Ash had been waiting a bit too contently for some comments, her posture had become relaxed and her eyes closed as she managed to catch her breath, so arms wrapping around her shoulders was obviously a bit of a surprise. The Asian girl, the pretty one she had caught sight of when entering the courtyard, was giving her some instructions on how to throw cards. However, the way Hitomi had decided on doing so was rather obscene, with body on body and sensually whispers, and Ashling was obviously very, [i]very[/i] uncomfortable by this. A deep red had set in her face, and her eyes and mouth were wide open in shock. No one had touched like this since her last "boyfriend"... Her eyes clouded and she squirmed a bit as she was being shown how to throw her cards. Wind zipped forward suddenly, and her eyes finally focused and turned forward to see five cards dig into five different dummies. Did Hitomi throw them? They were different, Ashling realized they weren't playing cards like hers but something else, white with strange characters that she couldn't make out. Words of advice, about using the cards on those unarmored or exposed, and Ashling luckily had enough of a mind to take in the words, that was, until her curiosity was brought in by the cards exploding. Amazing, such interesting weapons! Wide eyes gleamed with admiration and she became unaware that someone was still embracing her from behind... And then pressure and heat suddenly pushed into her back and the girl's breath brushed Ash's ear. Her face turned tomato red once again and she squirmed as uncomfortable words entered her mind and flourished into obscene images. This girl, she was something else. Different from the high-collared girls back home, more like the girls in the front of the brothel, and it made Ashling very very very very confused. 

And then the heat of another was gone. Miss Fox had returned to her perch, making ugly gestures at Marian. Shaky hands reached up to hold clutch at her chest, where her heart beat a quickly. How embarrassing, but one shouldn't judge others by their obscene mannerisms. Besides... she had good advice, but was it entirely true or just an excuse to touch her? Ashling finally let out a long sigh, cheeks pink and body suddenly very heavy and tired. That girl, she was just like a fox. Sneaky, beautiful, sly. Images of a black and white fox danced through her mind, entering her Wonderland easily; making a new character to interact with. 

[i]'Trusting people is hard enough, but foxes are another story...'[/i]

"Despite the crass words, the advice is basically correct," 

Her shoulders jolted as she was pulled from her thoughts, and Ash glanced up to meet eyes with Kenchi. He seemed to have picked up two of her fallen cards, and was explaining how one should aim for the neck or thigh for greater injury, taking note in the shape and how one should stand and throw it. Ash, having calmed down considerably, listened intently to the man's advice and watching his example with genuine interest. Using the cards as a distraction was a good idea as well, and Ashling made a few mental notes to remember this advice.

[i]'What a difference eye contact has on a lesson'[/i]

She thought with a small smile, and then Kenichi was bowing and holding forward the other card, obviously expecting her to try once again. The smile widened slightly and she took the card with a nod of the head between two fingers and turned towards the target, copying the other's stance from before almost perfectly. Her eyes wandered then locked, and the normally clear blue became stormy with focus. Then she was uncurling, shifting, flicking, her body moved quickly (if not a bit stiffly) and the card went spinning toward it's target, digging deeply into the yellowish fabric that might have been the collarbone of an actual person. A feeling of excitement washed over her, eyes widened happily, and she turned back to the helpful man, flashing him a rare grin,

"Thank you... Oh!" she blushed suddenly, realizing that she had no idea what his name was, "I'm sorry for not introducing myself. My name's Ashling, Ashling Linwood, or, uh, Wonderland, if we're going by the aliases they gave us." she bowed her head politely, hands folded neatly on her apron, acting like she used to back home at the estate where she worked.