#and i LOVE ASTER SO MUCH <3333< /div> Explore tagged Tumblr posts

[ananinidraws]

Soooooo we can finally reveal them here! This is Aster <333 They're a co-owned OC between me and @yinyangle and they're our Chatical fanchild <3333

This is my design specifically, Yang has his own design, but they're a plant human hivemind hybrid thingy and they're a big sweetheart <3333

The other two characters are also co-owned by me and Yang, and they're called Sterling (the robot girl) and Marsh (the alien boy), they're all in a polycule <3333

[sotiredimbored]

MOOT APPRECIATION POST

I love my moots(keep reading baout them) also these might repeat so if you all want another more specific post lmk!!!!!!!!!!!

@cheekyboybeth - you legitimately make me smile each time i see you on my dash because you have good comebacks, youre just generally funny, and just amazing to be around

@calypso10191 - tbh i have no words, you are amazing, awesome, cool, the best, every positive adjective ever, you light up my day, the sun to my moon, i love talking to you so much woeghweougmhew

@seekmemystar - we haven't talked a lot yet, but i WILL say that you seem rly cool ad from your interactions with other moots, you sound awesome and i hope we can talk more

@thestrawberryapologist - i can't believe you haven't got snow :(((( i rly liked our first convo, and you were so cool and awesome, and I RLY RLY RLY hope we can talk more in the future!!!

@planetjinko - just like with some of my other moots, i haven't chatted with you too much yet, but I rly like seeing ur blog on my dash and i hopewe yet tpo talk a lot !!

@a-t1r3d-b1s3xual - you are, to be genuine, a great person, and thats rly all i need to say, because youre just such a kind peson to chat with !!!

@moku-and-his-madness - we haven't been able to talk as mch, but i love talking with you all the time because you are RELATABLE AND AWESOME AND AN AWESOME ARTIST SAND HWEOUFMHEWOUFHW

@serialkilluh-1996 - i haven't been able to talk to you yet(hopefully soon tho) and i love seeing your posts, though, so i rly rly hope that we can chat a lot more !!

@arandombiped - youre just such a kind and generous person, and i love the little drawing you made of me, and honestly speaking, its so much fun interacting with you!

@sleeplessfluid - i love to see your edits, bvc theyre so much fun to see, and i honestly do admire you and hope that we get to hang out a lot more now!!!

@demigod-jack-hearth - i love chatting with you becuase you're just a good pereon who gives godd adcice, youre caring, youre kind, and so much more !!

@circe-but-better - you're so much fun to talk to(soryr ive veen repeating this a lot) and i love to chat with you because you're just gerneally interesting, and youre kind and just light up my day

@sstarmanbutitsregulusblack - we haven't talked a lot yet, but (not to sound like some random fan) but i rly like seeing your posts on my dash and seeing you in general !!

@blizzardtheartisticfox - you give such great adivcei, and i love to see you on my dash because you're just a kind person/gen, and i think its always good to see you

@eef-stars - this one is gonna be alittle short but i love you all the same i promsie: you are interesting/pos. ui love to see those little snippets of your life on my dash because each time i just think "waht is he up to now what are the shenanigans" and its always awesomesauxe

@choucon - your poetry is always so much fun to read, and although we havent gotten to talk as much as i wsih we could, i rly like to see your posts and i always stop for them each time

@xx-neuro-xx - i love to see your posts & talk with you, and though we mainly met just thrugh @formertokenstraight-deactivated (missed forever/srs) i genuinely love to see you and appreciate you

@kermit-spooky-season-edition - you because each time that i see you, i get a little bit happier because i can relate to you, and i can just freely chat with you & i feel like youve always made an effort to include me, so thank you <3333

@here-am-i-sitting-in-a-tin-can - yes just yes because youre kind, generous, nice in general, awesome, yesyesyesyesyes :)))))))))/gen/pos

@asters-tempo - you are always fun to chat with, and i rly love chatting with you (sorrry repeated that) and seeing you lights up my day :DDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD

