The X-men run missions and work together with the NYPD, striving to maintain a peaceful balance between humans and mutants. When it comes to a fight, they won't back down from protecting those who need their help.
Haven presents itself as a humanitarian organization for activists, leaders, and high society, yet mutants are the secret leaders working to protect and serve their kind. Behind the scenes they bring their goals into reality.
From the time when mutants became known to the world, SUPER was founded as a black-ops division of the CIA in an attempt to classify, observe, and learn more about this new and rising threat.
The Syndicate works to help bring mutantkind to the forefront of the world. They work from the shadows, a beacon of hope for mutants, but a bane to mankind. With their guiding hand, humanity will finally find extinction.
Since the existence of mutants was first revealed in the nineties, the world has become a changed place. Whether they're genetic misfits or the next stage in humanity's evolution, there's no denying their growing numbers, especially in hubs like New York City. The NYPD has a division devoted to mutant related crimes. Super-powered vigilantes help to maintain the peace. Those who style themselves as Homo Superior work to tear society apart for rebuilding in their own image.
MRO is an intermediate to advanced writing level original character, original plot X-Men RPG. We've been open and active since October of 2005. You can play as a mutant, human, or Adapted— one of the rare humans who nullify mutant powers by their very existence. Goodies, baddies, and neutrals are all welcome.
Short Term Plots:Are They Coming for You?
There have been whispers on the streets lately of a boogeyman... mutant and humans, young and old, all have been targets of trafficking.
The Fountain of Youth
A chemical serum has been released that's shaving a few years off of the population. In some cases, found to be temporary, and in others...?
MRO MOVES WITH CURRENT TIME: What month and year it is now in real life, it's the same for MRO, too.
Fuegogrande: "Fuegogrande" player of The Ranger, Ion, Rhia, and Null
Neopolitan: "Aly" player of Rebecca Grey, Stephanie Graves, Marisol Cervantes, Vanessa Bookman, Chrysanthemum Van Hart, Sabine Sang, Eupraxia
Ongoing Plots
Magic and Mystics
After the events of the 2020 Harvest Moon and the following Winter Solstice, magic has started manifesting in the MROvere! With the efforts of the Welldrinker Cult, people are being converted into Mystics, a species of people genetically disposed to be great conduits for magical energy.
The Pharoah Dynasty
An ancient sorceress is on a quest to bring her long-lost warrior-king to the modern era in a bid for global domination. Can the heroes of the modern world stop her before all is lost?
Are They Coming for You?
There have been whispers on the streets lately of a boogeyman... mutant and humans, young and old, all have been targets of trafficking.
Adapteds
What if the human race began to adapt to the mutant threat? What if the human race changed ever so subtly... without the x-gene.
Atlanteans
The lost city of Atlantis has been found! Refugees from this undersea mutant dystopia have started to filter in to New York as citizens and businessfolk. You may make one as a player character of run into one on the street.
Got a plot in mind?
MRO plots are player-created the Mods facilitate and organize the big ones, but we get the ideas from you. Do you have a plot in mind, and want to know whether it needs Mod approval? Check out our plot guidelines.
It was the clapping that let Ashley know that her fingers had probably decided to stop playing, and she opened her eyes to find the room applauding fiercely. She smiled brightly, as she was always pleased when her playing was appreciated, and left her guitar on stage before she stepped down off of it. No doubt Benjamin would ask her for a repeat performance later on, something she would always refuse but end up doing anyway. He was good with words like that.
She was greeted by a few people who complimented on her playing, and Ashley merely nodded and gave meek waves. She wasn't big on the touching due to her powers, though she did know there had been a significant reduction of that particular side effect ever since Bentley happened. Still, she avoided it when she could and managed to make it to the bar without any incidents. There had been a few, something Sisko always managed to bring up.
“No broken wrists this time, eh?” he winked at Ashley as she sat down. “People gonna think you're goin' soft Rhythm.”
Ashley huffed as she took the offer of water Sisko gave her and took a drink. She set it down and shook her head. “Maybe they learn.”
“Ha, yeah. That'll be the day.” Sisko shook his head as he continued to make drinks as if his hands were on auto pilot. “Horny drunk kids sittin' here eyin' you like you some kinda piece of meat? They're bound to get grabby, dig? Though I suppose the old man won't do shit about it, he loves you so damn much.”
