Gifting

Who: Eury and Ash
When: late afternoon
Where: Eury's place

Ash was supposed to wait until he closed down the shop before he wandered over to see the girl. Eury. Dread-locked and tattooed and with an eye condition and antiques. He technically did wait for a while, puttering around and wasting time until around four o'clock, when he couldn't take it anymore. It wasn't like he had anything huge to do anyway, it was all just shit work. So he closed the bay doors, locked up, and tromped upstairs to take a shower. After a brief pop-off a the liquor store, he was set with a six pack of something that most everybody liked to drink, and a bottle of burbon. If she didn't approve of either, he could always go back out, after all. Ash found Stone Eye Antiques again with no problem, and stubbed his smoke out on the side of the building with his free hand before he pushed on in through the door.

Eury happened to still be in the shop proper, though she hadn't had any customers in ages. It was that time of the afternoon where everyone was fucked off at work or home. So, she was having a lazy sort of afternoon, rearranging things in the shop on the shelves. When she heard the bell, she looked over, then beamed as she saw who it was. Bouncing(carefully) on over to the glass door, she opened it up, seeing him there in the small entry way that lead to both her shop and the stairwell up to her apartment. "Lookie who we have here!" she said brightly, clearly pleased. "Ooh, do you come bearing gifts?"

Now that was a nice greeting. Ash grinned at her and nodded. "Sure do," he confirmed, hefting the plastic bag in his hand a little bit. "I didn't know what you liked, and I didn't think I could carry one of everything with me, so I bought what I like. If it displeases the lady, it can always be remedied." She looked actually ... happy to see him, which was weird, but in a pretty cool way. Like she hadn't forgotten, or come to think later on that it had been a bad idea or anything.

"You're awesome, and I'll drink anything that's not beer." Eury was pretty obvious with her feelings a lot of the time, she didn't live much of her life with her guards up in that regard. So yes, she was happy to see him, and that was evident with her smile. "I have a present for you! I haven't given it away yet, and it's the first day of random present giving! So!" She crooked her finger at him in the universal 'come closer' gesture, and she backed into her shop more to head back towards the counter.

He arched an amused eyebrow and followed along. So he'd drink the beer himself, he was fine with that. "The first day of random present giving?" he echoed in a questioning tone. "Is this a new tradition I didn't get a memo about?" He glanced around the shop as he walked in, curious gaze wandering over everything. He wasn't a guy who had much to do with antiques, unless they were cars. But still, he didn't think she kept the usual mothball-stinking quilts and shit.

"Yes, it is." Eury said firmly. "A friend of mine, Dorian, and I, we went out shopping. I do this every once in a while, it's fun. I took him along this time, to spread it around some. Maybe next time, I'll bring you." she said, grinning at him as she took out the gift she'd chosen to give away that day, which happened to be!---Sherman. The little so-ugly-it-might-be-cute hand crafted clay guy who was holding a crystal, and looked vaguely like it belonged in The Dark Crystal. "Here you go. His name is Sherman, though being he's yours now, you can always rename him." she continued, watching his face, to see the probable confusion blossom there.

Ash set the bag down to reach out and take the little figure, laughing a bit. There was confusion on his face indeed, but it was tempered with a high dose of amusement. He looked at it, turning it over in his hand. "Naw, I think Sherman suits him," he said, looking up to flash her a crooked grin. "I'm touched, now I feel shitty that I only brought liquid refreshment." He chuckled a bit more, eyeing the small clay oogly-face.

"Oh don't be. That's part of the fun, you know. But I'll explain. You go out, and buy random things. Stop at each store along a line, and pick up one thing from each of them. Then once a day, you give a random person one of the presents. You can tell them any story you want about it." Eury explained. "It's always interesting to see what happens when people get something random. And since I hadn't been expecting you today, you're random, and I hadn't met anyone today yet that screamed out that they would provide a good home for poor Sherman there. So--you get him."

That was ... pretty awesome, really. Ash smiled and set Sherman down on the counter, leaning an elbow on it. "Well see, he's perfect for me. Us ugly short guys gotta stick together, y'know," he said with a crooked grin at her. Then he eyed her sideways, giving her a teasing half-pout. "You didn't expect me? We made non-plans, remember? To maybe go somewhere or not or do whatever or not?" Not that he really thought it was a big deal; she was a friendly enough sort that she probably did this all the time.

"I remember! I just didn't know you were coming tonight like, right nowish." she said. She leaned on the other side of the counter, grinnign at him. "And you're selling yourself short. You're not ugly." she said, reaching up to poke him on the little star tattooed by his eye. "Or, I don't think so anyways, and I am positive I'm not the first person to say."

He chuckled some, not minding the cheek-poking. "Yeah, I was gettin' kinda bored. Just a serpentine belt change today, nothing much to do, and you're my convenient excuse not to sweep up." Ash reached out to tug on one of her dreads. "Gotta get most of 'em drunk first," he teased, grinning. "And you probably got weird taste, lady. But thanks."

