#deadlock frankie

[wildwinterlunas]

Little Deadlock HC I have, Frankie and Sombra have a rivalry dating back to when Sombra went by Olivia and Cassidy was still in Deadlock.

------------------

*Frankie walking into the bar near one of Deadlocks hide outs, slams her laptop of a table getting Ashe and Cassidy's attention, then proceeds to grab her gun and a bat.* Frankie: Enough of this shit, we're killing Olivia! Ashe: Frankie... You can't kill her. Frankie: Oh? You don't think I can kill an ten year old? Well I will smash in her face. With a bat. Like a watermelon. Ashe: No, no, I believe you have the ability to kill her. What I'm saying is, if you do, you validate what everyone is saying about Olivia being your nemesis. Cassidy: Also you'd be a child killer, which some many argue is worse.

[sleepykamukura]

i think ashe is one of the most agonizing characters for me to think about because she’s just like me

her family is a shitshow. i’ve never seen people acknowledge that her parents were genuinely abusive past “ashe’s family sucks.”

neglect is abuse, manipulation is abuse, and it’s implied in a one-off that her mother threatens to hit her

so, long long ramble analysis of ashe’s parents

Graduation Day

ashe’s day starts well, excited to graduate, finally be out of a shitty school with shittier peers. her parents promised to be there, and they weren’t. this also isn’t the first time, according to ashe

she’s upset, she wants to be alone. unfortunately, being alone is what gets her into trouble

The Fight

so obviously a 17yo girl getting cornered by two teenage boys is definitely not a great situation, and the cops not believing ashe was defending herself baffles me

her parents have me even more confused. do you have so little care for your kid that you’re more worried about your image than your safety?

they tell her they’ll disown her, which is fucked. this is a threat, this is abuse

Calamity

when the original gang(tm) have her come up with a code name for their trip to cutthroat trout’s, ashe doesn’t think of a nickname or something badass, she thinks of her mother fussing at her over an accident

The House

this is the biggest piece to me.

ashe’s parents are home on her birthday, they’re angry, they’re either unaware of or unbothered by the fact a kid (cole) has been kidnapped off their property, they’re unbothered that their daughter was inside a burning building, they’re more bothered by their money being at risk

“Oh honestly, Elizabeth,” she said, sounding exasperated, “did you really believe we were going to disown you? Our only child?”

Ashe blinked at her parents, utterly bewildered.

“You were out of control,” her father continued. “You needed to be taught a lesson. Yes, it was a drastic step to make you think we were going to cut you off, but something needed to be done to convince you to clean up your act!”

The world seemed to warp around Ashe, twisting in some way she couldn’t comprehend. Were they telling the truth? Or was this simply a performance, a rewriting of the punishment they’d threatened, in order for her parents to save face in front of Bellerae’s police force?

Something needed to be done.

You needed to be taught a lesson.

to me, this implies that ashe’s parents rewrite their punishments frequently when it doesn’t go how they want to emotionally confuse her

Her mother looked surprised, but only for a moment. Then her eyes went hard. “You know, Elizabeth, I used to think you were misguided, a little too spirited for your own good. I thought having to confront the idea of being on your own would be to your benefit. But now I know better: At your core, you’re nothing more than a base, common criminal.”

“Strange,” said Ashe, glaring right back. “I would have thought that made me the perfect candidate to work with you and all those corporate buddies whose boots you line up to lick.”

Her mother’s hand flickered up, as if she was about to slap Ashe, but it stopped halfway. “Sheriff,” she called instead. “Get over here.”

wow! ok! even if she doesn’t actually hit her, its still wrong to threaten people (let alone your kids) with physical violence

The Aftermath (Part One)

Less than an hour later, she was free. And poor, once again. Her bail, covering the many crimes she was accused of, had been astronomical—taking almost everything there was in the gang’s shared account. That had left a feeling like a hole in her gut, but it was nothing compared to the one eating deeper and deeper as the minutes ticked by and the Diamondbacks still had [Cole]. And yet, she couldn’t help but reflect on how her parents’ interference had left her exactly where they had intended—eighteen, penniless, and without anywhere to call home.

But even if her blood relations had cast her aside, Ashe had found a new family to take their place.

And one of those people was in trouble.

ashe’s family isn’t blood anymore. her parents have hurt her over and over again for eighteen years, and to me i can interpret this of her being drained of every possible drop of love for her parents. they don’t seem to love her, why should she be obligated to love them? the gang treats her better, they respect her, they’re an emotionally stable environment.

The last few months had been the first time in years she’d been happy in this house. Now she was walking its halls for what was likely the final time.

The thought didn’t bother her half as much as she might have expected.

the house is devoid of ashe’s real family (the gang), making it worthless to her in the end.

Packing only some clothing and a few personal items. Everything else, she was happy to abandon. It wasn’t her, not anymore. In the end, the entirety of her life at Lead Rose Manor came to less than half a rucksack.

nothing in the manor mattered to her, i interpret this as her only things she brought was things she bought with her own money

If her parents had kept their promise, she never would have met [Cole], or Julian, or Frankie. And that opened a bigger hole in her than the thought of never seeing Lead Rose again.

This was no longer her home. Arbalest was no longer her company. And her parents were no longer her family.

<- refer to last excerpt’s comment

The Aftermath (Part Two)

right after ashe declares the gang is her only family, it’s revealed that julian is the one who betrayed her. obviously this is messed up, it’s upsetting, and she’s angry.

Frankie’s expression turned even stonier than when she’d looked at Julian. “I’m not saying I don’t understand, but … I’d never betray you—or Jesse, or even B.O.B.—like that. I thought you’d know that by now. But I’ll give you that one mistake.” She locked eyes with Ashe. “Next time you doubt me, I’m done. That’s not something I’ll forgive twice. Understood?”

to me this feels like ashe’s treatment in her childhood has altered her perception of others. her parenrs betrayed her and broke promises a lot, at least as far as we’re told. obviously ashe is quick to jump to conclusions, but luckily frankie is willing to give her a chance to learn not everyone is like that

But even though [Cole] was smiling, one of his eyes was nearly swelled shut, and there was dried blood on his chin from a split lip.

Ashe wheeled on Bez and shoved him into the wall of the cavern. “What did you do to him, you son of a—”

this isnt super important, to me it’s just ashe taking on the overprotective role her blood family never did for her

Seeing them now, gathered and wearing their new insignia for the first time, triggered a strange feeling, one that was so unfamiliar it took her a moment to identify it.

Home. This felt like home.

“But more than a gang,” she continued, “we’re a family. And like a real family, once you’re in Deadlock, you’re in it for life.”

ashe’s blood family is gone, but she has the gang now. maybe her methods are harsh, but she does it in a way they gives out the feeling of love and safety her parents never provided for her

The Aftermath (The Finale)

although we don’t see cole’s betrayal, to me it’s implied he was forced to cut contact with ashe. maybe it’s just a throw away line, but ashe remarks that cole promised he’s right, yet he never did. ~20 years with no contact doesn’t seem like something usual for cole, even if he was disagreeing with how deadlock was straying from its original path.

ashe had been stabbed in the back before, first her family, then julian. of course it hurt when she thought cole betrayed her, the first person to attempt to even understand her, the person she was willing to risk her life to save.

cole having contact with ashe probably wasn’t forcefully cut off, but he instead decided it was safer for her and the rest of the gang for him to not contact him, in preparation of his contact being tracked by overwatch to potentially do another operation on the deadlock gang

okay it’s 4:30am and i’ve been writing for 2hrs now and i’m done uhhh i would love any additional content and observations and analysis ^_^ i like seeing other people’s interpretations

[dawnthefox24]

*Ashe, Frankie, and Cole are playing poker. Cole is winning by a long shot because he knows how too play poker.* Ashe: *is beyond frustrated and throws her cards in anger* Aw, come on!!! Frankie: *swipes her her cards off the table*It’s not fair! Cole doesn't even know what we’re playing! Cole: *Clearly knows what they're playing but decided to be ass and tease them*Go Fish?

