Construction And Murder

Participants:

ash_icon.gif melissa4_icon.gif

Scene Title Construction and Murder
Synopsis Melissa has a favor to ask of Ash, then ends up giving him bad news which he takes rather poorly.
Date July 15, 2010

Little Green House


The phone call Melissa made to Ash was a brief one. "Can you drop by?" I didn't sound like an emergency or anything, though she didn't go into any details. When he arrives, she's lounging on the couch in a pair of loose black jeans and a black tank top, thoroughly enjoying the air conditioning that is now working thanks to Faron's talent with machines. Nearby her dog, Jerry, and Mr. Muggles are curled up, dreaming doggy things. Chasing rabbits or their tails. Who knows.

Ash got the call and kind of blinked at the phone a few times before shrugging his shoulders and making his way from the apartment above the pawn shop, outside, walking the entire way in the heat, to Melissa's house before knocking lightly on the door and then leaning back against the wall next to the door as he waits for someone to come answer the door, his head tilted back, sun baking his skin slowly but surely.

Melissa pushes herself up from the couch, moving over to the door and opening it. "Hey Ash. How's it going?" she asks as she steps back to allow him to enter, a friendly smile curving her lips, though there's a hint of caution in her eyes.

Ash lets his customary eyebrow raise upwards at the greeting and the bit of cation he sees lurking behind it. "Everything… okay?" he asks softly, voice holding a note of concern, but mostly confusion and curiosity, the man's hands tucking into his pockets, but he doesn't come inside quite yet, staying out in the heat for the time being. He knows better than to walk into a potential ambush.

There's a nod. "Yep. Peachy keen," Melissa answers, sounding sincere. "C'mon in, it's too hot out there," she says, leaving the door and moving back to the couch. "Thanks for coming, by the way. Especially since I plan on asking you a favor."

Ash has yet to know Melissa to just invite him over to hang out and chat, after all, they usually end up shouting, cursing, and arguing, not necessarily in that order. He doesn't go inside, even as she slips inwards and back onto the couch, just peeking inside, closing the door all but for his face peeking out. "Ahh… and what might that be?" He asks, a soft smirk playing across his lips before it's gone and he just looks curious.

Melissa glances over at him, a brow arching. "How are you at…remodeling, I guess you'd call it. And come inside and shut the door. You're letting all the nice cool air out," she grumps. Weeks of living in a hotbox have made her highly appreciate working AC.

Ash blinks, slowly at the question, Ash's face scrunching up a little bit. He doesn't come in yet either, despite the demand for him to do so. "Remodeling? I have no idea. I've never done any. Just electric, plumbing, heating and cooling type stuff, never like, drywall and floors and shit like that."

Melissa sighs. "Ash, why are you standing outside in the heat? Are you trying to get into a shouting match with me? There's no need to try you know. It generally happens very well on its own."

Ash narrows his eyes at Melissa as she makes her statement, the man clearly annoyed with it, and by the look on his face he's considering staying outside just to piss her off, but after a few seconds he steps inside and closes the door, but crosses his arms and leans back against it, staring across at the little woman that causes him so much aggravation and is surely going to grey his hair early.

Melissa rolls her eyes. "See? Now was that so hard? But you've never done it, huh? Don't know if I'll need drywall." She's quiet for a moment, tapping fingers on her knee, then she continues. "I've got a bunch of people staying in here, and a shortage of bedrooms. I want to turn the attic into another room, and the basement into a sort of clinic. Considering that I've got two other Messiah members staying here, it just seems like a good idea."

Ash stands there, taking in information before he pauses a few moments, raising a finger slowly. "If you're over full, why aren't they staying in the barracks rather than crowding your house up? That's what the barracks are there for." He lifts his hand up, fingertips scritching at his cheek softly. "And yeah, if you're turning an attic into a bedroom you'll need to insulate and drywall it."

There's a shrug. "Well, only two of the people are Messiah, and one of 'em I can't see ever staying in barracks. Besides, she's my friend. Then I got Kendall and Tony, and they can't stay in the barracks," is Melissa's answer. "Besides, I like having a full house."

Ash stares, and… stares some more at Melissa. "Yeah, I understand Kendall. But he's also not Messiah. I'm just saying, if you're over crowded, the Messiah people should be in the barracks." He shakes his head a little bit, clearly frustrated with the blonde already. "If you want to turn the basement into a room you'll have to waterseal it, which will be quite a bit of work, and refurbish the floor so it's not raining dust and sawdust and crap down on whoever's in the basement, then you'll probably want to build the walls up some, and the attic like I said will require a lot of work as well."