She laughed. "Okay, I'll give you that. It's all over the board, I have to admit." she agreed. "But that doesn't mean I'm wrong!" she insisted, holding up one finger to point at him to emphasize her statement. "So there. Take it and like it." she said. "So now that you've got a gift, and there's drinks to be had, where do you wanna go? Or do you want to stick around here?" she asked, open for whatever, really. She was in a very good frame of mind to be distracted, and he was already doing that incredibly well.

"Well if this place is like most others in the States, they're not keen on people drinking out in the street in broad daylight, so the question's gotta be, do you wanna throw some back now or later? Or some now, some later with going somewhere in-between?" he posed with an easy grin. He hadn't been wrong the first time; she was definitely cute. In a way that he liked and definitely hadn't expected to find in this small town. "Picky I am not."

"Now see, that's just if you're not sneaky about it." Eury tsked. "There are plenty of ways to get around that. Not that I should be walking around a whole lot, unless you plan to give me a piggyback ride eventually, and I'll have you know, it wouldn't be the first time I'd have gotten one of those when I get so drunk that whole upright, walking thing and I don't get along so well. But I'm unhelpfully up for anything around now. I do have a back patio that we could sit on though. I warn though, it's stupidly small, and doesn't have a very good view. Oh it also has no chairs. There's a lot of sucking going on with that patio."

Ash laughed. "Would you believe it wouldn't be the first time I gave a drunk girl a piggyback ride?" he said with a bright grin. After the brief Weird he'd had in Babylon, staying in with her sounded like the best plan to him. He had that feeling in his gut, the one that said if he ran across anybody really deserving that night, they wouldn't go home happy. Or even in one piece, maybe. So peaceful time on a furniture-less patio with some beer and good company was appealing. "Don't mind parking my ass on the floor," he assured her, straightening up again. "And who needs a view with you around?"

Eury blushed, an immediate, visible reaction. "Aww, aren't you just a sweet talker." she said. And yeah, Eury was pretty easy to please like that. Even if it was totally easy to get her going like that, and totally snow her, she ate it up anyhow. It was just the way she was wired. "Come along then, sweetheart, let's head upstairs to the barren, ill placed patio. It'll be great." she said. She came around the counter then took his arm, giving him a silly smile like she was daring him to tell her he wasn't her crutch.

The insta-blush just made Ash grin even more. Yeah, she was easy, but that was okay, it was fun. There came a time when you got tired of jaded and cynical girls who were just in it for ... whatever they were in it for. Blushing in a grown woman was something to be appreciated. He tucked Sherman into his pocket, smiled at her on his arm, and picked up the bag 'o booze. "Okay, dear," he said, and started to escort her toward where he'd seen the stairs.

Eury was happy. Really, she kind of needed the distraction, and Ash was just...fun. He had a light air about him, or he did when he spoke to her. There was a constant feel that they were playing. Light hearted, nothing too insanely heavy, definitely nothing that was going to make her cry. She'd done a lot of that recently, and wasn't particularly up for any more any time soon. She didn't really think that that would happen, per se, but still. It was nice to spend time with someone who kind of seemed to just want to have a nice time. Hang out, be a little silly, and not slap her upside the head with angst, confusion, anger, or issues. She was a definite fan.

The narrow stairway put them fairly close together, which was another thing he didn't mind. He found himself glancing at her out of the corner of his eye pretty often. She smelled nice, in a way that wasn't contrived in the least. It was just ... there, a little earthy but not haven't-bathed-all-week-hippy-girl like some he'd run into. She was fun and he needed some fun, so getting nice and liquored up with her was a good idea all around, by all accounts. So far, anyway.

She got them up the stairs, only really half using him for a crutch, though she played it up a tiny bit just for effect. Then they got to the top, and she opened up the door. Unlocked, as usual. The only night she'd locked it was when Aiden had specifically told her to. Not the brightest, she supposed, but she was one of those people who wanted her door open for people if they needed it to be. So...yeah. Her apartment on the inside was small but homey, an inviting sort of place that almost had a den-like feel to it, due to it's lack of large windows. The door to the stairs opened into the kitchen, which sort of half turned into the livingroom off to the right with a half wall seperating them. "And here we are, Casa de Eury." she said, as if she were showing him into a palace.

He noted the unlocked door and wondered if she left it that way at night, but didn't ask. It was a lot neater than his place, that was for damn sure. Homey, and it carried her vibe all the way through it, which was nice. "Oh dahlink, it's simply maaaaahvelous," he said, making a gesture with his free hand and flashing her a grin. And it was nice. Comfortable looking, which was totally contrasted to his sparse and dirty apartment. Come to think of it, this was the only other personal living space he'd seen since rolling into this town. The ones in Babylon didn't count, to him. "Lead on to this shitty porch you speak of."

"Why thank you, sir." Eury said expansively, then did indeed lead him to the aformentioned shitty porch. Which was a very short walk away, tiny, and shitty. It overlooked a crappy feild that was kind of half assedly being turned into a walking park, but not really. And other shitty houses, far across the field. Other than that--fuckall! And there was nothing to sit on but bare, rickety looking boards that were the deck. "Craptastic, as promised!" she said with a grin.

