#meanwhile ashton is like 'you don't even know me'

[edge-oftheworld]

somewhere running about in sydney is the guy who got absolutely destroyed on live tv about punishing kids (michael) for wearing the wrong socks. and idk i just think about it from time to time

[masterqwertster]

For the put a guy in a situation ask game, how do you think Ashton would react to 6?

Guy in a Situation Prompt 6: Reverse amnesia (everyone else has no memory/recognition of your character)

The thing about Reverse Amnesia and Ashton is that Bells Hells has a mind reader (Imogen) and access to Zone of Truth (previously FCG, now Braius).

So while Ashton will do a shit job of explaining how they know each other but the others have forgotten them (thanks 6 Charisma), as long as Ashton can establish any kind of "well maybe he's telling the truth" (which is helped by Fearne's +15 Insight which is basically guaranteed to clock Ashton's earnestness and distress at their friends/family forgetting them), chances are magical verification is going to be brought up. Imogen isn't shy to do mind checks in stressful situations, and some "random" genasi "stranger" knowing all sorts of personal stuff about Bells Hells definitely counts.

The only drawback is that if Imogen does the check (which is most likely), he does have to warn her about dunamis mind fuckery ...which is going to come off as trying to limit her prying and not an honest, "please don't get stuck in my head (again)" warning. And won't go down great with the others if Imogen does hit the dunamis with backlash.

Now there is a chance Ashton can hit on the better proof of "You know me" rather than the list of ways that "I know you."

By this, I mean that rather than listing off things Ashton knows about Bells Hells because he's a member and knows them well, he can point out the blanks of things they did specifically because of Ashton and not any other party member. A list that (off the top of my head) includes:

the Museum Heist (a job specifically offered and accepted because of Ashton)

anything Hishari related (Ashton's background that doesn't matter to anyone else)

the reason Keyleth told them to go see Evontra'vir (seeking titan shit because Ashton already had it)

the reason they decided to go on the Nana Morri Trust Retreat (the messy fallout of Ashton absorbing the Spark)

Memorializing FCG in their clothes (Ashton's mourning rites)

Depending on how the Reverse Amnesia is run, these are the moments that don't really happen without Ashton as a catalyst that are also really hard to logic someone else into their role. So they can be used to introduce doubt in the completeness of everyone else's memories.

Meanwhile, Ashton is having a fucking meltdown because Abandonment Issues. If he can't convince them to even give him a fucking chance, they're going to tell him to leave. And he will, because what the fuck else can he do? Ashton said he's there as long as they'll have him, and they're not having him anymore.

Of course Ashton is throwing everything they can into convincing Bells Hells to keep them in the meantime, but that panic attack is becoming more imminent by the second.

[utilitycaster]

Hi! I saw your tags on the escape room poll that Team Liam would be last and I wanted to ask why? While I agree that they wouldn’t be first, I wouldn’t put them last either. Do you think they would just have too much conflict to use their skills?

I didn't realize this was from last night's 4SD and because OP said "Battle Royale" I assumed that it was in some way a combat-oriented escape room, in which the lack of a dedicated/significant healer (Vax has, what, 30 lay on hands and a couple low level spell slots) and the fact that Orym is one decent but not incredible tank among two of the most tissue-paper characters in terms of HP would spell their defeat.

With the understanding that this is a traditional escape room here's my thought process:

From my escape room experience there are four skills that map easily into D&D skills and one that does not map into the D&D character skill chart but does map extremely well onto players. They are:

Investigation/raw intelligence. How good are you at inspecting and comprehending things?

Sleight of Hand/raw dexterity. How good are you at manipulating objects/fine motor control?

Persuasion or Intimidation/raw charisma. How good are you at convincing people to work together or perform tasks?

Perception. How good are you at generally noticing things right away?

The most crucial thing, however, is "do you try dumb shit and push buttons and try to figure out everything quickly." And so:

Toss up between Travis and Sam's character teams in terms of the D&D skills; Chetney and Veth are both particularly suited for escape rooms between strong intelligence and high dexterity. I think Sam's team overall is probably stronger; Tary's mechanical knowledge and FCG's desire for everyone to work together and Scanlan's general buffing abilities/capacity to get people to do what he wants (presumably win) mean everyone has a lot to bring to the table. FCG is the only one with decent perception, iirc, though, and Travis as a player is fundamentally a button pusher and therefore his characters will inherit this energy even though Chetney and Fjord are going to be carrying the entire thing (although, actually, Grog will probably respond well to being asked to perform tasks or look for things).

Taliesin's characters have the combined skills but unfortunately with the except of Caduceus they all have the trait "does not work well with others" and Ashton and Percy in particular wouldn't listen to Caduceus and they're the ones with the most relevant skills here. Beau could do an escape room on her own and probably would (note: someone told me this is what Marisha said on 4SD and I agree wholeheartedly) but necessarily will be less effective than groups who work together. Vex would do pretty well and would be competitive enough, but none of Laura's characters are particularly expert in investigation and if Vex and Imogen clash it is 100% over in terms of getting out in time, though I think Jester would make a valiant go of it. None of Ashley's characters crack +1 in investigation and no one has 20 dex, and I doubt most would be interested or competitive about this, though I do think they'd get along the best by far.

Rounding things out, I suspect that Liam's characters are just behind Taliesin's in terms of conflict; it won't be quite as heated but I get the sense all three of them, all of whom are very much about working together with their respective parties, will not be very good at working together with each other, and Orym is the least likely to take the lead despite most suited for it. Caleb is extremely smart but I don't think he'd be the most invested in going super fast. I don't think they'll be last - Ashley or Taliesin are more likely - but they'd certainly not be first. The NPCs, meanwhile, have the advantage of two people who know each other well, a very agreeable and mature person in Eshteross, and Essek and Allura will probably vibe solely on the basis of being wizards who know and like Caleb if they don't know each other personally yet. Iirc Essek and Eshteross should have decent dex scores though not 20, and everyone has diplomatic skills. I believe Allura's wisdom is respectable as well. They'll certainly be the most well-behaved and adult about it.

In conclusion, you're right, probably not last (would almost certainly be last in the combat scenario I mistakenly imagined) but absolutely should not be first.

[grigori77]

Critical Role, Campaign 3 Episode 96

Ah, I see, so THIS is why Liam looks like a cute beatnik from a 50s jazz club ... oh boy ... he's brought back the German accent BIG TIME and it's giving me massive Caleb vibes ... meanwhile Tal's clearly having EVEN MORE fun with this ... oh my gods ... wow ... that's a DOOZY, definitely ...

Marisha (cracking up): "It sounded like there was more!" Travis: "I know!"

So ... yeah ... it was all SO HEAVY when we ended it last week ... the group is WELL on the way to imploding under the weight of what just happened in the night ... can they come back from this? This is SO WORRYING ...

Oh boy ... RIGHT BACK where we were at the end ... wow ... so it's just the two of them again ... O.O

Fuck ... now even LAUDNA can feel Delilah's starting to take over ... that's not good at all ...

This is starting to sound SO MUCH like Laudna knows she's not going to be around when this is all done ... oh man ... AND she's starting to think maybe that's A GOOD THING? Fuck ... no, really, NO ...

Imogen's trying SO HARD to keep this all together for BOTH OF THEM but I can feel her breaking too ...

Come on, Imogen, that's it, bring her back from the brink ... LISTEN TO HER, Laudna. She's the best thing in your life, and she feels the same way about you, luv. You need to buck up ...

Imogen: "I'm gonna miss our little cottage." Oh fuck ...

Ah shit ... the tissues ... yeah, that's how it is with ALL OF US right now ...

Crap ... that's right, Dorian's missed A WHOLE LOT, he doesn't KNOW about Delilah, not really ... oh, and also about IMODNA ... XD ... AND Chetney's threesome with Fearne and his ex ...

Oh yeah ... Bordor ... that was a whole bunch of wrong ... that took a whole lot out of ALL OF 'em ...

Ashton being all philosphical again abdout villains trying NOT TO BE ... yeah ... he's pretty spot on ...

Dorian: "CAN she be trusted?" Oof ...

Ashton: "You okay?" Imogen: "No." Ahston: "SHE okay?" Imogen: "No." Ahston: "Okay."

Laudna's just been having a good powerful MOPE while all of this has been going on ... yeah, of course she has ... oh FUCK OFF, Delilah. You're not welcome right now ... oh yeah, Fearne, great timing, snap her out of it!

Orym: "Are you all right? I didn't hurt you too terribly did I?" Laudna: "Oh, I think I can see a few ribs ..."

Yes ... please, come on you too, make up. You're FRIENDS, you mean so much to each other. MAKE UP. Yeah. That's it. Exactly that.

Yeah, exactly. Fuck Delilah, we just want our LAUDNA.

This is exactly it, yeah ... she's not alone, they're ALL carrying their own big mistake baggage, she's not alone in that ...

Awwwww ... Ashton's BIG SISTER Laudna ... I love it ... :3

Wow ... yeah, it may be a joke, but Chetney DOES have a point there ... Dorian's the one true innocent in the group now ... you poor sweet summer chaild ...

Nice move, Chet. Yeah, that works.

Oh, that's interesting ... yeah ... that pipe ... yeah ... that could be REALLY GOOD for Laudna right now ... go on, girl, take a puff ...don't be afraid, this can only HELP ...

And then Dorian comes in with the sweetest cap for all that ... awwww ... :3

AAAAAAND just like that Chetney's OUT. XD ... of course he is.

Spin the bottle? REALLY?!!! LOL ...

Wow ... not they're just getting ridiculous ... XD ... "Hammer time?" Yeah, that's the worst one yet ... "Chetney needs sleep"? Slightly better, maybe ...

More rest, at least ... which is needed ...

Liam'#s giving Orym a point of exhaustion for NECESSITIES ... of course he is ... wee selfless lad ... we love him but he does punish himself sometimes ...

THAT'S what the Gambler's Blade does? DORIAN!!! O.O

Essek is a bit ... MOODY this morning ... hmmmm ...

"I like pulp!" XD

Ah, so everything's ready for them ,then? Sweet ... cue gearing up montage ... LOL ... oh, and descriptions too ...

Hot Shots: Part Deux for Chetney ... XD

Oh shit ... that's right ... they're back from the Moon ... IS Orym a little different? And our boy's a bit toussled now ... yeah, that's CUTE, I'm sure ...

Imogen's wearing PANTS now? Okay ...

Dorian's wearing "THE SLUTTIEST SHIRT"! Cute ...

