Ash Gray Quotes & Sayings

. . . you can read my mind," Parmida realized.
"When it is open to me," Azra admitted apologetically. ". . . I love you too, by the way. — Ash Gray

He knew in that moment that falling in love with her would destroy him, and so he decided at once that he would do his damnedest to despise her. — Ash Gray

Morganith snorted and didn't lower her weapon. "One girl can cause alotta trouble, Hari. You and I are proofa that. — Ash Gray

Then perhaps you don't need it. I think the scar gives you character, even if it does mar those pretty tattoos. Would make for great tavern stories if you didn't cover it."
Neferre laughed flatly and stuck her hands in her pockets. "There's nothing great about getting mugged, Ziro."
Ziro laughed, her deep voice jiggling her second chin. "Oh, aye. But no one said you had to tell the truth now, did they? — Ash Gray

Eldon doesn't have to play if he doesn't want to," Tobias repeated, his fist tightening on the fork.

Eldon sensed with dread that their aunt was in great danger of being stabbed. — Ash Gray

Miriva refused to believe that human decency should be a privilege given only to a small few, and when she complained to her mother that she did not want to be a broodmare for the sake of alliances between the villages, her mother slapped her and sent her to the fields to pick mehazi beans — Ash Gray

Kimaria smirked and placed her hands behind her back. "Come now. It doesn't have to come to that. Violence is so beneath us."
"No, it isn't," said Helianthus at once.
"Well . . . it is beneath me," the high queen said and touched a hand to her chest. "Unlike you, I am civilized. I wear shoes and I have a last name." They watched as she eased into a chair. She crossed one leg over the other, folded her arms, and regarded them calmly. "Aren't you the least bit curious as to how I snatched the famed Nineveh Atvaris from our dark past? You can't be that boring. — Ash Gray

Neferre rested her elbows on her knees and watched as Olorun flipped through the book. "Any answers in there? Like maybe how to take that stick out your ass? — Ash Gray

Yes. The elven magi are very old, but not old enough to remember that all of this has happened before."
Parmida frowned. "Just how old are you?"
"I am older than a thousand of your suns," the unicorn answered.
". . . and that means? — Ash Gray

She snuggled close, nuzzling her hair beneath his chin. "Never leave me," she whispered back.
The siren chuckled sadly, the sound vibrating up through his chest and pleasantly against her ear. "But I must return to the sea every now and then or I will die." He sighed. "Some part of me believes it would be a good death. — Ash Gray

Rigg shrugged. "I know it makes you feel better, but I think it's arrogant to believe in anything anyway."

"Is that so?"

"Yeah," Rigg said, frowning at the clouds. "No one can really know what's out there. People are too small in the grand scheme of things. Saying we know and understand the gods is like a bug saying they know and understand our airships. They don't and they can't."

Hari smiled. "Fair enough. — Ash Gray

I never thought I'd ever leave Zerc. But after knowing Cricket, it occurred to me that I had no reason to stay. I had no family, no friends aside from her. I never even spoke to Enkai until she brought us together. It was she who first inspired me to dream of actually seeing those worlds I spent my every waking moment reading about. Her and her wild heart, her laughing spirit, so bright in her eyes whenever she spoke of her travels and all the wondrous places she had seen. When I was a boy, I envied her for her adventures. When I became a man, I only pitied her. — Ash Gray

Imagining the gods could hear him, Mycaela murmured to the well, "I wish I could find a man who'd take me away forever." He laughed softly. "But there are no stories about princes who wish for princes. — Ash Gray

Either way, I'm still very [...] and wanting," said Elbryn with a sad laugh.
"So take care of it."
"With a lady present? That would be unthinkably rude."
"You've been rude to me before," Holonie pointed out.
"But I like you now," Elbryn said. — Ash Gray

But what do you care about Qorlec?" went on Dr. Zorgone. "I heard you escaped Alsa Sif V, and immediately upon your departure," he frowned, "you set coordinates for Earth?" He laughed softly, nastily, and Quinn felt anger shiver through her to see the twinkling mockery in his eyes.

"What would your people think to know that, I wonder?" continued Dr. Zorgone, tilting his head. "The first place you ran to wasn't Qorlec, wasn't the ancient home of your 'mighty' ancestors, but the polluted shit-ball of ape people? The true home of the true empress is Earth." His eyes danced over her, searching, hungry. "You speak Roknal and English fluently, but I bet you don't know a damn lick of Aviye. The entirian princess isn't even entirian --"

"What do you want?" Quinn said abruptly.

