#orym is the only one talking sense and everyone else is just like 'well maybe?'

[justalittlebluetiefling]

Sometimes I try to write down thoughts about this campaign but I admittedly have not been paying enough attention to feel confident in my character analysis so I write an incoherent text post and then delete it because I don't know if I'm actually making the correct judgments.

[jinmukangwrites]

Don't mind me, just reassuring myself that everything can still be okay in my own way. This isn't a prediction, nor a fix-it, just me being hopeful that maybe, everyone can stay alive somehow, it doesn't have to be like this.

Not edited, I have a headache and have to go to work, so don't @ me if details are wrong or grammar is fucked, I don't have time to care <3 /lh

Unreality warning

--

The world explodes in a flash of red, and Ashton wakes up.

Well, everyone wakes up, placed neatly inside of their rooms of the Paragons Call.

Ashton takes a minute to take it in. Process. Breathe. The more he thinks about it, the more it makes sense for it to have not been real, a nightmare, and the more he thinks about it, his head starts to hurt.

He looks up at the rest of the group, haunted and understanding glints in each of their eyes. Ashton has no idea how it's possible, but somehow, each of them has had the same exact dream. There's no denying it.

Orym has a hand on his chest, the other wrapped with white knuckles around a sending stone. Fearne has her arms snaked around her gut like she might throw up, her hair drawn over her pale face as Mister chirps worriedly on her shoulder. Laudna, however, has attention only for Imogen, and Ashton figures that makes sense. It's not the first time Laudna has died and returned to life, so of course she'd be the first to focus on the most important thing.

"What, the fuck, was that," Chetney wheezes, sounding too serious and too frightened to be anything close to his normal personality.

Imogen stands up suddenly, gaining everyone's attention, but she doesn't meet a single person's eyes, and the way her shoulders turn Ashton suspects that out of everyone in the room, the last person she wants to see is Laudna.

Before anyone can say another word, Imogen is running out of the room, her dress trailing out behind her like a flame as the door shuts behind her.

Laudna is already making towards the door. "Imogen!" She shouts, disappearing out of the door unchallenged.

Orym stands up as well, shoving the sending stone in his pocket and his face carefully collected. Ashton cannot help but blink and see blood all over his chest, and he has no doubt Orym can feel what Ashton sees, but he also has no doubt Orym has gotten very good at keeping a collected face after shit like that. Fuck, and Ashton thought Orym wasn't a pouder keg. Turns out, he's just better at handling the fuse.

Orym makes for the door, but Ashton is on his feet before he can stop himself, grabbing the fighter on his shoulder, stopping him.

"I think," Ashton whispers, his voice so much weaker that it sounds strange even to himself. He clears his throat, forcing himself to at least talk normal.

"I think we should let them talk about it alone first."

Orym's carefully constructed farcade twitches, lips quivering for just a blink. Everyone knows Orym cares a lot for everyone, but there's something stronger in that care towards Imogen. Ashton doesn't know if she reminds him of someone else, or if she's naturally found some nook in his heart, but Ashton truly does think his care would be better later. Orym's shoulders slump.

It's then, Ashton realizes everyone is looking at him. He clears his throat, uncomfortable as he realizes that by speaking up like that, he's volunteered himself as something like a leader. Fuck. He hates that.

"Let's all just. Cool the fuck off, yeah?" He takes a deep breath. "Let's just... Let's just cool off. We can figure out this shit later, when Imogen is ready."

The silence that follows is proof that no one knows what happened, or what to do about it, only that they share something now, and that has unfortunately made each of them care about each other so much more.

Ashton silently vows to never see a dead face on his friend's ever again, do everything in his power to prevent it. He almost shocks himself thinking about how relived he is by the simple fact that they're really, truly, all alive.

They'll figure this out. Together. It'll be okay. He's not used to being the positive one, but fucking dammit, someone's got to be.