@cowboyhentai - when i accdentally misspelled your name as shanks somehow and you added it to your intro, i actualy felt a part of me grow and shine it was amazing bc you made me feel appreciated !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! YAY YOU

@starkissed-mars - the shenanigans we have together are incomparable, and i love it wahtsoever because its just us i feel like searching for pics of two people and taggin gyou us core

@star-dust-shark - each time i see your posts, i get so happy because its YOU !!! and i wish you nothing but happiness and excitemess and the happy juice

@pearl-div3r - the things we do together are just so much fun and the way we met was unconventional and i just basolutely love anything and verything about us <3333 also if you see this the moment i post it go to bed >:(

@gardenoflilys - i always love to see you its like a trewat of candy on my dash and i mean like nerds gummy clusters because i love gummy clusters :DDD also i started to read the outsiders because of you because i wanyted to releate to u and talkto you about it because youre the bestest

@ashmoor - each time i see you i hope that youll be in more of my tag games because i always forget(im so sorry mi amiga) and each time i go on your b;olg i reblog the pinned post because youre just that great !!!

@fishcow99 - though we mainly met through brody im rly glad we did because lathough we dont talk mych, i love to see your posts even if i dont understand them(like a supportive dad whi doesnt quite understand but its ok <3333)

@crowofthestars - you are so swqeet & kind and thoughtful, and i hope wqe get to talk a lot more because you are just so cool and i cannot believe we are moots

@hershey-not-the-chocolate-maybe - i love seeing you on my dash because you are somehow alwasy relatable youre like a pinterest whisper/pos

@kunikisss - your art and vibe in general is so cool and awesome, and I PROMISE ONCE I UNDERSTAND WAHT THE FUCK IM DOING I WILL FINISH THTE THINGY IM SORRY EWHFOUEWMFHOEW SOB anyway ur the bestest

@kawaiibarty - i realize i fucked up because i accidentally made the post towards your side acc, but i dont care because you get two now youre just that cool and awesome <333333333333

@butch-marauders - i love to see your posts and i rlly hope we talk more because you seem like a very sweet person and awesome in gerenarly :)))

@definitionoffuckup - you legit made me so excited to join tumblr because you were so exciting and kind to me it just made me brave enough so thank you THANK YOU !!! you tbh changed my life <3(sorry is that a lot sorry)

@rins-batcave - i loive talking with you, and each time you keep liking and rb ing my posts i jusyt get so happy because it means someone as amazing as you actually thinks im awesome too :D

@mun-urufu - you light up my day when we talk, and the fact you made a playlist for the forest group thing just shows me how much you care and how kind you are !!!

@raeprise - i love talking to you and listening to you bc i just fills me w a warm fuzzy feeling, do thank you ❤️❤️❤️

@k-is-for-potassium - i have remembered so much in science bc if you soni greatly appreciate you for that, and your for our convos bc they're always sm fun

@yourlocalbadgerscales - i honestly kinda look up to you because you are just brave and kind, which I think is rly hard

@stqrgirl3 - your pfp reminds me of that one song that goes like girls just wanna have fun i just wanna have sx in a car and you're rly kind and i love chatting w u bc you match my energy and just yesyesyes

@daggerhobbit - though we dont talk as much anymore(ALSO IM OS OSRRY I DIDNT GET TO ADD YOU IN TIME NOOO HWEOFUWMHEO) you're a really wesome person and i love when we do chat !!

@you-will-never-be-satisfied - you are honestly so kind and a great friend, which i sincerely appreciate

@aesthetic-writer18 - you've listened to me vent and offered support, as well as just been there to chat and include me, so i am eternally grateful ❤️❤️❤️

@funz1es - I love watching you and i think ur art is just awesome, generally ur just a great friend and companion :DDDD

@themortalityofundyingstars - though we haven't gotten tot alk a lot yet, i rly like seeing your posts/gen !!

