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ashlynnaska.bsky.social
Ash
@ashlynnaska.bsky.social
83 followers 76 following 3.5K posts
Ash | ace/aego, agender, any/she | 🏳️‍🌈 - pfp by @bellabergolts.bsky.social - banner by @inemperorsname.bsky.social ❤️💜🤍 - everything #TheEmperor x Ayumu x Xal; #TavQOTD about my Ayumu 🖤🦑 - never-ending hyperfixation on #illithid lore, art, stories, etc.
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ashlynnaska.bsky.social
Ash @ashlynnaska.bsky.social · Jun 15
@inemperorsname.bsky.social 👀🦑

Writing will materialize below as I copy/paste over.

Insanity ahead, you have been warned lol
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ashlynnaska.bsky.social
Ash @ashlynnaska.bsky.social · 2h
The things you do for good mushrooms and for the wonders of mushroom tea 😂

If Xal hadn't also been in this absurd situation alongside her, dealing with those silly, unpredictable gnomes and all the weird things that happened in that place would have felt significantly more unbearable to Ayumu.
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ashlynnaska.bsky.social
Ash @ashlynnaska.bsky.social · 2h
Ayumu was even willing to go on a trip to the Underdark and to then endure not only the strange company of two ridiculous artificer Gnome-Illithids in their mechanical lair, but also an even more ridiculous teeth and throat examination by these two in exchange for more of these delightful mushrooms.
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ashlynnaska.bsky.social
Ash @ashlynnaska.bsky.social · 2h
#TavQOTD

I wanted to find an answer to this other than ustilangors, but yes, Ayumu's most recently developed bad habit is these irresistibly tasty psychoactive mushrooms. She found what was left of a batch Xal had bought, ate too many mushrooms at once, and still couldn’t get enough of them.

⏬
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ashlynnaska.bsky.social
Ash @ashlynnaska.bsky.social · 2h
Otherwise, focusing on anything just gets increasingly harder, meditation doesn’t really help her either, painting stops feeling engaging, and even having her sword closeby can only offer so much solace.
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ashlynnaska.bsky.social
Ash @ashlynnaska.bsky.social · 2h
As independent as her prideful Illithid side likes to pretend she is in front of people who don't know her, Ayumu truly isn’t made to be completely alone. Not without at least being able to sense the presence of individuals she feels comfortable with nearby.
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ashlynnaska.bsky.social
Ash @ashlynnaska.bsky.social · 2h
Sometimes when Ayumu doesn’t know what to do with herself, her mind will even hallucinate past versions of herself into being, but that usually just results in her literally and figuratively arguing with herself about pointless nonsense or other ridiculousness.
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ashlynnaska.bsky.social
Ash @ashlynnaska.bsky.social · 2h
Spending extended time like this dredges up unpleasant thoughts and memories for her that don't ever lead her anywhere productive. It's just her mind desperately searching for anything to occupy itself with, anything at all to fill that gnawing void, so it digs inwards and only finds misery.
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ashlynnaska.bsky.social
Ash @ashlynnaska.bsky.social · 2h
#TavQOTD

She's just… sort of lost, lonely, restless.
Letting every pretense fall away is really only ever something comfortable to Ayumu in the company of her partners.
Fully alone with her thoughts and without a task to fixate on, she's instead pulled further into her own mind’s internal spirals.
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ashlynnaska.bsky.social
Ash @ashlynnaska.bsky.social · 12h
It makes sense you'd feel numb to it after such an extended time since there's nothing you can realistically do about any of the situation. At some point, many things can become 'just another thing that happens'. For what it's worth, I hate that this had to become something normal for you 🫂
Reposted by Ash
inemperorsname.bsky.social
Just Ma 🦑 @inemperorsname.bsky.social · 17h
#TavQOTD