He didn't speak with disdain, merely observation as he looked to the second floor of the building. It was more like half a floor, with the walls being made of bulletproof glass as Benjamin watched bellow. He gave Ashley a small salute with the drink he had in his hand, and Ashley copied him before drinking the rest of her water.
“He's nice.” Ashley commented, shoving the glass back to Sisko. “Business up. Knows people listen.”
“Yeah, but you ain't here half the time.” Sisko shrugged. “Though I guess that's also half the reason people come, to see if you're here.” He passed the glass back to Ashley.
“Too much credit.” Ashley murmured as she drank again. “Not that good.”
“Whatever you say, Red.” Sisko laughed, waving off the look Ashley was giving him at the nickname. She was used to it, so whatever. “More people are coming in now that they know you're here. How much more ya gonna play? You know the nights you come in kill me, doll.”
Ashley shrugged before she turned her attention away from Sisko and leaned her elbows back on the back and crossing her legs out in front. She leaned her head back and closed her eyes as she took an ice cube from her glass of water and put it on her forehead then slid it down her face and neck. The place was getting packed, and the heat would get even more intense. She rubbed it around more, enjoying the coolness before she snapped her eyes open. A few more minutes, and she'd go play another song.
>>"Unless it's meant as a joke, I definitely wouldn't recommend that one."
Despite herself, Ashley couldn't help but jump when someone spoke to her. She gave a small yelp and turned, clutching the book to her front and huggling it as she eyed the stranger in front of her. She sounded a bit funny to Ashley, her accent thick and...pretty. Just like the rest of her. But then again, Ashley surmised she thought the female form itself was beautiful and attractive, so she had long ago tried to stop feeling guilty over ogling whenever a particular gorgeous specimen passed by.
It was still hard not to. But maybe she could call it a guilty pleasure whenever she did. Ashley sniffed, eying the woman apprehensively before looking down at the book she had chosen. It depicted...well, something that made Ashley open the book then hold it further from her as her face went red as a tomato before she slammed the book shut and held it close again, getting all shifty eyed as if seeing if anyone saw her looking.
“Ummm...” Ashley murmured a bit before slowly taking the book and setting it off on a random self like it was a poisons spider. “Maybe...not.
So that left Ashley in quite the pickle, whatever that meant (she'd heard Bentley say it and thought it sounded funny). Maybe Sisko was wrong. Maybe Bentley would like another present...but as much as Ashley racked her brain, she couldn't think of anything else to give the tiny dancer. She knew form the very beginning she wasn't very good at this whole relationship thing. If the anime she watched was any indication, she was suppose to get her something unique and different...how could a book provide that.
Ashley adopted a pose very reminiscent of Winne the Pooh as she thought hard about what she could do. It was then that she remembered the funny sounding girl that had warned her against the book and brightened up, smiling (her desperation in trying to find a present for Bentley over going her usual stoic, non-smiley self) as she looked at the dark haired woman and fixed her with a rather pathetic looking wibble.
“Ummm...help?” Ashley said, stuffing her hands in her pockets as she toed the ground a bit. “Present, you see. For...girlfriend. And, ummm...don't know. What to get, I mean.”
Okay, so she kicked her pride to the curb. Anything for Bentley, after all.
She didn't object to the embrace Andrew pulled her into, and instead nuzzled Andrew's shoulder. Yeah, she could tell he was a big softie, outside and in, and the only reason she didn't chuckle that time was because she was still hiccuping like crazy. But she couldn't deny she felt safe with Andrew, and while the thought bothered her, at the same time it really didn't. Why should it? It was moments like these that relationships were built on, right? Well...maybe. Ashley wasn't the foremost expert on relationships of any sort, and just kind of winged it most of the time.
“Stupid Andrew...” Ashley hiccuped, pulling her knees to her chest and hugging them while Andrew still held her. “Can protect myself. Dun need you. You need me. To get Verdy. Okay?”
Yeah, even that sounded a bit awkward and silly in her own head, but whatever. Just because she lacked the lexicon, or the ability, to say what she really wanted to in a way that didn't make her sound like a five year old didn't make what she felt any less then someone else. Making a promise like that was just stupid, especially since Andrew would get hurt if she did!! Ashley sniffed, trying not to cry again. She got hurt all the time!! Would he keep getting hurt if she did? That was a TERRIBLE power!!
