cerozer0

Pokémon Noir

Interested!

”Why does my back ache?” (OoC)

I shall put my first post up today!

”Why does my back ache?” (OoC)

I'm waiting for the first IC post tbh uwu

Kingdom Guild: Golden City

Ashling felt her lips form into a small smile as she was dragged along by the floating girl, her arm held tightly as she allowed her body to just move along without much thought. The thought of calling her just Pete made the polite mindset she held shudder, but, then again, would it be considered impolite not call someone by the name they want to be called by? Her mind wandered, groping for ideas, while the two quickly maneuvered out of the hall system and into the tavern area. It was somewhat empty, hold for Woody, a few drunk hunters sitting at a table, and a man whom Ash found that she didn't recognize. He looked Asian, must have traveled a long way. The atmosphere of the bar quickly took hold of her, and she suddenly felt much calmer then before. With a keen eye, she decided that this room was big enough to lose something in it. She eventually turned her gaze to Pete,

"Shall we start looking here? Ms. Snow could have dropped it under one of the tables." Ash used her chin to point towards the booths and tables of the tavern. In the back of her mind, she wondered briefly why Snow hadn't specified where she had been, but then again it was a scavenger hunt.

Think, Ashling... her mind whispered suddenly, Where would someone like Snow hang around...? Ash's eyes wandered across the room again, lingering on the bar where the two men conversed and the Notice Board where she had once seen the woman pinning up a request. There was also a library, perhaps Snow was the reading type. Or, perhaps not. Much to Ash's distress, she found that she had no knowledge of Snow's personality besides the fact that she seemed easily angered. Mindlessly, her hand slipped from Pete's grasp as she began to pick at her cuticles, a tick she normally got when she was thinking deeply. There was a Supply Shop, a Library, A Tavern, many unused hunter rooms, and a few closed off rooms, there was also the possibility of it being in the main brothel section. A sudden wish for Vapor to appear popped up a midst the thoughts, and a faint frown adorned her face. Vapor would easily find it, or just tell her that it was a wild goose chase. Another thought instantly appeared, what if this was a wild goose chase? How embarrassed she would be!

How stupid would she appear?

Creased lines appeared on her forehead, her shoulders shook ever so slightly. Right now, she just wanted to get out, maybe take a nap, listen to the gossip of flowers and the patter of rain on the concrete. A sudden creak brought her back to reality, and she turned her head swiftly, seeing a familiar tail suddenly vanish around a corner. A small smile pierced her somewhat contorted face, and she turned to Pete,

"M- Uh, Pete, do you have any ideas?" she questioned, trying to keep her voice light and casual. Perhaps letting Petria lead was her best bet at not appearing too foolish to those watching in case it was just a false scavenger hunt.

Slice of Life: Days in Morpheus Online, the Intcheck

Interested!

Kingdom Guild: Golden City

At being compared to an old person her face shifted, lips forming a definite pout as she wondered briefly if she should give the younger-looking girl a pap on the nose for being so rude. The idea passed like a breeze, though, as she brought up another topic. Something about an entourage going with the blonde, woman, Ellie. Ash stared blankly at the red-head for a moment, then a light of understanding filled her eyes,

"We weren't invited on the mission, and sneaking on would be rather... Impolite." she concluded with a nod, hands clutching the hem of her black skirt. Pete was such a hard person to understand, very innocent and childish, but she looked to old to be one of those rambunctious kids. Also, the floating thing was a bit weird, but probably not uncommon since, well, there were plenty of magical people out there! Still... Stilllll.

How curious. Her mind whispered, and before she could ask any questions regarding her age or the floating thing, another presence entered the hall. Her heart nearly leapt to her throat when she caught sight of the serious looking Snow that suddenly stood behind Pete. Obviously, she didn't seem to thrilled with Petria's idea of sneaking on with the group before. Ashling quickly cast her eyes downward, shifting her weight from foot to foot as her nails dug into the fabric of her skirt-hem, listening intently as Snow explained the premise of a game. An apple pendant, huh... A prize... Ashling suddenly felt the creeping of anxiety she normally felt when talking to people. Vapor's words echoed in her head over and over, and Ash found her trust in these people around her wavering greatly.

