't hard to look at Chloe and want to protect her, though she wasn't entirely sure why. She had a bit of an idealized idea of who she'd been at the younger woman's age. They shared a lot of qualities and they shared the trauma that only isolation, loss, and loneliness could bring. So if nothing else, that made her want to help her and bring out the fight she'd seen so that Chloe would be stronger in facing all the crap life had brought on her.
Though Chloe had returned home after initially she was still spending a majority of time over at Ashe's place. "That voice of yours still sounds kind of stuck." She thought for a moment. "How 'bout some tea?" B.O.B. knew the best ways to brew tea, it must have been in his programming, and it wouldn't be much to ask for a pot with dinner.
Chloe's eyes finally opened and she managed to give Ashe a small smile, even if it was weak and tired. She knew her voice sounded like shit, at least, and she wasn't about to try and argue it. She wouldn't have been able to come up with enough wit at the moment to try. It was a true sign of when all her emotional energy had been spent. Jokes were usually all she had.
She nods again at the tea, hands moving to initially sign — but stopping when she remembers that Ashe doesn't. She's been staying mostly around Eddie or using the video feed closed captions that she forgot that not everyone could understand what she was saying outside of it all.
"Good then, it's settled." She slapped her knees and stood up, hollering into the kitchen. "Hey BOB, make a pot of your famous tea, okay? With that special honey I found at the market." She received a thumbs up in response without the omnic ever turning around. Then she looked down to Chloe.
"I'm gonna go get myself into something more comfortable and we can spend the rest of the night doin' whatever it is you want, okay? There's a pad and paper in the desk if you want to grab it so you don't gotta talk."
Without lingering, she headed for her bedroom and began the process of getting herself ready. When she reemerges it's with far less make up and she's dressed casually in a tank top, pajama pants, and a sweater. During that time, B.O.B. had finished reheating the food and come to set it down on the coffee table, along with the pot of tea. Ashe had grabbed several bottles of nail polish and everything needed for a touch up for when they finished eating.
Chloe had managed to slowly untangle herself before Ashe or B.O.B returned to the room, grabbing the pad of paper and pen that she'd been offered because yeah. Talking was definitely overrated and she wasn't sure her throat even felt better enough to actually get the words out anyway. It might have been more from lack of use at this point than damage, but that didn't matter.
She had pulled the blankets back around herself, though she was at least now sitting up, and stared at Ashe as she came in with the nail polish. Her head tilted, brow arching, and she points to it in question. Were they gonna do that together? She isn't even sure when the last time was that someone else painted her nails for her.
She reached forward to grab the food, because at least she also knows that B.O.B.'s cooking is always gonna be bomb.
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late evening 9/11
It's later in the night when she'd finally unlocked her door. She doesn't know if Max is asleep or even home, she doesn't go to check, she just needs... air. She needs to get out of the basement, out of the house, away from the town, and there's only two places that are far enough away for her to feel like she's really escaped, and she's already been coming and going from Ashe's house so regularly, it feels like a pretty normal place to end up.
She hadn't been home, but Chloe let herself in anyway, grabbing one of the blankets that Shades' hasn't dragged down into the basement at this point and going for the couch. She wrapped herself up practically like a burrito as she curled up on the cushions. The blanket smelled like Ashe's cigarettes and perfume and something about it was... comforting. Really comforting. It almost made her feel like she could maybe fall asleep, but she does her best not to because she doesn't want to put up with the nightmares.
no subject
The games were still going on and a lot of people had died at this point, but she was used to violence and death. She'd been keeping herself alive and ultimately that was what mattered. She'd been troubled when Shades had been killed, but even that she'd managed to keep focus on, getting a lot of work done during his absence so that he wouldn't have too much to pick up when he returned. Due to the extra work, she had wrapped up a couple of hours early and decided to just head home, rather than stay and drink or gamble.
When she opened the door, it wasn't even quite midnight, but she was glad to be home. She thought to get some supper and then irritate Jesse for the evening over text, but that idea leaves when she finds a body on her sofa. A certain girl with blue hair was now making herself home in her blankets. Letting out a small sigh, she looked at B.O.B. "Heat up some dinner? Maybe a little extra even? Thanks." Then she headed towards the couch and leaned down. For a moment she wonders if Chloe is asleep. She takes a seat on the coffee table and reaches over to brush a strand of hair from her face. "You awake?" Despite herself, Ashe was growing fond of her and even if it was risky, she was struggling to keep the girl from her heart.
no subject
It had been so long since she'd gotten that kind of care from her own mother, and she wanted to soak up the affection from the older woman like a sponge.
"Yeah," she finally croaked out. Her voice was still rough, not necessarily because her throat hadn't healed at this point, but because the only times she'd used her vocal chords lately was to scream or cry. It left it hoarse and painful to speak anymore so she had mostly opted out of it.
no subject
Though Chloe had returned home after initially she was still spending a majority of time over at Ashe's place. "That voice of yours still sounds kind of stuck." She thought for a moment. "How 'bout some tea?" B.O.B. knew the best ways to brew tea, it must have been in his programming, and it wouldn't be much to ask for a pot with dinner.
no subject
She nods again at the tea, hands moving to initially sign — but stopping when she remembers that Ashe doesn't. She's been staying mostly around Eddie or using the video feed closed captions that she forgot that not everyone could understand what she was saying outside of it all.
"Tea sounds nice."
no subject
"I'm gonna go get myself into something more comfortable and we can spend the rest of the night doin' whatever it is you want, okay? There's a pad and paper in the desk if you want to grab it so you don't gotta talk."
Without lingering, she headed for her bedroom and began the process of getting herself ready. When she reemerges it's with far less make up and she's dressed casually in a tank top, pajama pants, and a sweater. During that time, B.O.B. had finished reheating the food and come to set it down on the coffee table, along with the pot of tea. Ashe had grabbed several bottles of nail polish and everything needed for a touch up for when they finished eating.
no subject
She had pulled the blankets back around herself, though she was at least now sitting up, and stared at Ashe as she came in with the nail polish. Her head tilted, brow arching, and she points to it in question. Were they gonna do that together? She isn't even sure when the last time was that someone else painted her nails for her.
She reached forward to grab the food, because at least she also knows that B.O.B.'s cooking is always gonna be bomb.