“Stupid...” Ashley sighed, only repeating herself because she didn't really know what else to say. Her eyes were heavy and Andrew was surprisingly warm, and he smelled great. Another sigh escaped her lips as she leaned fully against him, her sniffling and hiccuping stopping as she fell asleep in Andrew's arms.
This was yet another reminder for Ashley just how little she understood about the world, and even about her own kind.
Piecing it all together, she understood that Andrew now had to protect her because he had promised to do so. And if he didn't, he'd get hurt. Okay, that was simple enough to understand. The part that perplexed Ashley was...why? This was his power? He had to keep his word or he'd get hurt? The very idea boggled Ashley's mind. What the hell kind of power was that anyways?! That seemed more like a cruel joke then anything else...and he just promised to protect her until one of them died!!
The next punch landed right into Andrew's shoulder, and Ashley was proud (and at the same time rather ashamed) to say that she didn't hold back. She liked Andrew, to be sure, and she had planned to help him out with his dating problem the only way she knew how; training to make him tougher instead of the little nerd he was now. And while she was pretty sure they would be getting to know each other very well over the next several...however long it took to make him a better fighter, this was taking it too far.
And still, the squishy part inside of Ashley couldn't help but be touched.
“Stupid!!” Ashley spat, crossing her arms and eying her partner with her specialized Death Glare™. “I protect me. Don't need you!! Don't need anyone!!” Ashley felt something wet roll down her cheek and wiped it away with her hand, only to realize they were tears. She wiped them away quickly to prevent Andrew from seeing them, but they wouldn't stop coming.
She hadn't cried all that much since her mine was wiped. Maybe when Whistler died, just a bit even though she didn't admit it. Isabel, that was another. Even when that crazy bitch that tortured her, she held back as much as she could. But this, this right here was making her cry. She didn't even feel like crying, but she was and she felt stupid, crumpling to the floor on her knees and balling up her fists as she placed them to her eyes as if that would stem the flow of her tears.
“Stupid, stupid...” she repeated in a weak voice. Why would this stupid Andrew do something like that? She wasn't worth protecting at all!! “Stupid Andrew, stupid...”
In the back her mind she wished she was wittier so she could call Andrew more named, a thought that made her give a watery chuckle that transformed into rapid fire hiccups.
Ashley looked into the alley, then back at the piece of paper in front of her. When she asked Sisko, the bartender at the place she usually played her guitar at whenever she could, where she could find a good present for Bentley, this wasn't what she had in mind. But then again, Sisko knew that Ashley never really had any cash on hand, and probably sent her to this place from that knowledge. He didn't know that Ashley was a thief and could probably steal whatever she wanted for the little ballerina, but Ashley didn't hold that against him.
Besides, maybe she would like a book, right?
'Backer's Books' looked interesting enough. And even though Ashley found out fairly quickly that she wasn't going to find anything that she wanted without asking for help, she did see that the place had that small, cozy feel to it that most huge bookstores or libraries had. How did she know this? Well, when you were homeless and wanted a place to stay during the day that had comfortable couches...no better place then the Library. Bookstores usually didn't ask questions either, not if you were pretending to read a book.
Which is what Ashley was doing right then.
Out of all her disabilities after having her memory wiped, not being able to read shamed her more deeply then anything else. She'd seen kids that were about five or six that were reading better then she could, and sometimes that part of her made her wanna cry. At the moment she felt that old shame creeping up on her, and she bit her bottom lip hard. Not only was it humiliating not being able to read, but since her speech was less than stellar, asking for help was just as hard for her...for her pride.
“Hn.” she grunted, scowling as she picked up a book about the Karma Sutra, though she didn't really know what she held. “Maybe...pick randomly? Get out quickly, then...”
She didn't bother to open the book. Whatever it was, Bentley would appreciate it, right?”
“The Closet” was one of those artsy nesting holes that everyone seemed to know about because a couple of big name actors and musicians got recognized there and were taken to the big time. Ashley knew about it because...well, she just walked in once. It was a boring story to tell, but it wasn’t like everything she ever did was connected to some bigger, grand plan. The place was nice and they served a mean hot chocolate. Plus, the bartender was a nice guy and decided he liked Ashley, despite her gruff mannerisms and rough speech.
Still, he liked her enough that, when he found out that she played guitar, insisted that he play for her, to see what she sounded like. The manager of the place, a kindly old man named Benjamin, liked her sound as well. Ashley, though, thought it sounded like crap, but both the bartender (Sisko) and Benjamin both assured her that's what all artists thought. She took their word on it, deciding that playing for the club wouldn't be all bad. She'd played for Kealey once, how bad could it be?