Nipple talk ... oh dear ... XD

Oh wow ... Laudna's kind of giving me some subtle Harrow the Ninth vibes right now ...with a touch of DELILAH too, which is ... worrying, just a little ... O.O

Ashley's alwasy SO GOOD at weaving a beautiful picture, she really is ... and a utility belt. Yeah ... :3

Ashton's rocking a CROPTOP right now? Awwwwww ... and a spike trade with Fearne, too ... cute ... ooooooh ... and "Smiley Day" ... oh man ... I love it ...

Matt makes a rather pointed "prepare your spells" statement that everybody IMMEDIATELY takes as SUSPICIOUS and I'm right along with them. What are you planning, Mercer?

Yeah ... that fucking bloody apron's just gonna leave a trail behind them THE WHOLE WAY ...

Divvying up stuff ... here we go, ten minutes of inventory bookkeeping while we wait for the game itself to start up again ... XD

Ah ... sucking up one Ring of Protection with the harness ... hmmm ...

Imogen's jealous of Essek's floating thing ... not surprising ...

Ooooh ... ExU: Calamity recap ... cute ...

A FEW tries? Oh, I don't like the sound of that ...

Wow ... they're all REALLY crossing their fingers ... XD

Rolling a D100? Oh fuck ... 14? Hmmmmm ... ouch ... oh, that didn't go well ... they went NOWHERE and took 11 points of Force damage each ... bugger ...

Second try ... ANOTHER roll ... 45? Okay ... SEEMS like the right place ... an abandoned encampment? Interesting ... oh, sounds like it's NOT where they should be, then ...

Lyrengorm? Where?

He can only do it ONCE MORE for the day? Bollocks ...

A final roll ... 61 ... MORE snow ... much colder ... Orym's ENTIRELY BURIED ... a particularly AGGRESSIVE mountain range this time ... some kind of VERY fancy castle ... oh, so we ARE in Eisselcross ... but we're not sure WHERE ... oof ...

Crap ... they've been spotted ... by SOMEBODY ... big lumbering somebodies ...

Undead ice giants? Yeesh ... yeah, better hide ... argh ...

Matt: "There's a reason you took a BOAT to Esselcross last time!"

And now it's time for a break ...

Do they run? Do they fly? WHAT DO THEY DO?!!! Hiding's obviously out of the question ... eep ...

A DISTANT Command on one of them? Risky, Imogen ... "HALT!!!" Oh, it doesn't work on undead? BALLS ...

And now one of them flung a rock ... BAIT & SWITCH!!! Nice save, Orym! Crunch ... STILL 26 points of damage ... ow ...

There's a whole BUNCH of 'em coming now ... AAAAAAAH!!!

Essek's trying a HIGHER level Teleport ... okay ... one more roll ... 48? Oh bollocks, Laura! This is so bad ...

DO NOT give Mercer ideas, Ashley! O.O

More snow ... elsewhere ... hmmmm ... Essek has no idea where they are ... great ...

Yes. Sniff the wind, Chetney ... the air is THINNER ... oh, they're AT ALTITUDE right now ... cute ... on a mountain, then ... that's just PEACHY ...

Oh, if they had something FROM Aeor? I mean THEY COULD just use a piece of FCG ...

Looking into Essek's memories, then ... O.O ... and a glimpse of Aeor ... it's all VERY dramatic ...

Aha, a specific anchoring point ... good idea ...

Laura: "Guidance? Will that help?" Matt: "No, but it's nice to have." XD

So, the Staff ... oh boy ... this could go SO BAD .... she rolls 99 for it ... well, that's ... potentially good?

A frozen woodland glade ... Huh?

Don't shoot the rabbits with your harp, Chetney. They'll only explode and that's not what ANYONE wants ...

An amber coloured dome of energy over them? Oh, yeah, that definitely rings a bell ... XD

At least it's nice and warm in here ... although they are in danger of getting buried under the snow before morning ...

Essek's just IMMEDIATELY going to sleep, then ...

Fearne, you're adorable ... :3

Chetney's going hunting. WITH THE HARP. Oh boy ...

And he shoots a boar? Oh, okay, I suppose that's too big to just blow up ... food!

There's a huge city out there? Hmmmm ... no chance that's Vasselheim, maybe?

Time for food, then ...

Another try at Teleporting, then ... roll AGAIN ... 53? Fuck ...

They land ON THE SLOPE of a mountain ... AAAAAAAAAHHH!!!

Another jump ... another roll ... 46? No, NINETY-six ... somewhere icy and cold ... oh, that's it, then. They made it ... phew ...

Yup, they're here. On the VERY EDGE of the ruins, then ...

Time for Stealth, then ... group check time ... oh boy ... fucking hell, Travis ... 41?!!! How the FUCK did you do THAT?!!!

Shit ... are those more of theose undead ice giants? Oh no ... gods, bo what to know WHAT these things are ... eep ... O.O

Going down into the gloomy underground darkness ...

ICE TROLLS?!!! Lovely ... yeah, just GO QUIETLY, please ...

It's getting STUPID tight in here ... this is NOT GOOD ... Chetney's going ahead to check the route ...

Oh, that's a DROP. Great ... now what?

So they have to climb down with the rope ... great ... oh, Chet wonders if he could ICE-CLIMB down? I really don't know about that ... oh, the Immovable Rod, that shoudl be helpful ...

Yeah, this couldn't possibly go wrong ... O.O

A ruined courtyard? Fascinating ... smelling for anything alive down here ... a clean must? Strange ...

So he's climbing down, then ... okay ... the others getting down will be ... INTERESTING ...

Oh yeah, some light might be helpful now ...

Bones? Frozen into the ice underfoot? Hmmm ... that could be ... problematic ... and some bodies too ... oh lovely ... there's SOMETHING unpleasant down here, clearly ...

Wait ... WHO is this? Oh ... FUCK ... shit! Oh, that is SWEET!!! Nice callback ... O.O

So, going EAST then ...

The Praesidis Ward? Hmmm ...

A giant cavern that was once a city ... weird ...

It's getting WARMER? Hmmm ...

Fearne has a point ... this DOES look like that weird ruined city in the cavern on Ruidus ...

Wait ... there's SCARY things down here to be on the lookout for? Way to bury the lead there, Essek ...

Yeah, DO NOT TOUCH ANYTHING, people ...

He became a FISH. Really? Fascinating ...

Another Group Stealth check ... generally good rolls once more ...

Skeletons? Lots of them? Great ... this place is like a necromancer's wet dream ... I really hope this isn't where Mercer's heading with this ...

Grim Psychometry? IN HERE?!!! Whoa, Chet ...

That is ... troubling and not terribly infomrative, really ...

Crap ... was that a troll?

Moving on, then ...

Weird creepy corpse ... which wasn't there LAST TIME Essek passed through ... charming ... it IS moving, but, like, RIDICULOUSLY slow? Oh, that's unnerving ...

Imogen, AGAIN, don't touch ...

Oh, this seems like a nice, fancy place ... but Essek's not taking any chances with it, clearly ... and somebody's been through here, too ... hmmm ...

HE did this? Interesting ... well, at least he hasn't lost his sense of humour ...

Another cavern ... more industrial environs this time ... fascinating ... and it's curving UPWARDS as it goes ...

The Genesis Ward ...

It just smells of metal and water ... okay ...

So we have a specific destination now, then ...

What, try to home in on Ludinus' Harness? Could that work?

Oh, so there really ARE other things moving around in here besides the group ... that's disconcerting ...

A tent? Really? Well THAT is a pretty major sign of life ... I think they may have found what they're looking for ...

Arcane Eye? Cool ...

Oh, so something happened here ... something VIOLENT, according to the blood ... and CORPSES ... Ruby Vanguard? Oh wow ... THAT'S interesting ... this was ... relatively recent, looks like ...

More of an eagele's eye view of the cavern now ... a big jagged hole in the floor, off in the distance ... great ...

Heading in to take a look at the tent, then ...

So the deaths happened within a space of DAYS, then ... it looks like they all killed EACH OTHER?!!! O.O ... whoever did this was ENJOYING themselves? Charming ... and one of them killed HIMSELF ... and apparently was very HAPPY when he did it ... that's just LOVELY ...

It's a pretty nondescript knife, Imogen ...

Grim Psychometry again, then ... oh boy ...

Oh, so the elf was the one who killed them all ... really violently, with SIGNIFICANT manic strength ... carves soemthing into his chest ... and then kills himself too ... wow ...

Chetney DRAMATICALLY unveils the elf's chest ... a sigil ... what is it, then? Ask Essek ... he doesn;t recognise it ... Laudna casts Eyes of the Rune Keeper ... no joy, it seems ... hmmmmm ...

Oh ... Laudna asks DELILAH if she recognises it ... great ... she doesn't either ... great ...

Don't take a pee on the arcane time dome, Orym ...

Something's grinding out there ... stone on stone ...

A group stelth check, but grading everyone individually as they hide? Oh boy ...

Two groups, then ... roill well, guys ...

It's VERY TALL ... oh boy ... that is DISTURBING ... that's like ... it's a hood, but it DOESN'T actually have a head? Ye gods ... and it has a VERY BIG HAMMER it's gragging behind it ... and there's LOTS of teeth in a maw in its belly ... well THAT noise was just unsettling, Matthew ...

Fuck ... a whole bunch of creepy translucent scorpion-like creatures seem to crawl OUT OF IT ... charming ... and they're searching the area ...

Laudna just gave herself away ... and they're all going RIGHT FOR HER now ... oh fuck ...

And THIS is where Matt chooses to end it ... but not before he gives us a look at the Battlemap for next session ... and it's MASSIVE ...

Oh, this is gonna be a SCARY encounter to start things off next time ... But it's the end of the month, so that's gonna be a FORTNIGHT'S wait ...

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHH!!!

[calumsrockstar]

Surf's up - Ashton Irwin

a/n: possibly thinking of making this into a series?

Word count: 1.4k

Where you go to the beach, and you encounter a very sexy australian surfer

contents: fluff, swearing, weed use

Surfer!Ashton x Reader (fem)

You were always a fan of the beach, the way sand felt on your toes, how salty the water was... But, since your family went on a holiday every summer, it turned out to be a bore.

"y/n y/l/n! you are going to the beach whether you like it or not!" Your mother exclaimed. You rolled your eyes. "I don't get why you force me to do these things." You exclaimed.

You felt like a teenager again, being pushed into trips with your family, the problem was, you were an adult now, and still were being treated like a kid.

"Fine, but I won´t have to stay with you guys the whole time! Deal?" You asked your parents. "That´s fine." Your dad replied.

You finally got to the beach house. Immediately you put on your bathing suit and went to the beach.

One of the things you enjoyed the most was making sandcastles, even though you were 20 now, this reminded you the most of your childhood, comforting you in ways that touched your soul.

While you were making your sandcastle, someone bumped into it, destroying the whole thing. "What the fuck? Watch where you´re going!" You screamed. "Sorry..." You heard a voice from above you.

