2019-10-02 - The Whiskey Fairy

There was warning given, but even still, Ash opens the door to 9 Oak slowly enough that anyone too close to the door is capable of running beyond the contamination zone. That's really the only warning that is gotten, though, before she steps out onto the porch looking like there was some attempt at looking like a normal person made at some point. A shower and a change of clothes, being the two leading things, but she still looks otherwise like crap, now she at least doesn't smell like it.

With it getting later into the afternoon, the air is turning chilly, but otherwise decent enough. Clouds overhead warn of rain in the future, but not the /immediate/ future, and so Garrett is in no rush to go anywhere. He stands on Oak, leaning against one of the namesake trees more or less directly in front of number 9. Wearing jeans and a bright blue hoodie, his arms are crossed and he wears a small smile as he watches a bottle of whiskey that has been left in front of the door to number 9, a smile that broadens when Ash appears. "Just because you're the one that got me to bring it doesn't mean you don't have to share," he calls towards the house, walking towards it. Not actually going up the porch, he keeps his distance, but at least makes it so he doesn't have to shout. "You're looking a little more human."

"Do I have to share?" Ash wonders with a wrinkle of her nose as she picks up the bottle, hugging it to her, "I mean, if I have to, I will. But I really shouldn't have to. I'm the sick one." As well as everyone else in the house, but that's not the point, is it? Selfishness rules the moment. The comment about looking more human is answered with a shrug, "I rolled myself into the shower and stayed there for like...an hour. Then I got undressed." Clearly, sick person humor isn't the best.

"At least lie and tell me you're planning on sharing, yeah?" Garrett grins, leaning against the railing. An eyebrow goes up at the unorthodox showering routine, faint amusement in his face. "You should tell that story again, but slower, when you're less plague-ridden," he suggests with a wink.

"Fine. I'll be sure to share it with the others in the house, and they will all be super appreciative and love the Whiskey Fairy forever." Ash agrees with a nod, one hand moving to pet the bottle like it is a favorite pet. "I've got better stories to tell than my crazy sick shower story." She moves a few steps closer to where he's standing, but still within polite sick person range, before she folds her legs beneath her to drop herself onto the porch. "There's the one time in the library at school." She carefully sets the bottle in front of her, within grabbing range if any wayward housemates might come by and try to snatch it up, "Then, I had this one experience while one the beach. No, actually, there are a few beach situations. Those involve water, too."

"Well, naturally I expect the Whiskey Fairy to be properly appreciated. I thought that went without saying." Garrett smiles, leaning forward a touch as stories are alluded to but not quite shared. "And this one time, at band camp...?" he jokes, but still looks curious. "Okay, have to ask about the library story, and I'm going to be very disappointed if it's just 'we studied quietly because it's the library'."

"Band camp? Nope. Wrong person...I'm not at all musically inclined, I'm afraid." There is a wave towards her house, then the one next door, "They are, some of them. But not me..." She raises her hands, rubbing them against her face for a moment before she drops them, sighing, "Alright." She gives him this look, slightly wide eyes and all, "But you have to promise to not judge me for what I'm about to tell you. Pinky promise, even."

"I'd start getting suspicious of the neighborhood if everyone here was gorgeous and a musician, so I'm actually a touch relieved." Garrett looks more than a little interested by the fact that he night actually be getting the story with little to no prying, and gives a nod. "Will you settle for a solemn oath, rather than, you know... actually physically pinky promising?"

"Oh, no, just gorgeous." Ash replies with a bit of tired cheerfulness, then she nods more seriously to the question about the solemn oath, "Sure..I'll take an oath." She doesn't, actually, wait for him to give her an oath though. Which might come back to bite her later on. "So there is this super hot guy at school, right? Tall, dark, really super intense. Like, gets your panties wet just looking at you kind of hot...Totally unfair to the rest of the world, hot."

"Oh, just gorgeous, of course. Much more reasonable." Garrett acts as if this is perfectly normal before listening, clearly torn between being amused by and jealous of the description being provided. "Please, continue now that you've set the bar impossibly high for us poor mortals," he teases.