[odessastone]

Overwatch 2: Invasion: Lore Compilation - Winston

Winston's lore drops definitely did not go in a way I expected. He seems to be chatting with three new (?) characters who refer themselves as white hat hackers, but weirdly, one is named Harold?? Like Dr. Winston?? I don't think it's him, but odd name to pick. "Dangercat" talks a little bit like Sombra, but as far as we know Sombra isn't married, lol....unless this is some big future lore drop 😆

Too bad they don't seem to be utilizing Frankie from Deadlock Rebels. Maybe there's a role for her in the story yet.

I think I speak for the entire fandom when I say "F off, United Nations" LOL. Like seriously, what are YOU guys doing to stop Null Sector?!

Also, I know one of the devs was really excited on Twitter a while back talking about Tracer's "blanket lore". I guess the big lore reveal was that Winston bought it for her. And also that she apparently uses a child-sized comforter, lol. Tbh this is a cute little extra. I'm always happy to have tidbits like this for the characters.

ALL LORE COMPILATIONS CAN BE FOUND HERE

[metamelonisle]

franky falls into the underground and toriel just lets him leave without even trying to make him stay because she does not want to deal with him. upon entering snowdin he ends up swapping places with papyrus because he decides to "fix" all the puzzles and makes them more dangerous (but ironically end up only harming him) and papyrus has to go through them and then when he gets to waterfall undyne is like "woah! anime REAL? why is your body made of metal" and he does not entirely befriend her but also does by nature of He Didn't Kill Anyone He's Just Kind Of Insufferable and is also reasonably friendly despite his abrasive-ass nature. and then he goes to hotland and thinks mettaton is fucking awesome while mettaton refuses to believe he is a human because This Guy Is Metal And That's Not Normal and then he has a funk-off with mettaton EX and a really really cool fight that ends with franky victorious but mettaton alive and the whole time alphys is just in fucking shock because that's Franky from One Piece. and he makes it all the way to new home and fights asgore and wins and watches with absolute aghast horror as flowey kills him and then he just goes all out on photoshop flowey until flowey reveals he knows abt the back weakness and just kills him over and over and over and over and then neutral ending happens. and franky is like "i oughtta kill you, you little squirt!" and then he stomps on flowey non-fatally because he is a one piece character (cmon you think i'd really let him kill flowey) and ends up warped back to before the asgore fight. and then he goes to the true lab and is like "yeaooow!!! these guys look like they could use some cola!" and bc the amalgamates are just like. regular people all merged together they're just like "yo thathanksnks mamnan man" and befriend him. and then he gets back to new home where he realizes he has a chance to stop things from progressing the way they did last time and responds by trying to talk down asgore this time (its hard because he's franky. but he's trying because this guy is basically like his sworn brother to him now. he doesn't want asgore to die) and ends up stalling long enough for everyone to come by. except because he is an insufferable lout who while well-meaning and overall benevolent, was also just too unpleasant for anyone to wanna befriend, literally no one comes by and they end up deadlocked in the throne room until the end of time because franky wont die and he wont kill asgore or let asgore kill himself and franky is too strong for flowey to intervene and no one wants to go to new home to help him so they're just there forever

[karlyanalora]

Hi, I recently found the post you made awhile ago talking about Burns family ships while looking for Graham/Amy stuff, and you mentioned writing a fic set ten years after the show ends. I don't know how long ago that was, but would you mind sharing more about that fic, I'm personally very intrigued.

Ah yes! It might not be happening anymore, but here were some of my plans.

It would have been part of a crossover involving both Star Wars, Marvel, and DC. A lot of work had gone into setting up how DC, Marvel, and Star Wars coexist earlier in the series (that part I am still planning to write) before Transformers entered the picture (which probably won't happen anymore.)

The year is 2025. The Batmobile is a Decepticon OC of mine named LS. IDW based Drift is partnered with Nightwing. IDW based Red Alert is also partnered with Red Robin. TFP Soundwave is partners with Black Bat. Whirl Sr. and Harley Quinn are partners too.

The Coruscant Guard (who are alive after Order 66 due to some Marvel based shenanigans) have moved to Gotham and work with the GPD. Also, Mandalore has an embassy in Gotham because they think the city is neat. (It's trying to kill them, just like home!)

Chief Burns had grown up in Gotham. His mom had run away from home (Griffin Rock) for love, but her husband turned out to be a jerk and left her and the kids. She died from an illness, and Charlie joined a gang to put bread on the table. Charlie killed a man from a rival gang in self-defense at the young age of 16. Woodrow was worried for his bro, and in an age before Batman, reached out to my oc hero Foxglove. Foxglove in turn reached out to Jim Gordon's dad, who took in the two Burns boys.

After reconnecting with his grandfather and losing his wife to Crime Alley, Chief moved to Griffin Rock. But Dani, Kade, and Graham are old enough to remember and consider Gotham home.

Kade is also Babara Gordon's favorite cousin.

The year is 2025, and Babs is getting married to Dick Grayson. Kade thinks his cousin can do much better than that bimbo and is very vocal about it. Babs invites Kade to come and see why she's not settling.

Dani has also been dating a guy online named Thire, who works for the GPD. He's let her know he's got some "interesting life facts" he'd like to share in person, and she knows she'll have to tell him about Blades if things are going to get serious. But her Uncle Jim says Thire is a real good guy so she's not too worried.

The We Are Robin has also started and is not going away. They are joined by the Blanks, a group of anonymous young clones going behind their older brothers' backs to protect their new home in Gotham. Commissioner Gordon calls in Chief Burns to negotiate with the teens to find an agreement the adults can live with.

So this gets Chief, Dani, Kade, and Heatwave in Gotham for a visits.

Dani has a very fun date with Thire, who is a clone. Fox, Chief, and Gordon have way to much fun running into the couple and Fox gives Thire a hard time about it in a teasing way.

It is revealed Blades is like a dad to Drift, and Drift was like a dad to Wedge back when he was Deadlock. There is much angst as Drift frets about his past. It's a whole thing to convince him Blades will still love him. Blades and Wedge are both thrilled to be reunited with Drift.

Whirl Sr. and Whirl Jr. also have a wonderful reunion.

Kade learns he saved Ketsu Onyo once years ago and she finds that hot. He gets a date out of it. He can't help it her kid is adorable! (She was at the Embassy when Kade came to visit.)

Also, somehow, the Burns somehow get included in the "We know who Batman is" club.

As for more normal stuff? Cody and Frankie are married. So are Graham and Amy. Might be a few grandkids. Chief still hasn't managed to retire yet. Cody is a paramedic, but he feels his calling might not be in rescue work.