"What do I want?" repeated Dr. Zorgone, rolling his eyes to the starry sky. "Let's see . . . What do I want? I always wanted an indoor pool."

Quinn's lips tightened. — Ash Gray

He stood over her for a time, simply looking at her as he willed himself to climb into bed, and he knew doing so would make it utterly impossible to hate her. She looked so innocent and vulnerable as she dreamt, and it was difficult to hate someone once you had seen them sleeping. — Ash Gray

As Eldon continued to look around, he was anxious to realize people were gathering in the square. They paused to glower in disgust at Tobias, and a few bold children riding past on bicycles slowed down to stick out their tongues. Eldon heard Tobias mutter something under his breath, and as the children rode away, they lost control of their bikes and crashed into each other.

"Toby!"

"Are you rested now?" said Tobias, ignoring Eldon's shock. — Ash Gray

The man's mouth fell open in shock and hurt. He slowly shook his head. "So the stories are true. You really are a brat! You smug bastard. You need someone to throw you over a knee --!"
"How dare you!" Mycaela snarled. He lifted his hand to strike the man and couldn't believe it when the juggler caught his wrist, holding it aloft. They glared at each other, and Mycaela felt small, like a twig caught in the branches of a tree. But now he was forced to really look at the juggler, whose brown muscular chest was in his face, and he grew distracted. The man was wearing nothing except a pair of very colorful, very tight leggings. They clung to his bulge and his buttocks, and he was built like a stallion, lean and taunt and powerful. Mycaela bit his lip, willing himself not to awaken and silently cursing himself for smoking a drug that was sometimes used as an aphrodisiac. — Ash Gray

:The way to the Seaglass Stair will be long and arduous. There will be those who wish to stop you. They will kill you to keep you from succeeding.:
:Why? That's insane.:
:As if insanity were some fabrication, some dark tale Hemfra told you one night when you were a child and refused to sleep. There will always be resistance to anything and everything, defying all logic, all natural sense of self-preservation. There will be those who wish for you to simply let the world fade away. It is the way of humans to be illogical for the sake of personal conviction and made up nonsense.: — Ash Gray

You are drawn to dangerous things, princess," Neferre said with a flat laugh. "You are not very smart."
Neferre was surprised when Athica laughed as well. "No. Perhaps I am not," the princess said, looking at Neferre fondly. — Ash Gray

Lisa's head was tilted back and she was staring at the wall with her mouth open. "It's . . . beautiful," she whispered, touching a slender hand to her breasts.
"It's graffiti," Rigg said flatly.
Lisa shook her head in awe. "And it's beautiful."
Rigg peered up at the wall. "Huh? — Ash Gray

:Wait for me here?:
:Until the moon crumbles into the sea,: Shadowmane whispered.
Wareska laughed again. :Always so eloquently dramatic.: — Ash Gray

Cricket nodded apologetically. She ripped the blankets back and hopped off her bed. Enkai snorted out a laugh, and it took her a moment to realize she wasn't wearing pants. — Ash Gray

No," agreed Eldon, laughing as well, "but you always looked out for me. If I was hurt, you took care of me. If I was scared, you held my hand." Eldon paused nervously: Tobias was looking directly at him and listening with a small, fond smile. "I . . . always felt safest in your arms," Eldon went on sheepishly. He dropped his eyes to the floor as he whispered, "Nothing has changed. — Ash Gray

Helianthus snorted. "Olorun is like his mother: he will only change as the face of a rock changes. But . . . I think he missed you. — Ash Gray

Some of them are mech," said Zita, nimbly picking her high heels through the steaming pools of red goo and severed, wriggling limbs. She was splattered with blood and grinning as she came to them, but she frowned to see the utter bafflement on Rose's face. "Hey, snap out of it. Haven't you seen mech before?" She kicked a man's severed head, and Rose gasped when his face slid off, revealing a skull of gleaming silver metal.

Rose shook her head. "Mech are illegal. The government s-said they feared a robot war!" she insisted, turning to follow as Zita limped past her.