Another shrug. "Not gonna happen, Ash. I invited these people into my home. I'm not gonna kick them out. And if you can't help me do what I want, then no worries. I'll find someone else." Melissa smiles faintly. "So you don't have to worry your pretty little head about whether I'm overcrowded or not."

Ash looks, rather confused at the statement. "I didn't fucking say I couldn't do it Mel. I said it would take some fucking doing, and some fucking resources and materials." He snorts and rolls his eyes. "Try damn well listening to what someone says before you reply to them." Yep, the arguing has started it seems.

Melissa arches a brow. "You said that you'd never done stuff like this, the very same stuff you said will need to be done. And doesn't exactly sound like you want to do it either, for that matter. Sounds more like you wanna hit me again."

"I never hit you in the first place. Wanted to, and will probably want to before this conversation is over. And yes, I said I'd never done it before. That doesn't fucking mean I can't do it. Or haven't you ever heard of trying new shit? If I could fix your damn furnace what makes you think I couldn't learn how to put up some drywall?" He crosses his thick arms over his chest, covering the broad surface, his eyebrows lowering into glowering position.

"I said want to hit me again, because you have wanted to do it before," Melissa corrects with a shake of her head. "But fine, if you wanna do it, let's go up and take a look at the attic," she says, sounding irritated herself. But she does get up and start towards the stairs.

Ash grumbles in his throat as he moves towards the stairs as well. "Ddin't say I 'wanted' to do it. But you're a friend, even if giving you a good sound spanking sounds like a good time most of the time, and I'll help you out as best I can, just like I did before." He hauls his heavy frame up the stairs behind you, moving steadily upwards.

Melissa pauses on the stairs and looks down at him, eyes narrowed. "You even start to bring your hand anywhere near my ass and I'll lay you out, Ash. You got lucky on the kiss. Spanking is a whole other thing entirely." Then she continues going up the stairs, shaking her head and muttering to herself.

Ash looks up at her with a cocky and rather smarmy smile on his face at her reaction. "What? Wouuld you like it too much?" He tosses up at her, but follows once her begin again, coming up to the second floor before he begins looking for a stairwell up, looking with his eyes that is, not walking around. "It's going to take materials though. So hope you have the money or connections for it."

"Only in your dreams, Ash. Only guys I plan to fuck get to spank me, and we're never fucking," Melissa says without turning around, heading down the hall and opening a door, revealing more stairs. Up she goes, not into a dusty and cluttered attic, but into an empty space with sparkling clean windows.

Ash snorts softly, though what part of all that he's snorting to is anyone's guess. He follows her up, stopping in the attic, turning to look around himself, face going slightly blank with a hint of thoughtful as he looks over the walls and ceiling, mind mapping out what would be needed, how much, what tools, man hours, all of it flashing through his mind at a quick pace. "Shouldn't be … too difficult. Will need to build out the walls and then the window frames.." And he just begins to start mumbling off things that will need to be done in a constant stream.

Melissa's arms fold over her chest and she leans a shoulder against a beam. "Make a list of whatever you need, written down, not muttered please, and I'll get it for you. I'll even provide cold beer for ya while you're working. Unless you end up doing something stupid due to the beer."

Ash is still murmuring things, but mostly under his breath now, an idle wave of his hand through the air at the mention of doing something dumb on the beer. "It takes a shitload of beer to even affect me. My metabolism is as high as humanly possible… so I metabolize it fast. Takes a shitload really fast. That's why I drink liquor when I plan on getting drunk…" He turns his head to the side, peering up at the ceiling, then walking in a circle, staring at something, clearly distracted.

"Ahh," Melissa says, nodding slightly. Then she frowns a little and looks upwards, head tilting slightly to one side. "What's so fascinating up there?"

Ash blinks a few times and turns his head, his eyes coming down from the ceiling. "Oh, nothing… it's… built well. Will make it easy to put in a ceiling, unless you'd like to leave the roof open like this, then I'll have to insulate and drywall the ceiling as well, which wouldn't be all that difficult, would just take longer and more materials."

"Oh, well, good. And I kinda like it open. Makes it seem roomier. And like I said, just make me a list. You might wanna ask Faron if he wants to help you too. He's one of the ones staying here. Not sure how he is at this sorta thing, but he's good with machines. And I think it'd be good for him to get to know other Messiah members," Melissa says, looking back down at Ash.

