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 wasn't that Ashley was bored with the conversation, but for some odd reason the thought of why Andrew's shirt smelled so good seemed to be dominating her thoughts and concentration. It really was a rather attractive smell, and Ashley smiled (her smile hidden by the shirt) as she breathed in and out. She did this a few times, listening to Santa's talk on something or other about the mutant she had fought earlier that day. She only caught every other word but, really, the whole thing didn't seem to be her problem, being as relaxed as she was...
...until Andrew began to yell, but not yell.
It was controlled, Ashley thought, as she watched the shirtless man go on about...well, something. Her surrogate father had told her more then one (like, a trillion) times not to sell herself short when it came to things like her intelligence but at the moment the whole conversation seemed over her head. Either that or she was too lazy to be bothered. She usually didn't attribute herself to being lazy, but for the past few minutes she had been breathing a smell of a shirt that was comforting her. So yeah, maybe this time.
When Andrew finished he looked mightily upset, and that bothered Ashley. She reached out and put a hand on Andrew's shoulder, narrowing her eyes at Santa.
“Santa...we helped.” she stated bluntly, not caring if she got the cops name right. He'd always be Santa to her anyways. “And..I'm shot.” Ashley stood up and lifted her (Andrew's) shirt. “Right here, in tummy. By cops. You people.” Ashley let the shirt fall. “We helped. We fought. He attacked, first. I wanted to protect...”
Ashley blinked as she stood there, pointing a finger at the cute girl before coughing, an embarrassed look on her face.
Well, not in any kind of 'weird' way, but it was a place she could relax in. Sure, she could always crash at the Sanctuary or the Mansion, but sitting there in some room, surrounded by walls...she felt constrained. Logically she knew that it was something she'd get over as soon as she's start to spend more time in a bed (they were DAMN comfortable, after all) but until then then she liked going out on the slightly chilly nights. She almost felt like taking a jog but upon remembering her workout earlier that day decided that maybe it was time to let her body rest, heal. Whistler always said that was a good idea.
She strolled through the park, headphones not blasting as they usually did and were instead quiet (”Black Hole Sun” by Soundgarden), and she felt quite content with her place in the world. Though, she thought, it wasn't that hard to please someone that was homeless and had to fight for her meals everyday. She had a full belly at the moment, and for whatever reason the breeze that was blowing was making her feel like...smiling? The thought made her force on her trademark scowl as she trudged though the park. Nothing made her smile for no reason, not unless that reason was Andrew or Isabel. A simple breeze can't make you smile. How silly.
It was this line of thinking that Ashley blamed when she collided with something soft, pillowy and smelled a sweet combination of lavender and sweat, a scent Ashley found oddly attractive. Still, the subsequent crash to the ground slammed Ashley's head to the (thankfully soft) ground, and only disoriented her for a moment. She head the sound of a rather meek, gentle voice apologizing, and then (of course!) making the apology of not seeing Ashley. Like she was easy to miss or something.
Not seeing the outstretched hand, Ashley stood up quickly, growling (bared teeth and all) her response to the girl before her. She'd never been accused of being intimidating by anyone, but Ashley thought that was because, by the end of a fight with her, they didn't have the ability to talk at that moment. Her scowl was still in place she she locked eyes with copper eyes and a apologetic face.
Damn it.
“Erm...sorry.” Ashley immediately blushed, something she noticed the other girl was doing as well. “Accident, I know. Happens.” Ashley looked the girl up and down, taking in how attractive she was before looking around the darkened park. “You're...alone? At night?” Ashley raised an eyebrow. “Here? You silly, in here?” Ashley finished, pointing a finger to her temple.
'Santa?' Ashley thought as she looked at the man sitting on the couch.
Ashley cocked her head slightly as she crossed her arms. Sure, it had been awhile but it wasn't everyday you saw a cop in a Santa outfit. Plus, the old guy had a pretty recognizable face. It was hard and gentle at the same time, something Ashley had never really seen before until she met DocProf not five minutes earlier. It was a face that saw much but still held out hope that things would get better. The thought took Ashley back to that first night she had ran into those interesting people in that alleyway, especially the singer and the pretty one who's name she never got...
