Sea stars by David Hall

Top left: Ocellate sea star (Nectria ocellata)

Top right: Spiny sea star (Hippasteria spinosa)

Bottom left: Stimpson's sun star (Solaster stimpsoni)

Bottom right: Ochre sea stars (Pisaster ochraceous)

I love it when game have randomise name features.

Dorcas: Golden Dragonborn, Loremaster Wizard.

Oh god, oh fuck (　˙-˙　)

:fire emoji: for the rpc ??

Nobody wants to fess up, but I don't care I'm gonna keep bringing it up.

The stigma against female characters.

"No there's no such thing," no yes there is shut up. I can fucking see it, it is so disgusting. What? Do their boobs frighten you? Are they just too hot for you? Too sexy?

I am being so petty I know but I am so tired of the people who specifically say that it's made up that it isn't a thing when it is. I make it my personal mission to try to make my spot as invested in them as the rest of this rpc is invested in cock. yEAH I USED THE C WORD WHAT OF IT AWRAXA.

I just want y'all to know that your female characters are interesting, they are intriguing, they are beautiful, gorgeous, show-stopping.

I'm not saying you HAVE to be interested no that's NOT the point I'm trying to get across. If you're not that's FINE, but the PROBLEM I have is with those who want to act like it's not there. IT'S THERE.

Don't contribute to the issue. Also huge shoutout to those who see it and try to do something about it by not just bringing the issue into attention but by investing their muses into theirs, I see you guys, you guys are wonderful.

me seeing that the URL @viaetor is available: 👁️👁️

"i make for you," he offers a plate with warm and golden hash browns, in the perfect paw-print shape, complete with a side of jam made from fresh berries and sweet flowers he picked himself, "you try?" // @solasters

:: ⨇ // From here with @solasters

      Prolonged silence is strong enough of a cue for Kaveh to realize his question was of more significance than he accounted it for. His gaze is held over the traveler not as someone who aims to rush and his actions during the wait confirm as much — the architect is equally composed while he simply listens, his wrist flicks smoothly with a spoon in his hold to scoop up some of the syrup topping sweetening his plate of candied Ajilenakh nut.

      Aether's pace and lilt are so distinctly... ethereal on Kaveh's ears, the immersion in the tales of distant worlds is inevitable. He feels the weight of each word and can only describe it as a contradictory cocktail of sensations: his chest fills with density he hasn't experienced before, but the overall state of his body and mind is light as a feather, as if suspended in nothingness. Supported by gravity alone.

      He exhales, lets out the air he's held in his lungs while digesting not only his dessert, but his companion's story as well. Truth be told, the images he's drawn in his mind may not be the same as Aether's truth, but they're breathtaking nonetheless.

      ‘ Oh, wow. ʼ It's like being pulled out of a trance. He let his imagination run amok, taking him through corridors of the most beautiful crystalline walls and breezy pathways. Reality is no less striking, yet he knows what lies there, in the realm of the stars, is truly like nothing he's ever seen.

      Plate and spoon are abandoned, set aside in favor of busying himself with a napkin. Kaveh dabs at the corners of his mouth lightly, allows himself a pause of his own to fully drink in the things he has yet to know. Before answering, the outline of a smile befalls the lines of his figure. It's twin to a light chuckle, friend to the gentle nodding of his head. ‘ Any other time and I would confirm without a hitch. Flirting with inspiration is a constant for me, but, right now, I'm not on a chase for it. ʼ That's enough of a remark to address a bit of himself.

      The blond's features soften afterwards, his look toward Aether is sympathetic, more delicate when circling back to this other thing the fallen star has confided. ‘ If going back is decidedly not an option, I hope you may find a myriad of other places to call home. Whether they house you under a roof made of glittering gold and silver or not. ʼ

Solaster stimpsoni

Sea star specimen at the Harvard Museum of Natural History, Cambridge, MA.

@solasters.

"thank you for the day out, you two." hand to his chest to express his gratitude, the traveller spoke in surprising tenderness as he looked at teucer and tartaglia. teucer had come to visit liyue harbour again, this time with his brother's consent. under childe's request, aether had accompanied them both through the flower fields of qingce village and the stony sights of stone gate before resting at the entrance of wangshu inn. he lowered himself to offer teucer a goodbye hug, but when he was adjusting himself to leave, he noticed the expectant (or was it longing) gaze from the fake toy-maker. blond eyebrow raised, he wore a taunting smile. "what is it? you want a goodbye hug too?"

          there is little in the world to yearn for at that moment to see his little brother smiling bright, eyes full of child wonder that ajax can only hope to preserve for eternity. it is bittersweet to be reminded of a home he can return to any time with his presence, temptation teasing at his fingers when he holds all the resources possible to drop everything—drop the world at atlas’ feet, if need be—to see his family again. but there is much to be done for his revered tsaritsa. he refuses to rest until he sees her rebirth & rise from the divine soil of celestia itself, bloodied with the ichor of gods.