Yeah. So that's a bunch of thoughts I had. Here's a fic I wrote to lay the groundwork for some of it.

[dm3mol-1]

Strawhats playing Catan?

Oh you mean Nami and Usopp dominating the whole game? Sanji just gives everything to Robin and Nami but somehow manages to keep his ground (ahem)? Robin being responsible for 90% of thrown 7 therefore blocking the most crucial spots for Nami and Usopp? Luffy and Chopper playing as a team and depending on Robin to help them? Zoro ignoring them, but once he joins he's the best at blocking roads so no one can branch out their towns and grow. Franky being the leading merchant for starter materials so he can dictate the tempo of the game? Brook either forfeiting (if the game gets repetitive, tossing the same numbers, being in a deadlock when no one wants to trade anything, etc.) or losing pretty fast? Yeah.

[vaqro]

𝟎𝟔.   𝐉𝐔𝐏𝐈𝐓𝐄𝐑   !

✰ ⸻    𝐏𝐋𝐀𝐍𝐄𝐓   𝐇𝐄𝐀𝐃𝐂𝐀𝐍𝐎𝐍𝐒    !   ༄ㅤ/ㅤalways accepting . / @femtaile .

is your muse a lucky person ? do things randomly tend to go their way without much effort, or do they have to work for bad luck ?

now, the cowboy wouldn't consider himself a lucky person; after all, survival has nothing to do with luck. It took skill, both active and passive, for him to reach where he is on the road. it took a lot of hard work, and a lot of playing his cards right. However considering the path with his life took to get where he is now, he would consider himself quite lucky in the way things did go wrong a lot of the time and he did suffer quite a bit he lost his family early on, had to work as a child in gruesome environments such as factories and farms; he broke away from the from the only people he ever called true friends. blackwatch was considered by many around him a true lucky point in his life. the fact it took him from a life of crime and immorality into something he could call noble. it doesn't end well, though, does it?

when was the moment in your muses life that they had to grow up, a situation where they just knew it was time for them to mature ? perhaps a traumatic event, maybe even an exciting one !

as the fourth child of a happy and stable family, cole was never expected to grow up so quickly; he could do things at his own time, at his own pace: he could fail and he could succeed and no matter what he would be loved by his parents and his siblings. The truck time That changed when his lands were stolen by omega corporation and his family was butchered in front of that night scarred him deeply; in the span of hours, he became an orphan, alone in the southwestern desert, having to fend for himself in the worst ways possible.

cole found work in places no child should be working [ not that any child should be working ]. his first job, at the pork factory, was especially traumatizing. this is where he had to process remains and discard entrails — living and breathing dead bodies cut open and disemboweled. for someone who grew up to that point respecting animal life [ the ranch was small, the livestock raised respectfully ]. the shock of saying those bodies in a similar manner to the ones of his family only added to the toll. from there the cowboy became more and more cynical and jaunted — less willing to trust people.

julian, someone who came to meet at the ace valentine megafarm was the exception, at least at first. they became inseparable friends and, eventually, each other's first love. Julian would eventually betray him to save his own neck from certain death. cole never forgave him. ashe would come a little later after julian, showing him that family is something you can choose. the three of them, alongside a hacker called frankie formed the deadlock rebels. It was a good time while it lasted. then, he would spent fifteen years serving blackwatch.

so it is safe to say that in a short span of life [ seventeen years, though the most of his trauma happened from eleven onward ] cole had to go from that happy – if naive – child to a hardened, cynical men. a killer. a mercenary. a soldier. a bounty hunter. he never had the opportunity to access what happened to him in anything but a dissociated way; he can't frame himself within the parameters of his old name and that is not a coincidence, but truly a consequence of his life experiences: that he refers to himself only as Cole Cassidy.

has your muse found their happiness in life ? their purpose ? if so, when and how did that happen ?

He has had his moments of happiness, though brief and sparse, in life since the incident at the ranch when he was eleven. for all he reserves his criticism for overwatch [ especially at the end ], he cannot deny those fifteen years were his happiest. he had a family among those ranks: GABRIEL REYES, ANA AMARI AND HER DAUGHTER FAREEHA, ANGELA ZIEGLER, AMELIE AND GERARD LACROIX, GENJI SHIMADA, LENA OXTON — just to mention a few names. however, as it is known, that moment in his life came to an end in a long and torturous process that left him feeling empty inside. then, as a bounty hunter and mercenary [ a man on the run from many things ]. It's not that he didn't want it, it is simply that he didn't think himself for deserving of that feeling.

DOESN'T DETAIN HIM FROM REACHING FOR THAT SUNSET. this idea [ an archetypal notion of the lonesome hero riding off to sunset, symbolizing he has prevailed over the antagonist ] he has that will find his happiness when he is done working, even though he believes, deep down, he will never stop until he dies — the hero cannot exist within the vacuum, after all. be it the epic or the tragedy, the hero rarely lives on to the end of his own story [ doesnt keep him from accepting the call ]. so he entertains himself with the fantasy he will buy himself a farm, raise some livestock and grow his own food; he may even have a family. it is less of a plan and more of a distant daydream. whatever happens, happens.

what gives your muse confidence, what makes them optimistic ? or are they pessimistic ? what makes their life purposeful ?

The cowboy's confidence relies and foremost on his own abilities. he is fully aware of what he is capable of, as he is entirely aware of how far he can take a bluff. it doesn't make him particularly optimistic toward any outcome — simply that given opportunity, he can go down fighting a good fight. he has no deep purpose in life, especially as of the time around recall. he wants to find widowmaker, he wants to free echo, but thats about the end of it. ANA'S LETTER PROVES, HOWEVER, THAT HE SEEKS A HIGHER PURPOSE. the hero fights not for himself, but for those he considers dear to him and / or swore to protect.

[chongoblog]