The redhead listened to Santa Cop (she didn't get his name last time) go through his intro like it was something he did every day (he probably did) and took a seat on the armrest of the chair Andrew was sitting on. The old guy had a soothing voice, something Ashley was fairly certain made him a good cop for situations just like these. In fact, everything about him made Ashley wanna spill her guts. Was that his mutant power? If so, that was cheating!! Ashley knitted her eyebrows, trying to remember the last time they met to get any scrap of information. She got nothing, though.
She sat there as Andrew talked, explaining everything that happened and asking of the victims of the attack were okay. Ashley scowled for a moment. She didn't even think of those people. She felt slightly guilty, truth be told, but didn't really feel shame. Sure, she mainly went after the cute girl to see if she was alright, but her and her boyfriend (Andrew) turned out alright. An her? She got shot for her trouble but the people that were charged to 'Protect and Serve'. She knew now (even if Andrew didn't have to explain it and get a promise from him) that she wasn't going to get shot again because of this particular cop, but she was still a tad heated. What if DocProf wasn't there? What if there wasn't a healer like him on hand? Things could have turned out VERY differently.
Ashley, for some reason, took the neck of her (Andrew's) shirt and put it over her nose. The smell was comforting, really. Andrew was a nice guy, and the smell of 'Nice Guy' must have spread to his clothes. She knew the cop had questions for her, but she really didn't want to speak. She wasn't good at it and really didn't want to show hos socially inept she was because of her lack of proper education. So instead she pretended that she was off in her own little world and looked to the ground. Maybe Santa Cop wouldn't need her statement, or whatever he wanted.
No real reason not to be. She had a friend in Isabel, something she was pretty sure happened once in a blue moon. She had a place to stay in the Sanctuary, which was everything Amber and Isabel had said it would be. And while she still had her same clothes on at the moment (battered wife beater and pants that were much to big for her skinny frame, black trenchcoat that covered up most of her body) they were at least clean from using the Sanctuary’s washing machine. Ashley sat at Penn Station for a moment, her head against the wall as she listened to her music (Tsutomu's music from Bust-a-Groove 2), wondering what to do now.
There were a few options. One, she could follow up a lead she got from one of her very few contacts that said the mutant she was looking for was somewhere around Penn Station, where she was now. Her contact had told her that the mutant was spotted there twice, once leaving and once arriving. From what they could gather up the mutant in question was a traveler, but for what they couldn't say. Ashley had simply agreed and went to Penn Station, hoping to catch a glimpse of the mutant that had ruined her life not once but TWO times. It was a long shot, but...well, it was better then the whole lotta nothing that was her other option to accept.
So, of course, I really was to no surprise that someone was being mugged.
It was New York City, after all, right? Seriously, how did the guy think he was going to get away with it. Ashley stared, dumbstruck for a moment before her legs seemed to respond before her mind had a time to catch up. The mugger didn't look like any kind of gang banger, but a desperate guy with a fix he needed to...well, fix. It really wasn't the mugger's day, though, as another good Samaritan took a shot at him and barley missed. Was that a knife? Ashley didn't have time to ponder it. The guys was quick, though Ashley knew (from experience) that his current speed was mostly desperation and not because he was actually fast.
The music she was listening to WAS augmenting her speed, so catching the guy would be child's play. Though it DID irk the redhead that o one else seemed to be helping, instead content with just staring at the situation, some even taking pictures or videos with their stupid phones. Ashley scowled but instead began to give chase, looking back at the women who were chasing the man as well. A pretty Latina and a small little white girl.
And she only locked gazes with the Latina for a moment.
It was then that the world went black. So surprised was Ashley that, for a moment she wondered how the hell a place as big as Penn Station could suddenly just turn out their lights like that. She came to a screeching halt, slamming into the body of the mugger she was chasing completely by accident. She fell OVER the man and onto the ground, her head slamming the immaculate floors Penn Station sported. She heard the man sputter something like 'Crazy bitch tried to stab me!' 'Shit ain't worth it!' before he took off again.
Not that Ashley could see that.
She blinked rapidly, over and over, waiting for her sight to come back but got nothing. She held up her hands to her head, feeling the wetness of the blood from the wound from her head slamming on the floor and shook her head. No, her world went black before she hit her head. That didn't make sense. How...why? Her breath came faster and faster as he realization hit her like a tuck.
