AN: Welcome to my first Critical Role story. My friend introduced me to Critical Role and DnD and it has consumed my life the last year and a half. I watched all of Campaigns 2 and 3. And I am in the early process of watching Campaign 1.
If you are here from my other stories, then I apologize because this new interest is part of the reason I have not updated my other stuff in a while. While I still love those stories and have ideas, I am just not really active in those fandoms anymore. That said, I have missed writing and hope to get back to it in doses.
This story started as an idea after Imogen and Ashton visited the All-Minds-Burn together. I felt like their friendship deserved more attention. This is kind of meant to be a standalone, though, if there is interest I have a few ideas to expand upon. Hope you enjoy it. Also, I have taken some realistic liberties with Paté.
Title from Here's to Us by Halestorm.
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Ashton Greymoore was no stranger to detention. He'd earned his first one at the ripe old age of eight years old. They'd just started a new school and punched Sally after she refused to let Milo sit with them. Since then, he'd spent more time in detention than all the Greymoore kids combined. They were pretty sure they'd only escaped expulsion due to the ever-forgiving Principal Eshteross who'd been conveniently moving up to the next school as Ashton did. They often joked with the older man that he would have no choice but to retire when they graduated. Eshteross usually responded that Ashton needed to survive till senior year first.
And Ashton had really tried since starting high school. Eshteross had been the first and only adult to give a damn about him. So they tried the new slate thing. That was until he watched the quarterback of the football team dump a lunch tray in the lap of a kid in a wheelchair. Ashton had seen red, figuratively at first and then literally. Ashton was a big believer that if you were gonna pick a fight with someone, they better be bigger, stronger, or at least deserve it. Unfortunately for them, Ratanish was much bigger, and Ashton only got a few hits in before blackness overtook them as their head met the tile flooring of the cafeteria.
It was worth it: the concussion and the detention. He'd made a new friend who introduced themselves as Letters. Apparently, the kid's name was Fresh Cut Grass. Ashton found it a little weird, but they liked weird. Letters quickly integrated himself into Krook table. A lunch table that Ashton, Milo, and Anni had marked at the beginning of the year.
All that to say Ashton was no stranger to detention and the people who usually frequented it. So when he walked into detention that Friday afternoon, he was surprised to find only one other person there and not one of the regulars.
Sitting at the farthest desk was a girl whose pastel purple hair blocked her face. Ashton noticed she was fiddling with something in her hands, one adorned with a leather glove and on her left a brace. Ashton took it as a sign of an experienced fighter. They had broken a few fingers when they were younger before learning to properly punch. Advice that had surprisingly come from Principal Eshteross in a lecture before a detention sentence.
The girl did not look up when he entered, so Ashton gave Bertrand Bell, the overseer of detention, a small nod to say 'I'm here' before taking a few steps closer to the girl. "Hey."
The girl's head quickly shot up, revealing shockingly almost violet eyes and a smattering of freckles. "I thought we weren't supposed to talk," She whispered quietly. They picked up on the southern drawl immediately. Not from here, he noted. They wondered if she knew Letters.
"Bertie and I are friends. He doesn't care if we talk if we don't interrupt him reading his paper."
There was a hum of agreement before the rustle of a newspaper page being turned. Ashton pulled out one of the chairs and threw his leg over it, taking a seat facing the new girl. "So, what brings you to detention? I'm finishing up a two-week stint for getting my lights knocked out by Ratanish."
"I, uhm," Her eyes filtered around the room before her voice dropped quitter and quickly rushed out, "I broke a guy's nose."
"You're the one who broke Andy's nose?" Andy, a kid who wasn't popular but wasn't unpopular and who tended to float around the school. He had come to school that morning with a broken nose, claiming he'd walked into a door.
Ashton had thought it'd been a pretty lame story, but seeing the culprit, they weren't surprised Andy had lied. The dude probably couldn't handle the shame of getting beat up by a girl. Ashton knew better that the girls could take care of themselves. Sally had put them in their place multiple times. Even Anni had broken his nose that one time.
The lavender-haired girl nodded hesitantly. "I didn't mean to."
"I'm sure he deserved it." Most of the kids in that circle did.
Another nod and a flash of confidence. "He threw dirt in Laudna's face, so I punched him."
While Ashton didn't know the girl in front of him. They did know of Laudna. Ashton had gotten some looks in his time for the scar that ran alongside his head; however, most people knew not to mess with him. Unfortunately, the lanky sophomore who had transferred to their school back in middle school did not get the same respect. He'd seen her in the halls and had seen why people gossiped about the mysterious girl, pale as could be with a jagged scar running across her throat. It didn't help that she kept a living rat in her pocket that many were confused about how the principal overlooked. Despite not knowing her that well, Ashton was one of the few privy to the knowledge that the sophomore was under the guardianship of Principal Eshteross.