          but it would be ungrateful of him to say he doesn’t appreciate the moment of reprieve, to quite literally ‘stop and smell the flowers.’ much of his time in liyue has been purely for professional matters, and he’s overlooked the lush evergreens of this land. ( not that he’s had the opportunity to appreciate when he’s skidding / thrashing / ripping the earth at its roots to outmaneuver his enemies, crimson oft splattered & tainting the land when necessary. ) he regrets not having done so sooner. qingce & its elevated lands reminds him of his homeland at the foot of snowy peaks, the cool rivers much like where he once dove as a child. teucer had stared in fascination at the glaze lilies as it awoke in the dusk, blossoming at the caress of moonrays. 

          teucer had gushed to his brother as the flowers gleamed into the night. but, little one forgive him, childe had been preoccupied with the true breath-taking sight then. even with the clear sky of a thousand lights, the moon gleaming brightest of all, childe looked to the hand pointing up to the heavens as aether explained the constellations / worlds / possibilities that lay blanketed overhead. on another day, he would have supplemented his own stories & fantasies into the conversation to fuel teucer’s active imagination. but it is one of the rare moments childe finds himself tongue-tied, awestruck from the mere sight of a beautiful man. 

( oh, it seems he still remembers what beauty could look like. childe had thought he lost his use of adjectives, but it seems he’s rediscovering this once foreign vocabulary slowly, surely. how do you fathom the fact that the stars carved the secrets of the world into one being, how bright he shines / burns in both night & day? )

          even now, as they nearly part ways, childe is endeared by this ‘ethereal being’ directing ataunt his way. childe would not have minded if aether had given all his attention to his brother, he would not have had it any other way. but his body wills him forward without even a second thought. how could he have forgotten? he is in orbit of the sun, undeniably drawn to the gravity of aether.

          “what’s that, comrade? you want a goodbye hug? and i thought teucer was the clingy one.” he spread his arms open for the traveler, a rather eager stride to his steps despite only being a short distance away. he doesn’t give aether the opportunity to respond, nearly closing in the distance - only for him to abruptly place his arms back to his side. the suspense is worth the incredulous ( adorable ) expression aether flashes at him. and oh, don’t think he doesn’t notice aether mirroring the opened arms, readying for a hug as well. childe nearly rethinks the offer, but... it would be silly to accept a ‘goodbye’ hug now, would it? “i will have to reject it! it’d be inappropriate to ask for one, when this certainly isn’t a goodbye now, is it?” gloved fingers ghost over tan cheek, teasing a caress, only for him to tuck golden strands behind the shell of his ear. how he would love to engulf him wholly, entirely, to himself. “i shall see you soon, aether.” 

▸▸ [ @solasters || dehya starter call ]

─「ديهيا」─  her hand placed the large, almost oversized cloak over the form of the golden traveler, seeing him out here underneath the starry sky of the desert without much of a cover other than his regular outfit. it was IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT, and they were resting to prepare for more exploration tomorrow.

                " the desert gets really cold at night, you should cover up. " the flame-mane patted the other on the shoulder, a reassuring touch even without words. there was a certain lonely air when she watched the other's back earlier. the lone shadow cast from his frame underneath the moonlit night felt ... solitary. it reflected his core, however, as a fallen star from another world. and she couldn't help wanting to offer him a sense of warmth, as momentarily as it might be.

                " can't sleep ? would you mind if i join you ? "

Close-up detail of the striped sunstar (Solaster stimpsoni)

Photo by Shane Gross

    ˏˋ°•*⁀➷ˏˋ°•*⁀➷ ˏˋ°•*⁀➷ˏˋ°•*⁀➷ ˏˋ°•*⁀➷ˏˋ°•*⁀➷ ˏˋ°•*⁀➷ˏˋ°•*⁀➷      

                      @solasters​    ⋮⋮    starter   call   ⤸   accepting ♡

❝  This... isn’t how it’s supposed to look. Oh no, I must have messed up somewhere along the way! I’m so sorry Traveler.  ❞  How embarrassing! Ooh, and this was supposed to be her 𝙨𝙥𝙚𝙘𝙞𝙖𝙡𝙩𝙮 𝙙𝙞𝙨𝙝 too. Scratching her head sheepishly, she offers Aether a wary smile.  ❝  Looks like I need more practice. You don’t have to eat it! Why don’t I buy you lunch instead?  ❞

@solasters / starter call.

It's a sight that rouses turbulence upon his spirit and it's what makes Tetsuya reach for Aether and gently shake him in hopes of waking him. "Aether... Aether, wake up!" He's loud on his demand. He's crying in his sleep.