Zita laughed dryly, folding up her rifle and tucking it under her skirt. "Is it so hard to imagine your government lied? Governments tend to do that. — Ash Gray

Parmida had never believed in unicorns, not until a stroll through the forests of Sunneth Dol convinced her otherwise. She was a young human woman living in a world where magick was dead and magickal creatures a myth. Elves and fae and magickal beasts had long ago shed their skin and left their bones. It was a world where humans alone now existed, walking in the dark of night, always looking over their shoulder for their inevitable extinction, as if nature were waiting to absorb them next back into her soil. — Ash Gray

I made a noise of disgust, and I think I would have stormed out if I knew how to open the door. — Ash Gray

Verne frowned. "Calm down. Don't exert yourself in your condition."
Salen looked at Verne in amazement. "Don't exert --! My dear woman, we are all about to die! I don't think it damn well matters if I shit my pants at this point -- — Ash Gray

Shadowmane sighed as well. :We had better do what this Topaz commands. Unicorns are jerks when they don't get their way.: — Ash Gray

Neferre swallowed hard. "The elder used to tell stories of dark places in dark times," she said, picking the needle through with black nails, "when the winters were endless and the sun fell cold across the land. When beasts far worse than the crags prowled the shadows. And there were no humans. Only elvkarin and the night. We knew the bitter sting of winter's breath and it never ended as it ends now. We called it Isaria on Evile. A Time of Darkness. — Ash Gray

Owllwin was easiest the most contrary person Cricket had ever known. He was arrogant but humble, cowardly but brave, foolish but wise. He was funny, but sometimes she caught him crying when he was off on his own. It were as if he pushed himself to be a better person in spite of himself, in spite of his own failings, and Cricket secretly admired the fact: not many people were willing to admit they had faults in the first place. — Ash Gray

He was a tyrant who had enslaved and murdered the elves and betrayed his own people. [...] Emperor Qalduun had existed over a thousand years ago and had been forgotten by no one except for the humans, who liked to pretend none of it had even happened. It was hardly shocking that none of Elbryn's human caretakers would have spoken to him about Qalduun. Humans were notorious for covering up history rather than learning from it. — Ash Gray

Cricket glanced down when she saw a cookie slide under the wall. She plucked the cookie from the ground and bit into it, dirt and all. It was so disgusting, her eyes watered, but she was starving, so she choked it down. — Ash Gray

Varzo shrugged. "My people have given them good reason to be biased. The last time you were open and trusting . . . we invaded," she said unhappily.

"Yeah," muttered the boy just as unhappily. "But while there is good reason for caution, there is never a good reason for hatred, hmm?" He glanced at Varzo and lifted his brows meaningfully. — Ash Gray

Growing up learning of distant lands and their bloody histories, Wareska had quickly noticed how pointing to someone else as unquestionably worse was a widely common justification for many atrocities. — Ash Gray

Elbryn smiled. "You know, you never told me your name," he said, looking at her fondly.
"No," Holonie answered simply, "I did not."
Elbryn stared at her, his eyes suddenly weary, and Holonie heard the exasperated thought on the surface of his mind, Elves. "Fair enough," he said aloud. — Ash Gray

Rigg laughed softly at Lisa's deadpan joke, but she halted when she noticed the back of Lisa's neck: the factory number had been shaved away, roughly and angrily. Frowning in confusion, Rigg gently rubbed her fingers over the scrape, and Lisa flinched as if it hurt.
"If someone saw this, you could be scrapped," Rigg said anxiously.
"I know," was the soft reply. "I believe freedom is worth that risk. — Ash Gray

Cricket could tell Enkai was holding back tears, and wishing to comfort him, she took his hand. They sat in silence for a long time, just holding hands, and when Cricket heard Enkai sniff, she knew he was crying.
"You should go. You shouldn't see me . . ."
"What?" said Cricket at once. "Be a person? Have feelings? Here . . ." She took a washcloth from the nightstand and dabbed his tears away. "I cried when I lost my friends. One of them died to get me here too."
"I'm sorry," Enkai said, blinking sympathetically as Cricket wiped his face.
Cricket smiled. "No, it's alright. I still see her sometimes." She dropped her eyes to the washcloth as she contently folded it and set it aside.
Enkai frowned. "You're weird, Cricket," he said with a laugh, and Cricket laughed as well. "But . . ." he added, "I guess that's why I like you. — Ash Gray

Halt! We are attempting an arrest!"