Ash snorted some laughter, setting the bag down off to one side. "Now I'm really impressed," he said, giving her a grin. He took Sherman out of his pocket and set him up on the corner of the railing. "To stand guard." Then he plunked down on the bare boards and started to dig in the bag. He'd spent time in far, far worse places, after all. This was almost luxury. And the air outside felt nice. The angel brought out a beer for himself and the bottle of burbon.

Eury sat herself down, giggling at Sherman standing guard. "He's probably a great protector. The spirit inside of him channeled by the crystal, focused by the pretty black eyes. Yes, I can see it all now, you'll be very well off, if you have Sherman watching your back." she said, leaning her back up against the house, and she rolled her head to the side to regard him. "Good thing, too. I mean, I'm sure you can be intimidating and all, but look at him. Who would mess with him?"

"Not me, that's for sure," he said, glancing up at the little figurine and grinning. "Hopefully roving bands of malicious kittens will stop kicking my ass now." Ash looked amused at her and displayed the bottle. "Does the lady take it straight from the bottle, or do you prefer a glass?" he asked, arching an eyebrow at her. So it was only four-ish in the afternoon, so what. It was never too early to start imbibing.

"Well, see, glasses are way back there." Eury said, waving a negligent hand at the door. Which was right there and she was willing to bet there was a glass within like, six feet. But that would require getting up, and she wasn't planning on that for a while. "So, from the bottle for me, thank you, so long as you don't mind me getting my germs all over it." Which she was fairly positive he wouldn't. After all, if he were going to be wary of her germs, he would have been already, what with playing her crutch.

He would've gotten up to get one for her, but Ash decided that seeing her wrap her lips around the bottle wasn't such a bad thing at all, so he handed it over to her. "I think I'll probably survive," he said, looking amused. "That's a pretty high proof anyway, I'm sure whatever cooties you got won't survive." Not that he'd mind being exposed to her germs in other ways, but fortune favored the patient. Ash leaned back against the railing -- carefully at first -- so he could look at her and opened up his beer bottle.

She grinned, and took the bottle. She opened it up, and took a swig, sucking in a breath of air afterwards and making an 'icky alcohol' face. She laughed at herself. "Wow, it's been a long time since I've drank from the bottle!" she exclaimed when her ability to speak returned. "See, usually I'm a girl who likes fruity drinks with ridiculous names." she said, tilting her head back to look comfortably up at him.

He laughed. "Yeah? I would've pegged you for doing belly-button shots and straight tequila," he teased, trying to picture her holding a big pink frozen drink with two umbrellas in it. He took a slug off of his beer that was at least a third of it and pointed at the bottle in her hand. "If you've got any soda or anything, I can cut that down for you. I'm obligated to call you a pussy, but I'd do it for you."

"Oh, I will, but that's after a bunch of the previously mentioned fruity drinks. See by then, I can't taste anything anyways, so it's all good." Eury said. "It's all perspective and timing!" she insisted. Then, of course, she immediately stuck her tongue out at him. "i didn't say I wasn't going to continue drinking from the bottle! Just that it's not the norm! So poop on you, mister, no calling me a pussy tonight. So there. Nyaa."

Ash held up his hands in a 'whatever you say' gesture, chuckling at her. Yeah, she was definitely cute. Fun. "I don't think anybody's said 'poop on you' to me since I was knee-high to a grasshopper," he drawled, leaning back more comfortably against the wood. And that had probably been back before her parents had been alive.

"Well, maybe people should say it more often. It's really great. It's four year old arguments. You really can't win those. They're awesome. 'So there' is one of those too. Try it sometime, you'll..." she paused as she eyed him critically. Then she burst out laughing. "You'll get really confused looks is what you'll get." she decided. Because that coming from him was hysterical.

"You think so?" he asked rhetorically, terribly amused by this conversation. He took another pull from the bottle and laughed a bit. "Maybe I'll give it a shot. 'Oh hey, this bill is too high, it's highway robbery 'cause I don't know shit about mechanics and think everything is cheap'," he said in a falsetto, eyes rolled skyward with a grin on his face. "Well poop on you, lady. So there. Pay me."

Eury put the bottle down to clap for him. "See? I think that would work beautifully!" she said. "Though you might get a strongly worded letter back for customer service, but that's okay, they were being rude first." she assured him. "Plus, it doesn't use any harsh language. No one can complain about the word 'poop', everyone uses it around children. It's an approved word. If a stupidly silly one, to anyone over the age of five."

Ash beamed. "I think the letters I get might be less strongly-worded than the ones I'm used to," he said, chuckling. "But I got a rough-neck reputation to uphold, I might save the five-year-old insults just for you." He dropped her a wink and got his bottle down to three-fourths empty.

She took another drink, and smiled at him sweetly. "Awwww, just for me? I feel all special now. Hooray for intensely childish language being special for me. I approve." she said. Then she tilted her head to the side as she eyed him. "Do you ever get strongly worded letters?" she asked curiously. She couldn't imagine doing it, but then, there were very strange, angry people in the world with too much time on their hands and stamps handy.