"Baby, he's got nothing on you." The words would probably sound far more smooth if she didn't sneeze at the end, a hand raising up quickly to contain it. Then she blinks at him, momentarily forgetting her place in things before she remembers. Then she holds her hand up, finger up, "Stay with me." She then drops her hand, "So I had a class with him, and we had to go to the library to work on a project. Of course I made sure I got partnered with him, because...I'm smart, right?" She rubs her hand on her knee, "So we're there really late, studying. Got food, maaaaybe got someone to bring alcohol." Because what study session doesn't require alcohol? "Then I look around, it's midnight, the library closes in two hours...and we're the only ones there. Now, I'm drunk, he's drunk..."

"Too late, but the effort is what counts," Garrett says with a teasing wrinkle of his nose, but the way he continues to smile and listen makes it fairly obvious he's not offended. "Naturally. Sober studying is for chumps," the double-major says with a little grin. "So, mild library intoxication..." He gives a little 'go on' motion with his hand.

"I'd offer to kiss it better." Buuuut. Ash then just continues with the story, pulling the bottle towards her, because all stories are better told with alcohol. "So we go to find this one book, and it just so happens to be in part of the library the cameras don't cover." Of course it does. "And instead of finding the book, we start making out. And like, at first I just figured it was because we had been drinking, but he was bad. Like, come at you with the open mouth of doom, drool on you bad."

"Of course; where else would it be?" Garrett seems unsurprised by the book location, rolling his eyes. But then comes the twist, and Garrett's hands come up to his mouth, doing little to stifle the laughter. "Oh. Oh God, no, you poor girl!" He lowers his hands, but can't quite break free of the giggle loop the situation seems to have caught him in. "So, did you just deal with hot but awful make outs, or run for the hills?" He must know!

"Nooo. Worse." Ash shakes her head at that, laughing, "I told you...I thought it was just that he was drunk. And so, I'm drunk." She gestures, trying to indicate without saying it. But then she says it anyways. "We screwed against the wall, and it was horrible. Like. Bad. First time, back of a car, both virgins kind of bad."

"Ooooohh nooooooo!" Garrett is simultaneously laughing and truly sympathetic. He's even halfway up the porch before he looks up at the still very obviously sick Ash and catches himself. "So did he end up getting all clingy? Sounds like the potential clinger sort. Or did the booze make him forget the whole thing?" he ventures optimistically. He continues to shake his head in sympathy. "Poor, poor Ash," he says softly.

"Very clingy.. Like, it was the most awkward semester I've ever had. But as soon as some other dumb girl caught his attention he wandered off, thankfully." Ash shakes her head, smiling at him before she glances at how far he got up the porch before remembering. "It was Freshman year...And I'm a lot more careful now. If they try to eat my face, then I don't sleep with them. It's just a good rule to have."

"Well, at least it was only.... several months of awkwardness? " Garrett tries to put a positive spin on things, but then nods his agreement with the policy Ash acquired from the whole experience. "Ah, well, you got to learn something! So there's that, at least." He shakes his head. "I... don't know why anyone thinks that the whole...." He briefly imitates that particularly awful kissing technique, then shakes his head. "Poor bastard. Maybe the other girl set him straight?"

"Maybe. I tried...he didn't really care. Figured he was hot enough that it didn't matter if he was a shitty person, or shitty in bed. So.." Ash rolls her eyes at that, "Lesson. Learned." She then leans back on her hands, only to lift one up a second later to rub her nose, "So you a couple with someone? That's why you said no, isn't it?"

Garrett cringes a bit. "Ugh, one of those." Garrett shakes his head, rolling his eyes, disdain clear, then focuses back on Ash. "Nothing specifically monogamous, no," he answers with a quick shake of his head. Then he sort of grins. "To be fair, I didn't realize you were serious. I figured it was mostly just playful flirting." A pause. "Why, not used to the boys telling you no?" he asks, tone playfully teasing.

"No one tells me no for long." Ash replies with a bright smile, which probably looks much brighter without the deathly pale, exhausted flu-like palor she's got going on. "But my entire life is playful flirting, and total seriousness. I never let a chance slip through my greedy little hands if I can help it." Which, by her tone it's hard to tell if she's serious about being that driven in getting things, or just dramatic enough to fake that seriousness. "Why, you not used to people asking?"

