ASHTON FOWLER
23-year-old trans man with an adrenaline addiction. The kind of guy who will take a punch for a girl he’s just met - who will grin when he’s up against a wall threatened because in his mind, he’s unstoppable. Is that a reality? Well… not so much. Yet when people try to tell him that, it doesn’t seem to work. Humility is not often his strong-suit. Instead consider stubborn, impulsive recklessness with a dash of arrogance… and certainly can’t forget a charming flirtatious nature that gets him out of trouble. Or sometimes right into it.Calloused fingers strum along a light blue electric guitar, threatening to bleed from the force he applies to the bridge. For some, having all eyes in the room is nothing but stress, and yet, for him… it makes him feel alive. That feeling shapes the way he lives his life day by day…
BUT AT THE END OF THE DAY, WHAT IS IMPORTANT?
Being a resident name around town? Or actually being known for the good that you do?
A story of GROWTH from a boy who simply wants to be in the spotlight - to a man who truly understands what it means to BE A HERO, featuring themes of arrogance, freedom, romance, desperation, and sorrow.
stats
AGE: 18 - 26 + ( variable for different arcs ! ) default is 23
GENDER: trans man
PRONOUNS: he/him
ALIAS: Blue Boy
ZODIAC: aries
ALIGNMENT: chaotic good
SEXUALITY: bisexual
OCCUPATION: vigilante & guitarist for The Golden Flight, a local soft rock band
EDUCATION: B.A. Performing Arts
RELATIONS: Leanne Fowler ( mother + alive / close contact ), George Fowler ( father + alive / no contact), Danny Fowler ( older brother + alive / no contact )
PETS: none currently - he can barely keep plants alive
HEIGHT: 5'10''
BUILD: athletic
FEATURES: top surgery scars ( has not had bottom surgery ), warm brown eyes, brown hair the ideal combination of messy & styled, visible muscle mass
CHARACTERISTICS: stubborn, impulsive, confident, flirty, dramatic, witty, expressive, passionate, kind of a dumbass
STYLE: rock baby, lover of denim and leather, usually in combat boots, casual t-shirts and button-ups
LIKES: playing guitar, singing ( he's not the best but he's confident ), theater, creating mixtapes, getting into light trouble, parties, cars
DISLIKES: silence, bigots, birds, mustard, detailed itineraries
VICES: smoking ( occasionally, mostly only when severely stressed ), drinking ( often, mainly socially )
POWERS: causing phase changes of objects, telekinesis of gas / liquid / solid objects, able to control massive objects of various sizes - from a can to an airplane yet with varying degrees of energy, molecular healing, limited enhanced durability / strength, pretty resourceful & skilled at hand-to-hand combat
FACECLAIM: Tom Holland
POWERS
MOLECULAR TELEKINESIS, mol-ec-yu-lar tel-eh-kin-ee-sis, defined as the ability to manipulate the movement of objects at a molecular level.★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - teamwork
★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆ - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - strength of abilities
★ ★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - physical endurance
★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - speed
★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆ ☆ - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - defense
★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆ - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - attack
★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - problem-solving
★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - stealth
Movement of objects through what is commonly thought of as general telekinesis, including objects of various sizes - phones, cans, chairs, couches, cars, buses, planes, trains, buildings... though the larger the object, the more concentration and energy is required. There is an inverse relationship between the size of an object and the duration for which Ashton can "hold" it.
Manipulation of the speed of molecular vibrations to cause phase changes of objects. Take a cup of coffee for example - slowing down the vibration of molecules within the coffee to turn the liquid to a solid. Or speeding up the vibration of molecules to turn the liquid to gas, causing the coffee to evaporate.
The only known... anything, really... that's able to bring something to absolute zero, which is when molecules stop all movement entirely. For even in solid objects, molecules are always moving!
"Molecular healing," in the sense that he is capable of "healing" wounds by slowing / stopping blood loss and bringing layers of muscle and skin back together. It's painful and would probably leave a nasty scar ( he's no plastic surgeon here ), but it certainly could save a life.
Gaseous manipulation, meaning that he's capable of controlling molecules within the air around him. Consider a raging fire inside a room - he's able to remove the oxygen molecules from the room to help dissipate the fire. Or even consider when he's wounded, struggling to stand - he can manipulate the surrounding air to act as a "buffer" that helps keep him upright.