"Yeah, we're aware," Quinn muttered under her breath. — Ash Gray

I was sitting on the couch in the living room, pouring through an old sci-fi novel I'd found in one of the ruins, and I could hear the water bubbling as he cooked. The spaghetti smelled good, but I knew he'd probably put something crazy in it like popcorn or marshmallows, so I ignored my rumbling belly. — Ash Gray

Yeah, I'm listenin'," Morganith answered, "and Arda once told me pregnant Alteri women can see what might come to pass, not what will come to pass. What they see is just what people chose to do of their own shitty free will, not what they were forced to do by some gods. — Ash Gray

I believe Evrard already knows where his lockbox is," Hari calmly explained. "That's not what he wants us for or we'd be in his possession right now. The note was clearly an invitation."
Morganith shook her head, and the distant glow of the streetlights seeped through the cracks of the boarded window, touching her mussed wreath of hair. "Really, Hari? Evrard's invitin' us ta tea after we stole from him? Well, hot damn. Maybe he ain't so bad after all." She set her feet on the coffee table — Ash Gray

Drop. Your weapon. And. Come quietly," said a robotic voice.

"Kiss. My ass," said Zita, mocking the robot's tone. — Ash Gray

Did I hurt you?" Tobias whispered, frowning.

"N-No," Eldon stammered. "It's just . . . No one's ever touched me like this before."

"And no one ever will," Tobias answered.

Eldon smiled, and they kissed again. — Ash Gray

Alright. So how are we getting down there? Can you turn invisible or something?"

"What do I look like? A magician?"

"Well, can you fight?"

"Can you?"

"No," said Thalcu with a sad laugh. "Zonbiri women aren't allowed to handle anything bigger than a butter knife. Not legally, anyway. Besides, I could never shoot a gun. My hands are used to pushing remote control buttons, pounding game controllers . . . picking the good chips from the bag. — Ash Gray

Incase the title was misleading, this is the story of Qorth. He was an alien, but he was more normal, more boring, more goofy, and more ho-hum than any human I'd ever known . . . to the point that I sometimes wonder if he was really even an alien. To be fair, he did have "magical" otherworldly powers and some weird traits, like pointed ears. It rained when he was sad. His eyes were solid black, which really creeped me out in the beginning but, eh, I got used to it. He had weird tastes in food, like he would put ketchup on pancakes, and animals were sock puppets to him. The night I found him, it was the animals who led me to him. — Ash Gray

Quinn dropped her hand and avoided Thalcu's eye. "I . . . I don't want to kill you," she said to the floor. "Not if I could save you."

The woman smiled gently at Quinn, her lips curling behind her oxygen mask. "I will not really die," she said, drawing Quinn's surprised gaze. She looked at Quinn contently a moment and went on, "Do you know how worlds are born? From the first breath of a star. We are made of starlight. We can not bear to look into the sun, into the thing that birthed us, anymore than we can bear to look upon our parents in the throes of passion. It is our point of origin, and to it, we all must return. — Ash Gray

I've always felt as if writing a novel is like giving birth. After the process is over, I am emotionally exhausted. But then the work's not done. I have to then raise the book to adulthood, through marketing and giveaways and pandhandling for reviews (its college education). And even while I'm nurturing it into something that is well adjusted and lovable, I've got other "kids" that need equal attention. It truly is work. My hat is off to real parents everywhere, who raise human children and novel ones at the same time. You are amazing. — Ash Gray

You must be a rich human," went on Holonie. "You could have come here with bodyguards, dogs, something. But you came here alone. Very risky. Nearly insane. Completely stupid."
Elbryn laughed his flat, humorless laugh. "Thanks? — Ash Gray

Yes," Lisa said with the usual blank honestly. She frowned. "Was that a sincere question? Or a scolding rhetorical question akin to Harilotecca's speech patterns? — Ash Gray

As if the president gives a crap about demons and what they go through just because her father's got horns?" Morganith returned. "She never opens her coward mouth about the quiet oppression the demons -- your people -- face every single day --!"
"Our people," Hari calmly corrected.
"No," said Morganith at once. "Halflings have never been anyone's people. — Ash Gray

I'm a dot in the grand scheme of things. I don't matter, not even to the other dots. — Ash Gray

Slowly rising from the fire, she went down to the shore, and not wanting to frighten him off again, she squatted on a rock above the water, looking down at him where he sat on the wet sand with his long blue-green tail disappearing into the lapping waves. He shyly offered the bag up to her, which had been woven of seaweed, and she took it with a whispered thanks and opened it, staring in delight and surprise at the sheer amount of oysters that were inside.
The siren made a trilling noise and whispered, "I-I hope it is well enough. I do not know what land women eat. — Ash Gray

Yeah!" Quinn said defiantly. "And I'm about to destroy your sick little plan here! And when I'm done doing that, I'll tell the humans how your people are planning to betray them --!"