"Oh yeah," he said with a pleased grin. He never used his talents with cars to fulfill his duty; it was too dangerous for other people potentially involved, so nobody ever wrote from the hospital after a bad brake job or anything. "Apparently, I have an attitude sometimes," he told Eury, as though that couldn't possibly be true. "And one older lady wrote to tell me my piercings made her sick to her stomach, but she really needed an oil change, so I should consider sharpening up my appearance. For the good of society." Yeah, that had been one of his favorites.

Eury was blinking, wide eyed, not that he could see it. "She wrote this? Seriously?!" she asked. "Wow. And I thought I heard some interesting things from the little old ladies. But then again, I suppose I'm their connection to that missing china plate they need, they're not going to burn that bridge immediately. But wow." she shook her head. "Maybe you should find her address, and write her back to tell her about how piercings are not a new thing, they're actually steeped in eons of history, all signifying different points. All meaningful, spiritual, there were societal ties...it's not like it's scandalous! It's history, damnit!"

He laughed. "I've still got it," he said. "The letter. I keep a box of the more amusing ones. That was ... god, where was that ... in Missouri somewhere, I think. Bible-beltish. I was kind of impressed that I could offend her with more than one hole in my face." Ash grinned and shrugged a shoulder. "I'm sure she wouldn't listen, what with the body being a temple of God that's not ever to be tampered with or even enjoyed. What do godless heathens know, anyway? Besides how to be handy with a wrench when they're needed." And oh how he would've loved to tell the old biddy that he was an angel and completely blow her mind.

"Oh that's right!" Eury said, gasping as if she'd just now remembered. "Godless heathens!! How could I forget? We so are. Silly me. Whatever came over me, I don't know." She tsked, and shook her head, dramatically putting a hand across her forehead. "I should start repenting right now! Where's a church when a girl needs one! Do you think I could still become a nun at this late a stage--I mean, If I cover myself from head to toe with that habit-thing, I wouldn't be able to offend society with my devil-girl markings, right? Ohhh...what will they say about my sunglasses? Oh the humanity!!"

Yeah, there was definitely a reason why he liked her. "I think there's one down the street," he said, laughing. "You might have to walk around with a blindfold instead of sunglasses. As your penance for ... something. But don't you have to be a virgin to be a nun? And no offense or anything, but I think you're too hot to be able to claim that anymore." And yes, he'd made that stretch entirely on purpose, and felt absolutely no remorse for it. Because she was. "I happen to like your devil-girl markings, it'd be a shame to cover 'em up." Ash finished off that beer and set the empty bottle aside.

She blushed again, and smirked at him. "Why thank you, and no, I won't claim virginity. And maybe you have to be, I think you just have to be after you sign up to be a nun. Be all bridely of god and some shit like that, I don't know. I mean, priests probably went out and got some before their orders. Or if they didn't, they should. Actually, you know I never understood that. How can priests help out their flock or whatever you want to call them, if they have to advise about shit they know dick about?" she asked thoughtfully. "Not very prudent, talking about shit you don't know about. That rush when you first touch someone, the ways power flows between individuals, everything like that." Pausing, she took another healthy swig. "I don't get it. It'd be like me trying to tell people what car parts to buy when all I know are antiques."

Ash watched her speak, interest in his eyes. It was maybe the first thing she'd said that could really pass for serious, and he found himself agreeing with what she said. "I've never understood that either," he said. "How men and women sheltered all their lives by the church could presume to know enough to call people to God or whatever they do." Not that he thought there was one. No, Ash had more or less abandoned the very idea ages ago. He knew too much of how everything worked. He pulled out another bottle of beer and cracked it open. "Can't speak against passion if you don't know what it is. And even if they did? I don't think they could do it honestly." Because he knew what she meant, that power, those heart palpitations that could only be caused by another person. As long as it was consensual, he couldn't imagine ever trying to deny those feelings. He caught himself looking dreamily at the feild in the distance and took another drink.

She drank some more as well, thoughtful herself. "Well, they're also supposed to be there as guidance. So even if it's not like, trying to speak against something per se, how can they really understand where someone's coming from? If they're sitting back being all repressed, and they've never been standing where their lost little lambs are? That's what I don't get about churchstuffs, I guess. Or anyone who tries to guide from a position of no experience. You have to have felt the sting, to really get it. Otherwise, you're just a parrot, reciting back a book older than this fucking country, that was written from a jaded point of view anyways, and either way it's still just a book. It's stories. It's a great guide for people not being assholes to each other, but that's all, really, and you can get that all over the place, not just from there." And she realized somewhere she'd lost her thread.

He didn't seem to mind. "If you take a red-letter edition and just read the red parts and ignore everything else? Then it's a good guide for not being assholes," he said. "There's plenty of absolute bullshit in the Old Testament about stoning women who get raped or people who eat the wrong thing on the wrong day. Conversion or death to all enemies, that sort of thing." Even though he knew the majority of it was bollocks, he had indeed read the thing. That and many others. "The clergy just think they're right and they've been gifted with divine insight. When you're right, they're really just parroting back things that aren't even culturally valid anymore. A lot has changed since ancient Isreal. Even if it made sense, it would be difficult to translate to most people today. So they're really guiding blind, making up how to fill the gap as they go along." He chuckled a bit. "Not that I put much stock in it anyway, I think they're off-base on a lot."