Well, pretty bad.
But after a few tries she quickly became accustomed to the place and her playing style. Ever since her meeting with Kealey she'd been playing her guitar more and more, and Bentley encouraged it, which pretty much sealed the deal for Ashley. She'd do anything to make the little ballerina happy, and if playing the guitar did that...well, who was she to argue? Since her schedule was so erratic, Ashley would sometimes just show up, and Benjamin would push everyone else off the schedule for her. It was a sentiment she appreciated, but didn't understand. It wasn't like she was all THAT good, right?
On this particular night, Ashley arrived at The Closet, her guitar case hanging off her back. She wore a red shirt with Animal from the Muppets on the front, and leather pants that (as per usual when Bentley bought the clothes) fit snugly. Her hair was pulled up into a ponytail, her combat boots were polished and clean...all in all she felt she was pretty cleaned up for the show. She had taken to hygiene rather well after being house trained by Bentley, after all, and Ashley tried to take pride in her appearance. She even left her trenchcoat at home.
Benjamin greeted her with a hug (even though Ashley never wanted one, she'd come to accept his) and a handshake from Sisko, who knew Ashley didn't like to be touched. There were a few people pointing to Ashley excitedly, though the redhead barley noticed before Benjamin made his announcement of Ashley's arrival. She got cheers this time around, and she raised an eyebrow before looking to Sisko, who shrugged.
“They love ya, chicky.” he chuckled as he fixed a drink. “Knock 'em dead.”
She got up on stage, unpacking her guitar and sitting on the small stool that was placed there. She looked out onto the familiar scene and smiled, flashing now bright white teeth before tilting her head down, fingers strumming the guitar gently, coaxing out a tune as she warmed up. She likened her style to that of Carlos Santana, someone she admired deeply because his music was so...soulful. Deep. She wished she had a fraction of the talent he did, and every time she played she tried to emulate him as best she could.
The crowd was silent as she played, but even if they were cheering and lour, Ashley wouldn't have noticed. Oddly enough, any Santana music triggered the Stamina part of her power, and that gave her a longer running time when playing her music. Often enough Sisko himself would have to come and tell her she had to stop playing, as they were closing and it was getting late. She bit her bottom lip as she swayed on that little stool, eyes closed as the music washed over her and the rest of the patrons of The Closet.
It was moments like these that made it all worthwhile.
Ashley listened to Andrew and frowned. She tried to understand his training routine but didn't. Just every morning? She shook her head. It was a wonder he wasn't a better fighter by now, he only trained casually. While she was at Whistler's, she would train for hours every day, and loved it. Well, sometimes it could be a pain, but most of the time she enjoyed it. It was the thought of getting stronger so she wouldn't need anyone that drove her to be a better fighter. Coupled with her mutation, she was one of the best hand-to-hand fighters at the gym.
That wasn't to say she didn't have a lot to learn, but Andrew seemed to be half assing his training, or maybe boxing just didn't require all that much to begin with. It only involved punching, after all, so maybe there wasn't much to learn. That, and there was the issue of Andrew's mutant power...or lack there of. She heard little about it, and what she thought she might have heard she forgot. So maybe he wasn't cut out to be a fighter?
...naw!! Besides, this was so Andrew could get solid so he could get Verdy, or whatever the other person's name was.
>>"Verdy? Black hair, green eyes. Fun to hang out with. I actually own a dog with with her. We box together with Jorge from time to time."
“Sounds pretty.” Ashley nodded approvingly. Andrew would have good taste, of course. He seemed the type anyways. “So...” Ashley huffed and thought a moment. “We train. Together. Partners.” Ashley eyed Andrew and poked him in the chest. “But serious. No quitting. We know each other better, yes? Like...siblings.”
Ashley nodded, liking the thought of that. She knew all her old sparring partners back at Whistler's Gym, as she only really trained with a handful of people before she was too much for one and had to move onto another. In the end she really only trained with two people, and they shared everything, if only to further their bond as partners. She felt this exercise would be beneficial for herself and Andrew. That, and she'd never had someone to look up to.