When no one is looking, he can take off all his masks. But when he takes off all his masks, his past begins to haunt him, filling every spare space in his mind. It's... painful, exhausting. This is not the kind of pain he likes. Once again, he begins to regret not having lost his memories.
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Reposted by Ash
dlruddp1.bsky.social
해유/하늘🦑 @dlruddp1.bsky.social · 1d
뽀뽀
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ashlynnaska.bsky.social
Ash @ashlynnaska.bsky.social · 14h
Socializing would usually drain me, but talking to you, writing with you doesn’t and that’s so rare. It feels natural, refreshing, comfortable to me.
I appreciate you, Ma. Whatever dream we're in, I hope it's a long one 💜
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ashlynnaska.bsky.social
Ash @ashlynnaska.bsky.social · 14h
But alas, such technology doesn’t exist and neither of us is Illithid. But, Ayumu and Xal are and can do all of that anytime in a much better way, and that makes me happy.
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ashlynnaska.bsky.social
Ash @ashlynnaska.bsky.social · 14h
I want to say so much more, but even moreso I wish I could just rest my forehead on my keyboard and have it pull my thoughts directly out of my brain to send to you. Not as words or sentences or any language, but just raw, unfiltered thoughts and feelings.
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ashlynnaska.bsky.social
Ash @ashlynnaska.bsky.social · 14h
She's not meant to be palatable, her story isn’t either, so I also didn’t dare to hope anyone would see anything deeper in my burning pile of madness. But instead we found each other and spawned even more bloody exquisite madness together.
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ashlynnaska.bsky.social
Ash @ashlynnaska.bsky.social · 14h
I also never expected Ayumu, this creature my mind birthed because it didn’t know where else to put so many of my different feelings, to not only be liked but also understood by someone else. Because of how personal she is to me I didn’t even think I'd ever be posting as much about her anywhere.
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ashlynnaska.bsky.social
Ash @ashlynnaska.bsky.social · 14h
Never has someone else's OC managed to touch deeply buried parts of my soul like your Xal has, in a way that feels both like a stab and an embrace simultaneously. My brain can’t and doesn’t want to decide which it is, because I enjoy this exact combination as it is and only ever wants more.
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ashlynnaska.bsky.social
Ash @ashlynnaska.bsky.social · 14h
Your Xal, who totally captivated my interest not even primarily because of the likeness of him and Ayumu, or because he's Illithid, or because he's attached to the Emperor, but most importantly because of how you write him. As so unapologetically him.
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ashlynnaska.bsky.social
Ash @ashlynnaska.bsky.social · 14h
As are you, Ma 😭🖤
I didn't think anything like what we've experienced and created together would ever be a reality for me. That someone like you exists here, who's on the same wavelength as me in many ways and just happens to also have a character pursuing the same dreams as my Ayumu.
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Reposted by Ash
inemperorsname.bsky.social
Just Ma 🦑 @inemperorsname.bsky.social · 19h
#tavqotd

Ayumu, of course. Ayumu and her creator.
Actually, it's not even about Xal.

Imagine that you are writing some nonsense about your character for tavqotd.
Not for anyone else, but for yourself. It is your therapy. You are not expecting anyone to like your character.
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ashlynnaska.bsky.social
Ash @ashlynnaska.bsky.social · 1d
Some days everything still feels like a dream to me, and if it is, I hope I don't wake up. My brain can't comprehend something so cool actually happening to me or to my Ayumu. And yet, it is reality. My Ayumu has found a home with Xal and the Emperor; and I found my greatest ally and co-author 💜🦑
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ashlynnaska.bsky.social
Ash @ashlynnaska.bsky.social · 1d
#TavQOTD

My Ayumu meeting @inemperorsname.bsky.social's Xal in a dream earlier this year and all that was born from it (like Ma's renders of them ❤️🤍)
I didn't expect the remarkable natural synergy these two have together, nor our two universes becoming one. It was unexpected, but so very welcome.
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Reposted by Ash
sunaiadarts.bsky.social
Flowlithid @sunaiadarts.bsky.social · 1d
Hi #PortfolioDay! Flowlithid here, a digital artist passionate about dramatic scenes, moody narratives & comic art styles; Focus on Illithid/monster-leaning characters & BG3 fanart.