Enhanced hand-to-hand combat, from the perspective that sure, hitting someone hurts... but when you invisibly yank them closer as you land the blow, that really hurts.
Incredible strength when it comes to his telekinesis, though his physical body does not share that feature. Can lift cars and planes with his telekinesis, but would he be able to simply hold those up with his own shoulders? No. So as he holds something above, pray that there is always enough room between his fingers and an object - for if skin comes into contact with such mass, he'll be crushed.
Telekinesis comes from the mind. He often utilizes his hands and fingers to help channel this energy, though as his powers grow, he technically need not lift a finger to use his abilities - though using them hands-free requires more concentration.
Abilities that increase in capability through three main avenues: (1) experience, being that the more he uses his powers, the stronger they become; (2) concentration, being that the more he focuses while utilizing his abilities, the further he can take them in that moment, and (3) emotional instability, for his powers do have ties to his emotions, and when he feels unstable, his telekinesis has the potential to be utterly unhinged.
Prolonged periods without using his telekinesis will cause him to feel as though his veins are on fire, or that something is crawling under his skin. Using his abilities releases that energy. Extensive use of his powers requires a great deal of effort that can land him with immediate exhaustion, nosebleeds, or fainting, depending on the circumstances.
ARC 01
Georgia born and raised. When Ashton was ten years old, still going by Ashley at that time, his family up and moved to NEW YORK CITY for his dad to take up a new promotion. Well, it gave him just enough time away from home to start having an affair with his secretary. When their mother finally found out, Ashton was twelve at the time, while his older brother DANNY was sixteen. Incomes an inevitable divorce. The kids stayed with their mother, visiting dad every other weekend. He didn’t seem to be too interested in their lives, as he was building a new one of his own. Around the same time, Ashton started feeling uncomfortable in his own skin. When he came out as a trans man to his mother, she was supportive. His brother was uncertain, and their father… well, he was convinced that his ex-wife’s parenting was to blame. That there was an issue with his own kids. Although Ashton stayed close with his mother, someone who always supported him, his brother found solace in the father that they once had. And with that, Ashton partially lost his brother as well.
He really did try to be a good kid. However, far too many days did he return home with scrapes from getting into trouble. Rowdy, staying out late, stepping into one too many fights. In his defense, he usually wasn't the instigator. Nothing changed as he grew older - other than Ashton trying to hide those things from his mother instead. Her son was IMPULSIVE AND RECKLESS, and there seemed to be no changing him. One of the few things that gave her faith was when Ashton went off to college. She hoped that being away from home, meeting new people, and getting to forget about the rest of the family would help him. And sure, it did - it's where he was able to meet his best friend, CARTER VITALE, an introverted young man who was an intelligent engineer with excellent computer skills. The two become roommates, and everything seems to be looking up, but not before that one night…
At the age of eighteen, a light blue Ford Fairlane speeds down the highway outside the city. Nothing out of the ordinary, truly. He’s always been an irresponsible driver, rock music booming - but something strange happens. A WHIP of electric blue light erupts in the street, sending cars trying to grind to sudden stop. However, he’s simply driving too fast, and he has little choice but to swerve off the road, vehicle rushing down an escarpment until it’s stopped by a large tree. His beloved car is destroyed, yet miraculously he’s alive. He pries himself out from under the shattered windshield, unable to catch himself as he falls down to the leaves.
Bloodied fingers outstretched, he almost begs for the door handle to be in his grasp, and then… IT IS. Only, the handle rips from the rest of the door frame, flying through the air and right into his grasp. The force lands him on his back, definitely not helping his already-pounding headache. He curses to a god that he doesn’t even believe in, sure that he must be hallucinating or something from the accident. However, stuck with those powers five years later, it sure wasn’t a hallucination.