Maybe Andrew wasn't her first choice, but morally speaking he was better then anyone else she knew, barring Bentley but she was human. She was far too fragile a being for Ashley to attempt to train. And Andrew, while a tad soft, was still solid enough to take a few hits. Ashley wouldn't even wear her trademark headphones.
“Ummm...there a place? To train.” Ashley looked around before eying Andrew. “Tell me, hmmm...about power. How it work?”
While she was aware of the strange looking boy, Ashley really didn't pay him any mind. After all...why? He wasn't bothering anyone...except maybe Andrew. Well, okay, maybe she did feel a bit self conscience about the whole ordeal, with the slight blush giving way to reveal that. But all I all she was more comfortable with her body then ever before, thanks to her girlfriend. Still, Andrew's actions amused the brunette, and she showed it with a small chuckle. She watched Andrew turn around back to her as if didn't just chase away some random kid.
>>"Uh, boxing. I trained a bit in boxing with Jorge. Nothing beyond that though."
Ashley nodded. Boxing, huh? She'd met a few people back at the gym who practiced boxing, but not seriously. They explained that it was an art just like anything else but Ashley didn't take it very seriously. They didn't even use kicks!! She snorted at the thought of it before shaking her head. Besides, she knew of no other martial art that was as vigorous as Muay Thai. And if there was...she didn't wanna know about it.
“I can teach.” Ashley nodded, holding up an arm and flexing, showing off a sizable bicep. “hard though. Gotta practice. A lot.” Ashley looked around comically for a moment before she walked up to Andrew and leaned in for a moment, grabbing his sleeve as was now becoming her usual way to keep close to him. “But...promise to keep secret, mmmkay? Just us. Then we go on attack. Verdy, yeah? She's close. Describe her.”
Ashley pulled away some, smiling at Andrew. She decided then that maybe having him in her life wasn't so bad. Taking him on as a pupil (despite not having mastered the art herself) would be a good thing for both of them. It was rare that Ashley got to practice Muay Thai, and sparring with someone that could eventually surpass her was an exciting prospect for her.
Well, this certainly wasn't how Ashley expected to be spending her time, but it was for a cause she found suitable for her attention anyways. In fact, if her body hadn't decided to almost explode or whatever, she'd be at home with Bentley right now, head on her ballerina's lap while Ashley hummed a tune of some sort. Just...relaxing. The thought made Ashley feel warm all over, and it was all she could do to prevent herself from giggling like a school girl on the spot.
>>"Well Verdy lives here in the Mansion. Tasean...I don't know.”
Ashley brought her attention back to Andrew and nodded, slightly miffed at herself for losing her focus like that. She would have berated herself for it in the past, but that was before she found out what pleasure simply holding someone could bring, especially with little to no clothes on. She made another mayo sandwich before she rounded herself and walked up to her current mission and looked him up and down.
“Hn.” she grunted, then reached out and lifted his shirt. She'd seen him without it, but she wanted to remind herself. Not bad. Not good either, but not bad. “Your soft.”
To demonstrate, she put her mayo sandwich in her mouth and slugged Andrew in the stomach, not too hard but pretty damn solidly, before taking a step back as she watched him.
“Need exercise. Like me.” her voice muffled by the sandwich and sounding funny, Ashley lifted up her shirt to reveal her abs. She patted the six pack and grabbed her sandwich from her mouth as she let her shirt down. “Solid. How you fight? Know styles? I can teach, you know. Muay Thai. Make you solid. Girls like solid. Bentley does, anyways. Boys too, I think.”
>>"I guess I'm just more comfortable not dating. Lord knows I screw up enough when things get anywhere close to serious."
Ashley frowned at that, chewing her mayo sandwich more slowly. So maybe she wasn't the smartest person on the planet, but that kind of talk bothered her coming from Andrew. She felt that he should stand up and take what he wanted, like she did whenever she stole something. Like her motorcycle!! Okay...well maybe that was a bad example. And maybe she wasn't the poster girl for relationship either, but Andrew seemed so normal, nerdy and cool. Shouldn't he be in a relationship that reflected that?
“No.” Ashley shook her head. “Much too hard. Not to say, I mean. Let them know. Whats it hurt?”
The more she thought about it, the more the brunette felt slightly guilty. It wasn't often that she took her own advice about things, and perhaps this was one of them. She liked Bentley a lot but she didn't exactly go right up to her, take her by the hand and ask her out. It was a gradual process, but...well, maybe things were different for her, right?
