#ashler

i can't really say for sure how the rift would be affected cause we still don't know how deep ashlyn's involvement with the two dimensions are, so i'll focus my answer to the first question instead!

i think if they ended up switching roles, tyler would have carried the guilt over ashlyn's fall and injury the same way ashlyn does in canon, though he'll try to rationalize with himself that his decision to leave her was for the best cause it meant keeping taylor safe.

the hospital scene would have changed drastically too, especially when mike and emma are so protective of ash, idk if ty would be able to handle the guilt of seeing them so horror stricken when they see ashlyn crumpled on the floor.

as for the apology scene, i can see tyler bringing her food or some kind of gift (maybe a flower or freshly cut fruit) in an attempt to apologize, and ashlyn would have forgiven him just as quickly as tyler did in canon, though i can picture tyler making a bigger deal about her injury given his own guilt, concern over her safety, and complex relationship with death (courtesy of ethan) as it would have been a really emotional moment between them (and would have further solidifies just how much they mean to each other and how much their relationship has improved so much!)

a part of me also wants to believe that he'll be the first one to find her once they start their search (in parallel to canon), but instead of being paralyzed by fear and horror once he sees her impalement, he would have taken immediate charge and got everyone working together to get her out of that tree, it would have been such a good scene to see him trying to comfort her while she tried to fight off the pain.

honestly i could go on about this topic cause i find the concept of tyler taking charge during moments where ashlyn can't lead the team to be really fun and interesting!

i purposely left the ending of tide pools ambiguous for a number of reasons, firstly i thought the story would be better off as open ended because the theme of the fic is about the beach trip and ashlyn's exploration of her feelings towards tyler. adding the date would have ruined the flow of the story for me, especially when i made sure to write the ending of the fic with a sense of 'excitement' and 'anticipation' for both characters as they looked forward to the date.

biggest one is that they are each other's type. i don't make it a habit to explicitly state it in any of my works, but you can definitely see it if you know where to look!

i'm a firm believer that ashlyn's type would be someone straightforward about their thoughts, feelings, and intentions. someone who will not beat around the bush and just tell her point blank what they're thinking, i also think she would be into someone who is able to just get her, someone who is able to read her mood and understand whatever she's thinking without her having to say them out loud, someone who is considerate but not overly indulgent, someone who can match her pace and respect her boundaries and gives her space whenever she needs it. ashlyn's type would be someone she can rely on, someone who can offer her loyalty, understanding, and mutual respect. and tyler fits the bill to an exact t.

as for tyler, he would adore anyone who would prioritize his sister's safety and actually be competent at their job. someone who he can trust fully, someone who can earn his respect and be given the kind of loyalty and devotion he only reserves for family and those he is protective of. and ashlyn has proved herself to him time and time again, the episode where she prioritizes the group's (taylor) life over going back to for him after his fall was enough proof for him if he asked her to save taylor's life over his own, ashlyn would follow through with it.

another self indulgent take would be that they are a lot more amicable and go along really well when left alone. they aren't the type to start shit up unprovoked, and i'm a firm believer that these two would enjoy each other's company when not faced with a life threatening situation each night. plus, they have the same disposition, sense of humor, and world view, so it goes without saying that they'll definitely share the same sentiments when presented with a topic, or at the very least be able to understand each other's point of view!

one other self indulgent take i want to bring up is that in ep 88, when they all jumped to catch the train, tyler had seen ashlyn falling and immediately ran to save her, regardless of checking for his or tay's own safety. it's the only time we've ever seen him prioritize anyone else's life aside from his family. this scene can be interpreted in a number of ways, but i personally like to think that tyler had been keeping his eye on her the entire time, which would explain how he managed to reach her in time despite the fact that he was on the other end of their make-shift line.

the way this ask has me pacing around my room with a metaphorically thunderous cloud above my head.

okay, i have a lot of things i want to happen between ash and ty this season (most of them very self-indulgent) which is why i'll be narrowing my answer down to three scenes that i hope is narratively sound enough to sort of happen:

ash comforting/reassuring tyler that they'll get taylor back (assuming tyden and benlyn manage to reunite with each other already) the same way she'd reassured him they'll get him out of that tree in s2! and ty taking comfort in her words.

more scenes with ash and ty being co-leaders! ty is not messing around this season, he is locked in to save his sister and ashlyn is more than happy to offer her support in getting taylor (and logan) back. also maybe making sure he doesn't end up over exerting himself the whole way through

ashler having each other's backs/saving each other!! one of my fav things about these two is this little detail after ashlyn got him out of that tree, ty immediately pays her back by saving her from falling off the train, thus starting my personal hc that this will eventually form a chain of IOU’s that persists between them throughout the entire series where they end up doing favors for each other because these two hate the idea of owing anyone anything lol

what are we thinking of the concept that Ashlyn’s (rarely properly expressed) excitement about her special interest (ballet) ends up returning some of that spark and love of baseball Tyler lost somewhere along the way??

funny you asked bc i posted something very similar a while back, which you can read over here!

i personally love the idea of both aslyn and tyler being very chatty when prompted with the right questions. i actually hc that they aren't a snob when it comes to answering questions or keeping up with conversations as long as the person who's asking is actually being genuine and not trying to pull their leg lol

you've probably seen me ramble about this before but if you're looking for a good time (and by good, i mean angst-filled) then please listen to the entirety of 'at the beach, in every life' it's so tyler core to me, and every romantic aspect of the songs in the album is practically ashler lol