ALL SONGS USED

"Lush Medley" by dexiedoo_octo & wookywok

"The Distance" by Cake

"Hollaback Girl" by Gwen Stefani

"Blitzkrieg Bop" by the Ramones

"Sexy Back" by Justin Timberlake

"Uptown Funk" by Mark Ronson

"D.A.N.C.E" by Justice

"Wonderwall" by Oasis

"Shake That" by Eminem ft. Nate Dogg

"All Star" by Smash Mouth

"Baby" by Justin Bieber

"DK Rap" by Grant Kirkhope

"In The End" by Linkin Park

"Hard Times" by Paramore

"It's Tricky" by Run-DMC

"Toxic" by Britney Spears

"Scatman's World" by Scatman John

"Dragostea Din Tei" by O-Zone

"Wannabe" by Spice Girls

"About Damn Time" by Lizzo

"I'm Coming Out" by Diana Ross

"Run Away With Me" by Carly Rae Jepsen

"Shelter" by Porter Robinson and Madeon

"Store" by Carly Rae Jepsen

Reese's Puff Rap

"Mad World" by Gary Jules

"Mega Man" by Jay Eazy

"Get Low" by Lil Jon

"MEGALOVANIA" by Toby Fox

"Break Your Heart" by Taio Cruz

"Body Rock" from Wario Ware D.I.Y

"This Is Gospel" by Panic! at the Disco

"Stressed Out" by Twenty-One Pilots

"The Sweet Escape" by Gwen Stefani

"Ice Ice Baby" by Vanilla Ice

"Break'n a Sweat" by Skrillex

"Super Bass" by Nicki Minaj

"The Middle" by Jimmy Eat World

"Here It Goes Again" by OK Go

"Ain't Got Rhythm" from Phineas and Ferb

"Take On Me" by a-ha

"Take Me Out" by Franz Ferdinand

"Numb" by Linkin Park

"Centuries" by Fall Out Boy

"Like a G6" by Far East Movement

"Rolling in the Deep" by Adele

"Are You Gonna Be My Girl" by Jet

"Still Alive" by Jonathan Coulton

"Deadlock" by Go! Child

"Ruler of Everything" by Tally Hall

"My Boo" by Ghost Town DJs

"Another One Bits the Dust" by Queen

"Why I Haven't Made A Video In A While" by Brian David Gilbert

"Down With The Sickness" by System of a Down

"More Than A Feeling" by Boston

"Born to Run" by Bruce Springsteen

"The Reflex" by Duran Duran

"Lone Digger" by Caravan Palace

"Tik Tok" by Ke$ha

"What Makes You Beautiful" by One Direction

"Mr Brightside" by The Killers

"Fear and Delight" by The Correspondents

Masterbits CLIMAX 6 Rapsody (Vocals ll) - Swiny House

"I Knew You Were Trouble" by Taylor Swift

"Feel Good Inc" by Gorillaz

"Dare" by Gorillaz

"Takyon" by Death Grips

"Semi-Charmed Life" by Third Eye Blind

"Africa" by Toto

"Die Young" by Ke$ha

"Walkin on the Sun" by Smash Mouth

"Great Days" by Karen Aoki

"Don't Stop Me Now" by Queen

"Psychosocial" by Slipknot

"Blank Space" by Taylor Swift

"Relax" by Frankie Goes to Hollywood

"We Like To Party" by Vengaboys

"City of Color" by The Squid Sister

"Beatboxing Puppy Song" by Monlee Mane

"GALO SENGEN" by The Policemen

Heaven Studio is really cool. Did you know it did one of those big medleys of all the songs available? Well, that's always fun for me...

[ash-n-dynamite]

Every now and then I think about Frankie. Probably more often than anyone else from Deadlock, besides Bob. Even Bars or the twins don't cross my mind nearly as much.

[wildwinterlunas]

What are the characters that we’ve seen in the various media stories of Overwatch that you’d want as heroes

Mine are Maximilian and D.Mon

My main ones are Sanjay, Lynx and Frankie. All of them most likely being supports.

Sanjay cause we need another villain support. Like yesterday. Please give Talon more members cause at this point they are just going to get jumped. But also I think Sanjay would be a good opportunity to bring back a version of Symetra's old support kit.

Lynx is also a character I see as support, probably with an altered version of MW!Sombra's kit as well. I they would be a good addition cause they seem like they could be a good middle ground for Zenyatta and Ramattra's beliefs, they're very intolerant of prejudice but are accepting of change. I also think that they are a good choice cause they already have an in to get into Overwatch with Zarya already being a member.

Frankie is the only one that's a toss up between DPS or Support, but considering her role in Deadlock Rebels I think she'd fit better as support. Character wise I would just like more insight for Deadlock and the other founders reactions to the situation with Cassidy. Cause Frankie is a lot more level headed and is more similar to Cassidy then Ashe in the way they act and understand the world. Not only that but Frankie would be a good opportunity to bring in a drone based Support.

[sleepykamukura]

more cashe + shipping frankie & ashe bc i can

[dawnthefox24]

