Central Park. It was one of the few places in the city that made Kealey as conflicted as she was. On one hand, the place was absolutely beautiful and one of the keystone landmarks in New York City. Central park was an oasis in a dessert of concrete. There were birds, and trees, and grass, and joggers, and everything else. It was nature, in the middle of something that had become inherently unnatural.

On the other hand…there were people everywhere. Walking around in Central Park was like attending a sensory buffet for the blond, and she usually didn’t venture out in the place by herself. Today was a rare occasion, and Kealey found herself wandering the trails and lawns with a small digital camera dangling from a strap around her wrist. A school assignment demanded scenes from nature, and as pretty as the Mansion grounds were…Kealey wanted something distinctly New York for her project.

Slightly confused, mildly disoriented, a walking bundle of emotions, Kealey made her way around the park snapping pictures of this and that. It might have seemed like a strange way to do things, but Kealey was almost sure she did a lot of her best work this way, off the cuff.

A sound joined the emotional clatter in her head, and Kealey paused for a moment to listen before heading off in the direction the song seemed to emanate from. It didn’t take her long to find the girl, propped up against a tree with a guitar in her lap. It was one of those incredibly aesthetically pleasing sights that an artist simply couldn’t pass up and the blond lifted her camera and snapped a couple of quick shots.

”I hope you don’t mind. You presented a simply lovely picture opportunity.” Kealey intoned, accent tinting her words slightly more than usual because of everything else going on in her head. ”That’s a lovely instrument.”

Truth be told, Ashley hadn't felt this good in a long time.

Bentley was good for her natural brooding behavior, and Ashley appreciated everything the girl did. But she was feeling a bit nostalgic for some odd reason, and the need for the freedom of wandering the streets caught back up with her. Spring was here, and the smell was intoxicating. It was Ashley favorite time of the year; not too cold and not to hot, just right...well, maybe a bit chilly, but that was okay. It added to the atmosphere.

The guitar she had was stolen, of course, and by the time the people even noticed it was gone so was she. She had scouted the place before, as musical instruments often sold for plenty of cash, so really the only security the place had was a stoner at the counter and some fake security cameras that even Ashley could see through. The acoustic guitar Ashley had taken was a sweet little thing, even if Ashley knew nothing of guitars she could see the thing was special.

Acoustic guitars weren't what she learned to play, but how much different could they be from regular guitars? Besides, acoustic ones sounded much better unplugged anyways. Well, Ashley thought so. She immediately found out that playing on an electric guitar was easier, as the acoustic had heavier gauge strings. No matter, she just put a little more finger muscle into it and it turned out beautifully. She tuned the guitar as best as she could remember, marveling on how little she actually had to do before it was ready.

She shrugged off her trenchcoat and threw it aside, glad that Bentley had gotten her a button up shirt that was slightly loose on her but still left a little belly exposed. Her jeans were tight, but that was to be expected as Bentley refused to get her any baggy pants. She said to hide her legs like that would be a sin against the world, whatever that meant. She still kept her combat boots on, much to her friend's dismay, and complimented the whole assemble with a messy ponytail that blew in the slightly chilly breeze.

Damn. What a great day.

She began to play the guitar, the cobwebs slowly dusting away the more her fingers flew across the strings. She felt her power activate, her stamina this time, and she smiled as the power flowed over her. The sounds seemed to cover the night and Ashley couldn’t help but smile, lifting her head up to the fairly clear sky as she played. The tune wasn't anything in particular and she wouldn’t know how to play a specific song anyways. Maybe it wasn't going very well on the Revenge Front, but her personal life had never been better.

The sound of snapshots interrupted her flow and Ashley slapped her hands on the strings of the guitar, knitting her eyes at the person who had taken a picture of her. It was a pretty little blond number with (duh) a camera, who looked slightly uncomfortable and out of place for some reason. Ashley tilted her head, pondering the girl as the blond spoke.

>>”I hope you don’t mind. You presented a simply lovely picture opportunity. That’s a lovely instrument.”

Funny accent. Not like The Russian blond, but different somehow. Ashley, not being as worldly in the least, didn’t even bother trying to place the accent. She simply nodded for a moment before a wild idea took to her; maybe this girl was trying to star a conversation!! Like Bentley did. Ashley managed to control the smile that spread on her face before she silently padded the ground next to her.

“Come. Sit.” Ashley's hands went back to the guitar. “I'll make song. For you.”

Kealey watched the girl’s reaction, ready to delete the pictures if she’d been offended by the amateur photography. The girl smiled, though, and Kealey returned the gesture. It was nice when people reacted positively to something strange that she’d done. Especially in New York.

The girl patted the ground beside her, and it was Kealey’s turn to be surprised, then she spoke and the blond pondered her options. Class was done for the day, and she didn’t have to have the assignment done for quite some time. Shin was off doing something on his own, surely dawdling a bit in the park wouldn’t hurt anything. Kealey pocketed her camera and moved to sit on the grass, still eyeing the guitar with a great deal of interest.

”Have you been playing for long?” she asked, ”I’ve always been fascinated by musical instruments…but I’ve never had the patience of skill for them.”

