taxonomites | [accidental visual | location: all over taxon

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[accidental visual | location: all over taxon | dated to morning]

Just like last week, Ashley's tablet starts recording while she's in the throws of a nightmare. It's far closer to morning this time, and unlike the last, she's fallen asleep with the light on. Her thrashing can clearly be seen as the tablet is up on a ledge with a clear shot at her.

In her mind, Ashley can still feel the tank of water around her, the feel of the medication as it flowed through her veins, the last of her resistance being pushed out. Her mind is being forced back, her will bent into a corner of her brain, and from the looks of her thrashing, whatever nightmare she's having is far worse than the last.

The tablet records for a few minutes before Ashley suddenly sits bolt upright in bed, her eyes snapping open. Those who have actually seen her and pay attention to these sorts of things will notice that her eyes aren't blue this morning. They're red, a deep, blood red. Source Blood red. Ashley pulls herself together and leaps from the loft, landing catlike on the floor below. Eventually, the tablet feed will time out and that is all it catches of Ashley for the next week or so.

The blonde girl is on a mission and no one is safe.

[ ooc: ashley's cabal glitch is go now! she can be found anywhere in taxon, absolutely anywhere (all week, in fact), and anyone is free to tag in, even if we haven't planned anything out! i am willing to have her be seriously injured multiple times (in fact this will be necessary to helping / stopping her), so don't hold back! (seriously, this is your chance to do all those crazy funky power things you never get to do because it's all crazy godmode stuff. go nuts. not even kidding.) if you have questions, feel free to ask me! ]

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Ashley wasn't sure if this woman had abilities or not, but something about her was different. The blonde head appeared in the streets after a while, like a predator stalking her prey. Her talons were already extended and when she opened her mouth to hiss, inhuman fangs could be seen. She didn't attack right away, seeming to be just watching. She needed more information before she attacked a human.

Pausing to examine the art done on one wall, so many of the houses eclectic to say the least, and yet coming together in a neighborhood that she was already beginning to think of as her own. There wasn't much light and she seemed hesitant a moment before raising one hand.

A snap of her fingers and a moment later there was a glow of golden light around her hand, illuminating the bright colors of the art work and allowing her to visually explore some of the details. A small smile of delight curved her lips as she moved her hand closer to the wall, taking small steps as she moved along, taking it all in.

Raising her head, she looked around for a moment. Certainly she was used to others being around, finding the extras almost comforting despite all the years she had spent mostly locked away in the palace. Sometimes though it worried her, not used to so many others being around who weren't twisted in their path to look after her best interest.

Ashley had been content to simply watch until the woman's hand began to glow. That caused her head to tilt upwards an inch or two as her fingers curled around the air, kneading it like a cat. The hiss she let out just afterwards was more fitting of an angry cat than a human and as she took her first measured steps towards the woman, it would become quite clear that she wasn't here for small talk.

Beyond the most rudimentaries of magic, Azkadellia wasn't one to often use her skills now that she was free to. The fear of what had been was too great still. This though was something that had been second nature since she was a child. Taking another step, she paused at a sound, turning to seek it out.

For a moment she saw little beyond the bright glow of magic light, and she lowered her hand as the golden light faded.

"Hello?" She peered, frowning a bit as she tried to see the bracelet, whom it might be if a prisoner or an extra as she'd heard them called. "May I help you?"

There was definitely a bracelet on Ashley's arm, but as she stepped closer towards her target, it would become more and more clear that something was wrong. She wasn't acting like normal, nor did she answer Azkadellia's hails with more than a feral hiss. One hand curled upwards, catlike in its grace and movements, as though showing off her powerful talons.

A moment later, in a swirl of red light as she converts her body to energy and back, she teleported closer. Not too close yet, as she still had to see what sort of capabilities this woman had (it would be much harder without the other Super-Abnormals and she didn't want to risk injury too early), but close enough to be a very imminent threat.

The silence worried Azkadellia, having come to expect at least tempered civility from most there in this new world. That she received nothing but that odd, feline hiss and a display that was anything but comforting sent a tremble up the sorceress' spine and ice water through her veins.

"We needn't..."

Whatever she had been about to say was cut off as the blonde was there, then not and then very much there and much too close.

"Or we need to do something," she finished, acting without thinking and acting without thinking. She snapped her fingers. Yet her subconscious was as nervous about magic as her conscious mind, that fear she held holding her back, even in this moment.

A flash of light between them, brilliant white light, and then rain. Heavy, icy rain that was very localized as if one were turning the hose on a cat as Azkadellia turned on her booted heel, trying to fight the urge that would have her trying to suck the very essence out of the girl.

The icy rain was unexpected, but not the worst Ashley had ever encountered. It was certainly an improvement on the fire elemental from a few months ago. That hadn't been pleasant, but she'd lived. The rain wasn't much on stopping her, but it made her pause. Without giving much thought to her own safety, Ashley moved towards the edge of the field to see if she could get out of it.