The response wasn’t quite what Ashley had expected. A mutant that could make clothes vanish? That sounded...horrible. The redhead shuddered at the thought. Despite all this, Ashley couldn't help but feel a tad responsible for Isabel's upcoming rampage. She did, after all, find that calendar that had sent the brunette into her current rage and someone, somewhere, was in trouble because of it. Having recently just gotten out of being murdered by the young woman, Ashley was sympathetic to Isabel's next target.
“But, umm....” Ashley fumbled for a moment. “Maybe not kill? Maybe...maim?”
After blurting out the comment she stopped herself from saying more. She remembered the civil intro Isabel had given when she gave out her name, calling herself the resident cop killer. Someone who called themselves that must be pretty confident in their own abilities, and going to jail and being locked up was probably not high on their list of things to worry about. But the side of Ashley that nagged at her that a life was at stake couldn't help but try and convince Isabel that maybe her current crusade wasn't worth it.
She kept her mouth shut, though. In truth Ashley was aching and all she wanted to do was rest. The chase and fight with the fearsome Isabel had take a lot out of her. Her fists and feet ached from hitting the bone manipulator, something Ashley figured happened to everyone that fought the girl one on one. She was just happy that nothing of her own was broken from essentially hitting bone straight on like that. And so Ashley kept her mouth shut, wanting nothing more at that moment than what Isabel has promised; a place to rest, eat and possibly take a shower.
She would try and convince Isabel to not murder someone once they were at Sanctuary.
Well, Ashley couldn't say she didn't see that coming.
She knew (from personal experience) that Isabel could go from furious to calm in a matter of minutes. She only figured that going from zero to murder in a second flat was part of the overall package the brunette offered. So it was to no surprise to the redhead when Isabel stomped over, looked at the calendar and proceeded to tear it apart after threatening to kill someone.
Ashley felt sincerely sorry for whoever that was.
The only downside was now it seemed like Isabel had completely forgotten about Ashley herself. That wasn't anything new to Ashley, as she was used to being able to slip away unnoticed. But this time she felt like maybe she was going to be contributing to a murder (having seen the very provocative poses Isabel had been in, something she obviously didn't like) and wanted to maybe...help? It was a thought, but another inclination (that just occurred to her) was that maybe there WAS no way for Ashley to help, and Isabel was going to murder who she wanted no matter WHAT anyone said.
“H-hey...” Ashley stuttered as she sprinted after Isabel (who was walking like she stole something) and managed to catch up and slow down to a fast walk to match the brunette's speed. “I'm sorry. Those pictures...they were...nice.”
And nice they were. Still, maybe putting a spin on it would help calm the other girl down. She thought the various posing and strong, yet somehow still vulnerable look Isabel was sporting in those pictures fit her very well, almost like she had a hidden side that very few people have or would ever see. And while her posing was provocative and probably the focus of attention to most, the one thing Ashley would never forget were her eyes.
They were the same, no doubt about that. They were eyes of a romantic, Ashley mused, or someone who sometimes confused her own daydreams with reality, often setting her own emotions warring. Ashley;s interpretation of it was very limited (she knew) but they were very thoughtful eyes, and it as something Ashley wished to get to know better. Having no real friends (unless Andrew or Lydia counted her as a friend, as she did count them as one) she thought that if someone could reel in their usual homicidal tenancies to help a person out in need (despite stealing their wallet) then maybe that was a person that was worth getting to know.
“Isabel...” Ashley called out, reaching out to touch the woman's shoulder. “You're...mad? Why?”
Ashley was visibly relived as Isabel gave her answer. Even if she would have been anchored, the life on the streets thing was getting to her. She was tired, hungry and she knew that living the way she did would be no way to find the person she came to New York to find. She needed other ways to get to the mutant that ruined her life, resources that actually helped instead of just 'looking' and finding nothing. She had considered it the first time she met Amber, but now she thought she would have actually been this girl's slave...servant, whatever, if it meant that she could at least get on her feet enough to find her target.
>>"The Sanctuary's funded by a pharmaceutical company run by one of the residents. We don't need to collect rent from everyone to keep the place up and running. You don't have to stay there if you don't want to. You can always just pop in now and again to grab a bite to eat or snag a room for the night. It's up to you."
