Of Hearts And Minds || OPEN

[ASHLEY MAGNUS]

+ + + + + + + +

Ashley landed faced down in a bed of scarlet-coloured flowers.

The floral scent made her nose tickle with dislike, so she rolled off to the side in
surprise. She opened her eyes as a harsh light seem to blind her so suddenly, so she shut
them again. Taking a few calming breaths, she slowly opened them, allowing her blue
eyes to adjust to the newfound light.

Her brow crinkled in confusion, as she found herself outside and staring up at the
orange and purple sky above. The sun was rising. Her face contorted in bewilderment.
How the hell did she get here?!

Picking herself up from the floor, she grimaced as aches and pains erupted all over
her body. Though looking around, Ashley realised she was alone.

Remnants of her memories began to flood her mind, as her eyes suddenly welled
with tears. The last thing she remembered was staring into the eyes of her grief-stricken
mother, as she embraced death on her own accord. Ashley had no choice. And she
made the decision to sacrifice herself. Not as a Cabal-experiment, but as Ashley Magnus.
It was the only way to stop herself from murdering her mother against her will.

Ashley shook aside the tears, and took in several deep breaths.

"Get a hold of yourself, Ashley. We'll figure this out, " Ashley spoke to herself in a
series of mumbles. "Somehow."

She looked around to try and get a better understanding of her surroundings. From
what she could gather, she was standing in the middle of an elaborate garden. A
small fountain tricked a few paces in front of her, while flowers and trees of all
types and coloured surrounded her. The beauty was intensely overwhelming. And
this was coming from a woman who wasn't the flowery type.

Weapons over flowers, any day.

[PATRICK JANE]

IS IT A LOVELY DREAM

OR A NIGHTMARE?
******************************************



Patrick woke up on the beach. Without his shoes.
The wind was playing with his hair, he felt cold.
The cold sand made him shiver.
He checked his body for injuries.
Nothing, thank god.
It would be just another thing to worry about.
He was lost.

It looked like he saw an ocean.
There was no end of the water field in front of him.
His eyes closed, memories and thoughts were floating in his mind
 and he tried to remember what was the last thing he did or saw.
He couldn't remember and it made him feel scared.
He was that kind of person who always has things and situations under control.
If he didn't, he would feel vulnerable.
Patrick's legs moved, he tried to stand up.
Success.

There was a path between the trees that were standing behind him like columns
leading the way through the forest.
"What could possibly go wrong it I took this path?"
he thought. Thankfully his legs could carry him.
When he got through the forest a large garden showed up.
"Was it a man?" his eyes widened. Patrick wasn't sure
if it was only a dream or halucination or a real person.

The feeling that filled his body was liberating. He was saved.
"Run! Run!" echoed in his head.
"Hey, you! Wait!" he screamed.

[ASHLEY MAGNUS]

Ashley Magnus wrinkled her nose, whilst she tried to get her bearings on her
new surroundings. So far, she had not been able to spot anyone in sight. So,
she began to wander around. A slight breeze picked up, rustling all nearby
trees and flowers, which caused her to let out two small sneezes. Damn pollen.

It took several moments to realise she was still wearing her black outfit - The
one she wore before she died. This gave her a few shivers, as she tried desperately
to get that horrid thought out of her mind. But what if she was dead? What was
this place? However, she still felt alive. Her heart was beating, and she was still
breathing. So how could she be dead? That can't be possible. The thought
made her brain spin.

The found her way to one of the small paths. She really had no idea where she was
going. And yet, if there was something she learnt while hunting Abnormals, it was
to always keep moving. No matter what.

As she continued to wander, she heard a voice calling out. A male voice. Squinting
through the early morning rays of the sun, she spun around to find a man calling
out to her. At first she was confused. But as he drew nearer, she stopped in her tracks.
Perhaps this man knew more than she did. For the record, he seemed just as lost.

"Uh...hey?" She answered rather sheepishly. Ashley flashed a quick smile, and
then bit her lip, unsure how to continue, "Mind telling me where we are? Nature
walks aren't my thing."