Okay I always wondered how Ashe felt when she found out that Cole joined Overwatch and I'm 100% sure she was very devastated and pissed that Cole basically betrayed her by breaking a promise they both made which is a slap to the face too her.

~~~~ *Ashe seems a bit worried for Cole as she paced around nervously hoping that Cole would be okay since what he did was a stupid move since its been awhile since she last heard from him all she's gotten was radio silence*  Frankie:*notices this and walks over to her* Relax Ashe, why don't we watch T.V so you can ease you're mind   Ashe: For all I know Cassidy might be dead Frankie, after his stupid self sacrifice he did for us! Why would he do that!? Frankie: *places her hand on her shoulder He was thinking of us Ashe he risked his life for ours.  Ashe: We'll he shouldn't…we left him… Frankie: He told us to go… Ashe: And I've shouldn't have listened…. Frankie: Ashe all of us could have gone to maximum prison and there would be no way for us to break out….he saved us… Ashe:....I…I just…It feels so quiet without him…. Frankie: *sighs before getting an idea* Tell you what how about this, we plan a heist to break Cole out okay starting tonight Ashe:*sighs*How though? Frankie:I'll start by look-*gets immediately cut off when Bars run in* Bars: ASHE,FRANKIE YOU MAY WANT  TO SEE THIS ON THE NEWS!!! Ashe and Frankie:*both look at each other and fallows Bars to where the rest of the Deadlock gang just watched the news of Overwatch having a new recruit* Ashe:*takes the remote and turns up the volume * What is going on? News reporter: Today a big announcement from Overwatch with there new youngest recruit ever, it shows that people can change or deserve a second chance. Something that Strike Commander Morrsion is happily to talk about with the press about there latest recruit. Frankie: What are they talkin- Ashe: Quiet! News reporter: *shows an imagine of Cassidy standing in the middle between Reyes and Morrsion with Ana stand behind him* Cole Cassidy, is the youngest member of Overwatch after being taken in was given a second chance at redemption, A new face and a new age to inspire the younger generation that- Ashe:*turns off the T.V as she seemed out of it* *Everyone looks at Ashe wondering if this was a joke* Frankie:*looks worried* oh no….Ashe you al- Ashe: *actually snaps* HOW COULD HE!! DID HE FORGET !? WAS EVERYTHING A LIE!? Frankie: Ashe please calm down… Ashe: *has tears rolling down her face * HE BETRAYED US !!! WE WERE HIS FAMILY NOT THEM!!!  Frankie: Ashe it's ok-   Ashe:IT'S NOT OKAY!! HE LEFT US FRANKIE HE LEFT US AND JOIN WHAT WE SWORE TO NEVER BECOME!! *storms off upset hurt and confused*   Frankie:*tries to go after her but B.O.B stops her * B.O.B move… B.O.B:*shakes his head indicating Frankie to let Ashe cool down*   Frankie: But…I…okay… ~~ Ashe:* went to the base clearly pissed off as she went to her hover bike noticing the picture of her and Cole* Ashe:*without a second she looked  angrily at the picture of her and Cole before she ripped it in half before realising what she's done as she breaks down a bit * Idiot…why….why did you lie to me?....

[vaqro]

isn't  she  an  excited  little  thing ?ㅤㅤwith  her  piercing  smile  and  waving  hands  in  hot  pink  and  cyan.ㅤㅤfrom  the  security  of  his  stetson  trim,ㅤhis  bourbon  eyes  see  it  all.ㅤㅤshe's  been  enhanced,ㅤif  not  completely  cybernized.ㅤㅤshe  is  younger  than  him,ㅤbut  not  by  much.ㅤㅤher  english  is  extremely  accented,ㅤand  her  word  choice  suggests  she  is  of  latine  descent.ㅤㅤor,ㅤat  the  very  least,ㅤhispanic  in  some  fashion.ㅤㅤher  consonants  shiver  at  the  back  of  his  mind,ㅤwhere  ghosts  like  to  murmur  when  he  isn't  drunk  enough  to  stop  dreaming.ㅤㅤbehind  her  own  quirks  and  color  scheme,ㅤshe  is  not  dissimilar  to  himself.

the  cowboy  is  unable  to  maintain  a  straight  mask.ㅤㅤWHO  ARE  YOU ?ㅤㅤwhat  have  you  done?ㅤㅤhe  wasn't  always  fond  of  remembering  the  past  after  a  certain  point.ㅤㅤarose  fully  developed  as  a  deadlock  leader ;ㅤnothing  before  that  was  noteworthy.ㅤㅤyet  here  he  is,ㅤwhisky  just  brushing  his  lips.ㅤㅤbank  robberies  and  train  thefts ;ㅤassassinations ;ㅤcovert  operations ;ㅤundercover ;ㅤreconnaissance ---

  —  yet  none  of  it  tells  you  how  flesh  yields  beneath  a  serrated  knife,ㅤhow  simple  it  is  to  rip  a  body  in  half  with  a  chainsaw,ㅤor  how  it  feels  to  butcher,ㅤclean,ㅤshatter,ㅤand  slice  until  your  elbows  are  covered  in  blood.ㅤㅤnobody  tells  you  about  how  cotton  oil  burns  your  fingertips  or  how  thorns  puncture  your  flesh.ㅤㅤ

he  doesn't  know  how  to  respond  to  her  inquiry,ㅤso  he  drinks  his  drink  and  tilts  his  head.

WHO  AM  I ?ㅤㅤI  COULD  BE  ANYONE.

"  que  lo  realmente  quieres,ㅤchica?  "ㅤ  —  ㅤhe  smirks,ㅤhis  eyes  glinting  almost  dangerously  under  the  shade  of  his  hat.ㅤㅤit  is  true  that  he  is  the  one  who  requires  her  assistance;ㅤbreaking  into  military  databanks  isn't  something  that  every  hacker  would  want  to  do,ㅤand  he  isn't  on  good  enough  terms  with  frankie  to  ask  for  this  level  of  assistance ㅤ [ㅤor  willing,ㅤbecause  the  cowboy  is  protective  of  his  mysteries,ㅤto  explain  his  reasoningsㅤ].ㅤㅤhe  is  not,ㅤhowever,ㅤhere  to  casually  reveal  his  secrets.ㅤㅤㅤ"  you  can’t  exactly  go  ‘round  asking  me  for  an  open  book  when  you  yourself  ain’t  but  a  stranger.ㅤㅤthat  don’t  seem  right,ㅤdoes  it ?  "ㅤ

he  raises  his  glass  to  the  bartender,ㅤDAME  UN  OTRO  DE  WHISKEY,ㅤAMIGO ?ㅤhis  mechanical  arm  gleaming  in  the  warm  lights  of  the  establishment.ㅤㅤeveryone  knew  better  than  to  call  the  outlaw  out  on  his  own  bounty  on  the  border  like  this.ㅤㅤit  is  more  hassle  than  it  is  worth.ㅤㅤhe  returns  his  gaze  to  her  and  adds,ㅤ"  how  ‘bout  we  re  -  roll  this  one  properly ?ㅤㅤname’s  cassidy.ㅤㅤwhat  ‘bout  yourself ?ㅤ"ㅤ  SOMBRA.ㅤㅤhe  already  knew  the  answer;ㅤthey'd  been  talking  for  weeks,ㅤbut  this  was  different.ㅤㅤshe  would  get  exactly  what  she  offered.ㅤㅤ[ㅤbut  that’s  not  your  name  either,ㅤis  it ?ㅤㅤthat’s  not  who  you  are.ㅤㅤbut  who  you  are,ㅤshe  will  never  find  out.ㅤ]

How quaint. She really does feel like she's in a spaghetti Western when the vaquero sits across from her. The edge of her lips quirks into half a smirk and she takes the fancy little margarita glass to sip from it slowly as she considers him.

It is him, of that she's sure - hard to hide from her, especially given how distinctive he is in appearance. The metal arm, for one, is hard to miss. She lets the silence stretch between them for a while, wondering if he was going to be the one to break it first, but he seems comfortable with it. Lazily, both of her arms come up as she stretches - then one arm slings over the back of the booth in one smooth motion.

"Que tal," she finally greets easily, seemingly as at ease in this dingy little corner as she would be at home in Mexico or at Talon's base itself. "Just like we agreed, no need to make things super complicated or anything. Half now, half later, and a little trade, bien?" Her finger trails around the lightly salted rim of the margarita glass and she's still looking at him with sharp and searching magenta eyes - as if his demeanor, his expression alone, could hint at the secrets that lay in his past and within his soul.

What a curious puzzle he was. She takes the margarita glass again and drains it this time, the column of her throat working to swallow the rest of the liquid. Not that there was much left. She did tend to drink a lot, so it took a lot to give her any pause. Once that was done, she sets it down and turns to him again. "I just gotta know. Perdona me, mi abuela always told me I was way too curious, but I'm sure you understand. What's a nice, upstanding citizen like you got to hide?"

Her voice has been quiet the entire time, carefully calculated to not extend between the two of them - accented but clear. A single slit eyebrow quirks and she makes it very obvious that she's looking at him up and down. As if finding him wanting. "Don't tell me. You robbed a bank. Wait..." She's smirking again, as if her own jokes were the height of comedy. "No, I got it. You had to find the outlaw what killed your paw." The fake Texan accent is atrocious, but it's part of the humor.

[a-single-drop-of-ink]

Chapters: 1/???

Fandom: Overwatch (Video Game), Blades in the Dark (Roleplaying Game)

Rating: Teen And Up Audiences

Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence

Characters: Elizabeth Caledonia Ashe, Jesse McCree, Gabriel Reyes