"I don't really hold much with religion. Organized religion scares me. I mean, i can see where for some people, it's a life saver. It gives them a reason to get up in the morning after the universe has stuck it in and broken it off. But then there's the flip side where you get the crazies who don't or won't think for themselves, and just wander along all brainless. And of course informing everyone that they're right, and everyone else is wrong, which is probably what bugs me most about zealouts." Eury said, shaking her head as she drank some more, warming to the topic completely now.

"The idea that something so huge as knowledge of a higher power is ridiculous. It's all speculation. And I don't care how many people are out there that claim to have had miracles, or been touched by god or whatever, there's just as many for every other tom dick and zeus out there in the deity world. Maybe we should all go back to the days where gods were fallible assholes who liked to play pretend and trick people into beastiality."

Ash chuckled. "Maybe we'd be better off," he agreed, taking another swallow of beer. "At least then they'd be more relatable, right? But no, religion ... it's interesting. I understand where it came from, and why. But the way it's been used all throughout history, to glorify one set of people over another ... it's pretty deplorable." And he'd known some so-called religious men and women who outshone the hardest criminal in bad deeds. He re-settled, stretching out on his side with one boot propped up against the side of her house and an elbow under him. "I think people just don't want to feel so alone. So insignificant in the scheme of things," he said, voice quieting a touch. Something else he could understand. "And if they've got a powerful being who gives them attention -- be it love or lust or encouragement toward enlightenment or whatever form you put on it ... it's all just validation. Validation that's taken far enough in a lot of cases to turn it into exclusivity."

"Oh I get the idea behind religion. I just don't agree with what it does to some people. And how so many of them expect blind faith. For people to truly actively not think about things themselves. Not do their homework, not look at other possibilities, everything. You would think, if one were encouraged to do their homework, and still believed in whatever religion they were part of, that would be a real show of faith. It's the fact that so many tell you you're not allowed. Or discourage it strongly, dismissing everything that isn't exactly what they say as bullshit, when they have no more basis for what they say than the guy who walks around with a sandwich board proclaiming alien Elvis is going to save us all the next time there's a full solar eclipse." Eury said.

"As for needing to not feel alone..." she trailed off, knowing how that went all too well. "People are too distant. The world's gotten worse than before. Things are harder than they were, and people keep inventing new ways to be even more seperate. To detach even further. Like the internet, which was supposed to connect everyone? All it does is mean people stay home and don't interact with others."

"That's my favorite guy ever," he said with an easy grin. "But I hear you. I've known men who called themselves preachers who actually have done their homework? Studied other religions, spent time with people who believed differently, and come out better people for it on the other side. That faith I can respect. But the people who stick their fingers in their ears and won't even consider other points of view ... they seem to limit the understanding of their own religion. They miss the point. We're all a big human family. What you do effects people, things, everything. Every stone creates ripples, and they all cross each other. We want to play ignorant to that, but look at the way it's poisoned the world. It's ... everybody wants to point fingers. It's the terrorists, it's the bourgoise, it's the blacks, it's the French, it's the whites, it's the Christians ... but it's everyone. Wicca at least has something right: if you point one finger, you point three back at yourself. It's not about blame, that's what separates people. We're interconnected, no matter how much we want to sit at home and pretend we're not. Even that has ripples. The only way to fix shit is to recognize that hurting someone else hurts you in turn." And now he was rambling. Ash took a swallow of beer.

Maybe it was the words. 'Human'. 'Stone'. Both close together that sparked something inside of Eury. It was a pang, a tiny reminder for her that she wasn't actually quite part of the world they were talking about. At least, not like other people were. For one, she had the perspective because she was far older than she looked. She'd had the time to see the bigger picture. A lot of people didn't have that. People died too soon and the majority of their lives were spent in a haze of confusion. So right around now it was a good thing she had those mirrorshades, because they hid her eyes. She listened to him, though, kept her focus on his words. "Karma." she said, nodding a little, as she drank some more herself. She was starting to feel it. "Actions and reactions."

Ash looked up at her, a bit more sharply than he intended to. " ... something like that, yeah," he said. Then, after a paused beat, chuckled and lifted his bottle to his lips again. Karma. Actions and reactions. With a faint groan, he shifted again, rolling onto his back to look up at the underside of the awning that covered her little patio. He tilted his head to take in the sky beyond it's edge. And what happened when the cogs of the Big Wheel rusted and broke? What happened when he couldn't keep the balance anymore? Ash took another slug of beer.

She paused as she regarded him, letting silence fall for a few moments before she continued. "Sometimes I think that might be the only thing left going." she said. "Checks and balances, the world will eventually hand out stupidity to the stupid. That sort of thing. But then again, I've also known a lot of good people who get shit on, and a lot of bad people who seem to have smooth sailing going on, so maybe it is all crap, and I just want something to believe in. But I believe in that far more than I'll ever believe in a deity of any description."

He smiled faintly at the sky. The sun was trying to go down. Another day in paradise. "If only people learned," he said quietly. "Then the system would actually work. But it's ... it's pretty futile. Bad shit happens to bad people, they get mad and bitter and keep doing bad shit to other people ..." Ash trailed off and realized that he was edging into talking about things he wasn't supposed to. "But hell. Maybe there's shit happening that I don't see. More checks and balances."