"He's weird." Ash comments over his shoulder to Mel as he nods his head and turns away from the ceiling. "Uhh, will need a pad of paper and a pencil then. You want both rooms done at the same time? Or one and then the other? The basement will be quicker, less time consuming. It's a mostly finished basement anyway, so just gotta water seal good and tight, a few other things, but that's mostly it."

"I'll go get 'em," Melissa says, pushing away from the beam. "And yeah, guess so. Would it be easier to just get 'em both done at once? Wait, hold that thought." And down she goes, returning a minute later with a small notepad and a pen, handing them to him. "What was I saying? Oh yeah, which way would be easier?"

Ash takes the pad and pen from her as she hands them over, and he begins to eye ball sections of the attic, then writing things down on the pad, then eyeballing more stuff, then going back to the paper. "Well. I could build out the walls to accept the drywall and insulation, then leave the framework to settle. The wood will need time to adjust to the house and the temperature before I do anything to it. So, I could build the framework, then do the basement, then come back up here. I'll probably need help… hell… Magnes would be a massive help if I could stand the kid longer than a little while."

Melissa shakes her head. "No. Magnes will not be allowed back in this house. Not after the shit he pulled the other day. Pick anyone else, but not that immature little prick."

Ash turns his head, brow lifting steadily upwards. "Well, first, I did say that /if/ I could stand him longer than a little while. Which implies I can't and that I wouldn't want to work with him. Second, what the fuck did he do now?" His attention has done a rapid course change from carpentry to Magnes and what he might have done.

"I got a couple Messiah people together to go check out that shipwreck, right? Magnes showed up, all ready to go down with us. Peter shows up, and Magnes is all, oh, I'm quitting, because I know what we're doing and I'm gonna stay neutral, blah, blah, blah. Basically he was just dissin' every member of Messiah, being a jackass, and being his usual eight year old self." Melissa shrugs a little. "Like the little shit didn't know what we were doing. Anyway. He said that, Peter and I told him to go, he mouthed off a little more, then left. I'll be happy to never see the little bastard again."

Ash frowns, and his face goes harder and harder as the story goes on. "That little fuck. He knew eactly what the fuck we were doing. I told him repeatedly what we were doing before this shit got started. Told him this was no fucking game, this is serious shit." He then blinks a few times. "You guys let him walk away? He could bring us all down, report us to the government and this entire thing would come down, crash and burn…" His face has gone… very cold, and his voice has steadily leveled out, going from angry, to monotone. The cold look in his eyes making it rather clear what he's thinking about right this moment.

Melissa shakes her head. "I don't think he'll go to the government. That wouldn't be very neutral, would it?" she asks with a faint sneer. Clearly she doesn't think much of Magnes at all. "But I'm not the boss, Ash. Peter is. It was his call."

Ash is thinking a great deal of Magnes right at this moment, though those thoughts are not very friendly or nice thoughts. His eyes flicker to Melissa's features, then down to the floor as his head tilts slightly. "Know where Magnes lives?" He asks in that same level tone. Ash in killing mode is very different from Ash normally, and this is clearly Ash letting his inner sociopath out.

Brows lift and Melissa studies Ash's face for a long moment. "I know where he used to live. No idea if he's still there or not. Planning on roughing him up, or just flat out killing him?" she asks, voice empty, flat.

"Killing him." He answers very simply, very straightforwards. "He's a security risk." His voice is not empty. It's cold, a deadly tone to it. "I liked the kid at one time. But he lost that quickly as he proved again and again how immature how is, and how not serious he's taking this. And now, he's a security risk."

"You're not even going to talk to Peter first? Or Rupert? Or….hell, anyone? Just go over and boom, he's dead?" Melissa asks, head tilting, eyes never leaving his face.

Ash cocks a brow upwards on his forehead. "If he was still Messiah? Yes, I would. But he left. He left the umbrella of protection that he was being offered by being part of the group. In the same action he made himself a security risk. If you'd like to warn Rupert and Peter that I'm going to kill him that's up to you. But I am not."

Melissa nods. "Yeah, I think I am." She holds a hand out for the list of building materials. "You go hunt for him, and I'll make those calls before seeing about getting this stuff for you."

Ash shrugs his shoulders a little bit, and lifts the pad of paper up. The pen moves over the paper at a rapid pace before he hands the pad over to Melissa and nods to her. "As I said. Up to you." Ash normal? Is an angry and macho sort of individual. Ash now? Is about as far from that as can be. Cold and calculating. He turns and begins to make his way from the attic without another word.

Melissa nods as she takes the pad and pen, then watches him head down from the attic. She sighs and shakes her head, pulling out her phone. "If it's not one thing, it's another," she murmurs to herself before placing her call.


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