You looked up, and there he was, his brown hair, lightened from the sun, his tan skin, slightly sunburnt, and the most beautiful green eyes you´ve ever seen.

He reached down with his hand, pulling you up. "I´m sorry, I can help you rebuild it?" He said. And he had an australian accent. God damnit.

He looked you up and down. He was thinking the same as you, your hair was curled from the salt water, your delicate face, and the way your coverup hugged your body made him stare.

"It´s fine, don´t worry about it... I´m way too old to be making sandcastles anyway." You rubbed your hand at the back of your neck and laughed. He smiled back.

"I think it´s adorable." He winked. You started blushing. "Are you from around here?" He asked. "No i´m just here on vacation with my family." You replied.

"Oh... that´s too bad." He uttered. You raised an eyebrow and smiled. "Why´s that?" You asked. "I was just wanting to know you better." He smiled. Your legs went weak.

"Well, I think i´d like to get started by knowing your name first, mystery man." You laughed.

"The name´s Ashton, what about yours?" You grinned. "I´m y/n, nice to meet you." You stuck out your hand, into his, creating an awkward handshake.

"I don´t know if this is too sudden, but... Would you like to hang out at another beach tonight with some friends? It´s something casual, just a few buddies." He asked, tugging at his green choker, with a pearl on the center. "Yeah, i´d love to." You replied.

"Awesome, would you give me your number so I can give you the info?" He questioned.

"Yeah, no problem, my phone´s just in my bag, i´ll go get it." You turned around and walked to your beach chair. Ashton turned around, trying not to stare.

You gave him your number, and to text it to know if he got it right. You recieved a notification saying "Hello, nice to meet you, y/n." You smiled.

"See you tonight then." You smirked, showing the dimples on your face.

"See you." Ashton said. When you left, he couldn´t hide his joy, wiping the smile off his face.

The evening came, you went to go take a shower, wondering what would happen tonight. You washed the salt off your skin and shampooed and conditioned your hair.

You finally picked out an outfit. A white skirt paired with a pink bikini top.

You braided your hair and put on some mascara, breathing deep. "We´re just gonna hang out", you told yourself.

Meanwhile, Ashton was at Calum´s house, accompanied by Mike and Luke, were getting ready.

"So... you finally got yourself a girl?" Calum asked Ashton. "She´s not my girl, she´s just someone I met, we´re just gonna hang out." He replied.

"That´s not what you sounded like when you were describing her to us." Luke said.

Michael teased Ashton, repeating what he said. "Oh! She´s so pretty! She seems perfect." He exclaimed while putting a hand on his forehead.

"Shut the fuck up dude..." Ashton said, combing through his hair and putting on a floral red shirt.

It was finally time, the sky was clear and the night was warm, Calum, Mike, Luke and Ashton were sitting around a campfire at the beach, waiting for you, listening to the crackling of the fire.

You arrived, walking, since the beach was not far from your house and Luke was the first to see you.

"Dude, is that her?" He asked Ashton. All of them turned to look at you. "A bit out of your league, don´t you think Ash?" Michael punched him in the shoulder. "Smokin´ hot." Calum agreed.

Ashton ran up to greet you, and you both hugged. "Hi." You giggled and looked into his eyes. "I was thinking you would never show up, you look good." He laughed.

Luke looked at the boys. "We´re literally a collective third wheel right now."

He held your hand to bring you to the other guys, they all stood up and hugged you, then you all sat down around the campfire, you were sitting in the middle of Calum and Ash.

"Guys, this is y/n." He said, introducing you.

"So, what brings you here to our beautiful beach hangout spot?" Calum laughed, taking a drag of his joint. "Well, i´m here with my family on vacation, not really by choice. But I got invited by Ashton here, so it´s not that bad." You winked.

"How did you two meet?" Michael asked.

"I was just surfing on the beach, and I knocked over her sandcastle." Ashton laughed. "Yup, true story." You agreed.

"You smoke?" Calum asked you. "Occasionally..." You smiled. Calum laughed and passed the joint to you, the light dimming down with the wind.

Calum passed you the lighter. "Ash, can you help here?" You asked. He put his two hands over the joint while you light it. Looking at you, thinking about how lucky he was to have met you. You took a puff.

"Thanks." You smiled up at him. "No problem." He blushed.

Calum looked over to Luke and whispered. "You could cut the tension here with a knife." Luke giggled.

Luke whispered something in Calum´s ear. "Well, we´re going inside, we´ll let you two be." Calum exclaimed. Michael also understood the message, and left with them.

You looked at Ashton, and he shrugged his shoulders. "You can finish it." You told him, passing the joint to him, watching him take one last puff, throwing it on the sand.

"I have an idea." Ashton smiled. "What?" You asked him. He took you by the hand and dragged you close to the ocean.

"Let´s jump in." He told you. "Are you crazy? it´s like 10 PM." You laughed at him.

"Who cares? I promise to save you if you drown." He told you. You punched him in the arm. "That´s not funny!" You laughed. "It´s a little bit funny." He replied.

"Okay fine, but baby steps." You told him, taking off your skirt. He froze, and you smiled. "Hey, my eyes are up here." You laughed. "Sorry."

He took off his shirt and took your hand.

He tricked you, he picked you up and ran into the ocean with you, as you screamed and laughed. "Ashton! Put me down! I don´t wanna wet my hair!"

You both splashed in the water together, fully submerging yourselves.

You came up for air, so did he. "Too late, princess." He smiled.

You couldn´t even be mad at him, he looked so beautiful in the moonlight. His hair going curly after it got wet.

He took your face in his hands and pulled it closed to your face. "May I?" He asked. You smiled and nodded.

He placed a kiss on your lips, momentarily breaking because of the force of the waves, but kissing again after.

You both got out of the water, and you started running. "Where are you going?" He asked you. "Come get me and you'll see!" You shouted.

Ashton ran after you, and soon enough he caught up and wrapped his arms around you. "What was that?" He asked you, turning you to face him. "Wanted to feel you hold me."

"There's more than enough time for that." He smiled and kissed you again, more passionately.

"I'm so glad I met you, y/n." He told you.

"Me too, Ash."

[maya-matlin]

hiiiii ashton <333 I know we've talked about it before but I recently was on a video and saw some comments that angered me and you know I ship leyton and brulian too but I just wanna hear your thoughts because you always give the best ones!! why do you personally prefer brucas over leyton? why don't you ship leyton? and what do you think about the comments from people saying how leyton were always supposed to be endgame even though s2&3 it certainly didn't feel that way!! and about the comments saying that chopia breaking up had nothing to do with it even though they broke up before brucas actually got back together and they could've very easily not put them together after chopia broke up if they wanted to lol I'm just very curious about your thoughts and don't really wanna discuss it in messenger tbh this is easier so I get all your opinions lol I love you so much and you always give the best responses and answers when I ask you things!! 💞💞💞

I literally don't, but thank you for saying that 💙💙 First things first, I did ship Lucas and Peyton in the past. So on some level, I understand the appeal because I also fell for them when I started watching One Tree Hill. Truth be told, one day I just snapped out of it. Before season 6 even premiered, I was watching my season 5 DVD and finding myself frustrated with the LP story line while appreciating the dynamic between Brucas. Anyways, since then I've watched every episode multiple times and analyzed both by myself and sometimes with others why exactly I don't root for Leyton and prefer Brucas. To me, they're representative of a lot of tropes that will never be my favorite. Meant to be from the pilot couples are always going to be a hard sell. The chemistry had better be something special and the ongoing story needs to be more than, "I immediately know you better than everyone else in your life after having a handful of conversations." There are always exceptions to this rule. Sometimes I fall for the ship fast (Stelena, sorry). Other times it takes until nearly the entire first season or until the second (Ephram/Amy from Everwood, Max/Liz from OG Roswell, Spelivia) for me to get past the beginning and appreciate what the couple is at the heart of it. Needless to say, this sums up Leyton (derogatory). So much of their connection is told to the audience rather than shown. From day one, it's automatically clear that this is the couple to root for. Their only real obstacle, Nathan, is a comically terrible, borderline abusive boyfriend, so the fact Lucas in early season 1 is the anti Nathan pushes him incredibly hard as Peyton's ideal match. Once Brucas starts up, there's an immediate difference in energy and chemistry. Both Lucas and Peyton take themselves so seriously. It's always deep feelings and angst and brooding and "oh, we want to be together, but the circumstances are just too hard." And meanwhile, it's only like episode 9. Brooke has deep feelings and her own insecurities, but on the outside she doesn't take life super seriously and is someone who acts rather than internalizing everything. Brooke's influence on Lucas's life feels like a breath of fresh air. Lucas begins to loosen up and see that there can be more to life than his preconceived ideas of how the world works and how everyone should be acting. On Lucas's end, he encourages Brooke to develop her intellectual side and see that she has so much more to offer than being the life of the party and someone who gets validation from sleeping with a lot of guys. Lucas is the first person Brooke wants to get serious with. Even better, this is a story line we actually get to see play out. When Lucas and Brooke talk about what they like about each other, it all tracks because we've been watching their attraction bloom and seeing how in a lot of ways, they're at their best together. Sorry, this is getting long. This is all solely based on season 1. By the end of the season, Lucas and Peyton cheat for the first time. This sadly becomes a pattern for them. Brooke is emotionally devastated. And though Lucas immediately seems to feel guilt over hurting Brooke, it takes him time to see how far he's strayed from the type of person he wants to be.