Portfolio: cara.app/sunaiadarts/...

#BG3 #illithid #illithidoc #mindflayer #mindflayeroc #ocsky #D&D #digitalart
Digital comic style drawing of the Emperor from BG3 floating over a cobblestone ledge; portals around him open as versions of him from cyberpunk, steampunk, desert apocalypse and Lovecraftian universes join his side. The sky is overcast in red with the silhouettes of nautiloids in the clouds, and ember sparks float in the air. Digital drawings with 4 mind flayers, one looking futuristic and cybernetic, another in a suit, top hat and brassy mantle. A mechanical intellect devourer flies out with him. Another one looking like someone out of the Mad Max series, and the other in a disheveled suit, a mad, haunted look, a ghostly crest and shadowy hands. Behind him is an ominous city with Lovecraftian motifs. 3 digital drawings: left is a brown-skinned mind flayer in elaborate orange robe and messenger pigeons; middle is a dragonborn ink drawing, right is a pirate tiefling with their illithid form. Image collage of three illustrated scenes. Left is a low angle POV of a towering, fearsome ulitharid in black and purple armor strides towards a barricade, flanked by armored ulitharids. Two are about to cast something, and the bezerker is charging forward. Behind them are silhouettes of countless illithids. They are all getting shot at, but the bullets/blasts have no effect. Behind them, a lightning storm forms an ominous circle in the sky. Middle is two illithids composed like Bouguereau's "Abduction of Psyche." Right is a green skinned mind flayer in an elaborate dress.
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Reposted by Ash
inemperorsname.bsky.social
Just Ma 🦑 @inemperorsname.bsky.social · 1d
update
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Reposted by Ash
scottjosephuk.bsky.social
Scott Joseph (VO Studio) @scottjosephuk.bsky.social · 1d
🦑🚨LIVE SIGNING SOON🚨🦑

Friday 7th Nov 20:00 (GMT) / 12:00 (PST)

Chat with me, #TheEmperor from #BG3

Featured artists
@stohnstudios.bsky.social
@shade-of-stars.bsky.social

Check all art in the shop here:
streamily.com/scottjoseph

#baldursgate3 #baldursgate3fanart #mindflayer #illithid
A poster advertising an upcoming Live Signing Session by Scott Joseph through Streamily. A headshot image of Scott is in a circle bottom right, he has hazel eyes, dark hair that's flecked with grey and swept into a side parting. Directly above his image is the character from her portals in the game Baldur's Gate 3, who is called The Emperor. The Emperor's skin is pinky grey, their head resembles a squid; it's pointed at the top, has soft pinkish bulbous sides. Their eyes are an intense purple and the lower half of their face is predominantly 4 long tentacles. The Emperor is wearing impressive spiky armour that's bloody red with grey ridges and fans out behind their head and shoulders. In the left of the poster are two artworks of The Emperor by Shade of Stars.One is off the Emperor on a throne raising a goblet. And the other is of The Emperor and is partner illithid coddling an Intellect Devourer (essentially a brain with legs) in his lap. A detailed illustration in black and white by artist Will Stanley of The Emperor, a character from the RPG game Baldur's Gate 3. The Emperor's skin is dark grey, their head resembles a squid; it's pointed at the top, has soft bulbous sides. Their brow is prominent above the eyes which stare out intensely. The lower half of their face is predominantly 4 long tentacles. The Emperor is wearing impressive spiky armour that is detailed with grey ridging and fans out behind their head and shoulders. This artwork, depicts The Emperor looming over a darkly hooded human figure bottom left and the artist's Tav for the game, an elven-looking figure with long flowing light hair, pointed ear and intricate armour.
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