She took notice of his appearance. There were traces of sand on his clothes. Was
there a beach nearby? He was quite tall. Slightly scruffy in appearance...and kind of cute, too.

[PATRICK JANE]

Patrick breathed out in relief.
The person, according to what he saw so far,
was a woman, a tiny human being with long blond hair
disobediently flying in the wind.
She looked as lost and confused as he did.
He took few more steps.
When he reached a proper distance for conversation
the words started comming out of his mouth uncontrolably.

"Hey. I kind of hoped you would tell me.
What is going on? Why are we here?"
The expression in her face change from the confused
look into even more confused one.

Patrick noticed how she was examining him.
She was probably thinking where he came from
and according to the sand on his trousers and feet she might knew already.
Patrick bent down and brushed the sand off of his clothes.
The ground was quite cold and his bare feet were changing
from a warm pink colour into blue.
His eyes met hers again and he grinned.
"I guess this is not a good sign."

[ASHLEY MAGNUS]

Ashley watched as the man drew nearer. Her eyes focused and studied him slowly,
making sure he wasn't out to kill her. She was cautious, but she was known to make
reckless decisions. Like mother, like daughter. But in an unfamiliar setting, she
had to be careful.

Folding her arms across her chest, she frowned. The man was just as clueless. Great.

"Ahhh, crap. Seriously? You don't know either?" She gave a small sigh. Now she was
getting grumpy. She was confused, exhausted and frustrated, and frankly, she just
wanted to be the comfort of her own home. "Right then. I think it's safe to say that
we're screwed." 

Ashley bit her lip, and looked around. As far as she could tell, she and the mysterious
stranger were the only ones here. And that was worrisome. Best thing they could do at
this point, was look around to see if they could find a local. Or someone who knew more
then they did. As much as she felt the need to wander off on her own, perhaps it was best to
work together. She would still stay cautious, of course. No one can be trusted yet. Once she
figures out where she was, she was going to find a way out of there.

"Well. I'd suggest we stay on this path. Someone else has gotta show up. Just, stay vigilant.
And trust me - you're going to want to stick with me if things get awry." 

[PATRICK JANE]

He checked the path leading straight ahead to ... nowhere.
They had no clue where it's gonna take them or what's gonna be there.
The surroundings looked pretty tho, everything around was full of life.
Flowers were decorated with colours, trees seemed to be alive
and they could hear birds singing in the treetops.
For the first time since he woke up he felt safe. Being accompanied by a
- she looked like - badass girl made him feel calm.

"You seem to be a strong woman, but your body language
keeps telling me you are hiding something," he wasn't certain if it was the right time
to ask this kind of questions. What if she was trying to mislead him and take an
advantage of him for not knowing anything about this place.

 
It's always good to know your enemy, he thought.

What if?

"You didn't tell me your name yet," Patrick tried to communicate.

He usually counted on the first sight thoughts.

The thoughts that were running in his head bothered him.

[ASHLEY MAGNUS]

"Woah, what? Hiding something? I'm just as confused as you are, buddy." Ashley
replied in all her sarcasm, and shrugged her shoulders to try and prove her point.
What was this guy playing at? What caused him to expect such a thing from her?
Well, if it works both ways - She had doubts about him too.

"If anything, my body language should be telling you I'm frustrated as hell. I have
absolutely no idea where we are." She dropped her arms down to her sides freely.
Something she did when she was on defence mode. The guy must be over-analysing her. 

That rat bastard.

Ashley hesitated slightly, and then gave in when he asked for her name. "The name's
Ashley. First name is all you need to know." Whether her mother was alive, she was
unsure. If Helen was put in this situation, she'd be careful whom she shared her family
name with. It was unclear or how many people knew of Magnus. Right now,
Ashley could not take that risk. 

Ashley motioned with her head, towards the path. She made a slight move to continue,
whether the man was keen on following or not.

"Plan on following, or do I leave you behind?"