It's okay, it's okay. her own voice echoed in her head, Maybe she DID really lose it, how foolish would you be if you thought she was lying? The voice continued to convince her to calm down until Snow walked off, leaving the two alone once again. The feeling faded, and Ashling found herself left with two options on how to spend the rest of the day now; Sleeping and dreaming, or wandering over the Guild in search of a pendant. Honestly, the first sounded more appealing, seeing as she still wasn't truly awake from the nap before, but...

"Do you want to play together, Ms. Pete?" her eyes glanced up towards the floating red-head. Leaving the girl to play alone would be rude, or just mean. Besides, maybe there actually was a prize, and maybe they'll get to look in the rooms that were closed off to her before. With her head held a bit higher then before, she locked her eyes with Pete's and pushed a strand of dark hair before her ear, trying her best to look excited.

Kingdom Guild: Golden City

Sorry if the post is a bit strange, I wasn't very focused today but at least it's done. uwu

Kingdom Guild: Golden City

The room was dull, that is the first thing she came to realize. Then again, everything in reality is a bit dull to someone like Ash. Nothing is as clean as it should be, or as bright as it could be. To her, everything is coated in a vale of gray, even the people, and that was what scared her the most. The gray vale was strewn over them like a cloak, hiding their true self, giving them a selfish mindset. Sure, some people weren't as covered, but they still had limits, still wouldn't go outside the boundaries of their own mindset. Ash knew that even she was covered by the vale, it was the cause of her cynical nature (and perhaps, her near sanity). The vale wasn't hard to spot, at times it is even blatantly obvious, and Ashling found it to be the most annoying thing to exist. In her dreams, however, everything was bright and open and fresh, and the people (well, "people" could be a loosely used term) were all mad and delightfully fun. The vale could not bother her in her own head. There, she was allowed to be the real "Ashling", bright and curious and beautifully imperfect in a perfect sort of way.

'No, do not think about the bad stuff right now, think of the goods!' Her mind warned her. And she did, which led to her noticing the second thing, how warm the room was. A comfortable warm, one that could lull any person in a sense of comfort and sleepiness. It was warmer then at her old job, and Ash couldn't be happier to lay on the bed and just daydream about all things warm. Fire, lava, summer, this room, stars, tea. Oh, what an endless list it seems to be! The more she thought of warmth, the warmer she felt, and the warmer she felt, the sleepier she became. Her brain quickly rattled through the names of warm things until she found that she couldn't name them anymore. Then she shifted towards how she had spent the last five days after arriving. The welcome party had been rather hectic, to say the least, but not overly unfriendly. She had been as polite as she usually was, introducing herself in a small voice, putting 'Ms' or 'Mr' before every name, staring at the floor often. It was her own special way of appreciating this sort of work. The second day, she mulled around the place, curious eyes searching over each room she was allowed to enter. Her chat was minimal and her presence hopefully not obscuring. The third and fourth day she inspected the board, reading each offer for a job, but didn't bother to ask about them. If she was needed, they'd come to her. The fifth day was the day she finally decided to wind down a bit and relax. Yes, relax... Her mind then sat, blank as a sheet, still too giddy to dream and too tired to get up, until a familiar voice drew her back into reality.

"Ashling~ Enjoying yourself?" the voice asked, and Ash looked quickly around the room until her eyes fell on the strange, rather fat cat that appeared at the foot of her bed. He gave a wicked grin, and Ash gave a faint smile in return,

"Yes, actually. Everyone here seems to be very nice." she replied with her rich accent, her eyes bright. The cat nodded, grin dimming a bit,

"Nice for now, but watch your back. Not everyone is as they seem." Vapor's eyes gleamed a bright green, and Ash frowned,

"I know that already. Shoo for now, cat. I want to dream a bit." She retorted, leaning head against the pillows once more. Something shifted at the end of the bed, and then vanished, leaving behind a brief chill. 'Rude cat,' her mind whispered, 'I barely know these people, perhaps they'll be kinder then most...'