Summary: In a steampunk city overrun by ghosts and apparitions due to the strange inability of people to move on once they’ve died, Jesse McCree is arrested during a heist gone wrong and given the ultimatum: join the police force and solve paranormal hauntings and murders using his ability to see and communicate with spirits, or be locked away for the rest of his life.

[seyaryminamoto]

my school works are piled up this past few weeks (graduating tingz) and i just started reading the deadlock novel it feels like i'm reading a sokkla fic every time Mcashe has a scene because they just give off the vibes skskskskksksks. BTW, what's your top5 fav scenes from the novel? PS: I'm smiling like an idiot while reading the novel ughh i hate myself

I KNOW, RIIIIIGHT?! *-* and don't hate yourself, my anon friend, I spent the whole novel smiling and laughing and losing my goddamn mind because I was having the time of my life xD enjoy this beautiful content as best you can!

I mean, frankly, Reunion already had all the Sokkla vibes I could've wanted/needed to ship these two like FedEx and I always knew I wasn't getting off this ride anytime soon. But gosh, this book... it gave me everything I wanted and MORE! Their dynamics are soooo similar to Sokkla team-up dynamics, two power couples kicking ass and taking names... oh, I just love it so much. I probably will end up reading the book a third time soon x'D

As for my favorite scenes, damn, this is tricky xD

KEYCHAIN! HE MADE HER KEYCHAIN!! THIS IS NOT A DRILL!!! God, it's just amazing how the book explains the "vintage" look for Ashe's hoverbike the way it does, and that they literally built it together *screams!!!*, but then he gives her that keychain for her birthday present, and the implications!! THE IMPLICATIONS!!! He gave her a keychain she's held onto for TWENTY YEARS?!?!?! Ships in the OW fandom have sailed far and wide with less than breadcrumbs: we literally have been granted a boon from the GODS with all this extra context for the little things in Reunion xD

Ashe going to hell and back to save her kidnapped BFF-for-whom-she-totally-doesn't-have-feelings-yeah-yeah-sure-Jan. I love the fact that McCree is, in a way, Ashe's damsel in distress and not the other way around xD Of course, it's what you'd expect from an Ashe-centric story, but it's still an amazing sequence, all around. Gotta highlight how she loves the way he smiles like a madman when they have that shootout at the end, and how he worries so much over Ashe's injury when he took an even worse one than she did (the Sokkla vibes in that particular situation were SO STRONG! I SWEAR!).

"Jesse McCree, are you trying to make me say you're handsome?" "Am I?" ... do I need to say more. That FLIRTING. These two were on fire already and they'd only known each other for like... weeks, at this point? x'D He has no sense of moderation, he's soooo into her and doesn't hide it at all. Ashe is so busy trying to plot all the crime and Jesse's practically like a shojo heroine, "oh I can feel it, this is how my love story begins!", basically xD

Finally I pick a not-McAshe scene... to bring up the one where Ashe picks up the Viper on her last moment in Lead Rose Manor. That moment was just... POWERFUL. The feeling of epicness in that scene just overwhelmed me when I was reading it xD

The ending of the book :'D the fully formed Deadlock Gang ready for business, down to the explanation for the Est. 1976 in the logo... *sobs* the fact that so much about the character design choices in these two characters is a shoutout to the past they share is just... *gross sobbing* oh, I just love it to pieces, I'm not even sorry.

Ashe's bike race to save B.O.B. x'D that whole situation was bonkers but I looooved how fierce she was about protecting her one and only buddy while growing up (AND THAT JESSE BLUSHED WHEN SHE TAUNTED HIM WAS JUST THE CHERRY ON TOP!). I appreciated learning more about the Omnic War and its consequences, how Ashe reflects on having escaped it practically untouched in virtue of her money and societal privilege while her new friends all faced many hardships to survive. But I can't help but also love that, however uneasy others could have been about the Best Omnic Butler, Ashe was so fiercely loyal to B.O.B. that she nearly broke Julian's nose herself over his ridiculousness x'D That's HER big omnic buddy and she's not about to lose him to anyone, not her shitty parents, not a bet in a race, NOTHING! (and it's so cute that B.O.B. is just as loyal to her, too *sobs*)

Ashe grabbing McCree's arm to explain things to him on their first heist and him being all "you gonna leave that there?" and only then does she realize her hand's still on him x'D what a McCree line, and he was absolutely enjoying the attention, he doesn't even pretend otherwise.

Everything poetic McCree says or does... meanwhile Ashe's like "um yeah I don't care about poetry I want money", right until his poet soul totally smashes her square in the heart with the KEYCHAIN!!! But damn, I swear I thought McCree would hold back a lot more, and yet there he was, saying things like Calamity was brilliant and mysterious... you could practically hear B.O.B., Julian and Frankie going "I can see what's happening..." in the background xD

The conversation about what they wanted to do once they were loaded with all the cash they could possibly want. That one was a real number on my heartstrings. It ties up to what I said earlier with Ashe finally being in touch with people who are completely removed from the ridiculous social circles of her parents and her school, people who really lost a lot in the war. But where Julian and Frankie seem to look at the past a lot, I loved that Jesse is basically just thinking about the future. The fact that he says he wants to chill out in a farm and that this is what he wants in life... many, MANY, shippy wheels have turned in my head since I read that <.< maaaany...

WHEN JESSE NEARLY FALLS AND ASHE CATCHES HIM!!! UNDERRRATED AS HECK!!! The fact that he's taunting her about fear of heights, then he nearly plummets to his death because ironies are beautiful xD and Ashe pulls him back to safety only to say that she's not afraid of heights but afraid of ~FALLING~??? I mean, okay, sure, maybe I'm reading too much into that line... or maybe I'm not <.< either way, the truth is I just love how absolutely broad of interpretation that scene and that DIALOGUE are :> ehehehe.

Oh, their first encounter. The fact that it's so cute and fun, and that it's this low in the list tells you how GOOD this book was x'D "You've got an awful lot of grit for a rich girl," first words he spoke to the love of his life xD then how they talked and laughed together about the crazy stories he shared (she was crying of laughter for the first time in her life! precious girl!), and then how she sat in the car thinking about the strange feeling she was left with after meeting him... they seriously had a meetcute in prison, how can a ship get any better? xD

WHEN HE COMES BACK TO HER WHEN THEIR FIRST HEIST GOES WRONG!!! That Ashe expects him to just leave after she falls off their getaway vehicle, but Jesse saves her and goes "pfft that's just not my style", basically... *sobs* without realizing it she ends up picking up that particular philosophy of his, saving her friends no matter the cost...! Honestly, though, the fact that every time something like this happens it hits Ashe like a truck racing downhill with no brakes because she's NEVER been cared about by anyone but B.O.B. and she's completely new to friendships and bonding with people... and in the mean time, Jesse immediately is "ride or die" with her because that's how he rolls... beautiful relationship dynamics between characters who influence each other for the better are just beautiful :')

A silly one here: Jesse enjoying the good life in Lead Rose. That description of him looking like a marshmallow in the CHAISE LOUNGEEEEE!!! (the one he references in their in-game interactions *CRYING SO MANY TEARS*), was just too cute to bear x'D Ashe just jumping back into work mode... while he was just thrilled to be a marshmallow in a towel xD

... So, um, I went overboard because I love this book a little too much for my own good :> what can I say? When things I love are good, I go wild xD There's probably more scenes I loved, but these... thirteen? XD are the ones that came to mind.

I think one of my favorite things now is reexamining Reunion with all this extra context in mind. The first time I watched that cinematic I, of course, fell in love with these two outlaws because how could I not? But while subsequent rewatches revealed a lot of things I didn't pay enough attention to the first time around, the book has done even more than I could imagine possible for a short that was already as shippy as could be xD

Ooookay so, shippy ramblings about Reunion, coming up! (simply because I have to put these down SOMEWHERE XD and your ask was a good idea for that, anon!)