Ashley watched Isabel turn around (her eyes suddenly drawn south for some inexplicable reason) and began to follow her, snapping her eyes off to he side and at the VERY interesting ground. The blush she had fought off so hard as Isabel talked came back with an amazing intensity. She followed Isabel's strong walk back up the alley and towards the park in silence, looking around her as she did so. The day was still a bit nippy but it wasn't too bad, and Ashley thought that maybe Isabel had taken Ashley's following of her as a wordless agreement to take a look at the Sanctuary.
It was odd for silence to reign over anything for Ashley. She had turned off her iPod and let her headphones swing in her hand as she walked behind the brunette, letting the cool air and sounds of the city wash over her. She did this from time to time to remind herself that there were sounds beyond her music, even if she didn't listen. It was also rare that Ashley ever got to observe her surroundings as much because almost every waking moment was spent looking for food or information.
But that wasn't to say her powers of observation weren't used, just a tad rusty. So when Ashley caught sight of the now familiar colors of white, pale green and gray (colors that Ashley would probably forever associate with Isabel) she came to a halt. She backed up and, in an alley dumpster, saw what appeared to be a magazine or some such thing hanging from the lid of the huge dumpster. She walked towards it, cocking her head as she looked and peeled the thing from the trash, looking at the cover.
It was Isabel.
She didn't really know how to react. If she had never met the bonemancer she wouldn't have ever given this thing a second glance. But upon meeting her (she left an impression, that one) Ashley thought that she would forever remember the brunette, no matter what. So it was with great shock that when she opened it (it was a calendar) she saw pictures of her companion in various provocative poses in what appeared to be a strange looking bikini. So shocked was she (really!) that she continued to flip through the pages, absorbing ever pose and picture to memory. And the only thing she could think of was...
The redhead watched with much fascination as Isabel turned from furious, vengeful warrior to polite and curious and now...her smile was actually kind, gentle. It was hard to believe that not a few minutes earlier they were locked in a life or death battle for a wallet. She was also glad that Isabel didn't eat people. Not that she thought about it, the legs she had sported did look kinda like bones...well, they felt like them too. Ashley mentally bopped herself for not thinking of it earlier (forgoing the fact that she had better things to worry about then). Besides, someone as cute as Isabel couldn't possibly eat people or suck out their insides.
>>"How about this. Why not head on over to the Sanctuary with me? I was gonna head back there after a stroll in the park anyhow. It's one of those mutant shelters I mentioned. I live there myself."
Ashley nodded, knowing the name from an encounter with a previous mutant that lived there, named Amber. She remembered her because she could shift into dinosaurs and had really, REALLY white skin. The same thoughts flew into her mind now as they did back then. Sure, she would LOVE to be in a place where eating wasn't a problem, staying warm was a think of of the past and it was totally free...right?
It was in Ashley's experience that there was nothing free in this world, especially not in New York City. Everything came at a price. The idea of owing someone anything made Ashley's sens of pride war with her need to...well, not die. Or struggle every damn day for the tiniest bits of scrap that usually amounted to a stomach that growled louder and skin that got colder, no matter how much clothing she piled on. He was taught to be independent but in all reality Ashley didn't know what that meant. She was about to respond when Isabel continued.
>>"I you like it there, you're welcome to stay. You can pick out you own room and crash as long as you'd like. I'd be wiling to bet it's warmer and more comfortable than wherever you're staying now. Plus we've got a fully stocked kitchen that you can raid 24/7."
She already knew most of that info and now, like then when she talked to Amber, the offer was so tempting. In fact, she got the same offer from Andrew when they talked in the Mansion Infirmary. Without inflating her own ego, Ashley knew she was special. Whistler had told her as such when she lived with him, and she had never known him to be a liar. But then came the thought of the price. Would she be willing to pay it? At the Mansion Andrew had said she could just stay there as long as she wanted. Isabel said the same thing. What was their price?
Well...better to ask now then find out later.
“Hn.” Ashley grunted, knitting her eyebrows and starting straight down to Isabel’s shoes. “What...price? Would you...own me? For bringing me? Or...?”
>>"What makes you think I'd eat you? I don't eat people."