@lifegoalsofafish - u were one of the first ppl iet on this app, and i thought you were cool and you are end of sentence :)))

@garden-of-runar - you are one of the first ones i spotted on this app(we are in fact getting to the first's here lol) and altho we don't talk a lot, i do like seeinf ur posts!!!

@gasolinehornet - another on eor the first's here, iwlove seeing ur posts and your art(so talented wowzers) and just chatting with u/gen

@stars-on-my-bedroom-ceiling - THE FIRST MOOT I FOT ON HERE THAT SAYS SMTH YOU ARE JUST AN ALL AROUND GRETA PERSON SO ID LIKE TO THANN GOU :)))

[amethyst-aster]

@yuumei-art you don’t have asks open so I have to tag you

WHY TF ARE YOU SO FREAKING TALENTED?! LIKE, I SCROLL AND SEE YOUR WORK AND IM JUST LIKE “wow…it’s so pretty!!! I need to put this as my lock screen and show it to everyone I know” BECAUSE ITS SO GOOD! THE SHADING IS BEAUTIFUL AND ON POINT, THE CONCEPTS ARE STUNNING, THE COLORS MATCH AND ARE VIBRANT IF NEEDED

Omg I can not stress how much I love your art <3333

-Aster (out of character)

[pompeii-the-houseplant]

get to know a mutual better!

thanks for the tag @clairdelilac! finally getting around to doing this :')

LAST SONG: Hallucinations - PVRIS. I only knew Dead Weight by her but spotify autoplay shuffled this one and I might have to go listen to the whole album now

FAVOURITE COLOUR: orange!!!! at some point in my life i bonded with it like a stray cat-- it is the colour of life to me, i associate it very strongly with sunlight. might fuck around and dye my hair it

CURRENTLY WATCHING: started rewatching the fruits basket reboot! most beloved comfort series <3333 if you haven't watched it or read the manga, i know the concept seems a bit off-putting!! but it is SUCH a good exploration of intergenerational trauma and family abuse. the characters are wonderfully complex, the art and the soundtrack of the reboot is superb, highly highly recommend. series of all time. currently watching it w/o subtitles to try and revive my japanese, so im feeling very cool about being able to understand it so far (definitely nothing to do with the fact i know this story better than my own hands)

LAST MOVIE: rewatched kiki's delivery service for the first time in a while. currently got uni burnout so it hit much harder than i anticipated ㅠㅠ

CURRENTLY READING: i've been really bad at reading the past few weeks, but the last books i was reading were Klara and the Sun - Kazuo Ishiguro, and Babel - R.F. Kuang.

SWEET/SAVOURY/SPICY: all three <3 i love my spice, i have a really big sweet tooth tho. i am a terrible chronic snacker; if there is food in front of me, i will be eating it.

LAST THING GOOGLED: "our wives under the sea". friend recommended me a book they finished recently :)

CURRENT OBSESSION: i tend to hyperfixate on music really easily. lately it's been Flora Fauna - Billie Marten, I'm Your Man - Mitski (actually went feral the first time i heard it), and Reputation - Taylor Swift (the eras tour movie awoke something). incredibly excited for the new TAEMIN album. and i've got ATEEZ on the brain, as per usual

CURRENTLY WORKING ON: uni has been taking up most of my time tbh, i've been trying to get back into my old hobbies tho. took a lyra class a few weeks ago just for funsies, and i've got about three creative writing projects bouncing around my brain like a dvd screensaver. once exam period ends i will be unstoppable

i'm tagging: @exhausted-asterism, @raise-me-up-take-me-up, @minmarti, @fireworksgalaxy, @evilautisticsociety

[same-pic-of-uranus-everyday]

[I love it <3333 -mod aster]

I love this so much

the family ever ☹️

save me, new solar balls episode. save me 🙏🙏🙏 ive been fightinf for my life deciding what hairstyle i would give neptune LMAO ill probably change it again soon cuz its just not it for me

[allovertheplace-writing]

rosie hihihi !! idk if u've been asked this b4, but i'm curious as to who are your faves in the persona games? 👁 (from the ones you're familiar w hehe)

also, hope you're doing well !! was your weekend good? :O <3 ✨

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Aster, hello, hello!! I have been asked this before, but only for Persona 5! I believe Eve was the one who asked me fidjsk BUT I'm familiar with every persona game except the first one so 👀 My weekend was okay, not bad or good but definitely nothing extraordinary lmao thanks for asking! How was yours?

