"You wouldn't understand. I'm not like other humans. I'm more like them!" He shouted before looking away. "I lost my humanity when I.." He then shook his head refusing to speak any further on the topic.
"That's a different story." He mumbled.
"You're nothing like them."
The outburst scrambles her brain. Her mouth seems to move of its own accord, forming speech before she can adequately thumb through it and make sure it's right, but Ashley wouldn't draw back the words even if she had. Something terrible happened to these people, something terrible that squirms and twitches inside her, and - and in him, too? That's the path Ashley believes he's angling, but furthers her stance by not budging from his side.
"I don't... know what you've been through, exactly? But... you're not... trying to, um, steal me? For starters, or flinging chainsaws--how do they even do that?-- at people, and... you've still got," Ashley taps against his forehead. "This. You're talking, communicating, and you're acting as one person, instead of... instead of as a, um, cult."
Ashley grimaces at the chosen word, but honestly can't find it in her to mentally leaf through a dictionary. Her feet hurt, she's covered in more sweat than she's ever been, and she doesn't know where in the hell Leon or Luis are, if they're okay...
So, Ashley puts aside her complicated feelings regarding that word for a later date.
"If... if you're like me, then, you have the potential to turn into that... but- but Luis, you don't know Luis but he's important somehow, he has a way to get rid of it. Surgically remove it so we can't become that. Whenever we meet back up with Leon, you have to come with us. Please? Please come with us."
Ashley looks around, looks back at him.
"After all, we can't stay in the same area too long, right? So, if you wanna' walk and talk, we can. You don't have to spill any deets you don't want to, but... I'd appreciate any kind of conversation, honestly."
How long has she been gone, now? A day? Three?
"Regardless, you're... still human. We're human."
Then, wouldn't that mean...?
Ashley chooses to stop that thought before it manifests.