Ash stared at the ceiling for a moment, trying to allow the warmth to calm her excited nerves and make her tired, and then let her heavy eye lids droop until she was surrounded by darkness. Dreaming, Ashling always found dreaming to be such an easy feat to accomplish. Just closing her eyes for only a few moments could send her spiraling into a different, beautiful land. Arriving was always the worst part, though, the almost insanely long fall never got anymore exciting then it already was. Experiencing it, night after night, now just became a tedious task. Ash allowed her arms to dangle at her sides as she slowly drifted downwards, down down down the claustrophobic drop, at times grabbing a book or two to quench her boredom. It normally took two or three books skimmed through quickly to reach the bottom, but today, she found herself on the fifth.

"Oh dear, this seems longer then usual." she whispered, throwing the book over her shoulder as her eyes glanced downwards. Wind shifted around her legs, just below her fluttering skirt, keeping her afloat and even below that was the endless black of the hole. Suddenly, the air vibrated, causing Ashling to lurch back. A voice, low and oddly familiar, filled the tunnel, and Ash found that it formed a word, no, a name.

"-st Aaaaaaaaaaashliiiiiiiiing!"

The tunnel vanished with a blast of light and Ash shot up, looking rather frazzled. Her door, which was slightly ajar, allowed Ash to hear the approaching foot steps which were accompanied with a cheery tune. Slowly, Ash sat up straighter, rubbing her eyes until she felt her grogginess melt into a sense of semi-awareness. The warmth of the room was gone, luckily, so she regained enough focus to pull on her boots and wander towards the door, peeking outside. Much to her surprise, the hall seemed empty, until she tilted her head up a bit and saw a young girl standing on the ceiling, walking as if she were right side up.

"How queer!" she whispered, a faint smile on her lips, "Hello, Ms... er... Pete. Do you need something?"

Kingdom Guild: Golden City

Depends in what Mischief wants to do. If you want Ash and Pete to be pals, Mischief, then shoot me a pm and we can work an relationship/intro out. If not, I have another idea. uwu

Kingdom Guild: Golden City

And I am done. Say hi to Wonderland.



Full Name: Ashling "Ash" Linwood

Alias: Wonderland

Age: Twenty-four

Gender: Female

Race: Human

Homeland: Oxford, England

Appearance: Looking at Ash could be like looking a a gray-scale painting, her skin an unsettling porcelain and her hair a stark black in comparison. The only bright part of her appearance is her eyes, they are a startlingly clear blue, framed with drooping eyelids; sleepy eyes. Her figure is slim, and she is somewhat short for her age (much to her distress), and seems to rely more on speed and momentum than strength in a fight due to this. Her arms and legs are covered in bruises from many accidents in the work place and from her "adventures" outsides. She has dainty hands, the knuckles and joints forever darker then the rest of her skin, and her nails are stubby and grimy from gardening. Ash's face is small and round, framed with dark brown hair, her cheeks and nose faintly pink, with doll lips, and what seem to be forever tired eyes. She always seems to have a tired or bored look on her face.

Languages: English and some broken French which she learned at a young age.

Height/Weight: 5'1,124 lbs

Outfit/Armor: Ash owns various dresses of various styles, but on a job she fancies a navy blue dress with short, puffy sleeves, and a fanned-out skirt that is cut to about mid-leg. A simple white apron is worn over the dress, black-and-white stockings underneath, and black knee-high boots which are secured with a silver buckle. The dress is snug around her waist and surprisingly easy to maneuver in. Also has one-sided arm armour. Somewhat heavy, but does not hinder her speed.

Hunting Gear:

Vorpal Blade: A weapon given to her by Merlin, it's a rather ornate short sword adorned with a floral pattern along the blade. Apparently, it was used to slay a horrible beast long, long ago. Ash is very protective of it.

Pack of Cards: Weak little things, used mostly for long range attacks. They are actually quite heavy, mostly due to them hiding very sharp razors underneath. When thrown correctly, the cards will whip back around and return to the sender. Ash is still trying to get the hang of them.

Sweet Smelling Pouches: Filled with flowers and herbs; apparently used for Alchemy. One particular item is a rather large, colorful mushroom with many little nibbles and pinches taken out of it.