It wasn't like she had past experiences to base this on. At the moment, she was winging it and she knew it. But gathering up all the facts she knew about Andrew pointed her in the direction that there was no reason he couldn't be happy with someone. And for some reason, that bothered her. What, was everyone blind.
She suddenly slammed a fist on the counter they were eating at, a determined look on her face. “Hmph. I make them see, yes? Least I can do.” Her sandwich gone, she slammed a fist into her palm. “Plan of attack...ummm...”
There was a moment of silence before Ashley slowly reached out to Andrew and pulled his sleeve again, her eyes a bit shifty and cheeks slightly red from her earlier outburst of energy.
“Where are they?” she asked in an almost whisper. “Your people, that you like?”
The brunette listened to Andrew and his explanation, a rather weak one if anyone asked Ashley, and she simply shook her head. Not a word escaped her lips though, because...well, she didn't think well on a empty stomach, and she really didn't have anything more to say at that moment anyways. She was determined to help Andrew be happy because right now he looked...well, she wouldn't say miserable, but certainly not happy like he should be. Almost-Heroes like him should be happy, right?
Instead of having Andrew just make her a mayo sandwich, Ashley decided that making her own would be just as good. It was good that Andrew didn't flinch at the mention of a mayo sandwich the way others did, but mayo was a delicacy to Ashley and she was pretty particular about how much she wanted on there. Besides, she wanted to see the kitchen, if only to see if there was anything else she could snag. There were things to eat at Bentley's (it was still a little hard to think of it as her own home now, too), but old habits were hard to break.
>>"No need to do that. I helped you because I wanted to and it was the right thing to do."
“Hm.” Ashley nodded as they reached the kitchen, immediately going for the fridge and pulling out her prize; a giant sized mayo bottle. She swooned a bit before getting the bread that was on the counter and, after a little searching, a knife. “Still, need partner. Be happy, yes?”
After all, it wasn't like Ashley knew much more to being happy then that. Her life, thus far after being mind wiped, was finding the mutant that had ruined her life and killing her. She trained with her surrogate father and did what was needed, but beyond that she didn't know much about happiness or...anything. So when she met Isabel the bonemancer had unlocked these feelings inside of her...well. It wasn't a perfect first experience to be shunned in such a way, but Bentley had showed her the alternative.
Ashley giggled with slightly perverted thoughts before shaking her head and looking back to Andrew.
“Who you like? I can help.” Ashley nodded, making her sandwich of two pieces of bread smothered with mayo. She slapped the two pieces together and took a bite, smiling contently before looking back to the fridge for a pop of some sort. She found a Sprite and took it out, popping it open and taking a swig before eying her friend again. “Go on. Tell me. I not laugh, promise.”
Ashley nodded, understanding. Well, kinda. Andrew wasn't exactly bad looking, maybe a little nerdy but that wasn't something that should hold him back. He was strong, and he had plenty of muscles (she figured that's what most women liked), and he had very 'agreeable' (as Bentley would put it) hair. All in all, he wasn't hard on the eyes and there were women out there that could definitely do worse. Much worse. Also, his dressing style wasn't all bad either, though Ashley admittedly knew little in that department.
“Hm.” Ashley nodded, looking Andrew up and down before coming to the conclusion that she wasn't going to find an answer to this inside her own head. “Don't get it. Not bad looking. Talk good, dress good...why no date?”
The brunette realized that maybe this wasn't the best of conversations after being damn near paralyzed and bleeding from her freakin' eyes, but all that seemed like a distant memory now that she was sitting down with Andrew and drinking water. She suddenly realized how hungry she was as her stomach produced a sharp, stabbing pain. She clutched at it for a moment as a rumble let out a second later.
“Hn.” she grunted. “Got mayo, Andrew? Need food. Simple, though. Mayo, bread...meal.” She stood up and wagged a finger at him. “Still talking, though. Need date. You help me twice. I help you now.”
Ashley shrugged at the question while chugging her water. She stopped when she thought she might actually drown herself and took a few deep breaths before looking to Andrew. She cocked her head slightly, taking in the sight of him before smiling. She was happy to see him, though she didn't know why, and she set her drink down in front of her. She settled herself down and leaned back into the couch, happy to be somewhere soft again.
“Good.” she responded. She liked talking to Andrew. He didn't look all impatient at her halting form of speech. “Dating Bentley. Live there. Not homeless.” A shrug. “What more?”