"Maybe, but I doubt it. I mean, it's not like society's really footing the bill there. All that does is perpetuate things. Not that I have a better system in mind, by the way. I'm not one of those people who thinks that I could run it all and fix everything if I was given the chance." Eury said thoughtfully. "But I know that the way humanity is set up as a species, it's not really doing so well with the whole governing itself thing. I mean, animals have a one up on them that way. They know the score, they go about their business, they do what they need to, and everything works out."

He couldn't help but notice her phrasing. Animals have a one up on them that way. Ash's head rolled to look at her, one eye squinted a little. She was in The Club, though she hadn't said how. Neither had he, but still. He filed it away as he looked at her. "Think humanity's made everything too complicated. They've tuned out their instincts. They've gotten ... entitled. Spoiled. It's not for the good of the tribe anymore, it's for the good of the self, and nothing survives that way. But I don't have a solution either," he added with a faint chuckle and a head-turn for another swallow. "Just gotta keep plugging away. Live full, love hard, listen to your compass."

Eury took another long pull from the bottle--something she could do much better now that she thought her taste buds had all died. "Trouble is most people's compass is fucked." she mused, though she didn't really sound bitter about that, just stating a fact. "All broken, right and wrong anymore don't factor in nearly so much as 'what do I want, and how bad will it backlash on me if I go for it'?" And no, she wasn't talking about the most recent mess going on with her or anything. Nooooooo.

"They know, though," he said, sounding sure of that. "They know better." Why they didn't listen to that knowledge, though ... that was the part he didn't get. Couldn't ever understand. Demons were demons and couldn't help their nature, but people ... People were different. People for the most part were built with sense. As a whole, they knew better. Ash sat up to down the rest of his beer in one long pull, and tug another one out. After a pause, he put it back and held his hand out for the burbon instead. He flashed her a grin. "Usually I'm more fun," he told her, going for a bit of levity, if only for himself.

"Oh, I agree, they do know better. Or, well, most people do. There's some internal button that goes 'hey, this is fucked up'. But yeah, people less and less these days listen to it. Like, even in the slightest. I have a friend who I keep telling him that the only reason I surprise him is he knows too many people like himself." She paused again, drinking some more, then she turned her gaze down on Ash, letting it linger. "I think the world's filling up with people like him, though. So I think he's probably more normal than I am at this point." Then she smiled. "You're definitely managing that fun thing. Full marks, sweetie."

He scooted toward her, turning so that he was sitting next to her, back against the wall. He reached and covered her hand on the neck of the burbon bottle with his to guide it up to his lips. He took a swig and enjoyed the burn down his throat. "You're a rare breed now," he said, giving her a weird little half-smile. And she was, he should know. He didn't see terribly many people wandering around with vibes that were as clean as Eury's. Maybe that's why he'd shown up early, just to ... be around it.

She smiled at that, taking the time to enjoy his hand over hers. "Am I?" she asked. A statement had never been truer, though he didn't know just how right he was there. "Probably." she agreed. "Too bad, there needs to be more people around who're willing to give." Which was a throw back to her conversation with Aiden. "A giver...that's what my friend called me recently."

"I'd have to agree," he said, just going ahead and leaving his hand there. If she didn't like it, she'd say something. "This is the second time I've ever seen you, and you gave me Sherman over there," he said, nodding toward the little figurine sitting on the railing. "Who's my new bodyguard. And I've been treated to your assy porch and good conversation and everything."

"Ahhh but see, it wouldn't be a good coversation if you weren't contributing!" Eury pointed out immediately, and she liked that he hadn't moved his hand. She was perfectly fine with that. It felt nice to her. "And you just lucked out, there. What with Random Present Week going on and all. But still. If you want to tell me all about how I'm a giver and you're happy with that, who am I to complain?" She wasn't complaining at all. It was...nice to hear. Aiden tended to tell her good things along with the emotional shreddings he did to her, but there was that whole having to hear him tear her down and so far, Ash hadn't done any of that. She was a fan.

Ash was tempted to kiss her. It felt sort of like one of those moments, but not THE moment, so he didn't. He just -- with her involuntary assistance -- took another drink instead. "But if you weren't a giver, you probably wouldn't be giving to some greasy dude you'd just met," he countered with a little grin. She had to have plenty of other people to give to, after all. It was just his good luck to have found her limping the other morning. It was luck, because he knew it probably wasn't his payback for anything. "So I'm just the innocent bystander victim of your generosity."

She giggled at that, grinning. "Innocent bystander victim of a random gifting. Cute, Ash." she said. "And by the way how do you know? I could very well have chosen you, just because. I'm very random in my gifting you know. Especially on random gift week. Though for some of the presents, I'm definitely going to be looking for someone who looks like they need a present. Some people just have that look, y'know? That 'life hasn't been very good to me lately' look. It's in the eyes."