Likes/Dislikes:
+ Tea: Her love for tea was brought on by her mother, who would serve tea every single day at a set time. Ash could easily be bought is tea is mentioned even once in the deal, much to her own dismay.
+ Gardening: Flowers always calmed Ash down when she was in a panic, and seeing as she worked as a gardener she has a knack for it.
+ Sleeping: Or more specifically, dreaming. It doesn't take much to have Ash dream, in fact, it sometimes happens when she's awake. Her dreams are wild, colorful, some good and bad, and she can't get enough of them. Some have found her whispering to flowers or bugs, eyes closed, walking with a stagger. Sleepwalking.

- Reading: Books without pictures were never a favorite of Ash's, in fact, she absolutely hates them.
- People: Apart from them calling her crazy, inept, and other rather rude (and perhaps true) names, Ash always feels as though they have their own goals in mind whenever they're doing something, and that makes her very, very nervous around them. Besides, rabbits and flowers are much better conversational partners!
- Sleeping: While some dreams can be good and well, others are gruesome and trigger-inducing. Ash's dream world could go from colorful, bright, and whimsical to infested with darkness, miasma, and blood. Sleepwalking with nightmares can be dangerous to those around Ash at the time, and some might get a fright if they wake up to find the poor girl strangling herself, smashing her head against a wall, or something else equally crazy.

Occupation: She was a caretaker for a rather large estate. It had the most magical garden she could have ever imagined.

Skill Set: Ashling is surprisingly good at fast-paced combat, especially with shorter weapons. She is quick, clever, and tries her best to be precise with each slice or hit. What she lacks in strength and power she makes up in speed and mind. Knows basic hand to hand combat, but finds it hard to use seeing how weak she is. Also, she has a knack for alchemy, and is known around the small community of chemists and alchemists for trying coming up with a shrinking potion and growing cake (And even now, she's still trying to work it out. They always seem to end up badly, though). Other then fighting, she is rather good at many mundane tasks, like cooking, cleaning, and gardening. Ash also has a very vivid imagination, and due to that she is a master story teller.

Magic Abilities:

Slow Fall: This ability comes into play when Ash is in a tight, high situation. When falling, a flurry if wind, leaves, and butterflies will suddenly appear around her legs and slow her descent considerably. Slowly drains energy.

Double Jump: The wind from Slow Fall comes into play here as well; Ashling can summon two gusts to keep herself suspended momentarily in the air (only lasts for a few seconds). Uses it mostly to gain altitude. Is still trying to master this ability, so it is somewhat glitchy. Slowly drains energy.

Pets/Companions: A rather old, unnaturally colored, grinning cat named Vapor. The two have known each other for very long, and if Ash isn't asking herself for advice, she's asking Vapor. Apparently, Vapor talks in riddles and disappears often, but always seems to return with some new or rare sort of herb or ingredient for Ash to use.

Vapor

Personality: Ashling is a clever and quick-witted young woman, with a sharp tongue and a direct way of approaching things. She is not afraid to speak her mind and will more times then not fight for what she believes is right before truly thinking into it. Very curious towards things that seem strange and loves to go out and adventure whenever she gets a chance. Typically cynical of most people, she is overly polite and quiet around strangers, and at times even friends, unless they are doing something outright wrong or immoral in her eyes. If that is the case, then she will not hold back on insults or reprimands until she feels it is right to stop. Plagued by visions of a better (or worse) place, Ash finds normal life to be rather mundane and gray, which leads to her daydreaming when she should be working or paying attention to something. Absolutely loves riddles and poems, but hates reading for long periods of time (if there aren't pictures, she'll surely give up half away through). Easily stressed out, Ash has trouble keeping calm at times, and may run head-long into trouble without thinking if pushed to the limit. Although often showing a brave face during times of danger, and quick to debunk bullying and harsh words from others, Ash is constantly haunted by the visions of her dream land, both good and bad versions, and as such is actually a bit unstable. She's been called "crazy" by her peers for many reasons, which include sleepwalking, laughing at nothing, talking to herself, and many other nonsensical things. Due to these seemingly insane ticks of hers, she isn't the best at making and keeping friends. However, her insanity does not define her. Underneath the scared and scarred Ash is a very clever, very kind girl who will stop at nothing to help someone in need.