First off, Jesse very much staged the whole rodeo in Reunion. He sent the tip to Ashe, he wanted Echo's crate specifically. He thought they could work together, basically, despite knowing it was entirely possible that those hopes wouldn't pay off. This train, according to the wikia, was a government train, so Jesse is very much telling Ashe to give a finger to the government for all he cares, all he wants is one (1) crate.

Ergo, Jesse, for all his "nice guy bountyhunter" deal, doesn't disapprove of Deadlock's actions. If anything, he counts on them to be exactly what he needs in order to get what he wants. He practically trusts Ashe to pull off the train heist disaster perfectly and only steps up when it's time to collect Echo.

Then the wacky shoot-out happens, it's veeeery charged (the UST is so thick, I swear...), and Jesse wins. He ties up Ashe, floats her off on the payload with the rest of the gang, and he sets Echo free. He's helping her out very nicely and everything, but the context in question is... he received the recall notification thingy XD Winston called him back to Overwatch, and Jesse...

... Jesse doesn't want to go back.

Jesse says "they want me", and the displeased tone of his voice, paired with the look on his face when he says that line, speak for themselves.

That, in my humble opinion, isn't the sequence of expressions you'd expect from someone who intends to return to the group where he thrived, had the time of his life and found his true calling. To me, he actually looks irritated about the recall (the sequence of expressions during that line is much better when you watch the full thing x'D), as though he REALLY doesn't want to return. He's not against Overwatch, I'm not quite saying that, otherwise he wouldn't have set Echo free and told her to go back at all... but this isn't remorse. It's not "Oh, I'm not good enough for Overwatch anymore". Nope... this is "My time with them is over and I don't plan on going back unless I have no choice", as far as I can tell.

If OW2 does bring him back into the fold and he's a perfectly chill and happy guy about it, I'll seriously be surprised. I mean, he could have set Echo free and, once his business is over, returned to Overwatch with her, he could have been in the Paris cinematic if he'd done that...

But he's not there.

Which outright says he didn't do that :> oops.

Basically, I think Jesse's reaction in Retribution (where he's markedly the most morally correct one of the bunch, and he's the former outlaw :'D) tells you his displeasure with Overwatch ran very, very deep. And someone can very easily say he felt the same way about Deadlock and that's why he left them for Overwatch... but that's conjecture. His displeasure with Blackwatch (and, in consequence, Overwatch), however, is FACT. And the previous conjecture falls flat pretty quickly considering he's perfectly fine with Ashe's train heist, even sets it up himself, from what the story suggests, so... how ~appalled~ was he over her choices and actions? Not appalled at all, if you ask me, and after you read Deadlock Rebels, you actually understand why: Jesse trusts Ashe.

From the first moment she enters the same prison block he's in, he's drawn to her. He wants to impress her, he absolutely enjoys her company and making her laugh (just as much as she enjoyed laughing at his wacky stories), and he's plain thrilled that she comes back for him when she does. Ashe manages the gang with inexperience but she's always willing to improve, and you see Jesse sticking with her through thick and thin, supporting her at the best and worst times alike, always putting his faith on her and constantly watching out for her (he protected and shielded her from attacks with his own body sooooo many times *sobs*). Ashe starts out intending to keep most profits for herself, and Jesse doesn't care much at first... but then she starts to share profit equally between their team. She works on her own bike herself, her own ride, and she plans and solves problems as best she can, to a point of even going overboard with planning too much. She's wild, reckless and takes insane risks... and this guy loves every second of it. The matter of morality regarding the actions of a criminal gang is, of course, something to think about... but as far as the book goes, Ashe mainly targets her own family, their specific brand of bullshit, and in the process she ends up helping lots of people and even saving lives that might not have been saved otherwise. I'm not going to put my hand on the fire here and say Deadlock never ever did anything absolutely wrong to people who didn't deserve it... but for a criminal gang? They're honestly the most wholesome one the OW team could have come up with, if you ask me.

So where you see Jesse is very much antagonistic with Reaper/Reyes, where he loses his temper with the guy's choices, he doesn't ever do that with Ashe. Overwatch ARE supposed to be the good guys... so how weird that Jesse McCree, reformed outlaw, ends up so disappointed with these guys when he was actually thrilled with Ashe's managing of their gang, as far as we saw. So much so that, when it came down to it, Jesse McCree, 20 years later, still counts on Ashe to give him a hand (without her full awareness) with a little operation to help out an old friend of his. Also worth pointing out: he doesn't want to fight at all, while Ashe, of course, does. Deadlock for life, is what Jesse said... and he's not Deadlock anymore, hasn't been for who knows how long. Worse yet... his tattooed arm is gone. It's like all his ties to Deadlock have been severed.

And even so, he came to Ashe and hoped she wouldn't want a shootout with him. Even when he knows she might be beyond unforgiving because of the betrayal (he has seen directly how outraged she was about a certain someone betraying her in the book...), Jesse goes back anyway and hopes it won't come to this.

THE IMPLICATIONS, MAN!!!

Carrying on: Echo is surprised that Jesse shows no intentions of going back to Overwatch. She asks him what he's going to do... and what does Jesse say?

He puts his cowboy hat back on (the symbolism in this short, I swear...), and when she asks him what he's going to do, he tells her "I've got some business to attend to."

THE MUSIC PICKS UP.

AND THEN HE CLIMBS ON THE BIKE HE BUILT WITH ASHE.

YOU GET A DELIBERATE CLOSE-UP TO THE KEYCHAIN.

THEN THE CAMERA PANS UP TO FOCUS ON THE PICTURE, TORN AND TAPED BACK TOGETHER, THAT ASHE CARRIES ON THIS BIKE, A BIKE WHICH, LET'S BE REAL, IS BASICALLY A MCASHE BABY CHOPPER/HOVERBIKE HYBRID, AND AS SHE PUTS IT LATER, IS...

HER

BIKE!!!

When Jesse says he has business to attend to, he could pick up any bike he wants (since it'd stand to reason that the other guys Ashe came in with would have bikes of their own). He could escape on horseback for all we know xD so there are lots of options... but no. He takes HERS. Right after saying he has "business to attend to".

Look, I could be wrong. I could be dead wrong. I can absolutely be digging around and going INSANE because nothing I ship EVER gets this much content.

But we literally get a guy saying he has "business" to take care of, and the cinematic focuses exclusively on elements that, even BEFORE Deadlock Rebels, all point towards Ashe?! You could easily say that taking her bike is just the final nail on the coffin, his last trolling idea to mess with his one true love... but that picture is right there. That picture, with them in their youth. The picture, btw, was bigger than just them: B.O.B.'s hand is there. The top of the picture is uneven, suggesting Ashe probably tore it to shreds in a fit of rage... and then specifically put together THEIR PART. And then she taped that to her bike's dashboard. Meaning, she carries the goddamn memory of Jesse with her EVERYWHERE SHE GOES. And she does it WILLINGLY.

Which, in turn, answers why Jesse expects MAYBE Ashe wouldn't go full-on hostile when they meet: this trolling cowboy knows exactly what he means to Ashe. He's not surprised when he sees that picture on the bike. He doesn't toss it away, which he could have, if he were saying "we are history now, forget it gurl" (and let's be honest, what a dick move that would have been @_@), he doesn't flinch after noticing and then goes "yeah, no, I'm picking another bike".

NOPE. The familiarity with which they talk, the way he hopes she'll just let him walk away, the fact that she DIDN'T change the keychain and bike in all those years and he's not even SURPRISED...

Jesse knows how much she loves him, point-blank. He's completely aware of it... and he's very much okay with it.

So much so... that I'm something of a 90% sure that the business he intends to deal with is ASHE HERSELF.