"Then he definitely deserved it." If Ashton knew Principal Eshteross, which they did, he'd probably told her as such while giving her detention.
The girl looked up surprised, then nodded with a soft smile.
"I'm Ashton, by the way." He offered his hand. He wasn't usually one for contact, but he felt the younger girl deserved the respect.
Though the glove and brace covered much of her forearm, Ashton was able to make out the multitude of scars that peaked out and ran up her arms. Many of the ones they could see were smaller and had faded; however, they could see the end of what they assumed were much longer and deeper cuts just at the top of her brace. Her almost violet eyes looked down at his arms wrapped in faded scars as well. They wondered if her father had been as shitty as their own.
"Imogen."
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Ashton had almost felt bad as he watched blood pour from Andy's busted lip. But they'd woken up to a bad pain day, and damn it if they were going to be in pain, it was gonna be from a reason they chose. He'd also found out that Imogen had a week in detention, and he'd be lying if he wasn't interested in getting to know the girl more. Andy just so happened to be the easiest target for their anger. Plus if he said so himself, the busted lip was a fine look to go with Andy's broken nose.
This time when Ashton entered detention, Imogen immediately looked up, "You're back."
Ashton strode over to the back corner and grabbed a chair like the day before. "Yeah, I thought Andy could use a busted lip to go with his nose, you know? Even him out." There was an almost thankful smile across her "Want to play a game?"
Imogen's eyes drifted over to Bertrand before returning to Ashton. "Uhm, sure."
They grinned and pulled out a quarter. "It's called what the fuck is up with that? Heads you answer a question. Tails I answer a question."
There were flickers of confusion and hesitancy in her eyes but she gave a miniscule nod. "Okay."
He flipped the coin and watched as it landed heads up. "I'll start easy on you. You're not from here, what the fucks up with that?"
"I'm from Gelvaan." Ashton was sure if he'd paid attention in geography he'd know where that was. They'd have to ask Letters or Milo later.
"Why'd you move here?"
"That's two questions."
"It's an elaboration, not a second question," He clarified. "Fair game, but you don't have to answer if you don't want to. We usually play this with some liquid courage so no one really keeps track of the number of questions."
She released a breath as she fiddled with a braided red thread around her wrist. "My, uhm, father's boss's sister, Zhudanna, needed some help with housework and some projects so, I am staying with her for a bit."
Ashton knew there was more to the story. There always was, but they decided to drop it for now. "Okay, let's go again." There was silence as the coin flipped. "Tails."
"Okay, uhm," Imogen paused before her face clouded with a brief boost of confidence. "Why did you actually punch Andy?" Ashton waved his hand for her to continue. "Uhm, what the fucks up with that?"
They grinned in pride. "Well, you see, I really wanted to punch someone, and Andy seemed as good as the next guy. Plus I thought maybe you could use the company in detention."
"You didn't have to do that." She gave a soft smile. "Thanks."
"No problem." He flipped the coin again. "Tails."
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"Anni, move your shit!" Ashton announced at lunch a week later, using the toe of their boot to nudge her stuff further down the bench.
"Hey!" Anni objected, grabbing her stuff and yanking it away. "What the hell, asshole?"
Ashton looked over his shoulder to the two girls behind him, "They're sitting with us now." They plopped down, the apple sauce on their tray sloshing worryingly. "Laudna and Imogen, welcome to Krook table. This is Anni, Milo, and Letters."
"Smiley day to ya," F.C.G. offered with his ever-present smile.
"Smiley day," Imogen mimicked with an unsure smile but quickly joined the table at the end where Anni's stuff had been. Laudna dutifully sat in between her and Ashton.
Anni eyed the new pair for a moment. "You're the rat girl?"
Ashton watched Imogen's eyes narrow as Laudna folded before quickly masking it with a too big smile. "His name's Paté de Rolo," She said, pulling said rat out of her pocket.
Before Anni or Ashton could say anything else, Milo piped up, "That's so cool. Can I pet him?"
Laudna glanced at Imogen before slowly holding out the rat for Milo to pet. "He's a little wary of strangers, but he's great once you get to know him."
Milo grinned as they gave the rat several head scritches. "We have a bird at home. Sally named it Shithead because it crashed into our window, and now it flies all crooked."
Before long Milo, Laudna, and Letters were talking about various "pets" they'd had over the years and Letters new bird aversion after Shithead had pecked them the last time they had visited Greymoore house.
Ashton looked over to Imogen, who smiled and mouthed, 'Thank you'. They offered back a, 'no problem' before turning back to the rest of the table. Maybe he would survive to senior year.
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AN2: Hope you enjoyed it. Let me know if you want to see more and maybe what you might want to see.