#Ashley Permins

[raincross]

Crown - Coffee

Sorry if this seems rushed. It was.

Can be read on ao3

Ashley Permins was fine being alone. She never spent time with others. If she wanted to, she had Dark and would let him do his own thing as long as he stayed out of trouble. She herself would rather sit at her favorite coffee shop and read. It was the one thing that made her happiest. There was nothing better for her than getting lost in another world, imagining what her life could have been if she were born in the pages she read.

-

Ghast stepped inside of the coffee shop and noticed a particular smell. Cinnamon. The Winter Ginger Special was finally available. With a pep in her step, she approached the counter and was surprised to see Dark's little sister manning the register.

"Hello, Bianca." Ghast greeted. "When did you start working here?"

Bianca stared blankly at Ghast. "Two hours ago." She said tersely, followed by a few seconds of awkward silence.

Ghast decided to continue the conversation. Heavens know Bianca wouldn't.  "Well, I hope you don't work too much that you miss school. And if your boss tries to make you, choose school." Bianca responded with a nod.

"Now," Ghast continued, "I'd like the winter special, please." With another nod, Bianca got to work making Ghast's drink.

Ghast took her seat in the far corner. It felt strange seeing Bianca working at the young age of fourteen. But seeing Bianca at all was such a shock. The two hadn't talked to each other in a few months. Thinking about Bianca brought Ghast to thoughts of Dark.

-

"Gonna be late. Gonna be late. Gonna be late." Dark yelled as he crashed into the coffee shop and ran towards Ashley's usual seat. Ashley blinked in surprise as Dark jumped into the booth opposite of her accompanied by a repeated beeping. Dark recovered quickly, righting himself in his seat. He showed Ashley his rather outdated flipphone which showed an alarm had gone off.

"On time!" Dark cheered with a grin. Ashley couldn't help but giggle.

"Dark." Ashley said trying to stop her giggles. "I'm not going to break up with you if you're a few minutes late."

"Still the best boyfriend!" Dark cheered, closing her phone.

"You really are." She gushed. "Though you'd be an even better one if you just wore the outfits your mother got for you. I think you'd look cute."

Dark rolled his eyes and grinned. "Never. Too girly for me and I've outgrown that. Maybe I'll wear some black. Go full punk." The two shared a giggle.

"Please!" Ashley begged. "Before you go punk, I need to see you at your most adorable!"

Dark smirked and shrugged. "Fine. But no pictures. And I'm only doing this because I love you."

Ashley smiled and reached across the table to take Dark's hand with both of hers. "You do~."

-

"Did you bring back my homework?" Ashley asked among the crowd of students passing by.

Dark choked on her water bottle. "Wait what? That was today?"

Ashley sighed and knocked Dark's water bottle out of her hand. "Hey!" Dark yelled.

It was to be expected. She knew Dark was irresponsible. "You were supposed to bring it back. Do you have any idea on what this is gonna do to my grade?"

Dark smirked and reached into her pocket. She pulled out a neatly folder sheet of paper. "Psych."  Ashley scowled and snatched the sheet from dark.

"Jerk." She muttered as she unfolded the paper and looked it over. "You got a coffee stain on it."

Dark pulled Ashley close and planted a kiss on her forehead. "I know you love the smell."

-

Ashley shrieked as she flew through a boarded up window. The warehouse was dark. She couldn't see. Too much blood in her eyes. And now splinters in her face and arms. She felt herself get lifted up by her shirt. She didn't have the energy to fight. The most she could do was wipe her eyes as best she could, being careful of splinters.

"I should bash your fucking brains in, you bitch!" Dark growled, slamming the pipe in her other hand against the wall. "You're lucky I don't wanna kill you, but I'll still land you in a fucking hospital!" Dark grinned and ran the pipe along Ashley's cheek.  She whimpered and moved her head back as best she could, but it was hard with how stiff her neck felt. "Okay, we're done." Dark sighed and dropped the pipe. The rage was still in her voice, but it was more controlled as she spoke. "Let's get you to a hospital." She reached into her phone and called for emergency services.

-

"From now on, you two are working for me. I know you two have some animosity around each other, but you two need to get over it." Rome commanded over the sound of a downpour. All three of them were behind a random coffee shop. Ghast looked down at the fresh body. Some guy who was selling drugs to children. She turned her attention to her hand. Bloody. The rain would wash off the worst of it, she hoped. It almost felt unreal taking a life. She thought she would feel powerful. Or regretful. But she couldn't find it in herself to feel anything.