ARC 02
When politicians and news casters try to suppress the idea that the mysterious electric surge ever existed, Ashton grows angry. People point fingers in every direction, from renowned genetic testing labs to AN EXISTING HERO WITH NUCLEAR ABILITIES ( who, yes is the true cause ), although no answers are publicly released. It’s the time that he decides to take up the mantle as a hero clad in blue, striving to make a statement about those affected by the incident. The bold color choice is purposely meant to garner attention, as if to scream look at me ! Although he never picked a hero name for himself, the public quickly deemed him BLUE BOY, and he never found a reason to complain. The uprising of photographs, interviews, comics, and toys were the driving force for being a hero in his early days. Yes, he was saving lives and stopping criminals, but it was on his own agenda, as though personally benefiting from his abilities initially fueled his fire. He simply adored the spotlight, especially feeling needed by others, and like a true addict, he simply couldn’t get enough. Being in that suit began to take up all of his free time, to the point he was skipping classes to be this vigilante. Despite disapproving of Ashton's choices, Carter was determined to help keep him safe - so he's willing to act as the guy in the chair, hoping to help keep his best friend out of trouble.
Partially to blame was the feeling within his veins when he used his abilities. If he went too long without using his powers, it almost felt like ants were crawling under his skin, yet the moment he used his molecular telekinesis… instant relief. Certainly no help to his addiction.
And the more he uses his powers, the stronger they grow. He goes from being able to manipulate small objects to learning how to cause phase changes ( such as turning some asshole’s hot coffee right to ice ). Solid objects are easiest to control at first, followed by liquids and gases - particularly helpful for putting out large fires. Then… comes the ability to control bigger and BIGGER objects. Soda can. Table. Car. Bus. Airplane. Cruise ship. Bridge. IT MAKES HIM FEEL INVINCIBLE. Hell, he’s even convinced himself that he could hold up the moon if he had to. Yet even if he could, he seems to ignore one crucial detail.
No matter how powerful he feels, his body is still… HUMAN. The night he obtained these powers, he gained some enhanced durability and healing, but the bruises, cuts, bullet wounds… those seriously suck when you’re not made of steel or can't easily regenerate your own cells. Over time, he learns how to manipulate his own molecules to restitch his wounds, but this does mean he needs to be conscious.
ARC 03
Although he starts the vigilante game with his heart in the wrong place, Ashton soon gets there. In the beginning, he's so focused on the celebrity aspect of being a hero. He becomes no stranger to press conferences with public officials and other heroes, interviews as the city starts picking up the pieces after chaos, visits to schools and hospitals to provide some inspiration for the children - he even has his own social media page dedicated to his BLUE BOY activities where he garners quite the fanbase.
However, he's faced with situations where he actually has to make critical choices that weigh his own life against that of others. The first few are easy, if only for the fact that he thinks he's invincible. Deep down, he knows that he isn't, but that doesn't seem to change the way that he's willing to recklessly run into danger.
Take a fire that quickly spreads through an apartment complex downtown. A blue-masked hero rushes inside, admittedly getting a bit winded as he takes the stairs up to the eighth floor. Lifting a fist, quickly spreading his digits wide, he easily breaks open the window at the end of the hallway. Hands swirl over one another, as though they hold a large invisible ball between them, as he forces a wave of oxygen out of the building to calm some of the flames. He notes how smoke still pours from one of the apartments, and so he barges in, calling out for anyone that may be left behind. There's a weak voice - a young woman's voice - and he's waving through growing flames ( admittedly gaining some nervousness, but at least the suit is flame-resistant ) until he finds her in the bedroom, helping her coughing figure up from the ground to help get them both out of the building. She's leaning on him as he does his best to keep her awake, but when she's barely able to get down the stairs, he knows he has to carry her. Even if he doesn't have super strength, he's getting her out of that place. How could he live with himself otherwise?
ARC 04
NOTE: THIS IS HIS DEFAULT ERA UNLESS WE DECIDE OTHERWISE !
At the age of twenty-three, Ashton attends a carnival downtown with some college friends. It’s one of the moments where he’s perfectly comfortable just being himself, trying to enjoy his life without the blue suit. There’s a screeching yet rumbling noise overhead that gains a few people’s attention in the crowd. And once they see it, they begin to scream. Starts a chain of panic. An airplane has a busted engine and is hurtling down toward earth. Of course in a city where skyscrapers are abundant. Some people attempt to hide in nearby buildings, but the rational ones start to run away, knowing that the plane will collapse anything in its path. Ashton doesn’t have his suit on him. This is a normal day, not some heroic outing. But FUCK, he has to do something. He has the ability to do something - regardless of hero status, if he chooses not to act, what kind of person does that make him?
