See, everywhere I go I got a million different people tryna' kick it

[connatural]

WHO: Ashley Magnus
WHERE: Around the village
WHEN: During the first part of March, post Take Two
OPEN TO: OTA, with individual threads for Desmond and Lucy
WARNINGS: Talk of dying and killing likely

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Vagabond - South village, moving

For the second time in five months, Ashley found herself moving. Things aren't nearly as bad with Druitt as how she'd felt upon arriving, but she's happier having distance and space from the central hub as well.

Gathering all of her things, mostly clothes (not all her own) and little else, she heads for Vanille and Phryne's place to start getting settled in there. Before leaving though, she pauses at the house where she had lived with Ty for such a short time and digs a small folding knife out of her pocket. Maybe it's vandalism, but laws are always a gray area for Ashley as she works to carve Ty's name on the railing of the porch. Maybe it's childish and pathetic, but he's one of the dearest friends she's ever had, and she doesn't want him forgotten.

Gathering up her things, she heads for the other house. It's not a far move, but it feels like such a change of life for Ashley yet again. It's more times in five months than she's ever moved in her life, and she's still trying to adjust to it all. And maybe in semi-healthy ways as well.

Readjustment - South village throughout the first 2 weeks of March

After the knowledge of her death, of what her life becomes, Ashley kind of let herself wallow in her own depression. She is a Magnus though, and wallowing is not in her blood. Not truly. Not in the way she was raised.

So despite the cold, she starts getting up every morning and going for a run. Hard and fast, sweating out the anger and the pain and the frustration she is feeling without a repeat of her first time dealing with this build up of emotion. It had taken her weeks to heal from the beating she had put on Druitt, and he had returned, and she would like to avoid that if she can. It's hard though, and she pushes herself more and more every day, going out farther and father in an attempt to work through the thoughts in her head.

Other times she might be found in the stable, or outside with one of Vanille's animals, grooming kirin or playing with the other animals from the barn area in the police station. Not much of one to cook, she heads to the inn often for food, spending time by the fire and studying books she got from the schoolhouse.

Comments

[connatural]

And she smiles at that joke too! In truth, she half expected him to tell her to fuck off, and if he had, she couldn't have blamed him. She had reacted badly herself, both for Lucy and his life and her own revelations that she is still coping with. "No threats. No raised voices. Though if I find out you've been a dick, I can't promise no stern looks," she says, coming up to the porch, and then she nods. "Sure. I mean, honestly, this is a lot about just being social and a better person, so inside sounds good." It's not easy being diplomatic. Ashley went through a lot of training in her life, and very little of it had been about being a better person in this way. Just in using her aggression in approved ways. Which is part of why she's there.

[moderndayassassin]

Desmond opens the door and gestures for her to come in. His house inside is stark and has some minor signs of being lived in now, but not a lot of decorations or anything. It's not messy or clean, just this sort of minor in between state. He is glad she's fine with coming inside, because he's not really up for talking in public. They can probably do some polite small talk but it's tense.

"Despite evidence to the contrary," like stabbing people, "I'm really not a dickish guy. I'm actually pretty boring on my own, it was the situation around me that was interesting." Desmond does genuinely believe that. He would've been happy to live quietly as a bartender, start a family, stay off everyone's radar. He didn't have interest in changing the world or being a part of the big fight, until he had to be.

[connatural]

"Desmond, I don't think you are," she admits at that moment. "And I definitely didn't think it after seeing how much it hurt you seeing it happen," she adds. "Trust me. I've spent a lot of time around dicks. You're definitely not like them."

Of course, when you're comparing assholes to Tesla, not many compare. Even people that stab others.

"I'm honestly just checking to make sure if after all of that, you're okay. All of that, those images, it was nuts and I know I'm not doing great, and only me and Druitt saw mine," she admits, proving that she has seen something too, just not that day.