Dark stood silent keeping her eyes on Rome. "Yes, ma'am." She said a bit too forcefully." Eventually, Ghast's eyes landed on Dark. Dark in turn looked back at Ghast. "Hey, now may not be the best time, but I want to apologize. I found out from Bibi it was a misunderstanding. I wouldn't blame you if you didn't forgive me."

Ghast could barely focus on what Dark said. She was still reeling from being reunited with the one person who hurt her so deeply and the life she had taken. She couldn't go back to her old life And while this new one ruined her chances of ever going back, she finally felt free. Her shocked face slowly turned to a smile and looked at Dark. "I'm not sure if I can." She said candidly. "But I can learn to deal with it. Let's just keep interactions to a minimum."

-

Ghast was shocked out of her memories as a cup of coffee was put in front of her. "Your coffee." Bianca said and walked back to the register. Ghast sighed and looked into her drink. She wasn't sure what she was feeling. So many thoughts and emotions running through her. But she found herself smiling as she took a sip.

Ashley 'Ghastly' Permins was fine being alone. She never spent time with others. She had already had her heart broken once. She would rather not risk it happening again. It made her feel safe and in control. There was nothing better for her than getting lost in her memories, wondering what life could have been like if she made different decisions.

[akaroot]

I'm /so/ sick and tired of seeing any mention of C3.

[madamelokiofasgard]

My own thoughts/hopes/predictions on the next campaign:

-knowing Matt said a dif contenent, I think it’ll be Wildmount as he have seen very little/know very little of it outside meeting Tary’s family and seeing fallen Draconia. As well as we keep getting bits of people having come from there: Tiberius, the Briarwoods, Anna Ripley, and Tary. Either that or Marquet as we’ve only seen Ankh’arel and Shaun’s hometown. It’d be great to see J’mon again too. Or see an older/happily married Tary

-if we get Wildmount, it’d be neat to see that Tary carried things thru with his own adventuring team and perhaps retired but still sponsors or looks out for new young adventurers, like perhaps our own new CR group.

-Liam and Sam playing a couple. Married or not, doesn’t matter I want them to be together

-I know we can’t have the twins again but let Liam and Laura’s chars become besties

-let them see an older happily married Gilmore 👏

-I am not entirely sure what Liam’s class or race will be, or if he’s going to bring the terrible and amazing Jayne back for this run. But I’m going to say possibly Paladin (more fully this time) or go for magic and be warlock or maybe Druid. Race wise I have no clue I’m gonna spit all and go Dwarf or Human

-Sam is the hardest one for me to predict. As it’s in his very nature. I’m wondering if he’ll be a bit more physical this time and go fighter or monk. Race is hard to predict but I think he’ll want to be a bit more normal sized. Maybe not human as he did that with Tary, so ima say elf.

-Laura I’m banking on either Aasimar (as girl is addicted to flying and she’d chosen that for Vex in Talks before) or possibly Tiefling. And I saw somewhere she was debating on going cleric or something else but is fighting that position with Travis so idk. Either cleric or rogue as she had to fight Liam on that last time

-Travis pls be an intelligent char I really want to see mr strategist in action. And he likes physical combat and weapons so he either goes cleric (as he’s debating it with Laura) or Paladin. And, because he loves them so much, werewolf. Race wise, probably human or Dragonborn (had a dream of him last night being a black Dragonborn with no real allegiances except to his wife the Aasimar, so I sorta love the idea of that)

-Ashley did mention being more normal sized in Talks before, which could be many things, I’m sorta banking on Tiefling or human for her. And probably as a char who is sister to another character and is part of some sort of organization like slayer’s take so she can’t be with them all the time , just to account for her time away in New York. Not sure on class. Gonna go monk for her as a stab in the dark.

-Taliesin I am hard banking on Tiefling. If not that, then Drow. Class, hoping on warlock or bard.

-Marisha I’m sorta hoping she’ll play a Barbarian or a fighter. And to be a Dwarf or half-orc

-sorta hoping we’ll have another perminant player in the group as well, like Brian or Darin. Or another lady would be great

-at some point, go meet the quarter elf de rolo children. I want it badly too, Laura!

-a run in with the long living Keyleth

-open with Scanlan singing the adventures of Vox Machina as we pan to the new adventurers

-if I’m wrong on any of their classes, let one of them be a ranger, so we can have another animal mascot. Something that can fly or small enough to carry so they don’t have the pitfalls they had with Trinket