My favorite characters from Persona 2 are Maya, Jun, Tatsuya, and Eikichi!

From Persona 3, I favor Akihiko, Shinjiro, Bebe, and, the fem Mc, Minako.

My favs from Persona 4 are Kanji, Chie, Adachi, Dojima, and Nanako!

For Person 5, my favorite characters from the og release are Ryuji, Sojiro, Futaba, and Akechi! From the royal release it's Kasumi, Maruki, Joker, Sae, and Haru <3

Who are your favorites btw? I'm curious 👀

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

[xiaophobic]

DILUC FOR THE ASK GAME 😳 (or if someone was faster than me, thoma then ?!)

ASTER AHHH NOYOURE THE FIRST THANK YOU ILY (& IM GONNA DO BOTH OF THEM BECAUSE FUCK IT WHY NOT <3)

diluc …

first impression! — he’s okay i guess?? why are his eyes so slanted like that they need to fix his model PLS I REALLY WAS NOT ROCKIN WITH HIM AT FIRST

impression now! — light of my life ohmygod OHMYGOD DILUC DILUC DILUC DILUC DILUC AHHHHDGABDHAHDBAUXJDJ!!&?&?! im so sorry i didn’t see you for who you are once king it will never happen again i will defend you until the day i die even if you could likely bench press me

favorite moment! — during the archipelago when he kept saying dodo king and then kaeya was like “does anyone else find it hard not to laugh when this mf says dodo king” BUT ALSO HIS TEAPOT VOICELINES <3333

idea for a story! — jesus too many but my favorites right now?? pyro archon!diluc, this one set of headcanons im writing including him called “start of spring”, and this DCKZ thing im writing that’s from the pov of an interviewer OMG its so cute

unpopular opinion! — i don’t actually mind his in game model? maybe its because ive gotten used to it but his coat defies physics and i still yell at mihoyo every survey to give us a diluc skin… UHH WHAT ELSE ??? OH i really feel like the kaeya & diluc situation is kinda equal on both sides? ive seen a lot of people debate on like whose more at fault and stuff but i feel like when something that big goes unspoken without any type of apology from either parties for that long the playing grounds kind of even out…… but IF I HAD TO SIDE WITH SOMEONE I MEAN Y’ALL KNOW WHO IM PICKING (yes i still love kaeya)

favorite relationship! — there is no diluc x atlas ship name as of rn because they all sound stupid but us <3 and also thomaluc and zhongluc

favorite headcanon! — that he has scars on his hands from when he first got his vision and was learning to control it, but i always add onto that one and say that they worsened when he went on his hiatus to beat up a bunch of fatui and so his hands are really rough and he has like crooked fingers and shit, that him and kaeya were dumb little kids and that kaeya is actually the older brother, GLASSES, and that he’s really into sudoku (it’s funny)

thoma …

first impression! — y’all he’s just a dude fr…. like he’s just a man there’s nothing really special about him? he just doesn’t stick out to me lol

impression now! — SHOVES D*LUC IN A CLOSET HEYYY THOMAAAAA HEYYYYY I LITERALLY LOVE HIM SO MUCH HES MY SECOND FAVORITE MAN

favorite moment! — when he was tied up because of the shogun UM IN HIS HANGOUT WHERE HE LOWKEY THREATENS THAT DUDE ABOUT THE ORE??? IT WAS SO HOT FOR NO REASON BECAUSE HE KNEW THE POWER HE HELD OVER HIM shit had me twirling my hair fr

idea for a story! — florist!thoma and reader that knows fucking nothing about flowers but he’s pretty and so they go every day just to see him <3