Season 2 is a massive gamechanger for Brucas. This is the first time they're truly able to be friends. Without the expectation of a relationship, Brooke and Lucas are able to connect on a deeper level. Yet again, this is something shown to us rather than told. This is the kind of relationship both took the time to develop. Much like in season 1, Lucas encourages Brooke to invest in her more intellectual, soulful side. Lucas himself works on being more selfless, taking the time to improve as a person. Unlike when Lucas pined for Peyton while she was dating Nathan and embarked on an affair during his first relationship with Brooke, this time Lucas allows Brooke's relationship with Felix to play out without any interference while still being a friend. Lucas is aware of his own feelings, but he also knows how badly he hurt Brooke in the past and has no reason to think a second chance is even a possibility. When Lucas kisses Brooke after months of close friendship and opening up to each other emotionally (albeit with Brooke understandably on guard post cheating and Lucas hiding his rediscovered feelings), it feels earned. The third season is a mixed bag. At its best, season 3 Brucas is a perfect mix of seasons 1 and 2 Brucas. Both seem to be equally emotionally invested in the relationship working out and view each other as basically their endgame. But the fun and the lightheartedness exist, as well. Brooke is still someone who brings light and fun to Lucas's life. On Lucas's end, it starts to get murky as the show gets closer and closer to the shooting episode. After spending so much time veering away from the possibility of Lucas and Peyton together with emphasis on Lucas's love for Brooke, the strength of the Brooke/Peyton friendship and even how Lucas and Peyton are actually able to be platonic, healthy friends themselves, everything gets destroyed so that the show can return to Leyton. On the one hand, it's not as though it's totally out of nowhere or implausible because again, the narrative went so hard in Leyton's favor during the first season. But at the same time, it doesn't feel believable to me when it finally happens. Lucas seems to flip flop from getting past his breakup with Brooke to declaring Peyton is the one he wants next to him when his dreams come true in mere seconds. The writers LOVE to make Lucas in denial about his feelings for Peyton. Past the first season, we don't get Lucas pining for Peyton. We just don't. We got Lucas pining for Brooke during season 2 and part of 3 and even Lucas wanting Lindsey back after she leaves him at the altar, but for the lion's share of LP's history, it's Peyton desperately wanting Lucas and somewhat being willing to sacrifice everything just for the chance of being with him. So because of this, Lucas becomes an almost passive love interest where he's told over and over again what he should want and what his true feelings are until he just kind of.. says fine, choosing Peyton. That alone is why I prefer Brucas. It's the more compelling story line and relationship. Plus, the chemistry.

And I hate to do it, but this vs this:

Chemistry is unpredictable, always up for debate, and shouldn't always be the deciding factor in what a person ships. My shipping preferences have been all over the place in this area. But when the writing is lacking and the chemistry isn't really selling the story either, these moments that are supposed to be powerful and come across as passionate somehow come across as phony and put on. In my opinion, Chad and Hilarie had buddy chemistry while Chad and Sophia had the passionate, in love type of chemistry due in large part to literally being in love and married in real life.

As a viewer, I really resent being told that Lucas was simply denying his true feelings for no other reason I can think of except maliciousness when he spent basically two and a half seasons wanting Brooke over Peyton. The romantic relationship with Lucas and Peyton during seasons 4 and 6 seems like the healthier option on the surface, but it comes back to how I feel about Lucas as a passive love interest and Peyton's arc being so wrapped up in whether or not she gets the guy. This is pretty much spelled out towards the end of season 3. During a conversation between Brooke and Peyton, Brooke confides in Peyton that during Lucas's absence she realized that she wasn't as reliant on his physical presence as she thought she'd be. From Brooke's perspective, all this means is that Brooke is somehow capable of loving and being happy independently of the man she loves. But on One Tree Hill, this is supposed to imply Brooke either doesn't truly love Lucas, is falling out of love with Lucas, or that Peyton loves Lucas more because she doesn't desire independence outside of him. It's a gross message to say the least. This brings me full circle, back to season 5. Between seasons, Lucas proposed to Peyton and broke off the relationship when she didn't accept his proposal. Objectively speaking, not the worst thing in the world and a valid thing to do if this is a deal breaker. But this causes the Lucas/Peyton relationship to be heavily imbalanced and in Lucas's favor over Peyton's. Lucas stops feeling like the kind of person who follows his heart and more this desperate guy who wants to marry someone to the point the bride doesn't actually matter. If I go along with the idea that Lucas was in love with Peyton throughout the intervening years, throughout season 5 and for the entirety of his romance with Lindsey, what does that say about Lucas? One, he's the kind of guy who is so out of touch with his own emotions that nothing he says should ever be trusted. Or two, he's an asshole and will willingly commit himself to another woman under false pretenses just because he didn't get what he wanted from his first choice on his terms. Peyton's love for Lucas is meant to be undying and unconditional, causing her to behave in such selfish, desperate ways. Lucas, on the other hand, proves that his affection for Peyton is very conditional. He's not willing to compromise. He doesn't want to wait around for Peyton to catch up with where he is.

And in the mean time, Lucas bouncing between Peyton and Lindsey actually means season 5 Brucas is a very good alternative for Lucas. It's all very unspoken, but the chemistry and the connection between Lucas and Brooke never goes away. Much like in season 2, the possibility of romance is very much off the table. Brooke returns to Tree Hill not to win Lucas back, but because she misses her hometown and sees herself settling down there. Because nothing is being pushed on either end, it's much easier for adult Lucas and adult Brooke to be friends in a way that's impossible for Lucas and Peyton. They're able to relate to each other outside of high school and their past romance. A flashback reveals that Lucas was the first person Brooke told that she wanted to have a baby. During the time Brooke is taking care of Angie, Lucas becomes the kind of person Brooke can depend on and lean on for emotional support. Even outside of season 5, there's a consistent theme of Lucas being the best, most selfless version of himself with Brooke. It's as though Brooke's influence in Lucas's life mixed with their season 1 history almost demands that Lucas be better when they're together. Both Brooke and Lucas are in the place where they're looking to settle down. In a moment that's kind of a contrast to season 3

Unlike in season 3 when Lucas was trying to fight for Brooke but kind of clueless when it came to working out what she wanted from him, this time Lucas realizes that no matter how strong Brooke seems to be, she needs him to show up for her. There will always be endless potential for season 5+ Brucas, in my opinion. Their strong bond and complementary desires for a future shine through even as the narrative reminds us over and over again that Peyton is the one who loves Lucas most and that anything that isn't about Peyton is merely "denial" or Lucas "hiding his heart." Anyways, Lucas literally fantasizes about marrying all of his major love interests, Brooke included. The dream sequence wants us to believe Brooke and Lucas want very different things, making them fundamentally incompatible. The entirety of seasons 5-9 disagrees with this, but Lucas still ends up with Peyton.

When it comes down to it, I don't like the people Lucas and Peyton are around each other. As friends, it's mostly okay. They certainly share common interests and Peyton lacks the trust issues Lucas's other girlfriends have considering she's always the other woman. But.. so much of their love story comes across as incredibly forced with so many holes in it. Their arc throughout the first six seasons does NOT hold water. Peyton isn't allowed to be a fully fleshed out person with goals that don't perfectly align with becoming Mrs. Lucas Scott. Lucas holds all the cards, resulting in him becoming far more selfish and almost childish in the way he acts like season 1 Lucas who is still butthurt his crush didn't want to commit to him after one make out session. Even in the final season, I don't see much if any growth. It's the final season for both characters and the show played out the beats of broken up Leyton, so they're put back together. So much of what happens between Lucas and Peyton is heavily reliant on the idea of everything coming full circle without any regard for how one or both have changed since then. Brucas doesn't have this problem. If nothing else, Brooke and Lucas's relationship goes through multiple changes, with each phase feeling much more mature and deeper than the one before. Even though their past and Brooke's trust issues are recurring problems, their actual dynamic always remains in the present.

As for your last question, I'll never know for sure what discussions were like behind the scenes circa seasons 2 and 3. But based on how season 2 played out, I think there's a very good chance the endgame shifted. The underlying tension and romantic affection between Lucas and Peyton was completely gone. Lucas realized he wanted to be with Brooke and never seemed to consider Peyton. Even Peyton, who has ambiguous moments that refer to possible feelings for Lucas even before the shooting, doesn't have this during the second season. She spends far more time pining for and loving Jake. When Peyton expresses displeasure over her relationship with Lucas, it's that he hasn't been the kind of friend that shows up for her emotionally. Lucas's response to this is to bring Jake back to town LOL. In terms of season 3, it gets confusing. Chad and Sophia didn't separate until multiple episodes into the first half of season 3. Meaning, the groundwork was already being laid for Brucas's failed friends with benefits/casual relationship to become a deeper romantic one even before Chad and Sophia split up. But at the same time, Lucas's friendship with Peyton was also being prioritized again with more references to their romantic past coming up outside of Brooke's insecurities. So with that in mind, it seems like LP was a possibility even as Brucas was rebuilding their relationship. However, I think the Chad/Sophia split permanently closed the door on any legitimate Brucas once their season 3 arc was completed. Personally, I don't think Peyton ending up with Lucas was set in stone until the end of season 3. Had Chad and Sophia never split up, I definitely think we would have seen another round of Brucas at some point because the chemistry alone would have demanded it. Plus, the gross producers capitalizing on the real life Chad/Sophia romance. In a universe where Chad and Sophia never broke up, my gut says Lucas ends up with Brooke. But nothing is 100%. To sum up my thoughts, I think there was a plan in place during season 1. I think another plan emerged during season 2. In season 3, the endgame was literally up for grabs. But Chad and Sophia's breakup sealed the deal.

I love you, too! I'm so sorry for making you read all this.

[captainsspnanon]

C3E75 - reaction

WHAT an episode!!!

Starts off 'strong', what with the party trying to figure out how to get to a cave entrance....that turned out to be 150-200 feet away. XD AKA - like 30 seconds of walking, a minute if it's consider difficult terrain. Obviously it was more than that considering the vertical climb, but the reveal of the distance was very funny to me.

Honestly, the climb down the tunnel ended up being easier than I expected it to be! I was expecting a few more checks at least, but there were good tactics to get down.

I appreciate that Sam is using Message the way it's intended. I remember at the beginning of the campaign he used it to just send a feeling, rather than words. I think the latest 4SD may have helped him feel more comfortable with reusing things that previous PCs have done without feeling like he's stepping on their toes. I definitely don't think it was WRONG the way he was doing it before, but it's also good that he doesn't feel like he has to Do It Different, even if it makes things More Difficult.

The little fire creatures were so adorable, I can't wait to see the fanart of it! (My mom likened the voices and short lives with Spurt, RIP 11 days)

They got the shard of Rau'shan! Seems like the cast has a similar idea of having Fearne be the one to integrate the shard, but they've got a bit yet before they figure out how to do it (and especially how to awaken both of them).

I miss the more devastating consequences of lava/magma. Vax melted his foot after just a brief dip, meanwhile Ashton is absolutely fine after 18 seconds being fully submerged, same with Fearne even though she was only in for 6. I wonder if this was discussed out of game as feeling too punishing, but I would have loved to see some long term consequences for the trip, rather than just losing some clothes and briefly superheated skin.

I will admit, I do not understand at all why Ludinus is here. What does he need the shard for? The Hells are getting it because of Ashton backstory purposes, how does it tie in to the Ruidus stuff? Also why was Ludinus scrying on the party to begin with? Aside from at the initial combat, they really haven't done anything else to mess with his plans, right? This totally might just be a me thing of missing something obvious.

EPIC combat!!! Liam's turn with the pushing attacks deserved all the table energy it got, and the counterspell-off was PERFECT. (Side note, I'm a bit sad that I know the rules better now. Ludinus didn't need to roll at all for his counterspell, right? Because Laudna only cast at third level, so it should have instantly worked. BUT IT WAS STILL AN EPIC MOMENT even if I'm pretty sure it's against RAW)

also LOL Ashton's just fully Donald Ducking the combat XD I am also looking forwards to fanart of this.