The redhead didn't answer the question because a moment later Isabel had offered her a hand. A thought tickled the back of Ashley’s mind that, well, this probably didn’t happen to a lot of the people this particular mutant chased down for stealing...or anything else for that matter. Still, Ashley usually didn't allow herself to be pulled up by anyone (due to the side effect of her powers) but this was the exception. The smell of apple blossoms wafted over her as she looked at the outstretched hand. It made her mind fizzle a bit as she reached up and grabbed the other girl's hand.
Isabel's grip was strong (like freakin' iron) yet her skin was surprisingly soft, almost delicate. The contrast seemed to fit her, though, and Ashley let go immediately after she stood up, shaking her hand and rubbing it on the back of her pants. The pain she felt flared for a moment at the contact but as slowly fading as she cleared her throat and looked off to the side and at the ground. That was slightly embarrassing. She looked down at the reddening mark on her hand and 'eep-ed'.
“Oh, erm...I thought you...hm.” Ashley thought for a moment, thinking how silly she sounded at the moment. “You were...spider. With your legs.” She really didn't know how else to explain, but she figured that the brunette was smarter then her anyways and would figure it out.
Another blush flared as she held her dirty hands behind her (she put pressure on the burning hand, as that usually made it feel better) after she got done talking. Sure, Ashley wanted the pain to go away but more so she wanted nothing more then to be cleaner then she was at that moment. In front of her was someone who, well, looked like she didn't like dirty things. Even though they had scrapped in the sewer she still looked surprisingly clean, something Ashley wondered about as she looked down at herself.
She had her trenchcoat on (she slipped it on after coming up from the sewers) and a dirty wife beater on underneath that barley covered her muscled stomach. Her pants were still baggy and much too big; even the belt around her waist didn't help much. Various dirt patches and smears covered her attire and she crossed her arms across her chest after pulling her trenchcoat around her. More red on her face.
>>"Alright, you've got my name, so what's yours? And what are you doing trying to snatch my wallet?"
Isabel's voice made Ashley snap up from her dark musings and swallow. Her voice was powerful, demanding and...well, slightly snotty. Ashley didn't mind that much, mainly because the tone suited her. She couldn't begrudge the woman her regal appearance, and Ashley could only prat that one day she could carry herself with such confidence...well, when she wasn't fighting, anyways. At least that was a field she knew she could kick ass in.
“Oh, I'm Rhythm.” Ashley tapped her headphones. “I'm stronger, faster. When listening, I mean.” She felt her face go on full red alert as she answered Isabel's other question. “And...I'm hungry.”
Ashley watched as a transformation seemed to take place with the spider mutant. Well, for one (and she mentally slapped herself for not even realizing this) the legs things were gone. Two, up close she really didn't look like she wanted to suck her insides out at all. In fact, she looked quite normal (almost human), something a lot of mutants couldn’t say about THEIR powers. She still dressed strangely, and the now was still odd but fitting. The anger that was radiating off of her in waves only moments ago to gave way to only mild irritation, an emotion that seemed to cling onto the girl like a second skin. Perhaps she was always slightly grumpy.
>>"Isabel. Resident cop killer."
Isabel. Ashley only had a moment to consider the name before the brunette flicked her wrist (or something) that made the net disappear, like the spike dagger thing did a moment ago as well. Ashley sat up, her legs spread as she steadied herself bu putting her hands on the ground in front of her. She tried not to stare in wonder at the current actions the brunette was displaying. After all, it wasn't too long ago that they were fighting tooth and nail for their separate causes and Ashley was pretty sure the brunette was trying to murder her.
>>"You'd have better luck snatching wallets from a purse or something in a crowd. The person wont feel it slip out if the thing's got a long enough strap. There's places for mutants to live around here if you look, too. Don't have to go crawling around in sewers and such."
At this point Ashley didn't know what to say. The advice was sound. It was something Ashley never really considered, mostly because the people that she stole from didn't mind her brushing up against them. She reached into her pocket and fingered the wallet that she had gone through such trouble to get and looked away from the other girl's searching gaze. Ashley felt a tinge of shame for pilfering the object from the girl, if only because she was a fellow mutant. Her hunger was forgotten at the moment (it would return in force later) as she pulled it out and palmed it, holding it out to the girl, her gaze still off to the side.
“Here. Sorry.” Ashley swallowed. “Thanks. For not eating me, I mean. You're...nice.”