unpopular opinion! — his kit is kinda bad yes but that doesn’t mean HE’S BAD my thoma has hit 86k tyvm 💪 road to 100k here we go

favorite relationship! — us AND YKNOW I WOULDVE SAID THOMALUC BUT A RECENT DEVELOPMENT HAS PERSUADED ME AND OHMYGOD THOMATO!!!! I LOVE THE LITTLE GAY PEOPLE IN MY PHONE SO MUCH

favorite headcanon! — that he was friends with all the current adults in mondstadt when they were kids, half filipino (my friend’s headcanon as they are filipino and ohmygod i love it so much), freckles !!!

[astrxealis]

aster <3333 firstly, hello!!

i just wanted to say i read the tags to your rb of my fic and i wanted to say that i’m really happy you enjoyed so much!! and please don’t worry about me not liking the req or worry that i didn’t want to because i had a lot of fun! it was a bit out of what i usually write and writing sumi is so new, but i really loved working on it and so thankful that you sent it in / are supporting me :) i’ve been reading your tags a billion times over for like,,,an hour lol kind words like yours really motivate me to keep writing and reassure me that my characterization is at least decent lol

i also just want to say that i understand where you’re coming from, in terms of the topic of the contents of your tags. i won’t get into it bc i understand that it’s def a personal thing, but i can relate to it. i’d interact with my mutuals more, but my motivation and social battery is so low that it’s hard to do so through things that aren’t likes and tags / reblogs. there’s nothing to feel bad or anything of the sort about. everything you feel is always 100% valid /gen

EVE !! <333 hello to you too hehe >.<

wahh np at all, i’m glad though that they made you happy!! T^T and good to know, i was a bit worried but i’m glad it was fun ;D for real, that’s amazing to know aaaa thank you to you too ofc <33

and yeah ... :(( it’s unfortunate you relate too, but that’s humanity so ^^; o7 thank you so much for your reassurance!! i do really appreciate it, and will try my best to remember that my feelings are valid TwT <3 ( and also, in regards to your motivation and battery, hugs !!! pls rmbr too that is valid, yes >.< )

[nightghoul381]

aAAAWWWWW ASTER IS SO HAPPY LOOK AT HIIIMMMMM 😍😍😍

This is so cute I love this sooooo so so so much 😭😭😭😭

Merry Christmas little Howell family <3333

A belated Christmas family pic for self-indulgence 🦌

[georgiapeach30513]

omggg im sorry... u're right; it would change too much if anders was present, but it was really really sweet that he wasn't forgotten! 🥺 i love that we have a special spot reserved just for him <3333

also im so glad u didn't go with ur original plan with carter and story, jen, or else u would break me and the heart cops would totally be after you //: HAJHSJH (but nothing ellie belly and becks or otto and his dudes can't fix HEHEHE)

🍁

But Anders would have been such a cute part to the story. I think it would have made Blade even closer to his mom. He'll never be forgotten...there's other ways to remember him.......😉

I know I look back at my original headcanon and I was like, Carter was a dick. It worked out, but he was a dick. There was also a subplot of him sleeping with Aster as well as Story, they're both pregnant, and Story knows it's Carter, while Aster isn't sure. It ends up being Mickey, but still. Carter was not nice in the original headcanon, he was going to be more like Carter from the show. Very stuck up and sure of himself. And Story had a crush and just wanted him in anyway that she could. One draft saw them working out. The other she would end up with Dayton, and Carter would forever pine after her.

Man!! The Dudes!! I miss them

[personshapedsplder]

Every single even number

2. Favourite scream queen?

im gonna pretend this says final girl bc idk what scream queen is so laurie strode!! also anyone who just gets down to business and starts slashin people right back

4. Best remake(s)?

no shade, but not the new chucky movie

6. Overlooked/under appreciated gem(s)?

hmmmm i feel like all my gems are appreciated. i think maybe people say the conjuring was dumb way too much and i tmakes me angry. i like the conjuring!!