I really appreciated the fact that the table was very tactics heavy with this combat, even if it didn't all play out the way they wanted. Actually, Travis seemed a bit off this entire episode - being a lot more against the first whole initial journey down the tunnel and into the cavern way more than expected, and then getting very upset once he realized he was trying to do two bonus actions. Nothing bad about this, but just off from him typical behavior.

The bit below is going to be a bit negative towards Taliesin, so only click if you want to read it. It definitely gets a bit discourse-y.

Sadly, this episode ended up hitting a lot of my personal pet peeves with Taliesin's play style. Please note that these are my PERSONAL SUBJECTIVE feelings, not some objective truth. They are play style aspects which very much clash with how I play, and so bother me even though I'm not the one playing at the table.

First - I rewatched the section to make sure I didn't miss something. Going down the tunnel, Marisha talks to Matt that she's using Spider Climb, rolls, and gets a bad result. Then Matt turns to Tal to get his number, Taliesin gives his idea of using rage and widening the tunnel (a great idea, don't get me wrong!), Marisha indicates that she's already climbing, and then Tal goes "I thought I was going first"

No. He didn't say before that he was going, I watched the second again! He saw Marisha go, get a bad roll, and then try to make it so that he actually went first so her bad roll wouldn't have impact. I've said this during my C2 rewatch for stuff with other players, including Liam, but if he wanted to go first, he should have interrupted at any point BEFORE Marisha announced her result of failing.

Second - Someone sees something, I think it was Orym with his 31 passive?, but Ashton/Taliesin is the one to react about seeing it. Matt even shut it down this time, making it clear that Ashton didn't see it. He's done this now every campaign, and I'm pretty sure multiple times. It just really hits me the wrong way.

Third - He has Ashton just stand up and go to the lava pool on his own without getting input or waiting for the other players. 100% fine! Everyone does this, and it's in character to do so. BUT then he's like 'i'm doing it, i'm just going off on my own and doing it! but if you wanna help! yeah i'm going off on my own no waiting but yes help me help me cast spells and benefits but i'm just going off of my own no waiting'. Yes, that is clearly exaggerated, but when players go off and do things on their own, I want them to be going off and doing things on their own! Multiple times in all three campaigns, a player will have their PC go off and do something, and usually the verbal conversation is "too late i'm doing it" or "can't stop me I already said it" or something to the equivalent. This? Honestly it doesn't feel like a PC going off and doing something on their own, it feels like Taliesin interrupting the stuff going on at the table and demanding front and center.

And the thing is that Taliesin has had MANY times in the campaigns where his PC has gone off and done something on his own WITHOUT this feeling! But just how it was portrayed here really got to me.

I recognize all of the above is personal nitpicks, and it is their table, and many people will disagree with me. But I just wanted to vent.

[nochi-quinn]

campaign 3 episode 50: there's only seven of you (for now)

Let's see if I can do a liveblog after six weeks of not watching!

(it started to feel like a job)

I miss jester

IT IS BEGIN

I know we're probably getting Keyleth but god would I love a Dorian cameo

aw, I miss marisha's "girls" tank

liam with the thumbhole hoodie is very good tho

liam

"orgy 2.0"

if a skyship leaves the dock at 8pm going 120 feet per round

"ira get the FUCK up here"

enjoying the corruption arc of the changebringer entirely through fcg

anyone: ludinus liam: >:[

"bacchanalian" greek mythology exists in exandria, canon

"you would turn into a bird - " "and fly far, far far away" what a reference

man I got noise canceling headphones for christmas for the first time ever and I've barely taken them off since, imogen is a mood

this whole "crash the ship" plan is big "ram the blade ship" energy

stop saying final destination

oh THAT was a throwback

oh we've reached Marisha Chair Perch and we're not even in combat yet

relax she's just putting it out there

"no plan survives contact with bells hells" is not as catchy as "no plan survives contact with the mighty nein" but is equally as true

matt changing the light to move them along like turning the light off in a daycare to signal naptime

uh oh spaghettios

laura literally stopping mid-sentence to let them meme sdkfjsl

matt stop death flagging xandis

meanwhile ira is living his best life

"I'll look for a tree" oh the flashbacks

laudna puts on skin tone foundation but doesn't blend the neck

fearne: you shut the FUCK up

"don't do anything stupid" "oh this is ALL stupid"

I am not prepared

neither are they

if xandis dies I riot

sam

I'm not okay

ASHTON

where the fearne/ashton shippers at, come get your juice

you know liam's distracted, he didn't reach up instead of out

no plan survives etc etc

DISLIKE

"that's above your pay grade, son" holy shit imogen

oh shit

DON'T SPLIT THE PARTY kdjflks

tag urself I'm ashley

"welp, we gotta kill them" sam reads my persona 5 liveblogs

guards: purple sus

TRAVIS

sam

HIM BIG

all this cool stuff I can't afford makes me wish I had an in-person game

or any game, lbr

TREE OF DREAD

"titties?"

"good thing I got this ring of fire protection" slkdfjf

"now we're playing with portals"

IN-TENTS

"testicles" I heard that liam

"can I try to - fuck it" right in front of my salad?

their bane noises are starting to sound like furbies

ykw travis had a point can we have fjord's ring of fire protection

"I'm gonna use a toy" ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

YEAH

hey

hey matt

hey matt what the fuck

SHE??

"she looks like an asshole" marisha: fuck yeah she does

"is the dirt wizard here?"

"he's quite a loyal dog" something something dog of the military FMA joke

HE

liam exploded

the accent

travis also exploded

extremely funny to hear beau try to talk shit about anybody else's stealth plans

"cool if we kill your mom?" beauregard

"shut the fuck up, wolfy"

l i a m

"they're level nine you guys"

(level nein)

quick somebody ask caleb what time it is

all of the german is slowly leeching out of matt's accent

travis had the same thought as me sldjfsk

marisha's goblin crouch perch

chetney

liam finally got to be on the other side of that

nobody told you to wolf out, chet

laudna's crush on ira is funny when it's fucking around but when she starts genuinely arguing he wouldn't do some fuck shit in a heartbeat it's annoying

I THOUGHT SO

oh that timing gives me anxiety

[redjennies]

I appreciate the difference between Ashton and chets decisions during the ending of the episode, Ashton knows he’s gonna get killed if they stay behind so they hightail it outta there not waiting for anyone until they probably get to a safe distance, chetney meanwhile despite royally being messed up by otohan and seeing the dead bodies still continues to fight even as he’s getting closer to the 3 hp thing that makes him turn. It’s 2 very different responses which I’m hoping plays out in the next episode. /also I’m fairly certain Ashton got dragged into the storm also/

okay I really should have nipped this in the bud last night so please do not take this as me being harsh on you. it just needs to be said because people keep sending me stuff like this and I have no idea how to respond.

I am taking some time away from Critical Role because I do not like what happened. I only watched the most recent episode so that I could feel like I was being fair in making a decision to step away from this show, which I had already more or less decided based on the opinions of people whose opinions I trust, and once I watched it, I felt even more strongly about this being something I do not enjoy. I am not interested in talking about character meta. I am not interested in talking about what might happen next episode. I am no longer interested in Critical Role.

the only reason I'm answering asks about this is because this fandom has a serious toxic positivity problem and I understand if people want to voice their displeasure on anon in my inbox. like people are sending me rude shit but it doesn't really matter because I'm not really trying to maintain a relationship with this fandom, outside of a handful of people I personally like.

so I wish y'all all the luck in the world talking about this CR stuff you're interested in but please stop sending me things that require me to engage with the narrative of C3 because I really just don't care enough to give you satisfactory answers. y'all can kvetch with me about this turn in the askbox or the DMs but keep in mind I really don't have anything nice to say right now.

[twsted-simp-writer]

school visit

Pairing: Vargas x Pregnant Wife!Reader

Tags: Fluff, a shitty one-shot, short reader with Herculean strength (if you aren't irl, please pretend that you are in this story), Mozus being savage towards Vargas, Crewel and Crowley lowkey envious of Vargas having a wife, strong reader, wth did i just write

Hey guys, I'm back at writing at last. This is not proofread. Ehe~

There was one thing that Ashton Vargas feared. And that is, my friend, his short sweet pregnant wife. She may be an angel but put a toe out of line, she'll immediately become nightmare itself. At her third trimester of pregnancy, she was always glowing. But standing in from of him was an angry woman.

He did it again. He always do much his wife's irritation. From the day you both married, he always break his promises. He didn't even put his dumbbells back and just left it on the floor where someone can trip. And you almost trip on it. He even left his lunch for heaven's sake!

Vargas gulped as sweat began to form on his forehead. He was thinking what did he do that made you mad. But before that, he decided to act like nothing's wrong.

Stares of astonishment followed Vargas as he went to you and kiss on the lips which lessen your irritation. His co-workers can't believe this muscle maniac of a teacher was dating a minor! Worse, got her pregnant!

Crowley was distraught and was about to reprimand him. To think one of his staff was horrible to do this! "Mr. Vargas! How dare you ruin–"

"Wifey, what are you doing in this school? You shouldn't move around too much!" The woman frowned upon hearing that and smack him on his shoulder. Ashton rub his aching arm. For a small woman, you had Herculean strength. That's exactly the reason he fell for you. Strange, isn't it?

"I'm not helpless just because I'm pregnant, dear."

Crowley froze upon hearing him call the young woman. Oh. So she was Professor Vargas' wife.

"Who would've thought Vargas has a wife. Much less a beautiful woman." Crewel comments as he took a sip from his mug, observing the young woman.

"Agreed. Here I thought he's an poor excuse of a man, flashing his arms and seduced a child." Trein butt in a comment, smirking as he pat his familiar.

"Y'know I can hear you three..." Vargas glared at his co-workers. His wife merely cracked seeing him being teased. Remembering why you were upset awhile ago, you once again lightly pinch his arm.

"You, Mr. musclehead, left your dumbbells on the floor where I almost tripped! Didn't I told you to return them back to where they are?"

Ashton's heart dropped. He frantically ask if you and the baby were alright. Seeing how your husband was genuinely worried, your chest felt warm as leaned his peck his lips and reassure him.

"Don't worry, darling! I will make sure not to leave my dumbbells!" You merely lift an eyebrow not buying it. Ashton promised as he now began to talk to your belly.

The three professors blankly turn away and went back to their business when he began to baby talk to your swollen belly. Crewel was lowkey envious that his obnoxious co-worker has a beautiful wife while here he was, still single. Meanwhile in Mozus' case, he was plainly disgusted seeing the burly man making preposterous faces at the swollen belly. As if the unborn child can see his face... The aging man snorted and Lucius meows as if he understood what his owner was thinking.