And no, I don't mean he's going to go on another shootout with her... I mean, evidently, that Jesse wants to come home. That he's tried the life of Overwatch, and he's decided to leave it behind. He's turned bountyhunter now, vigilante, pretty much... but he comes back to Ashe all the same. He's come back for the first time in who knows how long (going by Ashe's expressions and sarcasm with the "you promised you'd write" line, it miiiiiiight be they haven't seen each other since he got recruited into Blackwatch), and he expected a peaceful encounter, no less.

A good question to ask here is... what did Jesse hope would happen, if the encounter HAD been peaceful? He would've released Echo, sent her away to her business, and stayed behind anyway because he had business to deal with. Which business? :'D why... the business that would've been standing right in front of him.

There's no other, logical reason why this cinematic would put Ashe and McCree's picture into focus right when McCree says what he does to Echo. There's no other reasonable choice why McCree would turn his back on Overwatch quite so firmly. We know he had two important ties in his life: Overwatch and Deadlock. And Overwatch stole him away from Deadlock for a VERY long time. Well over half the time Deadlock has been in operations, as far as I can tell. He picked Overwatch over Deadlock once before... and now, it seems he's picking Deadlock over Overwatch instead :')

The follow-up short, Roadtrip, doesn't do anything to change my mind. The trolling jerk, Jesse McCree, hovers past Ashe's payload, where she's just... complaining, as she hovers xD going by what I know of the game and that map, the payload may just be en route to the gang's hideout, so that, I'd say, could explain why she hasn't climbed off it or escaped in any way (which she reasonably would have, if Jesse was trying to, I don't know, send her and her people to the authorities).

My point here is, however, that Jesse is headed the same way the payload is. If his destination is the same one, he'll beat it there for sure. Maybe, yes, he'll go away and drive well past the hideout... but maybe that's exactly where he intended to go.

Maybe, in the end, Reunion is about a man who's finally coming home :D

In addition, goes without saying, Ashe's rant about how everyone falls to pieces over Jesse showing his "stupid mug" (uh-huh, stupid, ANGELIC mug, we know what you really think, girl xD) ends with her saying she should have "put a bullet in him the minute he showed up".

Which begs the question of why didn't she.

Then, of course, she says she hates McCree when he drives past her while listening to some really ridiculous honky-tonky-sounding music x'D I cannot even help but imagine him deliberately picking that radio station or whatever it was just to annoy Ashe when he drove beside her, and so that she can get extra pissed when she retrieves her beloved bike, turns on the music and it's just more honky-tonky stuff x'D but anyway, the thing is she shouts after him, tells him that's her bike and says she hates him. B.O.B. wordlessly speaks for us McAshe shippers by giving Ashe the most "sure, Jan" side-eye in the history of side-eyes, and Ashe notices and is outraged enough to knock B.O.B.'s little hat right off his head again.

Again... this is renowned outlaw Elizabeth Caledonia "Calamity" Ashe, sitting on a payload, groaning about the guy she once very much had feelings for (and that doesn't even begin to cut it, if you ask me x'D) and for whom she tooooootally doesn't anymore, that picture on her bike doesn't MEAN that, OBVIOUSLYYYY!!, and so, she sits up, complains and doesn't do much of anything to get out of her current situation, right? :>

So, summing up my current understanding of EVERYTHING, thanks to Deadlock Rebels and my obsessive rewatches of Reunion + Roadtrip:

Jesse deliberately sought out Ashe so she would indirectly, unknowingly, help him set Echo free from the government's clutches.

Jesse hoped for a peaceful encounter despite knowing he might not get one.

Jesse has no intentions of returning to Overwatch but was willing to perform one final act of service for them by releasing Echo so she'd go give Winston and co. a hand.

Jesse is NOT surprised to see that Ashe: 1. Didn't change bikes at some point in the twenty years since they built it. 2. Didn't swap the ignition key for a button, the way she says she thought to do it in the novel until he gives her the keychain. 3. KEPT THE POETIC AF KEYCHAIN, despite resenting Jesse for his betrayal. 4. KEEPS A PICTURE OF THEM IN THEIR YOUNGER YEARS PASTED ON HER BIKE'S DASHBOARD.

Jesse claims he has business to deal with: he doesn't clarify said business verbally, but every shot after he says those words focuses on elements related to Ashe... and then, along with the novel's context, it's elements related to their BOND. Everything in that shot, EVERYTHING, is connected to the two of them. Elements that weren't shown before or during their shootout, and that are only introduced in that final moment when McCree is off to deal with his "business".

Ashe doesn't climb off the payload or stops it (which, going by how McCree simply pressed a button, and Ashe isn't immobilized in the least, she easily could have done it too if she had wanted to). Suggesting that, wherever the payload is heading, it isn't anywhere dangerous for Ashe and her crew, ergo, she is 100% sure McCree isn't trying to screw her over by turning her in to the authorities or so (or, at worst, she's completely confident that, even if he is going to do this, she'll be able to get out of it easily).

Jesse drives in the same direction the payload is headed. Another hint that suggests he might intend to head to the Deadlock hideout and that, whatever business he has left to deal with, it involves them.

If his intent ISN'T to go to the hideout... Jesse is still guaranteeing that Ashe will come after him by stealing her bike, the 18th birthday gift he gave her, and the picture she keeps of them. That he takes that very bike practically serves as painting a target on his back for her to hunt down, and he KNOWS IT.

In short: Jesse will have plenty of business with the Deadlock Gang in his future, and going by how pleased he seems to be when riding the bike, he's perfectly happy to handle that business on his terms, whenever he wants to handle it.

Extra tidbit: there's nothing in Deadlock Rebels about Jesse's smoking habit, something he definitely did pick up at some point while in the gang because, hahaha, he IS smoking in the picture Ashe keeps of him :> Which makes me wonder why, of all pictures Ashe chooses to keep on her bike's dashboard, she picks one where he's smoking.

Then, it makes me wonder about the fact that Jesse deliberately starts smoking when he's standing right in front of her (and then he winks at her!). He tosses that cigar after things get kind of dangerous for him because B.O.B. does something, and then... then he goes back to smoking.

RIGHT WHEN HE'S CLIMBING ON THE BIKE.

Like... seriously...

*unintelligible fangirl screaming*

I could be looking too deeply into this. I know I could be. Maybe Blizzard just wants me to go CRAZY with little symbolism and hints charged with SO MUCH MEANING that maybe don't have as much meaning as I thought it did...

... But man, I've sailed into the depths of the shippiest oceans for many ships that have gotten actual breadcrumbs from canon. I've gone wild over ships that have zero opportunity to become a thing in canon continuity. I've written a nearly 3M words story based on a ship that is just UNEXPLORED AMAZING POTENTIAL and ngl, I love exploring it myself, so I don't even begrudge canon that much for not giving it to me anymore.

But the fact is, no ship in OW, as far as I've seen, has remotely as much content, hints and strong ties as McAshe does -- at least, no ships between heroes. We had a cinematic that was CHARGED with significance, with little gestures, with even the smallest facial expressions that carried soooo much more meaning than whole episodes or even seasons in TV shows. And then? We got a novel. A full novel depicting their origins and exploring their dynamics, how tight their friendship was, and how some strong feelings were certainly brewing there, even if neither one was ready to act on them yet (as far as we saw...).

Finally... I'll say I did start working on a Sokkla Western AU ages ago because the idea I had for one was pretty amusing. Then Reunion dropped, and I said "Why would I need to finish that story anymore when the Sokkla Western AU is RIGHT HERE?!"

And that's it, I will stop rambling now because this got insanely long x'D but thank you very very much for giving me this chance to go WILD on everything I can see, within all those canon hints, with these two *-*