8. Favourite John Carpenter film?

HALLOWEEN

10. Scariest scene in a horror movie?

the entire hereditary climax

12. A movie you’ve seen multiple times that still scares/unnerves you?

hereditary all the way 

14. Favourite Universal monster?

oo it looks like universal made the original frankenstein, which i love!! anything frankenstein ill defend

16. Favourite franchise? 

conjuring-i love demons!!!!!!!

18. Top 5 70s horror?

ugh the 70s uhhhh is psycho from the 70s? that was a classic

 20. Top 5 90s horror?

all i can remember from the 90s is scream, which i didnt love LOL A;LKJFSD oo the exorcist is from the 90s! ok the exorcist.

22. Top 5 2010s horror?

hereditary, it, us, 10 cloverfield lane, the conjuring, 

24. New horror movies you’re anticipating?

anything else ari aster makes ever 

26. A movie you love that everyone else hates?

hmmm ok, the slenderman movie sucked for a lot of reasons, i didnt LIKE it. BUT that being said, there were a lot of shots that i liked looking at like, aesthetically. plus, i just love slenderman

28. Favourite director?

ari aster!!!!!!

30. Coolest horror movie poster?

oo ;alskdfj honestly i LOVE how the hereditary poster is like, this awful looking family photo is PERFECt

32. Favourite slasher movie?

HALLOWEEN

34. Favourite exploitation movie?

;alkdsfj all my dads lectures to me abt exploitation films are like, seeping out of my brain right now, he’s explained this to me a zillion times. isn’t quentin tarantino exploitation?!?!?! i mean i love inglorious bastards

36. Favourite zombie movie?

maybe train to busan

38. Weirdest horror movie you’ve seen?

i hate continuing to reference the old classic hashtag horror but 

40. A horror film you wish you could see for the first time again?

hereditary !!!!!!!!

TY FOR ASKING ME ILY

[mmmatchasims]

1-10

OH HECK YEAH ANON

answering these for primrose ofc!!

Do they sleep with a stuffed animal? If they have multiple, who’s the favorite? so rose used to have a stuffed fox that jasmine had bought for her when she was a newborn, and she brought that thing everywhere and slept with it every night. after jasmine disappeared, rose threw it in the back of her closet and doesn't really like to look at it

Can they take care of a plant? What about a pet? What about a child? primrose is exceptionally good with plants and flowers, you'll notice their home is full of them actually! that's all rose's doing; aster isn't gifted with a green thumb, but jasmine loved plants and flowers and primrose definitely inherited her mother's gardening skills, among others. pets are a little much for rose to handle right now, and definitely not children

Ask them to describe their love interest. Primrose: Love literally isn't real. It's just a marketing ploy by Big Valentine™ to sell shit to us on anniversaries and holidays.

Do they look good in red? Red is the color of blood, so yeah, rose thinks she looks pretty badass in red. We might get to see her wearing red soon............ 👀

Speech! Speech! Speech! Speech! Will they give one, and what about? Primrose would literally crawl under a rock and die rather than give a speech. She haaaates attention with a passion and would prefer if people avoided eye contact with her at all times. that being said she'll get real carried away talking about her favorite artists or authors if you let her, so if she ever had to give a speech it would probably be about those things

Who will they take advice from, no matter what it is? Who won’t they take advice from, no matter what it is? Primrose respects very few people in this world. Her teacher Mr. Citron is probably the only one whose advice she'd ever seriously consider, but that's not a guarantee she'll take it. The only reason she's even applying for college is because he threatened to fail her if she didn't. She will never take Fresca's advice, no matter how much they love each other, because she is stubborn and bullish lmao

Describe them in three words. Now let them describe themself in three words. I'd call her Passionate, Courageous, and Sensitive. Primrose: Ew. I'd say... Tired. Annoyed. Hungry?

Do complex puzzles intrigue or frustrate them? Complexity, in general, is not something Rose enjoys. She'd love it if life were a lot simpler than it is.