Seeing as you were still in front of his co-workers, you lightly drag him out of the door.

"Dear, you do know the baby can't see you. Also, here's your lunch."

"Oh! She kicked! As expected of my child!" The man gushed one last time before taking the lunch.

You hope your husband won't drag your children to bodybuilding soon. But you were certain that he'll be a good father to your unborn child and possibly to the future ones to come.

"Wifey, you don't have to bring me lunch everytime. I can just order from the cafeteria." Ashton wrap his arms around you and slowly pull you closer to him. He lowered his head close to your face.

"But you love my food though." You cheekily smile kissing him again, this time longer.

"Mr. Vargas, please do not PDA in the hallways with your wife. It is unbeckoning and a bad example for our students." Crowley's appearance and monotonous voice cut your moment. His lips were twitching from annoyance. It was plainly obvious that he was so envious.

Embarrassed, you pull away and bow in apology to the Headmaster who was standing there with his hands on his waist, tapping his feet.

"Your Flying class will start soon. I should go now. You better eat the lunch, honey." You put your hands to your waist to look intimidating but you only looked even more beautiful to him.

"Be careful on the way home, darling!" Vargas said before kissing you again and let you go.

Crowley uncharacteristically clicked his tongue at the two couple before finally leaving.

On your way out of the campus, voices and footsteps came from the end of the hallway. You could tell they were skipping classes.

"What are you boys doing? Aren't you suppsoed to be in your respective classes?"

"Huh? What's a girl doing here?"

A few feet away, a young man with long dark brown hair with lion ears and a tail woke up from his nap. His irritated green eyes opened as he wonder who were the noisy herbivores.

"Who're you? Our mother, you hag! Huh?!" The buff young man smack her head. One of his fellow student was trying to stop him. Atleast they still have some common decency. The lion was displeased at the guts of that guy. He was about to intervene when you spoke up.

"Is that so..." You held the tall boy by the back of his pants and effortlessly lifted him. His fellow group tried to ran only to fall to the ground in fright seeing a small woman like you just lifted him like nothing. Leona was peeking from the bushes with astonishment.

"Naughty boys need to get punished for not respecting their elders." The other guys were on the ground staring at her with wide eyes.

"You are attending one of the prestigious magic schools yet you are cutting classes?" Pinching the bridge of your nose with the other, as you raise the young man in the air.

"Please think about those people who wanted to attend this school so bad but failed."

"But what does that have to do–" One of the guys spoke up only to flinch away when you held their leader higher.

"I'm very sorry, Madam!" The young male held his crotch that was being suffocated by his own pants as he whimpered. All of the smugness he had earlier left. Lowering him down, his feet still off the ground you began to smack his butt, like a child being scolded. The young man felt so embarrassed in his whole life.

Turning to the others, you ask. "So are you gonna go back to your class? Or do you want to be thrown in the sky?"

Shuddering, they all saluted and even bow. "Yes! We'll go back to class!"

Leona decided to fall back asleep as if he witnessed nothing.

Omake:

"You better use your muscles and not your magic or else I will triple that!"

Seeing his students were making commotion, he went close to them to ask why they are not starting yet, only to see his wife carrying one of the most disobedient student in this school with his group following behind her like obedient puppies.

After that day, Ashton really kept his promise and well... His overprotectiveness just grew more.

[svartalfhild]

it’s hilarious to me that you hate imodna and refuse to see them as romantic yet think ashton is in love with laudna based on nothing more than a few interactions meanwhile imogen has literally done everything to suggest her feelings for laudna are deeper than friendship except straight up say she’s in love with her. it’s honestly giving lesbophobia and inability to see outside of heteronormativity.

Wow. I'm...wow.

So just because I don't ship your ship, I'm lesbophobic and an agent of heteronormativity? Where do I even fucking start?

First of all, if you wouldn't do any of the things Laudna and Imogen have done for each other for a close friend of yours, I feel so sorry for you and your friends. I see Laudna and Imogen the way I do because they remind me of the friendships I have with older women and because I'm just simply not picking up the vibes. And it's not like I'm incapable of seeing gay vibes. There's lots of gay ships where I've clocked the vibes. I'm just not getting the same energy from Laudna and Imogen. If you are, that's fine, just don't insist that I have to agree with you.

The idea that Ashna is heteronormative is fucking hilarious. Are we just going to ignore the fact that Ashton is literally nonbinary and both he and Laudna have strong aspec vibes? Or is that not queer enough for you?

Also, just because I think Ashton is in love with Laudna doesn't mean I consider it a fact. I don't actually know if it's the case or not. Just like you don't actually know if Imogen has feelings for Laudna or not. It's opinion. It's perspective. It's textual analysis. There is no truth here.

All I'm asking for is for people to be courteous in their shipping practices. That's it. I'm not telling people to not ship Imodna. I just wish on behalf of everyone who ships them with literally anyone else (or doesn't ship them with anyone) that y'all wouldn't be dicks about the fact that you do ship it.

[the-writers-bookshelf]

HI i am an unintentional genius i need to share this

my novel is currently having a crisis where i don't really know who the mc is anymore, but a seemingly new mc, lauren, had a pre-established backstory where her house burnt down when she was a child. it caused her to hold material things more closely, and she was terrified of fire until she finally decided she should try to tame the fear. now her relationship with it is on the completely opposite spectrum where she's kind of obsessed with it because of how staring at it calms her nerves. she carries around a lighter a lot, making people assume she smokes when she doesn't. another pre-established detail was how another character, ashton, is associated with fire, because of his name and warm personality.

in a nutshell, lauren sees how ashton's at rock bottom, becomes obsessed with trying to "fix" his depression when she's no therapist and it's not her business, and then the inciting incident happens when everyone finds out he took his own life. (i understand that's pretty heavy, so you don't have to respond to this entry if you don't find it appropriate! just getting to type this out and ramble works out for me)

so when you really think about it... this was just like her past. lauren saw the negative traits in "fire", tried to get the negativity under control, but "lost everything she had to fire" FOR A SECOND TIME when he died and everybody separated due to grief. ??!?!? how did i do this completely by accident? it gives everything so much more depth!

but! just! there's just so much symbolism and so many parallels and contrasts between these two; like how lauren would subconsciously help others simply for how it could benefit herself, while ashton was constantly giving out of the goodness of his heart, showing the difference between a "hero" and a hero. another thing is how they're on completely opposite sides of the stigmatization of medication, with ashton not wanting to take antidepressants because he wants to "feel happiness that's real" and "not have to rely on a bottle of pills to be happy", meanwhile lauren is physically disabled and literally needs her medicine to function; i mean, medicines are made for a reason. one of their last ever conversations was an argument about how seeking medical help shouldn't be shameful. ashton really did not understand since he grew up in a family that shamed him for asking for help/not meeting super high expectations ):

it's 1 am for me, so this probably didn't make a lot of sense, but basically, i'm really excited to write all the symbolism and themes! addressing the stigma behind medication especially strikes a chord with me since i'm disabled myself. lots to unpack!

- castor and reed anon 💕

I AM SO HERE FOR THIS DYNAMIC!!!!!

The symbolism is just *chef's kiss* perfection!!! And they are literally THE BEST FIT for each other! Like, you can't even imagine them being with anyone else because they were MADE to be together are you seriously making me ship your characters ALREADY????

(the answer is yes!!)

[utilitycaster]

Hey anon! A separate discussion I was having, and some for lack of a better way to put it, terrible takes I saw led me to revisit this, and now I do have thoughts.

To be honest, I don't know what Ashton was getting at - I'm hoping it comes up on 4SD! Laudna, meanwhile, was specifically responding to Orym, who essentially said "we are trying to save the world in a life-or-death scenario such that deciding to stay with FRIDA might mean you get a small amount of time now at the potential cost of your entire life later."

Here's the thing: I think that Bells Hells on the whole are, to be honest, kind of uncomfortable with FCG's decisions. Which is a very fun character choice! Here's someone who consistently denied their personhood for a very long time, and then, upon realizing that they were their own person, decided to go in pretty hard for the Changebringer. It's a disconcerting change! The party invested so much time telling FCG he could be anything, and FCG decided to be even more of a cleric...but more importantly, now FCG doesn't rely on the party to tell him he's a person. They know they're a person. "Be your own person" is, in many, many cases, an inherently loaded statement with an undercurrent of "be the person I, the person telling you to follow your heart instead of actually expressing my desires to you, want you to be." And Bells Hells is, on the whole, doing this, and they know they're doing this, and they don't really like that they're doing this to FCG, but man they sure are.

I think the fandom is doing this too (to FCG especially, but in general; see tags). It's very "these characters should embrace having their own choice" but really, they (Bells Hells and the fandom) have an idea of what the right choice is. If, as Laudna said in episode 49, "The gods have never kept us from our ability to have choice." then it logically follows that FCG is following the Changebringer and flipping that coin by his own choice.

Unfortunately, it is a fundamental truth that if you give someone autonomy, they might use it to do things you really don't like. It is not effective to you as a person and certainly not as an activist to see all who disagree with you as unenlightened sheep, who would obviously see it your way if they just knew better. You know the phrase "love the sinner, hate the sin?" Yeah it's bullshit, because it rests on a premise that people are naturally inclined to do a morally absolutist Right Thing (which conveniently matches whatever the person saying 'love the sinner, hate the sin' says it does). Once you give someone free will you cede control, and maybe people will do things you really fucking hate. And that's terrifying, and Bells Hells went all in on doing so and are now struggling to accept the consequences.

Hi there! I was wondering if you had any thoughts about that moment where FCG is deciding whether they want to stick with Bell’s Hells in going after Ludinus or staying with FRIDA to join in the researching? Specifically they way they were initially considering using the coin to decide, before eventually coming to their own conclusion (one I felt was very much coloured by the self-discovery they got up to during the party split).

I feel like that, alongside Laudna’s “let FCG make his own decision” comment and Ashton saying “FCG’s not making his own decision” about the coin flip were all something of a summation of where some of these characters are at post-split. I’d be interested to hear any thoughts you might have surrounding this beat! (or something surrounding this moment that I might have missed. There were a lot of people at that table, and I’m sure I didn’t catch everything that was said :’D)

To be honest while I recall this happening I was playing phone games because it was the Friday afternoon of a long week, I don't recall the exact details of who said what about which position and I don't feel like scrubbing through the twitch VOD right now to rewatch, so, no thoughts on my end.

[grigori77]

Critical Role, Campaign 3 Episode 90

Nord VPN again ... so what this -- ah, I see ... Sam, you chaos gremlin ... yes, that's right, Samuel, you can't mess with these people ... Marisha: "I don't trust you, you piece of shit." Nor should you ...