"True, true, you may have," he conceded with a solemn nod. With her saying stuff like that, it wasn't any wonder that she put off such wonderful vibes. Ash grinned back at her briefly, then lifted the bottle with both of their hands on it up in something like a toast. "I'll drink to that. Here's to random gifts to those that need it. May it grease the wheel of the world a little better." There was nothing to clink together, so he just guided the bottle toward her face so she could take the first one.

She giggled once more, and took the drink, letting him help out with that. "Salud." she said firmly. She hoped she helped. there was the one girl she'd never seen again she'd loaned money to. She still was waiting to see if she'd ever come to pay her back, or if she was gone forever. Wouldn't be the first time someone had borrowed then wandered off into the world, never to be seen again. She didn't really mind the monetary loss. It wasn't like she was hurting for it.

He took his in turn and returned the bottle to resting on his leg next to her's. He tried to memorize that moment, because it was pristine. There they sat, two people who had connected enough already to sit in contented peace with the evening air and a good bottle of booze. Nothing was complicated, nothing sucked, there was no baggage. They didn't know each other enough for any animosity or even dislike. It was a sublime moment, and he wasn't sure if it would ever come round again. He let his head fall back against the house and smiled a bit.

Eury did much of the same, sort of just appreciating things. She appreciated having company that wasn't overly complicated and had yet to make her cry. So she was enjoying this. It was like a reprieve from the rest of her life, and that was a good thing at current. She tilted her head to the side to watch him, light smile on her lips as she did so. "You look content." she said, after a few long minutes of companionable silence.

Ash arched an eyebrow and looked at her out of the corner of her eye before turning his head a bit to meet her ... shades. "I am," he answered simply, unable to keep himself from wondering what was under the mirrored plastic. "So do you. Unless you're even more of a lightweight than you let on." He grinned at her lazily. " ... what color are your eyes?"

She felt a little flutter at the question. She kind of liked that he asked, that he wondered. That he was thinking about it. "Green." she answered him. "Kinda bright." She watched his eyes from behind their protection, wondering if he was wishing he could see hers. "And I am content. This is nice. Lately my life's been complicated, and this is really a much needed reprieve."

Green. That seemed right. Or maybe that was the alcohol finally leaking into his head a bit. He did wish he could see them, he tended to like looking people in the eyes when he talked to them, but she had a condition and all that. Ash smiled faintly at the next bit, glad to hear that she appreciated having him there. "Anytime," he said quietly. "Complication is shitty."

She drew in a deep breath and let it out in a sigh, nodding. "Ohhh yes." she agreed. Then she shifted, to rest her head on his shoulder, since it was all nice and there and everything, and they were being at least mildly familiar anyhow. She let her gaze sweep through the bars of the railing, and to the crappy field. "Yeah. But without it, life would get dull, I suppose, and any time you let people into your life, you're going to wind up with complications of one shade or another." She smiled. "Well, you're not seeming to come with a ton of complications so far though." she amended. Not that he thought he wouldn't have them, if they continued hanging out. Not the smallest of which was she genuinely liked him, and there was the whole Dorian and Aiden mess still going on. Not really the best timing, on that score.

"Ah, I've got my share," he said mildly, leaning his own head against her's. It was comfortable, there, and he wasn't surprised to find that she was the affectionate type. She just seemed like that sort of woman. Warm. And attractive. And eay and good to talk to. Which was likely a dangerous sort of combination for him. Ash started to wonder in a distant way if he should really be there or not. He shoved it away. She was just a nice girl, this was just a nice relaxing moment, and he could question it later. He hadn't made a reputation for himself in this town yet; she was safe. "I'll try to keep 'em off you, though," he murmured.

"Oh, don't." Eury said, in the same sort of soft, murmury tone. "Complications come with people, and I'm not really the type who decides to only take bits and pieces of people instead of who they really are. If you're gonna be around, then be around, and bring all of you with. Not just amusing, good times you." No, Eury wasn't really one to ignore things about people. So, she doubted he'd really be able to keep complications from her, because she'd be actively looking for them after a while.

Ash thought that she might not say so if she knew that complications with him were less moodiness and a drinking problem and more insanely reckless behavior and gutting demons. His complications had the potential to get people dead. Which was a shitty thing to start thinking about right then, because he was comfortable and nicely buzzed and she was warm at his side. One-nighters and the girls at Babylon were ... different, something else. See how much she wants all of you around when you drag your half-dead carcass to her door for field stitches and a place to hide. ... you should go.

She didn't mind the silence there, thinking the conversation had probably gotten heavy, and maybe he had some issues of his own to contend with and he was thinking about them now. "Until complications arise, however, I'm going to just enjoy my time with you. And probably after too. I've dated musicians. No one can create more issues and complications than them." she said, tone lightly teasing at the end of her statement.

He chuckled. "Somehow, I totally believe you on that one," he said, tone still soft. Even though he didn't. He thought he could probably compete pretty heavily with musician-issues. But they were running under the assumption that neither of them was Something Else. Which he wasn't so sure about on her end. "Glad you're enjoyin' it, though," he said.

"I am. You're interesting, sweet, cute, and you can hold up your end of the conversation, which is a lot more than I can say for a lot of people I've met in my time. It's the combination that kills people you know. I mean, sure, there's a lot of cute people in the world, but ones that can actually have an interesting conversation? And especially one that doesn't turn into 'me me me'? Psh! They're on their way to extinction, my friend." Eury said with a shake of her head, and she took another pull from the bottle, then resettled it more on her thigh than between them.