Do they empathize with non-sentient things (dolls, plants, books…)? HELL YEAH so Rose is a big reader, and she empathizes so heavily with characters that she has to take emotional breaks in between books because of how carried away with the story she can become. She also has a big thing for plants like I mentioned earlier. She enjoys the act of caring for something that cannot tell you what it needs, and finds it kind of endearing that one can grow alongside their plants. She enjoys caring for her plants and flowers much more than caring for herself.

What age do they most want to be right now? Primrose would say 80 years old/retirement age, because the thought of painting and reading all day without having to worry about anything else appeals to her. But secretly she wishes she could go back to being 6 or 7 years old, before Jasmine disappeared. She will never admit to this.

THANK YOU FOR ASKING ANON I APPRECIATE U <3333

[getyouraoion]

Another drabble for @riseofthephoenixfallofdestiny​  <3333

~Aster and Aoi have been dating for well over a year now, even moving in together shortly after her graduation. He’s even starting to open up some, which thrills the charmer duelist... But it also opens up the possibility for all kinds of nasty surprises, including one with ties to Aster’s past.

Warnings for kidnapping, electric shocks, and death mentions.

Part 2 of 2.

Aoi groaned, rubbing at the tingling skin around the shock collar. With only a few hundred points left, she couldn't afford another mistake, glancing from the Dance Princess of the Ice Barrier and the canon behind her to the cards in her hand. She'd been dragging the duel on for an hour, taking her time and cracking jokes, but no matter her move, it had to be her last turn. With a wave-motion canon on the field and having been sitting there for six turns just for the humiliation of being thoroughly defeated, she'd either win, or probably die from the resulting force of the shock the attack and canon would give her.

And with only a Magician's Valkyria on her field, boasting a hundred points less attack strength than the princess, she was ultimately done for without a good draw. But how could she draw when her hands kept shaking so badly? How had Zane gotten so addicted to this? If not for the fact she was trying to keep Aster safe, she'd definitely have run home after the first three turns, when the biggest shocks had hit. Underground dueling definitely wasn't for everyone, apparently, and if she had her way, it'd never bother either of them again.

Trembling fingers slowly pulled the next card from her deck, eyes drifting closed. If this wasn't something good, then he'd be getting his hands on Aster... She didn't care what happened to her, but like hell she'd let anyone touch him! “My move-”

“Taking your sweet time about it, too. Come along now, kid. You met your match. Give in and let me have him.”

Her captor's snide tone made her blood boil; how was he so certain he'd win? Sure, he'd managed to destroy all her charmers but Hiita, the familiar-possessed spellcaster sitting her her hand. Even combining her with the Unpossesed trap active on her field wouldn't help, the raven lifting her new card to peek at...

And instantly breaking out into a smile.

“Hey, remember m' charmers?” she called out, plucking the fire charmer from her hand to summon. “Y' met wind, light, an' earth, but never fire. So I think it's time for you t' meet the girl that changed destiny f' both me and Aster, Familiar-possessed Hiita!” The angry sound from her charmer made her lips quirk into a grin and her opponent's into a smirk; oh, how she was going to cherish wiping that smirk off his face! “Next up, Th' field spell secret village of the spellcasteers! S' long as I have a spellcaster out, you can't use your spell cards – An' I've got two. So guess that means y' won't be beating m' next turn, huh? Not that you'll get a next turn.”

Her kidnapper sighed, making a grand show of examining his fingernails while the stage around them filled with holographic branches and trees, creating the small hidden village pictured on the card she placed. “And I can destroy it next turn. You're so cocky. I might've taken interest had he not found you first.”

Aoi shuddered. “An' now I'm disgusted.”

“You should be flattered. My mentor taught me everything-”

“Like how t' be a creep, apparently.”

“Your mentor was nothing but a monster!”

Two sets of eyes turned to the doorway off to the side of the room, though only one brightened at the sight of Aster. As much as she wanted to thank god for his support, she couldn't help but huff at him; why hadn't he listened? If her strategy failed, he'd have them both! “I told you t' stay at th' party!”