"As if that will make much difference," said the general calmly. "Humans can't agree on how to run individual countries, let alone their entire planet. When the harvest begins, they won't stand a chance against us. I've already given Dr. Zorgone permission to execute his plans for abduction. He has also been given strict orders to return you to me alive. Both of you. You must simply walk outside. There is nothing to fear."

"Yeah, I bet," Quinn muttered sarcastically. — Ash Gray

Varzo looked with shame at her boots. "Look, I wasn't serious, alright? It was just a thought."

Mercy shook her head. "Shitty thoughts become shitty actions, kid. You really gone your entire life without recognizing there's ah link between the two? — Ash Gray

Rigg pressed her back against a tree and closed her eyes, wishing she could have died in a less humiliating way. She supposed it could have been worse: the frog could have been a cute mechanical bunny. — Ash Gray

You can always tell who a writer subconsciously/consciously dislikes/hates/discriminates against in real life based on who they don't write about more than who they do. — Ash Gray

Spent my whole life," Morganith went on, staring miserably into her drink, "thinkin' that out there somewhere was ah woman who would love me incredibly and I would love her incredibly. Like ah fire consumin' the very air. Then I meet her, and she leaves me." Morganith snapped her fingers lazily. "Just like that. — Ash Gray

You start wondering if you deserved those high reviews on your books or if people just pitied you and went "Poor sod. Here's a five star review so you don't hang yourself in the garage. — Ash Gray

Is there n-nothing you can do?" Parmida asked, wiping her tears away with the heel of her hand.
The unicorn laughed softly. "She asks for a boon after shooting me in the ass. — Ash Gray

We live in a world where it's feasible that a tiny hobbit can save an entire world, but not a feminine woman. And god help her if she's a woman of color, because that's given as even more inconceivable. — Ash Gray

I'm surprised you haven't come to hate humans," Rose said with hesitation. "I mean, given all that happened to you here. I'm pretty sure assimilating wasn't easy either. You have a sort of foreign look for an American, and Americans are notorious for their xenophobia."

Zita laughed softly. "Me? Hate humans?" She darkly shook her head. "I fought in the Midnight War for thirty years, Rosie. I know what happens when people let hate make decisions for them. — Ash Gray

Yes, very good," sang Governor Evrard, as if he had successfully explained that two and two made four. — Ash Gray

There's no point running anyway. In t-minus ten minutes, you will have no where to run to."

Quinn tensed at the triumphant look in his eyes. ". . .what have you done?"

"I have entered launch codes in the computer. In exactly ten minutes, Alpha Star 9 will be a black stain in the middle of Utah."

Quinn's lips part in shock.

"Yes," said. Dr. Zorgone in amusement. "Dramatic gasp! — Ash Gray

His legs were still crossed, and his bulge sat atop his crossed thighs, so large it seemed to be taunting her, [...].
"My eyes are up here, you know," Elbryn said in amusement. — Ash Gray

Right now, all she knew was that she had the potential to love him greatly and fiercely, and she wanted to do so and nothing else very much and for many years. — Ash Gray

For elves, sex was two souls finding each other in the dark. — Ash Gray

My child will bear those scars forever," Tilv said angrily.
"And if he isn't a fool, perhaps your child will learn from them," Neferre returned calmly. — Ash Gray

Yet while Owllwin was arrogant, he was also humble enough to admit when he had made a mistake. Perhaps it was his sheer clumsiness that kept him so humble: the first time he spoke to Cricket was in the great dining hall, and he brought down six tables five minutes after. — Ash Gray