Laura pronouncing EU as "ew" and Liam not quite getting it ... XD

Oh, so does this mean they really ARE splitting up for this part? Oof ... you know you're not supposed to DO THAT ...

Roll for which group goes first? Hmmm ... the bombers first, then ... okay ...

Ira you creepy fucker I swear I don't trust you as far as I can throw you ...

So ... it's a familiar familiarity then, Matthew?

Ashley sleight of hand Nat20? Awww ... and apparently she may just have given that old beggar a small fortune round here ...

The objective of the plan ... hmmm ... meanwhile it seems FCG may be grating on Ira's nerve some ...

Barking? Really? Probably not good ...

Perception check time ... hmmmm ... fancy insect skull ... viculch? Okay ... these things are MASSIVE ...

Oh crap ... Gloamglut? The fay dragon? Not a good sign ... Fearne's dad's close, clearly ...

Over to the other group? Okay ...

Sprawlgrotto? That is impossibly difficult to say, clearly ...

What to roll? Crap ...

Invisible shenanigans ... yup ...

Wow ... Marisha rolled SO SHIT for having advantage ... thank the gods for those Nat20s ...

Lots of myceit ... harvesting fungi? That's not, like, weirdly existentially odd for them?

Seriously, was Matt reading too much Dungeon Meshi when he came up with this stretch of the campaign?

Scry ball is pretty close now ... but still not EXACTLY where they're going ... O.O

Music? Interesting ... whoa! Street busking! Cool! A didgeridoo? Awesome ...

No way to know if they're under any casual observation ...

Awwwwww ... the twinsies continue to be so cute together ... :3

Con save for Chetney's flatulence ...

Okay, so ... are they close to their destination or what?

That is one HEAVILY GUARDED entrance ... any other ways in?

Awwww ... flirty witch girlfriend shenanigans ... I love them ... :3

Wow ... Matt's sexy pre campaign days on a t-shirt ... well done, Sam ... LOL

Already halfway though their invisibility? Not good ...

Whoa ... are they in the mad god's brain? Is this like Knowhere? Laura, your brain worries me sometimes ...

Ashley, what are you doing with that hood? :3

"Passing miners"? Congrats on dodging the Galaxy Quest ref there guys ...

So they're on high alert, then ... hmmmm ...

Uh-oh ... incoming ... and they're zeroing in on Ira ... great ...

"A dark armoured figure"? Crap ... shit! Zathuda? Balls ...

Weird ass Predator looking Hulk mofo ...

Sunder Lord? Interesting ... wait, so this might be the Sunder KING? Okay ... so this is Cruth, then ... the Reiloran big bad himself ...

Bollocks ... have then been sniffed out?

Everybody knows you don't give dogs chocolate! Even freaky alien ones!

Speak With Animals? Hmmmm ...

Oh for the love of the gods Sam, not again ... ewww ... and it's WET?!!! Come on Riegel!

Fearne is clearly DETERMINED for this thing to just be a GOOD BOY isn't she? I really DON'T think this is gonna work, Fearne!

I don't think that griffon meat's gonna work out, Ashton. It's WAY too old ...

Speak With Animals AND Command on the thing? Good luck with that, Letters ... or Fast Friends? Hmmm ... wow ... hope this is a good choice ... yeah, he Commands it to "GIT!!!!" And it works? Blimey ...

Wow, that was bloody close ... phew ...

HOLY FUCK did Ira just pull a Jedi mind trick on that guy? O.O

Flip flop, back and forth ... here we go ...

Cupped? Hmmm ... is that an "underboob" joke, perchance?

Yeah, I mean ... SURELY the rope itself would be invisible too since it was covered by the same spell ...

Spiderclimb PLUS Invisibility ... okay, here we go, then ...

Not NOTHER shite roll? Two 2s? Balls ... Marisha, WHY?!!!

Wow ... this has gone all kinds of Abbott & Costello ... oh thank the gods FINALLY a good roll ...

This plan keeps getting more and more convoluted and I love it ... LOL ...the stink of desperation is STRONG now ...

"Matt: "You're Batman-ing this! Like Adam West!" XD

I cannot believe that actually worked ... or did it? O.O

Oh yeah, OF COURSE they got spotted. That WAS a massive fuckup ...

Phew ... that was like SCARY close ... and NOW he checks for traps? Oof ... at least they're in ... so what now?

Aha! So Chetney could follow her scent? Cool ... oh WHAT?!!! A Cytaa? Is that HER Cytaa? Okay then ... Gona? Cute ... So yeah, this could work, then ...

Awww ... yeah, let her hide in Laudna's birdhous backpack! Yeah! Oh yeah ... yeah, better on their shoulders, rather than in there with Pate ... O.O

Time running out for Orym's Invisibility ... great ...

Back to the bombers, again ...

A new wall ... a "BLAST WALL?" Oh, that can't be good ...

Oh, so this is going to be a PROBLEM for them going forward?

Passwall? With the Staff? Would that actually WORK?

This shit is FIFTEEN FEET THICK?!!! Bloody hell ...

Oh, an Illusory spell? Yeah, that's best ... nice one, Ira. And now he's making will-o-the-wisp lights too ... FCG: "I don't know why I bother."

Some kind of seriously ugly drilling machine ... that thing is just NASTY ... 3 Reilorans and a Hulk? Hmmmm ... potentially risky ... is this gonna be a problem?

Oh, so THIS is gonna be the bombsite? Hmmmm ... good point, though ... they definitely need to deal with these guys too ... ah, so we're DEFINITELY doing this then ...

SIX big bombs ... of course ... why am I not surprised?

Time to fight, then ... AND THAT'S when we take a break? Of course it is ...

And we're back ... with the OTHERS again ... yeah, not really surprised ...

Chetney wolfs out in the dumbest possible way and I love it ... XD ... and somebody's coming ... great timing ...

"Wiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiinstoooonnnn ..." Yup ... way to creep Matt out, Travis ... XD

Now Matt's doing secret sneaky DM stuff ... O.O ... oh dear ...

Balls ... GUARDS ... and they're like TOTALLY blocking the way ... how to get through? Wait ... Chetney's going to use his TOYS to do this? How?

Wow ... the Master Toymaker did BEAUTIFULLY there ... way to go, Chet! And now they're through ... sweet!

Grim Psychometry ... ON THE CRYSTAL?!!! Really, Chet? This sounds like SUCH bad idea ...

Aha, so they're like ... Reiloran SCIENTISTS, then? Hmmm ...

Ah, so THIS is the Bay? OKay then ...

Organs? BABY organs? Eep ... O.O ... in general this is all REALLY CREEPY ...

Oh dear gods what the fuck is THAT THING?

Hunter's Bane? Yeah, do it, Chet ... no hits ... phew ...

A fucking JUDICATOR is being autopsied? Holy fuck ...

Ah ... so that's who they're looking for ... and she's IN THE VAT!!! Great ... still alive, but ... yeah, this is clearly pretty bad ...

And we're back in the dig ... AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHH!!!

CHARM!!! Yup ... and it WORKS!!! OKay ... oh, not on IRA though ... jump in front of him? Fearne, honey ... wow, I can't believe that worked ...

Okay, thats ONE down without a fight ...

Wow ... Ashton is, like, REALLY bad at Deception ... O.O

Wow ... Ira just set the timer while THIS SHIT'S going on ... oh fuck ... this is all going south SO FAST ...

Three minutes = one minute of game play ... oh boy ... rush it, guys!

Oh, so Ira is going to ABANDON ASHTON? Wow .., oh, no, THAT'S more like it ... the Juggernaut is now a SNAIL ... nice ...

And now they're running ... and having a jolly little convo while they're at it ...

BOOM ...

Dimension Door to the surface just as the bombs go off? Phew ... and now eveything is just CHAOS ... Fearne is FALLING!!! Shit! Oh, NICE SAVE, Ira! And now they're just BOOKING IT!!!

Fuck, this is gone all kinds of fucked ... wait, he wants to UNROLL THE HOLE, put Letters in it, roll it up again with him in it, and then RUN AWAY with it? That is one hell of a Hail Mary ... roll for Dexterity, then ... so that just HALVES THE DAMAGE ... oof ... and now he has to do a STRENGTH CHECK to see if he can HOLD ONTO THE HOLE?!!! Oh my fucking gods ... if this tanks they lose the Hole forever ... 16? Wow ...

That's a lot of dice for damage ... that is NEVER a good sign ... even half of THIS is gonna hurt ... and now he's SMILING ... 158 points of Force Damage? Holy shit ... even halved, that's stil 79 points each ... ouch ...

But at least they still have the Hole ...

And now 25 points of BLUDGEONING damage each ... oh boy ... is it over, at leaat?

Oh bollocks ... that FUCKING DRAGON again ...

Oh for fuck's sake ... flip flop AGAIN?

And the blast shakes the whole place EVEN HERE ... more chaos ... and the vat is CRACKED! Okay ... Orym goes for it, meanwhile Chetney just shouts out for an evacuation ... so that leaves just the Mystic AND the Shrike ... hmmm ...

Battlemap? Aha ... cue Wizzkids plug ...

Unsettling Presence? Cool ...

Invisibility definitely really helps with Stealth checks ...

Getting ready for a scrap ... and a timed attack ... okay, then ...

A SIXTH LEVEL Psychic Lance? Bloody hell, Imogen ... and now the Mystic is Incapacitated ... nice ... 29 points of SPsychi damage!

Orym Hexes the Mystic and goes for an attack ... it hits! Oh yeah, he is gonna FUCK THIS GUY UP ... 18 points! Action Surge! Yeah ... oh yeah, he just MURDERS that guy ... holy fuck ... and now he's going for the Shrike instead ... holy shit, tiny Battle Master is a BADASS ...

Laudna Banes the Shrike, then Chetney casts Blood Curse of Binding on it ... oh, the new Scythe! Sweet ... and it hits! 19 for the first hit, 17 damage for the second! Wow ...

And NOW it's time to roll Inititative ...

Nuts ... the Shrike's up first ... and it smashes the glass tank with the ... THING in it ...

Some kind of giant BUG ... OH MY FUCKING GODS what the hell IS THAT THING?!!!

Laura asks them to hold for a moment ... cue several folk singing Girl From Ipanema ... XD ... oh, sounds like a Hail Mary ... Synaptic Static? Whoa ... so that's both the Shrike AND that bug beast ... 25 points of Psychic damage each ... and it fucks 'em up for fighting, too ... PINK LIGHTNING? Awww ... that's cute! :3

Chetney casts Blood Curse of Bloated Agony on the beasty, then attacks with his Scythe ... and CRITS!!! Nice ... Double damage means 25 on each of the two hits! Yeah ... and then his scythe SHATTERS right away? Fuck ... unbelievable ... he just GOT THAT!!!