Ashley watched the spider chick with something akin to wonder. Up close like this she seemed VERY intimidating, though the slight blush on her face toned it down some, followed by the way she spoke. She accepted the apology (for all the good it did the redhead) but insisted that the grabbing of her...'stuff' wasn't, in fact, an accident at all. Ashley was about to protest (even though she really didn't know what to say) when the spider continued and Ashley got yet another impression on the (gorgeous) creature in front of her.
She was offended.
Sure, the spider was offended that Ashley had stolen her wallet, that much was clear. Anyone would be offended by such a thing happening. The few times Ashley had been caught the other person clearly felt violated that such a thing could be happening. But this was different. This woman, this spider mutant was (possibly even more) offended because Ashley didn't seem to know who she was.
>>"What the hell are you doing trying to steal from me anyway? Most idiots with half brain know who I am and wouldn't breathe wrong in my direction in case it irked me. Don't you watch the news?"
In all honesty Ashley didn't even know what to say. The brattish, offhand way the woman was talking kinda put her in an awkward spot. She was reminded of the many times she'd been to one of the fast food joints she would rip off when she was super hungry (and desperate) and she saw one of the kinds screaming and crying because they couldn't play with the toy from their Happy Meal because their parents wouldn't let them. The very thought made the redhead swallow hard and almost (almost!) grin a bit.
“I...don't.” Ashley responded, attempting to shrug but remembering her current predicament. “Not really. No TV. No home, I mean. To watch one.”
Ashley coughed and averted her eyes when she said this. There were many things she was shamed of when it came to her life, many things she knew she shouldn’t be but was. The fact she could barley read or do any basic math was one. The fact that she couldn't shower as much as she should was another. And the fact that she was homeless was probably the biggest factor of her shame. The logical side of her brain told her that, well, she was new in town with very little money and no real way to get a job. But her shame over the matter overrode the logical part.
“And I am. I mean, sorry. For grabbing you.” Ashley responded, her whiskey on the rocks voice a bit deeper then usual. “Not...part of plan. Really.”
Ashley didn't bother too look back when she heard and saw that spider chick coming after her. But she wasn't listening to the proper music this time and her speed was considerably less then what it would have been if she had. She swore to herself as she pumped her legs, willing herself forward faster. She saw the end of the alley she was on and almost burst into tears of happiness. At least out there she could get lost in a crowd or something, get into a store. She needed supplies, change her look so this mutant spider wouldn’t find her...
Those plans weren't in the cards however. And because Ashley didn't look back she didn't see the bone net thingy the spider had thrown. The net collided with her back, knocking the wind out of Ashley as she crashed to the ground. She immediately saw her peril as the net seemed to anchor itself into the ground, trapping the redhead and severely restricting her movements. That didn't stop her from trying though.
Mustering up all her remaining strength (being augmented by Kanye West's “Stronger”) Ashley pushed up on the (surprisingly) heavy net. The ground cracked and she gritted her teeth, her face going red at the effort but eventually she couldn't give any more. Her tank was at zero and once again not thinking, planning or mapping out a situation was going to land her in a heap of trouble. The first time she was shot when she took on that metal mutant, and now she had pick pocketed probably the worst person in New York to pickpocket.
Ashley collapsed on her stomach, her breath making small dust clouds appear on the concrete below her. She felt the fear knot up her stomach as the steps from the spider chick got closer and closer. Ashley did her best and turned around (it was still rather difficult) onto her back and saw the creature that had been hunting her and blinked. Several times.
She was cute, almost adorable. The huge bow that was on top of her head really seemed to fit her, her fathomless brown eyes narrowed and angry. Her stride was powerful, confident and even that smirk (a victory smirk) was oddly attractive. Ashley felt her heart beat faster like it only had on several occasions. First was when she met Circe, and the next was when she blindly followed Lydia into the Corner Cafe. This time, though, it was different. Ashley felt her cheeks heat up as the spider stopped in front of the redhead's sprawled out form. For a moment Ashley said nothing, trying to keep eye contact with the intimidating woman before she turned her head off to the side.
“Sorry.” she muttered softly. “For...grabbing you. Accident, I swear.”
If she was going to die today, it wasn't going to be as a pervert.
