RP: Ashleigh Howard
Who: Ashleigh Howard Where: Ohio When: Tuesday evening, January 24, 2012 Summary: Ash arrives in Omega Reality.
Ash left work way late. There was a really big meeting in two days with a buyer from H&M and she was putting in overtime because, hello, H&M. But it was Tuesday and she had twenty minutes before AFOSI came on and she didn't want to miss a second of Richard Dean Anderson's deliciousness.
Heels clicking on the pavement, Ash walked quickly up the block to where her car was parked. Her oversized royal purple purse hung from her arm and she held her car keys in her other gloved hand. Her stylish yet warm winter coat was buttoned against the cold northern Ohio winter air. Royal purple beret perched rakishly on her head, Ash brought up her free arm to sheild her face when some idiot with their super high-beams on nearly blinded her.
"Thank you for damaging my retinas," Ash said, blinking the spots from her eyes. Once she could see properly again, she continued up the street. She pressed the key remote when she approached the spot where she'd left her car. She did not hear the familiar chirping of the doors being unlocked.
Ash pressed the key remote again, then a third time, and still no chirps. She smacked the key remote against her other hand and tried once more with no result. She might actually have to use her key to open the car door like in olden days. Good thing she was the adventurous type.
Walking pass an enormous SUV, Ash reached the spot where she'd parked that morning. Only, her car wasn't there. In its place was a Mini. "Ooh, cute car," Ash said, examining the Mini a moment before looking around. Where was her car? She couldn't be in the wrong spot. She knew exactly how many steps it was between work and her car, since it was part of her daily cardio-vascular exercise. Still, she took the extra steps to walk further up the block, looking for her car.
When she couldn't find it, Ash got worried. What if it had been stolen? Digging her cell phone out of her purse, Ash went to call 9-1-1 but there was no signal. "No, no, no," she said, turning in a circle and holding her cell at different heights. She still couldn't get a signal.
Standing there wasn't getting her any closer to Richard Dean Anderson and she was only a couple miles from her apartment. The extra walking would burn off the devil's food cupcake she'd eaten earlier. Keeping one eye on her cell in hopes she'd get a signal, she started the brisk walk home.
By the time she arrived at the apartment building, she was cold and AFCIS had already started. She shivered as she pushed her key into the lock on the door of 1C. The lock wouldn't turn. "Come on, come on," she urged, fighting against the door. The lock wouldn't budge. "Noooo."
Ash pulled her key out, turned, and leaned against the door. First her car was missing and now her door wouldn't open. She looked at her cell. Still no signal. What was happening? Were the TV Gods trying to tell her not to watch her show because it was a really bad episode?
Ash shivered again. It was too cold to stand outside to figure it out. She went to her neighbor's door and knocked. The windows were dark - in fact, all the windows in the apartment complex were dark - but maybe someone was home. She knocked again, calling out, "Hello? It's Ash from 1C. Are you there?" No one answered.
Ash tried a few of the doors but got no answer at any of them. "Okay, starting to freak out here," she said. She checked her cell again with no luck. The dark apartment building was beginning to give her the creeps. It was time to go to where she knew there'd be people, and hot cocoa.
It was nearing nine when Ash knocked on the ZBZ door before letting herself in. Thank goodness it was unlocked. "Hello, ZBZ sisters. An alumni has come to pay you a visit and stay the night," she sing-songed as she stepped into the warm, lit foyer. There were a couple of sisters in the front room, studying. She didn't recognize them, but she had been out of college for a year and a half. She could see some other changes to the sorority house, too
"Hi, I'm Ash," she introduced herself as two of the girls got up. "Is Rebecca around? My feet hurt and I'm freezing and my cell doesn't work and my car is missing and I couldn't get into my apartment and I missed AFCIS and I'd really like some hot cocoa, a shower, and a bed."
"Rebecca's not here. I'm Sheri, Pledge Educator," Sheri, the brunette wearing adorable sheep pajamas, said. "Of course we welcome alumni, provided you are one, of course."
"Of course," Ash said. It was late, and she didn't see any of the sisters she knew when she was here, so verifying she was a ZBZ wasn't a big deal. She launched into the ZBZ sorority song.
Sheri eyed Ash dubiously when she'd finished. "What?" Ash said. She didn't think her singing voice was that bad.
"Well, you're old..er, so I'll ignore the mistakes," Sheri said. "Missy, will you take Ash upstairs to the empty and find her some sheets and blankets?"
Ash knew she hadn't made a single mistake on the words, but Missy was already heading upstairs and Ash was too cold and her feet hurt too much to care. She simply smiled brightly, said thanks, and followed after Missy. "By any chance did someone record AFCIS...?"