Zita shrugged. "I wouldn't hold it against ya, kid. You're asking if you should choose war or love. Hate is easy, everybody does it. But most people go their entire lives without really loving. Miora's gonna tell you that you can't love her because she's zonbiri, but if it's really love . . . you won't be able to help yourself." Zita smiled and went out. — Ash Gray

:We aren't leaving here,: Cricket answered sleepily
:Oh, but we are,: insisted the wolf with confidence. :You have bigger business about you than lingering here in bird paradise.:
After everything that had happened with Neferre, Cricket knew the wolf's words were true but decided to ignore them. :They don't like being called birds,: she scolded. :And do you have gas? Ugh.:
:Just the same,: said the wolf evenly, :time will take us from here. Be prepared when that happens.: — Ash Gray

We have books and films where mice and hobbits and dwarves and children can save the world, and that's perfectly acceptable. But a 120lb woman save the galaxy? YOU GO TOO FAR, SIR. — Ash Gray

Hiya, Aunty Wren!" Francesca shouted, waving her arms as if her aunt were several thousand feet away. "Wait a minute," she said, putting a finger to her lips, "I knows how you hates to be called 'Wren.' Should I call you Aunty Wyno? Or should I call you what Toby calls you? Toby calls you ah BEE EYE TEE SEE --"

"Aunt Wren is fine," said Wynona through clenched teeth. — Ash Gray

I know nothing of magick," the naked man said to the raven, "except what you told me." He laughed sadly. "And I barely remember that. I tend to drift off when you ramble. — Ash Gray

Aside from that, however, Rigg didn't mind being ugly. In fact, she liked herself and just pretended that she didn't when she was around other women. For there was nothing so criminal as a woman liking herself. — Ash Gray

Wareska laughed sadly. "There is no reason to apologize. I want you as you want me . . . and I think you know that. — Ash Gray

Return me safely to my home," the princess said, "and I shall reward you with your weight in eggs."
Olorun snorted derisively. "You're joking, right?"
The woman's eyes flitted in embarrassment.
"Now wait a minute," said Helianthus. "We're talkin' eggs here. What sort of eggs? Ostrich eggs?"
Neferre made an impatient noise. "Hel! She doesn't have any eggs! Unless they're hidden in a very . . . delicate place." Neferre grinned at the princess. "Tell me your eggs are hidden where I think they're hidden. — Ash Gray

You said the d-word," Owllwin said regretfully. "I didn't think you would, or I woulda warned ya."
" . . . the d-word?" Cricket repeated in confusion.
"Yeah . . ." Owllwin paused as if he was glancing around, then he whispered through the wall, "Dragon."
Cricket blinked. "Why can't I say that? — Ash Gray

:No,: Wareska said at once, :we should go back.: She heard the horse laugh softly into her mind.
:Wareska,: he said in amusement, :it is not like you to ever look back.:
:I look back when sense dictates.:
:It is hard for horses to look back. We don't really have shoulders. I guess we look back over our butt?: — Ash Gray

:I am Topaz,: the unicorn on the hill haughtily announced, :and this is my vale.:
:I was not aware unicorns could own vales,: Wareska linked.
The unicorn stiffened, and even from this distance, Wareska could see her bright, golden eyes narrow dangerously. :Now you know,: she said with quiet menace. — Ash Gray

:She still didn't have to lock you in a box,: said the wolf, emerging from Cricket's thoughts. :If she does that again, I will eat her.:
Cricket laughed. :You wouldn't do that.:
:No, I would not. But as your companion and protector, I must bristle and play the part.: — Ash Gray

You're a terrorist, notta rebel," Morganith added darkly, "and we're done philosophizing. Give us the lockbox and we'll kill you."
Natasha looked at Morganith uncertainly. "Don't you mean 'or' you'll kill us?"
"No, I mean 'and. — Ash Gray

The first time I saw Cricket, I loved her. Little did I know that skinny, goofy girl would one day grow up to be a great dragon slayer. I would have pegged her for a shoemaker. — Ash Gray

Rigg shook her head in disgust. "Dunno. Seems you had plenty choices to me: help your friends or run an' hide. You made ah choice. It was the shitty one, but it was ah choice. — Ash Gray

Why does everything want to eat children?!"
Neferre smiled. "Because you taste like candy. Stinky socks would mask your delicious scent from the aziza. We must get you stinky socks. So they do not eat you."
"That's not much of a bedtime story! You really haven't done this before! — Ash Gray