Background: The Linwood household was a middle class family of three, Charles Linwood, Mary Linwood, and of course little Ashling Linwood. They were your average family, Charles worked as a hunter and sold the meats and pelts in town while Mary stayed at home and home-schooled Ashling for her body was too weak to work in the town. They lived in a comfortable cottage on the outskirts of Oxford. It was a good life. Now, Ash's... Imagination truly didn't begin to show until she was about six, when her mother and her decided to go have tea time in the garden. The garden was Ash's favorite place, it was large, filled with plenty of flowers and easy-to-tend-to crops, and thinned out towards the end of the lawn where a tiny forest sat. The two sat at a little white table, tea cups and a small plate of biscuits in front of them, and they began to tell stories and riddles.

"Oh, have I told you the Sphinx's riddle?"

"Yes, mummy. Plenty of times! Can I hear the one about..."

Ash slowly stoops to a silence, eyes locked on a shape in the rose bush behind her mother. Something white and furry peeked out from behind, and then quickly vanished. The next hours were a blur, all Ash could recall from her memory was getting up and scurrying under the bush, ripping her dress and dirtying her legs, and bounding after the white shape. I've never seen such a white rabbit before! That was her prominent thought, and it was so prominent that it blocked out her mother's confused cries to come back. Her tiny legs carried her into the woods, down somewhere dark that became light, and then she woke up in her bed with a bandage wrapped tightly around her head. No one spoke of the incident. This is when Ash began to see her dream land, night after night, and when her insane sleepwalking began.

---

When she turned twelve, Charles brought home a small, white kitten, which Ash immediately latched onto. It was named Vapor, and had a rather chilling face, for it always appeared to be grinning. They soon grew inseparable. On her thirteenth birthday, her father offered to give her lessons on defending herself. Everyday afterwards they would practice sword fighting and some easy survival skills, like known what berries to eat and how to climb trees. One day, while climbing a bit to high into a tree, Ash looses her balance and toppled from a very high branch. Much to the surprise of her father and her, though, she didn't plummet, instead, she floated down gently. Carried by a whirlwind of leaves and wings. After a few moments of hysteria, Charles revealed to his daughter that magic wasn't an uncommon trait in their family, and they both quickly accepted it. At the age of fifteen, Ashling became increasingly interested in Alchemy. This was bought on by both her dreams and her mother's growing sickness, and while she hates such boring tasks that require reading, she felt as though she could try and help her mother in some way. Her mind and body trained every day, working on potions, medicines, anything. While working, she failed to notice Vapor had begun to change, turning different colors as he grew, and sometimes after a long while of studying she would turn to find strange and unfamiliar plants behind her, left by the strange cat. They were put to use in her studies. She memorized the periodic table, the available herbs and ingredients, but she was, of course, a bit too late. After two years of research, trying to save her mother, it was all for naught. Mary Linwood passed away peacefully in her sleep.

---

A year later, Ash still seems a bit stressed about the incident, but no longer lets it get in the way of her research or her battle training. She spent her days tending to the garden, trying her best not to get bored while studying, and job hunting. By the age of nineteen, Ash felt that she was troubling her father by staying at home, so she got up one day and decided that she was going to find her own place and job. She left Oxford with only her alchemy kit, a few books, some money, and a dream ("How cliche!"). She found work at a large estate in a neighboring town, and was allowed to stay in the servants house as a maid and gardener. She worked there until another job appeared before her, in a Guild in America. Fighting to help other people... And perhaps she can put her odd skills to use. She signed up almost instantly.

(TL;DR: Hit her head as a kid, mum died, magic happened, and signed up for the guild instantly)

Unique Abilities: Her knowledge of alchemy is rather helpful, seeing as she can create both basic healing elixirs and her own concoctions to aid in a fight. Perhaps her dream world could be considered an ability too, as many of her ideas come from her dreams, and it seems that she has the ability to talk to plants and animals.

Other: "I'm not crazy!"