Ashton runs - but rather than following the crowd, he’s sprinting in a leather jacket and combat boots right toward the danger. Friends call his name, yet he doesn’t even hear them over the sound of his own blood pumping between his ears. As he stands in the street, palms outstretched to the sky, limbs shaking at the amount of energy it takes to gradually slow down the carrier in freefall… he’s made a grave decision that will change his life forever. In spite of the chaos, people record when they should be getting to safety.
The plastic casing casing of the airplane creaks as telekinetic energy prevents it from succumbing to gravity. He's guided the vessel to halt above the roof of a local diner ( much to the panicked dismay of the restaurant owner ), all from where he stands in the street down below. Digits shake as his wrists slowly twist, as though there's an invisible string that tethers him to the plane. He holds it there for as long as he can, letting the passengers hop out one by one onto the concrete roof, where he knows there will be a fire escape to help them down to the ground. Lips purse in deep concentration as blood begins to drip down from his nose to his top lip, simply from the extended intensity that he's using this energy - and once the plane is finally clear, he's able to rest it atop two adjacent buildings... only causing minimal damage, at least. As he finally relaxes, hands fall to his thighs as he hunches over, trying to catch his breath. That's when he hears the gasps, the cheering, the applause - and he's overwhelmed as people start to rush in his direction. Forget balancing life between ASHTON FOWLER and BLUE BOY. For now, they are and forever will be known as one.
It takes time to move away from using that characteristic blue suit with adornments of white and black. His favorite assortment. BLUE - both a calmness that he wishes to bring, as well as an unmistakable color that makes him stand right out. WHITE - the good, the purity behind intentions. BLACK - the bold, the bad, the mistakes, the growth. He still has a bit of an attachment to that suit, still wearing it from time to time despite there being any rational point left in fighting behind a mask. Not everyone seems to recognize him, but enough people do. Some ask for autographs while he's out getting his morning coffee while others try to follow him home, seeing if they can get him out of the vigilante game once and for all. Although the fame associated with being a hero was so appealing at first, without a way to ever turn off that side of his life... well, IT'S REALLY HARD. But he's decided that if he's truly been graced with these abilities, then he's got to do something with them. Not for himself but for the ones that saw him as a hero from the beginning, and especially the ones who thought his heart hadn't been in the right place - because now... IT IS.
ARC 05
Life was not simple when he was balancing a hero identity with his own, but when the two are merged, it strays into ultimate chaos. While he once enjoyed the spotlight, Ashton now lives a life where he's having to constantly look over his shoulder, wondering who is planning on taking him out purely to get him out of the picture. After all, HE'S A HIGH RISK in more ways than one. Countless nights he's evaded a kidnapping or gotten into a fist-fight coming home from the grocery store, simply trying to live his life to another day. At least he's able to handle his own, though he doesn't just have to worry about himself with this hero thing anymore - he's got to worry about everyone that even knows him. Because if you can't physically kill off the hero, what do you try next? You hit them right where it hurts the most.
The entire time that he's had his powers, up until the big public reveal, Ashton had kept his powers a secret from his mother. She's the only family he has left after his father and brother essentially abandoned them. He simply didn't want her to worry about him, though she always had, for her son had been notorious for getting into trouble. Perhaps she shouldn't be surprised when she sees him on the news. It explains a lot of the missed calls and random wounds, but... why didn't he just tell her?
Secrets revealed, it's as though the two of them can finally be close again. Leanne FINALLY has her little boy back. And although there's a period where all seems right with the world, it's simply the calm before the storm. He's made plenty of enemies over the years - ones that hated his shameful arrogance when he started this game, ones that had loved ones slaughtered in the path of his attempted heroism, and ones who felt that he had wronged them directly. So when he receives repeated emergency calls from his mother, while he's at the ripe age of twenty-six, he has no choice.
