Ash
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Name: Ashley Murphy Nickname: Ash Age: 19 Gender: Female Species: Fox Fairy Occupation: Full-time student, for now... Favorite Color: Dusty pink Favorite Food: Anchovy pizza, Salty things in general, otherwise eats rather healthy Likes: Live music, A good long jog, Predominantly geeky social settings Dislikes: Needing to sit still for too long Best Traits: Loving, Enthusiastic, Upstanding Worst Traits: Awkward, Overworked, Naive |
Appearance
Ashley isn't nearly as unremarkable or plain as she imagines, but it's true that she's not all that polished, especially compared to all the stereotypes about fox girls. She's got the swoopy tail, the rich-orange fur, and bright eyes... But the image of a beauty queen, sly and sexy? Bleh, that's not her, and she doesn't even like the thought of growing into that.
She's a chapstick baby-gay, and she's found that she's really comfortable that way, she just doesn't have the confidence to own it yet.
Ash is a fairy that can still pass as mortal. To an uncritical eye, there's no difference between how she looks now and how she looked before her fae-side revealed itself. Those who are more sensitive to such things, and who wield magics of their own, may notice a certain glimmer in her emerald eyes, or see golden sparks and embers amidst her flame-colored pelt.
The downside to her mortal guise is that she doesn't have full control of her transformations. One moment she's fleeing for her life, the next moment she's fox-sized, digitigrade, and leaving a glowing trail of fairy-stuff as she scampers to safety. One moment she's flustered and red in the face, the next moment she is literally on fire.
Cleansing Flame
Ash was a bit of a late bloomer. It isn't unheard-of for a fairy's true nature to remain hidden till the end of their teen years, and it's certainly possible for it to take even longer, but the most common ages are early childhood or puberty. Having been a bit of a repressed, unconfident kid, Ashley is only just now beginning to come into her own.
Her first encounter with the supernatural world was ugly. Her fae nature didn't blossom, it erupted. The catalyst was her best friend going missing, preyed upon by a vampire that didn't quite cover its tracks. But she couldn't just tell that to the cops working on her case, who would ever believe that? She could barely believe it herself, until her snooping and sleuthing bore fruit.
When at last she was face to face with the creature that ate her friend, a weird thing happened. Overtaken by grief, disgust, and righteous fury, Ashley's body moved on its own, she rippled with heat and light and pure, destructive energy. The vampire could hardly cry out before a great roaring flame fell upon it.
From there, everything was a bit of a blur, as if she was trying to recall a dream. Ashley found herself crouching outside her bedroom window in burnt and tattered clothes. She hurried inside and dressed herself for bed, exhausted, confused, and full of bittersweet satisfaction.
Heirloom
Ashley thought she'd have to hide it from her family, but her condition wasn't quite the shock she thought it'd be. The fae spirit that had rested dormant in her heart, the Spirit of Cleansing Flame, had a special relationship with her family, and a tendency to reincarnate into the bodies of its own descendants. Ashley's parents hadn't expected their daughter to be the one to take up its mantle, but they knew the signs.
So now, lucky her, Ashley isn't without support. Her grandpa, a man who was her son in her previous life, is doing what he can to ready her for the tumultuous life of a fairy, and instruct her controlling her powers. But even if her family members are fae-blooded, none of them are fairies; they can nudge her in the right direction, but they can't guide her.
And that's to say nothing about how hard it is to "look inward" and "commune with the Flame" when she's being stiffled by dull, mortal obligations. More and more, all that inner Flame wants is to live a life ruled by passion... Does a fairy even really need a college degree?
Connections
Cianán — "That guy is actually really nice, even though he's almost like, a vampire? I'm kinda more worried about how he's... I mean, he is really really religious, right? D'you think that'll be like... A problem?"