hashtagafreakingghost | First 👻 Story [Video/Action for New Bark]

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First 👻 Story [Video/Action for New Bark]

[VIDEO]

--on't want to, oh my--

[Hello, there, world! You know how a camera looks when two people are fighting over it? ...Or, well, one person and one blob-like candle-thing, in this case. Point is, you do now; the lens is covered in little waxy marks, leaving the girl it's now focused on- the girl who keeps trying to snatch it back from the surprisingly nimble candle- in a light haze. Through the viewpoint, at least, emotionally she appears rather annoyed and frustrated.

Probably because of that Litwick urging her to do an impromptu vlog, huh.

Ashley's kneeling on the ground, her backpack open on her lap and her Trainer's Handbook gripped firmly - open, looks about halfway done - in on hand, as the other keeps swiping at the camera.]

Please give that back to me, you little-- [The angle evens out and Ashley's eyes go wide. Deer, headlights, hello.] It's on. Isn't it? [Bobbing, up and down.] Oh.

[Well. Let's just- ...keep staring straight ahead, okay, good job. A+ kid, gold star. Stage fright?]

I, um. Uh... Is...it broadcasting...? [Dumb question. ] Okay. I...uh- I'm not- ...this isn't anywhere near Canada, is it? Because. I read the- this. [She holds up the manual, a little dismally. Her tone of voice is frazzled, a little weak and helpless.] I know, it said um...New Bark Town, Johto? B- but...I'm just trying to figure out how I...got here. B-because no one's really...been forthcoming about that.

[Maybe she should broach this question carefully-]

And I really really would like to be sure if I'm going crazy or not, because there's a- a candle filming me, and I do not have blood on me and that is not at all what I remember, and I should get back t-to the ranger station because they might still need to- ask me questions- about...

[OH OKAY WOW NEVER MIND THEN

Ashley trails off as it seems her brain catches up with her mouth and oh boy that sure is something to say uh. She pales considerably.]

I- swear that's not what it- I- haven't um- killed...anyone...or...

[Either Litwick is going in for a dramatic close-up or actually wants to see if she's alright (jury's out on which one frankly) because the view of Ashley gets ever-so-slightly bigger- and when it's close enough she reaches out in one fluid motion and snaps it up with one more quick, muttered whimper:]

Sorry, bye.

[So. That's that, then.]

[ACTION FOR NEW BARK]

[If you happen to be around New Bark, you might find Ashley just kind of kneeling on the ground, around the houses, with her Litwick bouncing impatiently next to her. It doesn't look like she's in the mood to leave, not just yet, or. Even stand, really, she hasn't had a great time, lately.

...Though at some point she has decided to get herself up off the ground, because she's really had it with being all crouched in the snow and it KEEPS HAPPENING. Really she's so exhausted after the last...what, twelve hours? Thirteen? She'd kind of lost track, with all the bustling, questioning, waiting. Last she remembers, had...she finally fallen asleep? Waiting for the others to be done, the rhythmic ceiling fan, the distant sounds of the others being interviewed, the dim awareness of Emily glaring daggers at her every few minutes, the feeling of her cheek against Chris' shoulder...

She has to walk. To do something. Litwick trails along with her, pointing toward the trail, but Ashley ignores her insistent taps and pokes. She leaves a trail of footprints, occasionally rubbing her eyes with one hand, looking...rather exhausted, honestly.

There's nothing to do but read the handbook, so she finds a little bench and opens it and browses...and the PokéGear, at some point, she just kind of. Ran from that. Not her finest hour.]

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[Pure of heart.

Pure of heart.

Her grip on the PokéGear tightens and she- she remembers, Josh drunkenly yelling at them, sobbing. She remembers Hannah rushing out into the storm, crying. She remembers Beth calling all of them jerks, the last thing she'd ever said to her. She remembers that now, Josh too... And how she hadn't even...

It's sinking in. Mike said it took him, she heard Sam muttering something that she doesn't even want to entertain. Gone- after she'd known him for so long--

Dead. For the second time in twenty-four hours, it hits her that Josh is dead...and this time it's for real.

And she, after Hannah and Beth- after Emily, after how damn selfish-

She's pure of heart?

...

Well, what results from that is Ashley just breaks the hell down and starts crying, first wide-eyed and barely registering it until the cold stings the streaks on her cheeks. Then more furiously. Litwick seems surprised and taken aback- but Ashley barely registers she's there to begin with, she just gently shakes her head and tries not to wail.]

[Rascal's expression immediately becomes concerned again, and his wings flutter worriedly. Oh gosh, what did he do wrong? Is she hurt? Why is she crying?

Fortunately for all involved parties, Rascal's trainer seems to finally hear the noise (or lack thereof) coming out of the Gear and extracts it from the Togetic's grasp.

The pale blond lets out a soft "oh" when he sees the girl crying her eyes out on the other end of the line.]

I am so sorry, I don't know what got into him. Are you alright? ...Well, I guess that's a silly question.

[Shaking her head, back and forth and back and forth, Ashley can't really get a word out. Not that she really wants to try and explain anyway, because how do you begin the story of why three of your friends are dead and how, in the end, the blood is on your hands?

(If they'd never done the prank, Hannah and Beth would be alive; if Hannah and Beth were alive, the last twenty-four hours wouldn't have happened; no torment, no wandering the mines, no screeching monsters and headless strangers and bursts of fire, no friends dragged away and fuck after all he'd put her through, still, she can't-)

Litwick peers at North best she can, since she can't even get the Gear away from her trainer, just...shrugging her little stubs and awkwardly patting Ashley on the arm. It doesn't really do anything, though. Ashley just keeps on crying, all tense and whimpering there.]

