Ship: Kashmart
Rating: T
Chapter two: Ashley
Hiding is good.
Hiding is always good. The best hiding spots are the places nobody sane looks in when society was still successful. And they still come in use now, believe it or not. Especially since the world went to hell after people started eating each other, and eating the president - her own father: since then, nothing has ever been the same for the spoilt Ashley. Some groups of humans she had encountered had turned her away on the basis of the fact that they want her to experience what it's like to be poor. Rude. "Spoilt? Psh." Ashley grumbled, trudging across the decaying factory that she had called her home for the past week now: even though it wasn't safe to be in the same place constantly, this crumbling structure had provided more hiding places than any other, and that is a good mark in the young blonde's books. Before this, she had travelled far and wide only in a vest, a cardigan wrapped around her shoulders,a schoolgirl's skirt adorning her lower half, some standard formal shoes upon her feet and a trusty messenger bag she had acquired from a store way back when. Even with the lack of protection - as well as the lack of weaponry - Ashley had barely injured herself. It was quite queer to say the least. Maybe it was because of the fact that she was so damn good at hiding and avoiding dangerous situations.
In her past life, there would be no need for running, for surviving, for being scared as she was. But now, everything was different; even the skies that she had become so familiar with felt off. The only thing that the viral cataclysm had done brilliantly is giving Mother Nature it's former glory back: forests were growing, natural wildlife had grown massively, and even major city suburbs had eventually been overthrown by nature's powerful commanding hand. It was depressingly beautiful, to say the least.
Ashley had been so lost in her thoughts that she didn't pay heed to the ever approaching rumbling of tires rolling over cracked road and overgrown weeds; nor to the sound of living, breathing humans moving; nay, it was to the minor - nearly completely silent - sound of doors creaking open and the sheer unknown silence that she was hearing. And it terrified the living life out of her.
In response and out of protection for herself, Ashley retreated into the shadows of the office she was currently residing in. The shadows are her only companion: they had protected her numerous times, from various threatening people and/or things. It was like the shadows were a silent warrior, fearless and cunning, protecting anyone who fell behind their lines. The shadows had kept her hidden, safe, secure: and she was thankful for that. Moving under an achromatised office desk, Ashley had forced herself to stay still, unmoving, until the absurd threat had come and gone.
That was the plan, until somebody waltzed right into the space where she lay concealed atop a whole layer of dust and under a whole metaphorical wall of darkness: the only thing that was alive within her was her surprisingly calm heartbeat, beating out a slow pace for someone so scared. Footsteps became louder, almost deafening for someone who had zero to no human contact for the past few months: Ashley could feel herself wanting to shake, wanting to run out full speed and not look back, but something held her there, willed her to stay, and Ashley obeyed. Obeyed like a dog follower it's masters' orders, a lowly commoner bowing down to a person of a higher social class.
The blonde could barely make out the sound of someone's fearful breathing, and it she strangely associated herself with it: the stranger was just as scared of the unknown as she was. Mutely, the petite girl removed herself from her improvised hiding place, eyes focused upon the intruder. What she didn't expect her eyes to cast upon though, was an armed teenager, frightened to the core, cockily confident in her strides: it intruiged her to the point wherein Ashley just stood and stared at the movements of the elder girl, not knowing that her intense gazing was causing discomfort for the unnamed human.
Ashley had followed her into the next room, head cocked at the body language this woman was giving off: cocky, defiant, petrified, all hand in hand to make whatever this woman was feeling and exerting unconciously. The ex-president's daughter was lost in her own little world until the resonance of the unidentified blonde's whimpering caught her ears.
She doesn't seem like a threat. Approach her, but with caution. She looks frightened out of her mind.
Taking one brave step forward - it may be one small step for mankind, but it's one large step for Ashley - she spoke up, her barely used voice strangely clear. "Excuse me, are you okay?"
What she didn't expect, however, was the sudden speed of unforeseen happenings about to occur. One moment, she saw the stranger whip around with speed; the next she felt dry but yet moist lips pressed upon hers, causing her pale cheeks to blush profoundly; the moment after that she saw the outsider pulling away, looking astonished, before a fist came into contact full force with her nose.
"What was that for?" Ow! That hurt! Damnit, that hurts more than anything! Ow ow ow ow! "All I was going to do was introduce myself as Ashley, and you kiss me and punch me! What on Earth was that for? Are you insane?"
Ashley gawked at the blonde attempting to make words, sentences, syllables that makes sense, anything, but to no avail. Can't you speak? Are you inept to do anything but harm? Damn you! When it looked like the harmful stranger was about to finally vocalise some proper words, the entryway opened with force, a redheaded woman with a carbine pointed at them both stormed in, cussing at the blonde that seemed to have the name of K-mart, eyes menacing at them both.
What on Earth just happened?