[OOC - Keen for a chase? =P ]

[PATRICK JANE]

"Ashley, what a nice name,"
Patrick moved his head from the top of hear
head to toes. He did his best to not give her any chance
to find out he was trying to "read her".
Something was not just right.

He followed her lead. His steps became even faster when Ashley set the speed.
Oh damn, she was fast. This woman was most certainly the person of action.

"I am Patrick, if you are interested."
he thought it would be polite to tell her his name.
Not because he already knew hers but it felt like it could
bring them closer to each other. They were still alone
 and only God knew what could happen. If there was a God.

"Do you remember anything from your past? How are you feeling?
It's hard to get under the shield you are having around your body,"
he asked. The confusion he felt inside was tearing
him apart, he wished he'd figured it out.
It would be - for sure - a good thing for the team
they made few moments ago.

***
/OOC: Yes, why not. Just do what you want. I am still a little bit scared to do something bigger/

[ASHLEY MAGNUS]

Ashley tilted her head to side, and gave the guy a smile. Patrick. Great, first name
basis - Check. As much as Ashley was keen on introducing herself as a 'monster hunter',
she figured it was best to keep that fact to herself for now. As much as she wanted
to go off on her own, and deal with things solo, she figured she couldn't just abandoned him.
When a person is unfamiliar with their surroundings, sometimes small groups work best
and use their knowledge to find a way out.

But something about him seemed awfully familiar. The way his eyes shifted when he looked at
her. Analysing her. The way he observed her stance. Her expressions. Someone who could read
her like a book. No, it was not the creepy ex-boyfriend. He reminded her of someone...

...Will. And not in the creepy sense.

It made her smile in wonder, and acknowledged the mans presence. Will was one of the few people
to ever understand her. Well, most of the time. He understood her - and that was a daring
feat. And sometimes he understood more than even her mother did at times. Especially when she
wasn't blinded by her work.

But she missed him. Will. Her smile turned sad, as a few more memories began to flood her
mind once again.

Briefly shaking her head to try and clear her mind of the memories, she tried to regain focus.
Then she started to walk at an easy pace along the unknown stoned path.

"Well Patrick. It seems we are in a bit of a pickle." She gave a small laugh, then quickly
turned serious when he asked her the next question. Her memories. She then frowned and
shot him a warned look. "My past? Yeah, let's not go there."

She seems uncomfortable. She didn't know what was worse. Admitting freely to a stranger that
she was a monster hunter, or admitting she was actually turned into a monster who tried to
kill her mother and everyone else she loved. And then proceeded to kill herself? Hell no.
Some things are best kept a secret.

She wanted to quickly change the subject, "So, uh...where are you from?"

Ashley's train of thought was disturbed as she suddenly felt a chill, making the hairs on her
neck stand on end. Instinct told her to run and hide. She really didn't like the feeling she
was getting. On impulse, she tugged on Patricks shirt to get his attention, and then proceeded
to dive behind the bushes to their left. She only hoped Patrick got the idea.

- - - - - - - 

[OOC - Just play along =) There will be no fight. Just a bit of scare tactics hehe]

[PATRICK JANE]

+++

Patrick was quite satisfied with where the conversation  with this lovely young woman
was heading to. Even if she seemed nice and she really looked like
a badass person he was sure that Ashley was hiding something. He would put his finger on it.
There was something sad and dark about her past. He felt how nervous she started to feel when
he asked the question. If there wasn't anything bad she would probably just answer his question.
His psychic senses didn't lie to him. Never.
Patrick only wanted to know what was the last thing she could recall.
He didn't want to be the only one who couldn't remember what happened.
Of course he had some memories that he would never forget,
these little moments made him the way he was and he was kind of grateful for that, but the fact that he
forgot what happened before he woke up on the beach was terrifying.

She carried a gun and he didn't like guns.
Jane checked her body language again. All the feelings he was getting from
the observation made him feel calm and safe. According to her body structure and muscles on her hands and legs he assumed she was good in fighting. He didn't easily believe people but she seemed reliable.