"Hmmm, well, can't wait to find out what sort of things you ask when you aren't on death's doorstep," Garrett says of Ash's confidence in getting results, and then counters her bright smile with one of his own. "Wasn't joking about counting you as my first nude solicitation. Still very flattered, I promise. Hell, maybe I'll even be feeling feisty enough to be cooperative come shower time tonight," he alludes, waggling his eyebrows at the blonde.

"Oh..." Ash's eyes go wide at that, "You mean first ever not just...first from me?" She looks honestly surprised by that, then she narrows her eyes, tilting her head before her eyes do an up-down once over, "You're just flattering me now, right? I couldn't be your very first ever...like, seriously. You are hot. Did you go to an all boys school? Not date in college? Like in an Ashram somewhere without phones, or did the world just get really dumb until now?" She then pauses before nodding, "Totally should be feeling feisty, might even get one in return. Turn about, fair play, blah blah."

Garrett doesn't have much explanation beyond a shrug. "Just never came up, I guess? Not sure what to tell you beyond that. Look at the bright side, though. Means if you play your cards right, you might end up with the only nude photo of the bassist of Lowered Expectations in existence." He does his best to make this sound like it is something worth having. The suggestion of turn about can't help but make Garrett give Ash a little once over. "You make a very compelling argument," he admits.

"So weird..." Ash shakes her head, still looking a bit surprised, but she's clearly learning to accept it. Plus the mention she might be able to get the only one in existence is clearly an appealing thought. "I'll offer a two for one deal." She holds up her hands, one with two fingers, the other hand just the one. "For every one picture you send, I'll send two in return."

Garrett cocks his head to the side, feigning suspicion, but very clearly interested in the suggested offer. "...the two will be of you, right I'm going to be very disappointed if I get, like, two nudes of Corey in return," he clarifies, fighting a losing battle at trying to remain serious.

"I do not have nudes of Corey on my phone." Ash drops her hands, leaning back on them once more, "So you'll get two nudes of me. No one else." She lifts up one hand, holding her fingers up, "Scout's Honor."

"Well, seems like I'd be stupid not to feel feisty once I get back home," Garrett admits, giving Ash another quick glance up and down, then grinning at her. "Two for one is quite the deal. That eager to see me naked, hm?" he teases.

"Yep. I am totally unashamed about it, too. If I wasn't sick I'd invite you upstairs to my princess lair." Ash points upwards, towards the house, which could mean her room is right there, or just be that she has to point to that window because it is there.

"Oh, well now you're just being a tease," Garrett accuses, but is still clearly a little flattered by the comment. "Hmm, for what it's worth, if you weren't sick I'd absolutely accept that invitation," he promises, then nods at the whiskey. "Hopefully that makes you right as rain sooner rather than later."

Ash glances down at the whiskey, "It'll at least get me drunk enough I might be able to sleep through the terrible dreams." She reaches for the bottle, picking it back up again to turn it around in her hands, "You said you were a lightweight?"

"And sleep helps you get better, so it's a win!" Garrett points out, tone victorious. And then he's giving Ash a dramatically exaggerated side eye. "Why, trying to recruit me as a study partner? Because yes."

"Are you good at history?" Ash wonders, brows lifting upwards in curiosity, "If you're good at history, or philosophy, then yes. I mean, they all aren't bad, but no one else is majoring in this stuff, so.." She sets the bottle back down in front of her, "I mix a mean drink."

"...good is maybe a bit generous. I passed history one-oh-six, and that was about it for history for me. I think we can safely say you're well beyond me," Garrett says with a vaguely apologetic shrug. "You ever want any help with outdoorsy things, though, I'm your man!" he offers with his best smile. A glance down at the bottle. "...was that an offer, a warning, or a bit of both?" he inquires.

"I'd say both." Ash glances at the bottle again, then she starts to get to her feet, picking the bottle up, "I can make you an Ash Special..best in town, trust me. Everyone loves them." She gives the bottle in her hand a bit of a waggle, "I'll even mix it using this, so that you can say that I did more than just share with the housemates."