[This poor girl...

North looks at Rascal, who's wringing his little hands now that he's been relieved of the 'Gear.]

Hey- Hey, look at me. Take a deep breath, you're safe here.

[he's not entirely sure what happened, but he's going to do his best. Luckily, he has a very Grounding and Reassuring voice, and he's well-practiced at using it to its full potential.]

You can call me North. You met Rascal, he was my first pokemon when I woke up here. That little guy must be yours.

[A hiccup escapes her as she starts to slow her fierce head shaking, though her lip quivers horribly. It's not that hard to curl in on herself, since she's sitting knees-to-chest. She wants to wrap her arms around herself too, but that would require removing her vice-grip from the 'Gear.

However, North's voice is a comforting enough sound to pull her attention. You're safe. That's what the rangers said too, wasn't it? Chris said that, trying to get her to sleep on the helicopter to the station. We're safe, Ash. You're safe.
It didn't help that he was so exhausted it was hard to believe him.

...But it's what she thinks of. So it does, indeed, ground her. Even if it's not Chris talking to her.]

Wh- wha- [Litwick. He's talking about the foot tall candle looking rather helplessly at her. Right. Pokémon. That's where she is, and that little fairy tried to say...

Pure of heart. What a laugh.

Ashley sniffles. It's hard to get any proper words out.] Mm. M-mmhm.

[It reminds him a little of Theta, he thinks. How upset she is, like she's coming out of some horrible nightmare, and how he can't actually touch her or reach out to help her. He looks again at Rascal, but the Togetic has disappeared elsewhere in the house, and ordinarily North would be concerned but right now he has bigger things to worry about.

He sits down on the couch, leaning forward with 'Gear held in front of him.]

I've never seen that kind before. It looks like it'll take good care of you, though. Are you in New Bark Town?

[Well, of course she'll take good care- if she can figure out what's wrong with her, why did her trainer show up so broken? Who does she have to fight??

Ashley would answer, she's a Litwick. A ghost-fire, which is simultaneously unnerving and kind of comforting, in a strange paradoxical way. But she can't really...do that. So instead she just nods, shoulders shaking.]

[You can commiserate with Rascal on that, little Litwick, his trainer was pretty broken too.]

You're safe there, take a minute, just take a deep breath for me. Let it out nice and slow.

[He's worried her silence means she's still panicking, the last thing she needs is to pass out.]

H- h-huh--?

[Her breath catches and her shoulders hitch. Oh. Oh, right, she's supposed to breathe when this happens- is she having some kind of attack? Is that what's going on? It's mostly just uncontrollable tears, but there's a bit of panic in there. She thought her nerves were shot to hell and back but hey, something can still set her off. That should be reassuring and it's about five shades of no.

But she doesn't want to start hyperventilating so she tries, feeling her grip on the 'Gear loosen with each and every breath; each and every breath dislodges a few more tears too, but she can't win them all.]

I- s-s-sorr- sorry. I didn't mean t-to--

[First thing she's able to get out and it's that.]

[God, his heart is breaking for her. Whatever this poor girl has been through, she's seen some shit.

(Not that he hasn't seen some shit, but he is a grown-up and as such is more emotionally equipped to handle the Shit. It comes with the territory of being handed a gun and sent to space.)]

No, oh, don't- you've got nothing to be sorry for. You're alright. You'll be okay.

Can you tell me your name?

[How can she ever be okay? God, she saw the others, keeps thinking about Jessica fragile and scarred, about her voice in the mines, or the numbness when Josh removed his mask or...]

A- Ashley. It's...Ashley.

[Maybe she's just going to wake up? That'd be nice. Wake up and actually have been sleeping on Chris' shoulder, waiting for the others. Nice. But unlikely.]

Hey Ashley. I'm sorry for whatever Rascal did to upset you.

[He can also tell that it was more like Rascal accidentally exacerbated something she'd been through, or she was already near hysterics when Rascal stole the 'Gear.]

Is this your first time traveling by yourself?

[In some ways yes, though she hasn't really had the opportunity to travel otherwise. It's not really that that's bothering her-
Okay, it is, on some level, because if she had to be here she at least wanted one friendly face or person she could cling to from home, but it's hard to explain "I'm freaking out because I just got out of a literal nightmare come to life"

So.

Ashley nods.] Y-yeah. B-but i-it wasn't his- f...fault, not really.

[Pure of heart. She can't even be mad at Josh without this stabbing guilt, she hates this.]

The first few days are going to be rough going. I wish I could make it easier, but I'm afraid the rough start is part of it. It gets easier when you reach the next town, I promise.

[It's not hard to tell she doesn't want to talk about it, so he's not going to push the issue.]

Are you dressed for the weather?

[Do you need him to send you a bigger coat because he will]

[She almost immediately nods, because she'd just been in a horribly cold experience and jeez she really wanted to be warm and snuggled up to Chris but--]

K-kind of...? I've got...a jacket. Boots. A hat.

That's a good start. Did the outfit they gave you include anything else you could layer? Like a sweater or gloves?

[She shakes her head.] I g-got a dress.

[...Yeah that's useless for layering.]

My partner has a flying-type that's a little bit faster than mine, I'll see if I can borrow her to send you a jacket and some extra snacks, alright?

Your...

[...]

Okay. Okay, someone's...already sending a flying-type over. A Talonflame.

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First 👻 Story [Video/Action for New Bark]

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