"Where do I come from? I am from California. Sacramento," Patrick answered Ashley's question.
"Will you share your home city with me?" he asked.

Before he could get his answer a hand tugging his t-shirt made him pay attention to what was going on around.
He saw Ashley jumping behind the bushes so he assumed he should do the same.
Patrick jumped right behind Ashley.
"What is it?" he asked curiously and also a little bit frightened.

[ASHLEY MAGNUS]

Ashley nodded, with a spark of interest. Sacramento. Good. A place she was familiar
with. She had never been there personally, but the fact that the man was from a place she had
heard of, gave her a sense of comfort.

"Sacramento. Nice, " Wriggled her button nose when he asked her where she was from. Since
it appears that neither of them were at home, she figured there was no harm in answering.
"I'm from Old City." She really did not want to elaborate. Especially given her mother's history,
it was best to keep those sort of facts to herself.

Once Patrick took the hint - Much to Ashley's relief - He dived down beside her, as a moment
of silence passed between them. Ashley put a finger to her lips to indicate silence, while
her icy blue eyes darted around for the source of the noise she heard. Peering through the
bushes, she scanned the area. Nothing so far.

In the distance was a light rumble. A growl? A stampede? She really couldn't pin-point it. But
she figured it was best to lay low for the time being. She really wasn't in the mood to rush
into unknown danger. After the incident with the Cabal - She had to be careful this time.

She looked to Patrick, with worry written across her face, "You didn't hear that?" Her voice
was lowered to a whisper, "I heard something. Trust me - It didn't sound human."

She looked back through the bushes, but saw nothing there. And yet she could still hear
the distance sound of a growl. It was definitely not human. And yet it was unlike any sound
she heard before. And she had heard quite a lot of them.

But the growls got louder, as the thing edged nearer. And that worried her. She hated fighting
something she could not see.

Without another sound, Ashley pointed behind them and motioned for him to follow. She
wanted to get off the pathway, and into hiding. Whatever this thing was, they needed to
stay hidden amongst the greenery.

She ducked down low, and carefully made her way, away from the stone pathway. As they
moved away, the forest around them became dense. Looks like it wasn't just a walk in the park.

[OOC - Ashley doesn't have a gun at this point. Just for the challenge ^__^ Oh and I probably
won't reveal the 'thing'. I'm keeping it a mystery hehe]

[OLIVER QUEEN]

Oliver knelt at the edge, between the forest and the garden as he watched the two strangers talk. They didn't look familiar, so he was pretty sure they weren't from Starling. Locals, Maybe? He wondered whether he should introduce himself as Oliver? Or stay in character as the Hood for now. He decided to stay with the Hood. At least until he could ascertain who they were, and whether they were a threat. Gripping his bow in his right hand, he stayed low and spun on his heels to look behind him. There was nothing. He was sure he sensed something. This place is starting to play tricks on him. He must be more vigilant.

He turned back to the two strangers, who had suddenly broken in a quick sprint. Nothing he couldn't handle, but he followed staying low behind the ornate flower beds and slipping quietly around the edge of the forest. He watched as they dived into a bush that was close to them. Oliver stopped moving. He waited. 

He didn't have to wait long, although he wouldn't have minded. The girl seemed to jump up first. She seemed head-strong. As he watched, she actually reminded him of Laurel a bit. Oliver ducked slightly lower as they began to walk away from the path they had been following, and headed into the forest. Staying low until he entered, Oliver slipped through the heavy forest with ease. To be honest, it reminded him of the island. He was starting to feel at home here, if only partially. 

I guess it's time I speak to them, he thought to himself as he slipped behind another couple of trees and made his way just ahead of the pair. He felt at his shirt for the voice disguiser and confirmed it was on before stepping out to reveal himself. 

"Who are you? How did you get here?" He asked the two as he stepped out, pulling his bow up and placing an arrow in the string in one motion. The cloth of the hood hung down, hiding his face as he addressed them in deep, raspy tone accentuated by the speaker at his chest.