"The girl that, I assume, invented the drink makes the best one in town?" Garrett quirks an eyebrow upwards, but doesn't challenge the statement any further than that, just grinning upwards. "Well, when the CDC gives the green light on your home again, I'll be happy to come by for an Ash Special, but only if you promise to be nice once you realize how much a lightweight I am," he says, chuckling.

"Oh, yeah. Totally the girl that invented the drink makes the best one in town. Very best." Ash glances towards the house, then makes a face, "Stupid cold." She looks like she might be dramatic for a split second, but that takes up more energy then what she's got. "I won't make fun of you for it...I work in a bar. I've seen all kinds, trust me. But I might take advantage of it...so a blanket agreement on that now to avoid problems later would be appreciated."

"Taking advantage can still entail being nice, so permission granted," Garrett promises with a wink. "And I usually know when I'm getting smashed, so I'll make sure not to get obnoxious, sloppy drunk," he adds as a bonus. "That should be more pleasant for everyone."

"Do you become an obnoxious, sloppy drunk?" Which just seems to amuse Ash, her head tilting to the side before she shrugs, "You're welcome to, if you want. I mean, seriously, after some of the shit I've dealt with at work...A hot guy I want to get manhandled by being sloppy and obnoxious is totally worth it."

"Not anymore I don't. Did you miss the part about me knowing my limits?" Garrett wrinkles his nose at Ash, then gives her a more... suggestive look. "I'm much better at mamhandling when I'm not sloppy drunk, I promise. But, if you feel a need to compare for yourself, that's a sacrifice I'm willing to make," he offers, oh-so-graciously.

"Maybe some day. If all it does is take not having the plague...I can wait to get you sloppy drunk until after two not sloppy drunk manhandling events." Ash wiggles two fingers at him, evidently having something for the number two today. "So outdoor stuff? I mean..I really like outdoor stuff, if you want to take me out to the woods, where no one is around." She rests her hand over her heart, mock-swooning at her suggestion.

"Twice. Your enthusiasm for.... scientific rigor.... is commendable." Garrett flashes another smile more suggestive than anything, a smile that only grows at the nature suggestion. "I do know my way around Olympic National Park very well. Which trails nobody hikes, which towers are empty when..." He trails off, letting Ash fill in blanks as she sees fit.

There are a lot of blanks to fill in, and judging by the amused smile, she's rather creative with filling them in. "I like that." She then pauses, switching it a little, "I'd like that. Yeah...When I'm not half-way to dead, we can go out and you can show me what those towers are like from the inside. I saw them once in that one movie with the chick from Game of Thrones in it, in Japan? That suicide forest...Very creepy. I'd have to hold your hand if it's that scary."

Garrett matches the amused smile, no doubt filling in some blanks of his own. "Well, I don't know about scary, but if you still want a hand to hold so you know you're not going to get lost, I'll do my best to oblige," he assures. "But yes, all this is better saved for when you're back to being healthy," he agrees.

"It has to be getting better soon. I can't keep being sick." If she didn't have enough reasons to want to be better before, this just adds on top of it. She glances down at her hands, the bottle tucked in against her side as she looks at them, "I'll wash them five times, and scrub them down in alcohol to be sure, too. When I'm not going to kill you by touch. Which, really puts a damper on that tower visit."

"Well, call me an optimist, but /I/ like to think it will be worth the wait," Garrett says, tone light. "But, the Whiskey Fairy may be about to call it a day. Still have to get a run in today after Monica went and made me feel lazy." A pause, then a wink. "But hey, after the run comes shower time, so...." He trails off with a little shrug before beginning to towards the sidewalk, still grinning suggestively at Ash.

"I look really forward to shower time." Ash points out, and she actually does look like she's looking forward to it. Or she's just bright-eyed and excitable from fever, but probably looking forward to shower time. "Have a good run."

"Hmmm, wonder why?" Garrett teases before he waves and turns to go about his day, maybe with a little extra bounce in his step compared to earlier.