"I'm Kealey, by the way."

Immediately after patting the ground next to her, Ashley went back to playing the guitar, kind of astounded bu her actions and words. It wasn't like her, not really, but the impulse inside of her directed her hand and the sudden thought of having another friend like Bentley was a strong one. Was she going soft? She inwardly winced at the prospect. She didn't wanna be soft. She needed to be strong to take out the mutant that ruined her life.

She felt melancholy for a moment, the strumming of her strong stopping a moment before she closed her eyes and pictured the sudden source of her unexpected good feeling for the past couple of days; Bentley. What a corny thing to think, right? Ashley's smile grew as she caught eyes with the blonde that now sitting next to her. Well, it never hurt to make a new friend. Especially when they were so easy on the eyes.

>>”Have you been playing for long? I’ve always been fascinated by musical instruments…but I’ve never had the patience of skill for them. I'm Kealey, by the way."

“Rhythm.” Ashley responded bluntly, her deep voice accentuating her usual gruffness. “Not long. Just...not practice. Not much. Other...things. Need doing...ya know?”

The melody she was letting out got a bit smoother, a bit more of a country feel to it as she closed her eyes and let the music breath for her. She reminded herself to let the melody remain steady, ready to change at a whim as her emotion changed, ready to lash out or draw in. She loved how easier this talent came. She could almost feel the rustiness peel off the more she played.

She’d played for a long time, but hadn’t been practicing. Things were busy. Kealey nodded her head. ” Sheesh…we’re kindred spirits there.” she breathed, nodding her head as she looked out across the lawn. Between working in the Library at the Mansion, classes, X-Men missions, and work on projects for school, Kealey felt like she hardly had time for the things she wanted to do. ”I suppose that’s the world we live in though…” she said, watching the girl as her fingers picked out the chords on the guitar. ” It’s nice on days like today when one can mix business and pleasure.”

The other girl’s halting speech didn’t necessarily bother Kealey, but it did make her tilt her head in curiosity. Was this the sort of thing one asked about? The blond didn’t think so, and for now continued the conversation as though nothing was amiss. The music was lovely, and Kealey, being a fan of many genres, smiled as she listened.

”Well, even if you think you’re rusty. I think you sound lovely. I’d love to be able to play like that.”

The redhead looked up at this, looking at Kealey with curiosity. Honestly, even though Ashley had invited her to sit she really didn't expect the girl to do so. But Ashley supposed that maybe the blond was having fun in her own way and had decided to take a chance to talk to a stranger. That was perfectly acceptable, and Ashley smiled, something she blamed Bentley on her doing more and more.

>>“Sheesh…we’re kindred spirits there. I suppose that’s the world we live in though…It’s nice on days like today when one can mix business and pleasure.”

Ashley nodded at Kealey's words, not really knowing what kindred spirits was but liking the sound of it anyways. Ashley inwardly smiled, though. It wasn't too long ago that no one would approach her at all because of her gruff nature and equally rough look. With Bentley's help, though, she was becoming more...normal? Was that the word? She smiled; well, that was something. It as amazing what some new clothes and the warmth of companionship could do.

>>”Well, even if you think you’re rusty. I think you sound lovely. I’d love to be able to play like that.”

Ashley scoffed, rolling her eyes in a playful manner and giving Kealey a coy look before strumming her guitar again, belting out some more random tunes. As much as she wanted to be she wasn't much of a conversationalist, but there wasn't harm in trying. Whistler had once told her that she had the look of a Listener, someone that people that talked a lot could easily talk to. So Ashley tried her best to get that part of her personality rolling.

“Thanks.” Ashley responded, a light blush on her cheeks. “This for project? School, I mean. The pictures?”

”Mmhmm.” the blond said, nodding down towards her camera.

”I go to fashion school. The assignment is to draw inspiration from nature. It’s pretty where I live, but I wanted something a little more…New York for this project. You know what I mean?” Kealey didn’t know if the other girl would or not…but the words made sense to her.

”What about you?” she asked, head tilted slightly to the side in curiosity. ”Just out here to relax and play a little?”

>>”I go to fashion school. The assignment is to draw inspiration from nature. It’s pretty where I live, but I wanted something a little more…New York for this project. You know what I mean?”

Ashley shrugged, not really sure how to respond. To her, new York was just a city that she was searching for answers, not anything that was artistic in any way whatsoever. But then again, she never really took the time to look. She blamed this on the fact that most of the time pre-Bentley she was either searching for food, a place to crash or for the person that had killed Whistler.

>>”What about you? Just out here to relax and play a little?”

“Yeah.” Ashley responded, looking up into the pretty girl's eyes. “Good things happening. To me, I mean. Like...about time. You know?”

She wasn't really sure how to convey those emotions, that finally being off the street and with someone as kind and gentle as Bentley made her feel like a whole person and not some discarded piece of trash. But with how she spoke it was a tad difficult, so she just left it at her vauge comment and said nothing more. She smiled brightly at Kealey, something she didn't partake in often before she tilted her head back down and strummed her guitar.