The storm itself tried to shift, made of magic and with an intent but with Azkadellia fighting her own instincts, it ended up centered on that one spot. Hearing footsteps though, Azkadellia turned and looked over her shoulder. Panic set in again and, with a deep breath and a focus of will, she heaved a trash bin towards where she saw movements, urging herself to move faster, to find somewhere she felt safe.

Yet suddenly, for the first time since she'd been in Taxon, she wasn't sure where that was.

The trashcan was unexpected and it caught Ashley fully. Fortunately or unfortunately, it did little to stop her and she was soon pushing the rest of the way through the rain storm. Once she regained her sanity, the real Ashley would feel so guilty for what she was doing, but this one had no concept of morality or fear. She just reacted as she was told.

With a swirl of red light, she teleported directly in front of Azkadellia and raised a taloned-hand, curling her claws around the air between them. Whatever was controlling her was making her more playful this time around, but soon enough that hand would attempt to swipe at the witch before her.

That sudden appearance, even for a practicioner of magic like Azkadellia, had been a shock. She cried out, stumbling backwards a step and nearly being unable to catch herself. Eventually she recovered, looking stunned as she backed up another step.

"Don't..." She shook her head, feeling the swell of magic within her. Not like before with the panic and fear, but the knowledge that she could kill and had done so - even if it hadn't actually been her but her magic used by another.

Azkadellia drew herself up, eyes narrowing slightly. "I don't want to hurt you. Please, don't make me."

If this were Ashley in her own mind, she would take that warning to heart. Normally, she would never force someone to do something like this, but right now, she didn't have control of what she was doing. Her body was acting without her consent and so she hissed again and reached up, aiming her very large and sharp talons across Azkadellia's body.

With her short time in Taxon, having encountered none of the glitches and such, she hadn't expected this, nor to have to face her own fears. Not of an attack, but of herself.
Azkadellia jumped back but not nearly quick enough. Claws tore at her shirt, cutting through to skin beneath and she cried out in pain and fear. Yet even as she did, her hand came up, in defense... and attack.
Channeling energy through her fingers and into the attacker, feeling the power that had come through her body at the witch's bidding, and fairly hurling it at the girl. She didn't even know what could stop this, would stop her, and the magic was intended as best she might to shove her back and allow Azkadellia to run. If she could run, her other arm curling protectively over her torso, having no idea how great the damage might be.

The attack landed, shoving Ashley back and sending her soaring. She hit the ground hard a good distance away, but it wasn't enough to keep her down and any damage that should have been visible wasn't. It was as though she had only been poked instead of tossed like a doll.

Getting back up, Ashley turned towards the witch with another hiss before she started running forward. A chase. Just what she wanted.

Something was wet on Azkadellia's arm but she wasn't going to slow down and stop. If she wanted a chance to live, she had to keep running. Angling down towards lights, hoping she might find other people though if they were the sort without bracelets it might do her no good.

"HELP!"

She hollered loudly, not knowing if anyone would hear her, and if they did, if they would do anything to help her.

Even sane Ashley liked a good chase scene and it would take a lot to convince her to stop this one. Not an impossible feat, but a difficult one. She didn't feel like stopping any time soon, willing to see what her target decided to do next.

The down side was, that the wounds made running difficult. Something in her, a small voice that reminded her that she was royalty, had no need to run. She stopped, spinning to face her attacker.

Drawing a deep breath, she moved her hand sharply to one side, using every bit of her magic to try and pick her up and throw her.

She really should have started to expect this sort of treatment. It was becoming commonplace to get thrown around. And yet, Ashley was again caught off-guard. Picked up and tossed like a rag doll, Ashley flailed in the air. Managing to right herself before she got speared on something, she only hit the ground hard, rolling over a couple of times. It takes her a little time to get back up. Hopefully Azkadellia can at least get into a building to hide.

And Azkadellia didn't take a chance. Despite the pain, feeling her heart pounding in her ears, she ran. Ducking into the nearest building and slamming a door behind her before sliding into another room.

She closed the door quieter, casting onto the door to do her best to keep it closed not just physically as well as magically as braced herself back against the door, straining to quiet her breathing, to not make a sound.

She was lucky Ashley's earlier encounter with someone else had made her less inclined to fight someone who could telekinetically throw her around like she weighed nothing. Ashley was almost certain her teleportation could help her if she could get the woman back into an open space, but it was hardly worth it to chase someone into a building she knew nothing about.

So, with another hiss - this time in anger and frustration - Ashley teleported away, deciding to leave this one alone for the time being. She would deal with her later.

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[accidental visual | location: all over taxon | dated to morning]

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[Location: @speares]