With the simple flick of the wrist, he’s tossing open the front door to his family home, unashamedly busting through the triple lock system in the process. It's something they'd implemented as a preventative measure for anything... like this. “Mom?” his strained voice echoes through the small two-story, noting how the place looks as though a tornado came through - cabinets and drawers ransacked, picture frames and vases shattered on the floor, and rugs shifted as though there’s been violence. “MOM!” his tone shifts, as though demanding an answer, as he’s practically sprinting up the stairs to try to find her. Heart is drumming within his chest, filled with a petrified anticipation of what he might discover. When he gets to the top of the stairs and notes a trail of dark red stains along the carpet of the entryway to her bedroom, his heart drops right to his stomach. Without missing a beat, he’s rushing into the room, jeans becoming covered in wipes of blood as he falls to his knees next to her figure. “Mom, c’mon - come on...” the words leave him in a confused mix of frustration and panic as shaking fingers hover over the evident gunshot wound to her chest. He’s trying to slow her blood loss, trying to keep her awake, but GOD, he’s struggling to see beneath the tears that well at his eyes.
“Ash...” her voice is weak, and she’s barely able to speak through the thick liquid that pools in her throat, so he tries to urge her otherwise. “It’s okay, you’re gonna be okay...” Chest rises and falls quickly as he works through desperation, entirely blindsided by her condition to recognize that if she’s still alive, the person who did this is still here.
He hears the click of a loaded pistol behind him, feeling the barrel pressed against the back of his head. "Exactly where we want you." He recognizes the gravely voice of the man, hot breaths in and out of his nostrils as he pays attention to the surrounding noises, now fully aware that there's three more men in the room as they cautiously join their friend. "Then shoot," Ashton spits the words, gaze still glued to the woman before him - the one who's looking at him with his own eyes, as if begging him to do the right thing.
Stained digits tremble, the amount of energy he's secretly utilizing causing the start of a nosebleed. "What are..." one of the other men starts, though the spiteful words of a broken man interrupt. "Didn't I say to fucking shoot?" And though the lead man tries to do just that, the trigger doesn't pull, and his alarm has his lackeys aiming their own weapons, though they're not successful either. Ashton lets out a quick breath as he clenches his fists, forcing all four bullets out the opposite way out the chamber, simultaneously targeting their handlers and rendering the guns useless.
Popping, groaning, guttural wailing, he hears the men behind him suffering from what they've brought on, though he doesn't even dare look at them. Hands cradle his mother's face as he sobs, unable to see the little smile she offers him - the reminder that she is proud of the man he's become, and the wish that he doesn't lose himself in the future.
Despite everything that he's capable of, all the growth that he's made, it seems as though none of it will ever be enough to keep his loved ones safe. What happened to the boy who loved the spotlight? Well, he's the man who keeps those he loves at an arm's distance - that's for their physical safety and the protection of a heart that simply isn't sure how much more it can take.
MARVEL / MCU
At the age of 18, Ashton still receives his powers during an energy surge caused by another vigilante. The same year, he starts his BLUE BOY nonsense in New York City, which seems to be full of powered persons who want to try to step up and be heroes or use those abilities to their own advantage. Maintaining a secret identity keeps him alive.
Ashton is not an Avenger, and he's uncertain if he'd take the title if it were offered to him. This doesn't stop him from helping them out when needed though !
By default, Ashton is not necessarily called upon to help in Infinity War because he's still a new hero at the time ( he's 18 actually ), but this is certainly something that can be on the table.
By default, Ashton does survive the BLIP, though most of his friends do not. It becomes difficult for him to decide what he's still fighting for, but he's decided that it's a chance to see them again. With many people gone and little hope remaining, he continues the BLUE BOY charade, though his methods become much more... unhinged. He's using his abilities extensively, knowing this aids them in growing stronger, which he will need if given a chance to bring his loved ones home.
By default, Ashton does help in the final battle associated with Endgame. He's 23 at the time. He doesn't arrive until at least halfway through ( think about the time Wanda & Carol arrive ), but he's quite the force on the battlefield.
At the age of 23, shuffled in the chaos of everyone returning home, Ashton still encounters an incident where he inevitably publicly reveals his identity as BLUE BOY. Life is never the same for him after that day. TONY STARK could do it, so he should be fine, right? Well, Tony wasn't a nearly-broke trans man who recently graduated college. Balancing this new reality is incredibly difficult for Ashton, and now he's eternally putting himself and his loved ones at risk.