Orym jumps on the still prone Shrike and attacks again ... 10 damage, then 15 on the second, 13 on the third ... and he gets the HDYWTDT! Yeah ... ANOTHER murder!

Laudna skitters across the ceiling over it and casts Blight on the vidulch ... 8D8 of Necrotic damage? Nice ... 25 altogether? Pretty sweet ... then she Quickens and hits it with an Eldritch Blast ... first misses, but the next two hit! Yeah ...

The beasty's turn and it's GETTING UP ... oh this is UGLY ... but it's also HURT ... okay ... IT CAN MULTI-ATTACK?!!! I'm sorry? Oh yeah, this thing is just unleashing a big can of whoopass on EVERYBODY, innit? Wait, AND it has Corroding Spit? Seriously? Come ON Matthew! But apparently because it wasn't "done", it is also falling apart with each turn ...

Imogen blasts a Lightning Bolt right through it ... at 4TH LEVEL?!!! Wow ... 23 points of damage! Just send those dice to dice jail, Laura! She Quickens, then casts Shocking Grasp on it ... 21 more points! Yeah ...

CHetney RIPS HIS OWN EARS OFF to reveal flames as he casts Crimson Rite! Okay ... 26 points of damage, plus another 16 from the Rite ... HDYWTDT!!! Yes! He just tears the vidulch CLEAN OPEN and it just spills itself out all over him ... charming ... oh for the love of ... DON'T EAT THAT, Chet!

They break the vat open and release their intended rescuee ... yeah, get to healing, guys! So Evoroa is free, and awake, but definitely still HURT ...

Oh yeah, grab the Aeorian tech thingy, yeah ... into the Bag of Holding with it! And some fetus bottles for Laudna ... lovely ...

Oh wow ... so they just put the white hot masks DIRECTLY onto the Judicators' faces, huh? Charming ...

Checking in with the others ... back at the bomb site, then ...

Oh yeah, I would say that blast was a RESOUNDING success ... meanwhile Letters and Ashton are just DEAFENED right now ... great ... Fearn tries to getto them both now ...

Oh thank fuck they're back together again ...

Fuck ... the Red Glow? Not good ... and here comes the SCREAM!!! Fuck ... whatever that was it wasn't GOOD ...

Yeah, better beat a hasty retreat ...

Another explosion ... a PINK explosion? Great ... oh yeah, that was DEFINITELY LIliana ... and she's STILL ALIVE ...

Backtracking out through the builsing in a hurry ... thank fuck for Invisibility ... yeah, they BARELY make it out ...

Crap ... soldiers, just EVERYWHERE ... try another route, then ... yes, UP not down ... good thing for all the chaos, clearly ...

Boot the door! Yeah, here we go ... young half-elf? Hmmm ... just keep going! Yeah, balcony! Go! Oh ... well THAT'S a long way down ...

So apparently the scream was Liliana ... oof ...

DOWN!!! QUICK!!!

Phew ... they manage to make their escape into the city ...

Liliana (psychically): "Did she KNOW?!!!" Matt: "And THAT'S where we're gonna call it a night!" Cue CHAOS from the party ...

Fuck ... another exhausting session ...

[jxnjungkook]

I want an analysis from someone who was actually during the yb era, why you think is that? Michael used to be everyone's fave during sgfg. What happened in those years? I saw this thread (I'll send it if you're interested) saying fans turned L's androgyny and C's friendliness into a "need to be protected". And Michael was this eboy that people related to a more manly, unapproachable person. (That sounds more like A tbh) But I think that's the key to understanding why they don't like him

hi i was here during the youngblood era, i’ve been here since 2013. there are COUNTLESS examples of michael not getting the same amount of love as the rest of the boys over the years and continues to this day. yes, things were different in the sgfg era, i dont think he was everyones favorite back then, that was more of the 2013/4 time. During the sgfg/slfl era it was widely and often talked about how ashton and michael were not getting the same amount of love as cal and luke. the thread you’re talking about sounds like stereotyping people before you even know them and making even more excuses for how to treat them tbh. 

some examples of michael being the least favorite/not as loved: 

myt tour, soundcheck, allentown PA, my show: the girls at cals side of the barricade are chest to back with each other and cannot move, meanwhile me (second row from barricade) on michaels side had so much room i could have done circles with my arms out. 

TWITCH STREAMS: the number of people that didn’t even KNOW michael does them because they literally dont care for him unless its a 4/4 situation. and then theres the people that know but dont want to watch

michaels insta lives: THE ONLY bandmember to do one to celebrate CALM and the second its mentioned that cal is over the views go up and once he's off the views go down. The amount of people that ASKED ME to upload the live “when calum was on” “calums live” not to mention when luke and cal went live (separately) they have like 20k views and michael barely gets 10k if that

michaels CALM CD being the only one that wasn’t sold out for HOURS 

the amount of people during the yb era that would meet them in airports and have pics and talk about luke, cal and ash but say nothing about michael and never post a pic bc they probably didnt even ask him for one (and yes you can say maybe he didnt get one with them or didnt have time but theres too many for that to be the excuse for all)

and lastly for me but i could keep going: the amount of times people tell me i’m the only michael blog they can find, i’m the only michael stan they see now etc. the amount of people that told me i was the ONLY michael stan they knew during the comeback was INSANE 

theres so much more i can say but honestly i’m getting real tired of proving my point thats clearly there. AND if someone says “its because hes engaged” GROW UP. this is not middle school, none of them are going to date you and you’re a terrible person if thats why you even think people wont show someone the same love. plus, look at how many luke stans love sierra suddenly. 

[cruel-summerxy]

Ashton Irwin x reader// One of the Boys

“Ashton, do you think that once all humans die, dogs will miss us. Like will they realize that they will never be loved, the way that us humans love them?” you said out of nowhere.

The boy just stared at you confused. His head tilted to the right with his eyebrows furrowed. He couldn't formulate any words and stood quite.

“I'm not kidding. It's weird but I always think about these things. I don't know what Tulip would do without me. She literally can't even drink water by herself!!” you shrieked. As if on cue, your dog Tulip whined loudly. This made Ashton laugh softly.

“I don't know Y/N. I've never really thought about it. Where, actually when do you have time to think about this?” Ashton asked seriously. You had a custom to always say these types of things out loud.

You shrugged and walked to the kitchen to get some chips, Ashton following close behind you. As you rummaged through the drawers you hummed to yourself. You sighed happily once you found the Doritos.  You sat on the bar stool and began eating for of the chips. Ashton signaled you to feed him and you did while rolling your eyes.

“You know, for being my little sister’s friends, you're not that annoying. You actually tolerable,” Ashton told you.

“Ashton, do you even know how old we are?” Ashton shook his head embarrassed. “Well, we're twenty. So stop acting like I'm fifteen dude.”

“Hey, that's just five years apart. Not that big of a difference,” Ashton laughed. You rolled your eyes and flipped him off. He rolled his eyes, mocking you.

You picked up Tulip and petted her softly. She stared at you intently, licking your thigh lovingly. Meanwhile Ashton looked at you. He always admired the way that you cared for Tulip. His sister had gotten you Tulip for your 18th birthday and ever since you would never shut up about the dog thoughts. He didn't mind them, he just found the a bit weird and unnecessary.

“So what are tonight's plans? Are we staying in and watching movies and YouTube or are we going out?” Ashton asked as he looked through his phone. His curly hair covered his eyes and he shook his head to see better.

“Well, me and Bella were going to have a girls night. Pretty sure you aren't a girl Ashton,” you teased. He looked at you with his mouth wide open. “I'm kidding, you can join us Ashton. Just asking as you don't make it weird again if there's a sex scene on the movie. Remember last time, Bella couldn't even talk to me. She was so embarrassed.”

“What, why? They weren't using any protection and I just said to wrap it before you tap it. How was that weird? She was just overreacting.”

“You know what? We are not having this conversation right now Ashton. Let's just set up before Bella comes. She told me that she was having a hard time at work, so how about we don't annoy her tonight?”

“Deal, as long as we cuddle during the movie.” Ashton said seriously.

“Don't we always? Anyways, salsa or guacamole? I think Doritos go best with guacamole, so guacamole it is.” Ashton just laughed at you. He began to take out the ingredients as you played some music. You began to dance to I Know Places by Taylor Swift. He giggled at your dance moves.

“Just grab my hand and don't ever drop it. They are the hunters we are the foxes,” you sang dramatically. He laughed at the scene in front of him. He loved how you acted normally around him. “And you know for me its always you. In the dead if night, your eyes so green. And I know for you its always me. I, I , I know places.” You finished with a scream and he couldn't contain his giggles.

“Are you trying to tell me something Y/N?” he teased you.

“Yeah, that I'm a huge Taylor Swift  fan and that you should help me meet her.”

“I think that you are trying to tell me that you are in love with me,” he whispered stupidly.

“Yes Ashton. And I'm just telling you how I feel through a song,” you snorted.

“Wouldn't be the first girl to do so. Don't be scared Y/N,” he laughed. You snickered and continued to make the food.

“Y/N, are we friends?” Ashton said out of nowhere. You looked up and he was already looking at you. You nodded your head and a smile covered his face.

“Good, I really like you Y/N. You're different than the other girls. We can just chill and cuddle platonically. It's like you're one if the boys,” he confessed.

One of the boys? Are you fucking kidding me?? Do you not see that I've liked you since I was like 14!!

“Cool, you're like one of girls.”

“What does that mean?”

“The same thing as me being one of the boys. You're cool and like I would never date you cause I'm not into girls. Therefore, you are one of the girls Ashton.”

“Wait, you wouldn't date me? Why?”

“Cause, you are one of the girls. I just said that, plus you wouldn't date me either since I'm one of the boys.”

“What, who said wouldn't date a boy?” You looked at him with wide eyes. “Okay I wouldn't date a boy, but I'd date you Y/N.”

You blushed at his words and shook your head. He was surely kidding right? Or at least trying to make you feel better?

Tulip began barking at someone at the door. Then, the door opened and you could hear someone dragging their feet.

“I fucking hate my coworkers. Why are they so fucking stupid?” Bella said angrily. She began to vent to you guys.  You and Ashton listened but you kept thinking about what Ashton had said.

Finally, you guys began the movie. Ashton sat next to you and you thought nothing of it. Halfway through the movie he leaned in and whispered, “I would date you Y/N. But if we were to date, I'm not sure if I'd wrap it.”

You choked in the chips that you were eating. Bella began hitting your back hard. Ashton just winked at you and laughed.