𝐸𝓁𝒾𝓏𝒶𝒷𝑒𝓉𝒽 𝒞𝒶𝓁𝑒𝒹𝑜𝓃𝒾𝒶 "ℂ𝕒𝕝𝕒𝕞𝕚𝕥𝕪" 𝒜𝓈𝒽𝑒

❝ Suit yourself, but you know you can /ask/ to use our stuff for that since we ain't using it, right? ❞

Ashe unwraps the chocolate heart and pops it into her mouth. The look in her eye seems to convey the fact she is unamused.

❝ If you're gonna stay here, use what you have at your disposal. ❞

❝ So you've got multiple sets of armor? Guess I shouldn't be all too surprised. ❞

Ashe takes out a Godiva brand chocolate heart and looks up at Blue's helmet.

❝ Don't know if you demons are able to eat chocolate, but have some. ❞

❝ Happy Heart Day to y'all. ❞

Ashe arrived at the field, hopping off her bike after shutting off the engine. The clear skies, the lack of light pollution... It helped, even if only a little.

❝ . . . Never gets any less beautiful out here. ❞

Looking up to the stars, Ashe's breath steadies slowly but surely.

These feelings inside of her, they were swelling and reaching a boiling point. To vent the frustrations, Ashe got up and went for a ride on her hoverbike.

Maybe she could look up at the stars in her favorite field to still her spiraling mind.

❝ Ya always were the more level headed between th' two of us. I just... ❞

Ashe was looking at a picture, her breathing starting to grow uneasy.

❝ All they're doin' is treating you like a number, like I was to my folks. You can't be alright with that, can you? No, y-ya never were like that. ❞

Ashe has music playing again.

🎶 Just give me a reason
Just a little bit's enough
Just a second, we're not broken, just bent
And we can learn to love again
It's in the stars
It's been written in the scars on our hearts
We're not broken, just bent
And we can learn to love again 🎶

. . . Oh no

|🧨| I understand the feeling. Competitive in just about any game can be painful. It's just a shame that the weapon skins in a game like Overwatch are so damn /cool/!

|🧨| Well, that and they're a cool flex and visible mark of your progression...

Done with her musical outburst, Ashe popped another chocolate into her mouth as she sat upright. Something about her felt... Off.

It wasn't like she had bad chocolate or anything, it was more like her heart was stirring more than usual. Strange, but she'll choose to bury it for now.

Ashe is currently playing some music, tapping a foot to the beat while softly mumble-singing the lyrics.

🎶 You took my hand, you showed me how.
You promised me you'd be around.
Uh-huh, that's right... 🎶

🎶 I took your words, and I believed.
In everything you said to me.
Yeah-huh, that's right... 🎶

Unwrapping one of the chocolate hearts, Ashe pops it into her mouth with a small nod.

Yup, it tastes about as good as she remembered.

❝ Just shy of fifteen minutes 'till the dumb little heart day... ❞

Ashe scoffs as she opened up a bag of Godiva brand chocolate hearts.

❝ Thinkin' I might just do what I have all these years again after all. ❞

<<< any rush if you ain't. ❞

The outlaw couldn't help but scoff at the notion of treating Vendetta like a princess.

❝ Just treatin' someone I consider a pal to something nice, that's all. ❞

Ashe hopped onto the bike and turned the engine over, having it roar to life once more.

❝ Fast or slow this time, Hon? I ain't in >>>

<<< goddess in the eyes.

<<<

Ashe trailed off, looking into Vendetta's eyes. She felt... Comfortable in this position, like there was someone who had her best interests at heart, someone who understands her pain...

It could be the champagne talking, but Ashe almost felt... Lost in those eyes, as if she was staring a >>>

Ashe's face was riddled with pain, though she threw her arms around the other almost immediately.

❝ Family's... Family's always supposed to have your back, that's what I know... ❞

Slowly beginning to regain her composure, Ashe clears her throat.

❝ S-Sorry 'bout that, I don't know what... ❞

>>>

<<< place nice to stay the night before you get back to wherever your main base is. ❞

❝ True enough, I reckon. I agree though, we gotta do this sort of thing again. Who knows, maybe you'll show me what /you/ do for fun next time. ❞

Ashe nods, finally packing up the rest of the things into the hoverbike's compartments.

❝ Now, hop on again. The least I could do is take you some >>>

❝ Plenty probable cause, 'specially when I ain't even seen you before now... You do that challenge for the booze or because you're desperate for a Valentine's Day partner? ❞

<<< exactly "normal" when compared to traditional peers on Earth.

<<< little green men ain't real. Would've heard something about it by now... ❞

Tipping her hat to Juno finally, Ashe decides to introduce herself.

❝ The name's Ashe. I welcome you to my humble establishment. ❞

She didn't look like any typical manager, but then again, nobody around here looked >>>

❝ It's nothing, just people not keeping their expectations in check. People been watchin' too many movies anyhow... ❞

Ashe scoffed at the notion that Martians were anything other than just another nationality. Colonies were rare, but not unheard of.

❝ Besides, everyone knows aliens like the >>>

❝ I dunno if you heard me earlier, V, but uh... I got somethin' I wanna ask. It's kinda important? ❞

<<<

❝ I /won't/ be like that, not for /anyone/ for any reason... ❞

<<< to be the same "city slicker" they wanted her to be in the end.

❝ I jus' don't wanna me another number, some check mark that needs to be ticked... ❞

Ashe's breathing became a bit unsteady, her right hand trembling a bit. It seems that champage's gotten her emotions all out of sorts.

>>>

Ashe closed her eyes, a single tear dropping from it.

❝ It was all corporate bullshit... All they cared about were their friends in high places. ❞

Perhaps that was part of why Ashe wasn't sure if she'd want to join up with Talon. Maybe she felt like she'd be more like her parents, shaping up >>>

<<< either. Well, besides maybe seein' Overwatch kick the bucket. ❞

Ashe began to disassemble the rifle from earlier, packing it up in the case's compartments.

Such things tend to happen at times, though it wasn't like it poisoned the well or anything. Ashe was still fond of Vendetta, still just as impressed by her quick thinking.

❝ Still thinkin' your fancy organization doesn't need /my/ backing to succeed, but I guess I just don't see the vision you >>>

❝ Hey, V? I uh... Got a question for you, if you've got a minute. ❞

Ashe wasn't wearing her hat, instead using it to fan her face.