Well, there was a ton more, but she didn't mention that after being stabbed by a particularly vicious shop owner she had went to a clinic where she kissed a hot Russian chick, almost blew herself up (well, that’s what it felt like anyway) and a random madwoman had kidnapped her after the Russian herself was kidnapped, and then she (Ashley) was tortured for information about her own life, and random other crap she'd really rather not think about.
The last time the brunette had seen Andrew was after Santa Cop Jorge had questioned them about the Spiky Metal Mutant that had rampaged all over the cafe they were at. He wasn't happy then, but at least now he looked a little better. Though Ashley figured him for someone who carried a lot on his shoulders because he felt he had to as opposed to sharing his burden. The noble type. A little stupid, but Ashley could understand. He was just too nice.
“You?” Ashley said after she took another drink. “Dating Lydia? She's nice. Hot.”
Ashley shook her head, still slightly enthralled with the woman before her. She was a redhead too, something Ashley found...enticing. She blinked rapidly after a few moments of rude staring and looked away, letting her hair fall to mask her expression from the woman that had knocked her unconscious. While most times Ashley would have retaliated, she knew that maybe she took just a tad bit longer to let go of the woman's breasts and she probably deserved to be punched. But she wasn't going to admit that. Well...not now anyways. Maybe when they could look back on this and laugh.
>>“So want me to get you anything else? I want to make sure ya don’t have a concussion or anything.”
After this came another bout of rude staring. Sure, the woman was easy on the eyes, but after all that talking Ashley had to take a moment to take it all in. Okay...most of it was comprehensible, but the wolven instincts thing confused her. Maybe she was a mutant, yeah? Well, okay...Ashley could dig that. She'd never met a wolf mutant, and she was quite curious how that all worked out. But she kept her questions in check and instead shook her head.
“No.” Ashley responded. “You're...nice. To me. For this.”
Ashley knitted her eyebrows. She really didn't know how to continue the conversation but didn't want it to end. The girl's very being was pulling Ashley towards her and she wanted to figure out what it was. This wasn't the torrent of emotions that Isabel had unlocked inside of her. This wasn't the flood of feelings that Bentley made her feel for them and their relationship. This was something else, and to say Ashley was a tad irritated that she didn't know what it was would be an understatement.
It was times like this that Ashley wished she was a better conversationalist...hell, she always wished that. But the red haired beauty still looked slightly guilty over the misunderstanding, but Ashley didn't really know what else to say on the matter. She wanted to get up and just walk away, reassuring the woman that everything was cool and they were square...but she didn't know where they were at.
“I'm Rhythm.” Ashley blurted out, feeling like an idiot and the shade of her face reflected that. “And...you're soft. What...what's your name?”
Soft? SOFT?! Really? What happened to mentioning it when they could look back on all this and laugh? And while Ashley looked at the exotic woman beside her, her brain was warring with itself for saying something as stupid as that. And so she did what Ashley normally did; blushed bright red but acted as if nothing happened.
When Andrew lead her to the living room, Ashley actually collapsed onto one of the bigger ones, setting her feet up and everything. The last time she was here wasn't under the best of circumstances but it did give her options in terms of having a place to stay. She had overcome her fear of relying on people, and people in general, so coming here a second time wasn't as bad. Plus, she wasn't brought in on being a gun shot victim, so that was always good.
The overstuffed couch was so very comfortable, and Ashley couldn’t help but curling into a little ball and waiting for Andrew to come back with her water. She hoped it was a big glass, because she was thirsty as all hell and felt like she could drink gallons of water. Why was she so dehydrated? Did loss of blood cause that? She imagined it did, but since she didn't know for sure and didn't wanna ask anyone for fear of sounding stupid, she kept her mouth shut.
She thought about staying here, at the Mansion, but decided against it. There were still other things out there she wanted to so, and she had a feeling the Mansion folks wouldn't take kindly to a thief living among them. Thinking of that, Ashley shot up and looked back to the entrance of the Mansion. She had left her bike back outside, along with her helmet. She didn't know what they would do, or if they would check to see if it was stolen or whatever, and the thought of only being able to ride it once made her feel terrible. How else was she going to impress Bentley if the motorcycle was gone.
She looked back to Andrew, who was coming in with her glass of water. She forgot it momentarily as she grabbed his sleeve again.
“My...bike?” she whined, her eyes big. “Safe? Is it, safe?”