"See now you're just flattering me," he said, with a much easier grin. He took another drink himself, as though reminded it was there by the movement of his arm. He returned the bottle to her leg. "And I think you're trying to get me drunk, lady," he added in, arching an eyebrow at the bottle. "I'm not so sure about the innocence of your intentions any longer." Not that he would complain. She was beautiful, after all, in that wild way that he liked. And she wasn't the only one who could hold up a conversation.

She laughed at that. "Who was the one who provided the alcohol?" she asked, clearly amused. "If anyone's trying to get someone drunk, it's you. I'm just perfectly content to go along with that. Drunk is fiiiiine by me. "My intentions are to spend time with you, have good conversation, and get to know you a bit better. Which so far has worked out beautifully. Also, I never claimed innocence." she added as an after thought, because she didn't think innocent and she fit into the same sentence.

He laughed a bit himself. "Musta just been that smile I was going off of, then," he said, tilting his head on her's some. He got a whiff of her hair, and it smelled good. Which was something of an accomplishment, with dreadlocks like she had. Ash lifted the bottle and her hand toward his mouth again, taking another couple of swallows. "I was merely trying to get myself drunk," he added on, just so she'd know. "But I figured I'd give you the opportunity to come along, if you wanted to."

"Mm. well, it's an offer I couldn't pass up." She said firmly, shifting slightly so she was sitting more comfortably, and she was turned ever so slightly towards him. "Good drinks, good conversation, excellent company...yep. That's called a peachy keen evening for me, mister." she finished. Then she grinned. "Even for a cyborg spy chick."

"Well they have the most discerning tastes, so I guess I ought to be pretty proud of myself," he said, keeping a solemn expression for a couple of seconds before he smiled at her. "Now if only you had some chairs out here ..." It did not escape him that she was in even better kissing range now, and that he hadn't had a cigarette since he'd gotten there for a reason. But timing was everything, and necking hadn't been in her list of intentions.

"If only." she said. "But I'm comfortable." she assured him, turning her head to rest her chin on his shoulder. She grinned at him. With the movement, she realized ohhh yes. She had some buzz going on. She was in fact a light weight, and she'd had a lot of high proof alcohol, without the silly cutting of it. So yeah! Whee! "Besides, I think chairs out here might mean there wouldn't actually be room for people. Or breathing."

He grinned back at her, seeing the whee!drunk in her expression, even though he couldn't see her eyes. He thought he might need to help her into the house before he left, but he was totally okay with that. He'd proven himself as her crutch, after all. "God forbid we have to get any closer together," he said, teasing. His extremeties were tingling nicely, and he gave her a gentle headbutt with his forehead. "You're comfy 'cause you're drunk, missy."

She made a cute face at him for that and giggled again, a very girlish sound with the introduction of drunkness. "Sure, be all logical. I was gonna say you're being pretty good furnature, so that was why. But sure, we can go with both theories, right?" she asked. She paused, then thought. "You know, I think I'm at that stage where I remember why I don't usually do shots." she added, sounding amused and thoughtful. "See, it doesn't seem like much when you're doing them, but then they all hit at once and you go from fine to insaely intoxicated aaaaaall snap! Rightnow."

Ash had to laugh. "That's the best way to do it, though," he insisted, grinning broadly over -- even though it was just a couple inches, really -- at her. Her cute face was cute. "You don't have any time to think 'hmm, maybe this was a bad idea'. There's no stopping the drop into awesomely drunk." He wasn't there himself, and probably shouldn't get to, now that he thought about it. "I think it's time to cut you off, though." His hand left her's to start prying her fingers off of the bottle.

She made a little sound of protest. "Okay okay, just one more drink, then you can take the bottle and put it all the way over on your other side where I can't get it." she promised, taking the bottle then sitting up a ltitle better to take a long pull. Then she handed it back over.

His gaze ticked to the curve of her neck as she did that, quick as it was. He took the bottle back and upturned it for himself once more, before he did set it aside. "There," he said, smiling at her. "All safe now." His eyelids were a bit heavy, and he knew he probably looked pleasantly drunk himself. Because he was. And damn, he wanted to see her eyes.

"Yay." Eury said happily. Then she beamed at him again. If he could see her eyes, he would have noted that they were indeed drunk-looking. But he couldn't, so she only gave herself away with her speech. Vaguely, she realized they were all in kissing distance. Though she knew she probably shouldn't be thinking that, what with the whole her being in the middle of stupid situations and such, but still! it was there in her brain before she decided it was a good idea to go back to half snuggling his arm and resting her head on his shoulder.

It was probably a good thing she did. Funny how he'd just been thinking about how nice and uncomplicated all this was, and was still tempted to go and muddy it all up with physicality. Because the only thing that made things more complex than sex was sex with feeling attached to it. And he'd be the first in line to admit that he liked this girl. He clunked his temple back against her head and looked out into the scrubby field. Nothing to say was coming through the burbon, so he just didn't.