THE BOYS
Ashton's family, particularly his father, sent him off for experimentation with Compound V when he was an infant. It didn't seem as though hew as developing any abilities, nor was the drug necessarily hurting him either. However, seeming to not be a prime candidate, experimentation ceased. His parents keep the truth from him, and it doesn't help matters when his father leaves for good.
When Ashton is 18, a traumatic car accident triggers his abilities, once dormant, to become active. He is gifted with molecular telekinesis, and when he tells his mother, he finally gets an explanation about his history.
Ashton adorns a blue suit as he tries to make the best of his situation, truly a low-tier hero despite his abilities making him a high risk. At first, the attention is really what he's after, and it quickly gets to his head... until he realizes that he actually wants to be a hero, not just some face in the magazines ( better just keep to himself than gain the attention of The Seven ).
DC COMICS / DCU
bear with my slow ass...
STRANGER THINGS
Georgia born and raised. When the Fowlers fell onto difficult times, needing to support their young son DANNY, Ashton’s father JERRY took a position at a local lab under Project MKUltra. The job, if it could even be called that, was utterly brutal. Although he was receiving financial compensation, the extensive psychedelic drugs and borderline torture were a rollercoaster. At the time, little did the Fowlers understand that MKUltra was a nationwide operation by the CIA attempting to tap into mind-control techniques. Ultimately, when the treatment doesn’t seem to be working, Jerry’s booted from the project. Ashton is born the following year, and things seem… normal. When Ashton was ten years old, his family up and moved to HAWKINS when his dad received a new job offer that he simply couldn’t refuse. Rumors started that Jerry was having an affair, and when his wife confronted him… well, he left the house and never came back. LEANNE never talks about that night, and her boys have never gotten an answer about what their parents really fought about.
Hawkins was… odd. Not at first, but the energy of the place grew uncomfortable over time, like an unreachable itch deep within his veins. Until one day in 1983, when the world just… FEELS DIFFERENT. No one else seems to understand, so Ashton tries to shrug it off and go about his normal day. He really did try to be a good kid. However, far too many days did he return home with scrapes from getting into trouble. That day was nothing different. IMPULSIVE AND RECKLESS, a one-man car accident ( from him speeding, of course ) lands Ashton in a ditch on the side of the road. As he squeezes out from the shattered windshield, falling down to the earth, bloodied fingers strain while reaching for the door handle. Then it happens. A surge of energy sends the handle clean off the door frame and right into his grip. Telekinetic abilities that he’s always had, simply dormant until THE GATE opened, are now a secret piece to his life. He doesn’t even tell his mother, yet if he understood the true depth of his father’s involvement with MKUltra… SHE would have his answers. He’s still a regular teen in some ways, like playing as a guitarist in a local soft rock band called THE GOLDEN FLIGHT. Ashton enjoys being in the spotlight, even for a moment, when they get to play various gigs around town.
Managing his abilities wasn’t easy, yet with time, he had full control over when they were active and what he moved. There were still quite a few risky moments back in gym class. Fresh out of Hawkins High School, Ashton has plans for college, but… they’re a little far off in the future compared to what his mother would like for him. In the meantime, he’s hoping to make some money from his guitar. When that doesn’t seem so simple, he gets a job at the local record store for some extra cash. Typically clad in leather and denim, he lets rock music enlighten his soul while speeding down the old town roads. YEAH, looks like he didn’t learn the first time. Although he adores partying and simply living in the moment, the strange happenings in Hawkins start throwing a wrench in his plans… or lack thereof. But maybe his little telekinetic gift will actually be useful.
Ashton’s age in this verse is flexible to fit in with the gang, but I treat it like he’s around 19.
Ashton’s mom, LEANNE FOWLER, is close friends with KAREN WHEELER.
At Hawkins High School, Ashton wasn’t necessarily part of any particular clique. Extroverted by nature, he’s able to fit in with most people - although admittedly most of his time was spent with his fellow band members.
It’s difficult being openly trans and bisexual in the 80s. Ashton doesn’t want to hide that he’s trans, yet that’s a fact privy to those he cares about.