LATE CHRISTMAS ASK(S). @solasters asked ;; ❛ㅤ𓆩✦𓆪ㅤ:ㅤ𝑎 𝑚𝑒𝑟𝑟𝑦 𝑦𝑢𝑙𝑒 𝑤𝑖𝑡𝘩 𝑦𝑜𝑢 !ㅤ/ㅤ“ it’s important to keep yourself warm during winter. ”   his tone was the same used by those that reminded loved ones to take an umbrella out when the clouds were grey and many, or when people made a beverage to their beloveds after a nightmare in the peak of dark, offering a lap to rest shortly after. affectionately and gently, the tips of his lips curved as his hands kept working—a loose knot made of fluffy and pink crochet now decorated her neck, and now her usual exposed ears got warmed by sewn ones, light and flexible to the touch. nodding to the new sight, he continued:   “ i sewed this scarf myself, but if it’s too big, let me know, okay? ”   he patted her head, grin widening like the dawning sun,   “ happy yuletide, minette. ”

His approach is met with a cheerful smile , an inquisitive chirp popping from the knights throat at his words. There's a slight stiffening to her form as the fuzzy wrap is placed around her neck and her ears encased (it didn't seem like he'd been shocked , though . . Phew.) Still caught in something of a daze Minette sways with the pat to her head , mentally taking stock of the situation as fast as her befuddled brain would let her (albeit a bit hard to do when being blinded by such a bright smile . .) In an instant her tail springs to life in an excitable sway , honey hues growing wide , glittery , and gooey as her shaky hands reach up to (cautiously) touch against the scarf like something precious she's afraid to sully.

But she can't help herself , face (coloring over a shade to match both her hair and new accessory) soon shoved into the scarf with a rather unexpected girlishly high - pitched (an excited screech ? ?) noise as she nuzzles into the fabric.

" ~ ! Th - Thank you so much , Aether ! It's p - perfect , I love it ! " A comforting warmth spreads from the fluff around her neck to the rest of her body. He had no obligation to her , and yet he had still gone out of his way to not only give her something but to give her something he had spent time making all on his own ! She wasn't sure what she had done to merit something like this , but she can scarcely recall a time she's ever felt quite so warm or happy.

[ 𝐁𝐑𝐔𝐒𝐇 ] ―sender brushes receiver’s hair (aether giving kaveh a cafuné when kaveh can't sleep maybe? :3c)

The five senses ·⨇· Here ·⨇· @solasters

      Were his eyes closed, Kaveh would've missed the glimmer of golden galaxies peering down back at him; were his eyes more alert, not overcome with fatigue, maybe he could better read the emotions reflected on Aether's face.

      Not drifting off is a challenge when nimble fingers weave patiently through blond locks. They comb through soft waves, undo their bindings and remove their pins, carefully treat them out of their adornments. It wasn't supposed to happen, Kaveh has half a mind to remember. The weight of nights upon nights without rest is not one for the traveler to ease off the architect's shoulders and yet... those damn fingers work their magic, hold him hostage to the comfort they bring with each stroke and gentle scratch over his scalp.

      ‘ Aether, ʼ soft, low in volume and a rival to the quietest of whispers. Kaveh's intention to protest is as clear as his need to doze off. It falters as his strength wanes and his lashes finally shut to grant carmine twins the break they've been begging for. ‘ This feels, mmm, nice. ʼ Then his body shifts on the divan, a sluggish movement urging him to flip to his side with his face safely tucked against the other's tummy, an arm curling around his waist for support. ‘ But I can't... I can't fall asleep yet, my deadline... It is so close... ʼ Valiant efforts aren't enough to make this a battle of which Kaveh will come out victorious. His voice dies down over parted lips as consciousness becomes a frail little thing escaping his stubborn grasp.

@solasters || [ ♦ ]

It wasn't often Thoma had time on his hands, and usually when he did, he typically found something to do with them. While it was usually tidying up around the Yashiro Commission, cleaning up around the courtyard or straightening up the interior, or even doing what he could to take some errands off of his lord and lady's to-do lists. It was rare that he actually ran out of things to do, at least for the moment that is.

Suppose that's why he was on this leisurely stroll, a low whistle drawn from his lips as he took in the sights of Inazuma. Now freed from the Sukoku Decree, everyone seemed much livelier than they were before, it was beautiful, nearly contagious. It was hard not to be in high spirits seeing all the kids running around, the laughter that filled the streets. Surely it would die down sooner or later, but for now he was happy to enjoy the atmosphere.

He didn't, however, expect to see the very traveler who was responsible for said contagious energy. "Oh, Aether - !" Thoma called out, a wide smile on his features as he made his way over to the other, "Didn't expect to see you back in Inazuma so soon."

"What brings you over this way?" The other had left to continue his journey just a few short weeks ago, he couldn't imagine there was anything else in Inazuma that required his attention.