With all the grace of an angry wildcat, the pro simply shrugged his shoulders and grinned, still lacking the familiar sparkle, but now sporting both deck and duel disk on his arm. “I don't listen to fools with thick skulls and accessories she'd normally be caught dead in.”

“If y' keep distractin' me, I will be.”

“...Not a joke I needed to hear, Aoi.”

“Love you too.” Shuffling the cards in her hand, she shook her head, turning back to the duel at hand. “Right... Next up I'll play m' Book of Secret arts- It gives my Valkyria another 300 attack! An' I'll add a One-Shot Wand t' Hiita to boost her another 800-” She could hear the numbers clicking into place in her head; He still had 2900 left to his life points, compared to her 500. Her village kept his spell card sealed, the canon across from her powered down for the moment, previous flashing lights halted and dimmed to near nothingness. Unless he had a trap, then-

“And yet, you can't seem to do math. Go ahead, attack me. It'll buy you a single turn to say goodbye.”

Even Aster chuckled, turning her grin into a laugh of her own. The card had been a gift from the pro; if anyone knew her strategy, it was him, the raven-haired duelist shrugging. “Then I can say goodbye t' you, thanks! Hiita, take out his princess.”

“You still can't do math-”

“You can't tell when I have an ace in m' sleeve.” He was right; she was horrible at math, but she wasn't about to admit as much, turning her gaze to the charmer pointing her staff at the Dance Princess. For the first time, she wished she could really feel the heat from the flames collecting at the weapon's end, rather than just the elaborate hologram they were all used to, the grin of both monster and duelist matching. “Unpossessed has a little effect I never mentioned. Y' got around it earlier an' destroyed Wynn by removing her from it's protection, b'... Familiar-possessed charmers gain an extra 800 attack durin' their attack. Which means not only does y' ice princess melt, but it paves th' way for my Valkyria to completely finish y' off! G' for it, girls!”

She'd never before been so satisfied by the sounds of someone being attacked by a holographic monster, nor that of one being destroyed in battle. But she could have done without the screams of agonizing pain, shaking hands barely returning her cards to their place in the deck, disk retracting and holograms fading, before clasping over her ears and making her trembling far more known to her boyfriend.

But it was his gentle touch, hands cupping her cheeks and gently turning her head towards him, that snapped out of her daze. Green-blue focused on the familiar, warm blue of her firebird, the easygoing smile on his face full of fake cheer and incredible worry. He'd been terrified, ready to do anything it took to set her free on the helicopter ride there... Yet now that he had her in his arms again and she could see that sparkle in his eyes, neither one could find an inkling of the worry they'd felt.

“I told y' I was fine,” she teased, pressing in a soft kiss to his lips. His hands moved to her waist in a heartbeat, then further, arms wrapping around her to pull her flush against him so he could return the kiss with an emotion she couldn't quite place. Love was always present, but... Was that fear? Nervousness? Panic? Whatever it was, it was overwhelming, shaking hands grabbing onto his jacket.

Only when he'd pulled back, just slightly, did his smile drop, laying his forehead against hers. “You're trembling... What do you need?”

“Two things.”

“Name them.”

“Get this collar off m' and... Take m' home...?”

He wouldn't get a chance to reply, the words taking the last of her strength to say. At least she wouldn't hit the floor and just make him panic.... Again....

Hours had passed since the duel. Evening had turned to late night, then the early morning hours, a welcome change once they'd gotten to the hospital and the shock collar removed. She'd need to be closely watched overnight, just in case of internal damage from the force of the electricity, but if nothing went wrong she'd be free to go in a few day's time, minimum, news that initially made the weight light off Aster's chest.

He'd not expected it to return once they were alone in the room, eyes trained on his clasped hands between his knees rather than the sleeping form of his lover on the bed. They'd gotten lucky, this time...  The scenario kept playing out in his head; what if she'd not drawn the card she needed? What if her kidnapper hadn't been so cocky and wanted to finish her off quickly, rather than prolong her suffering? What if he'd never left her for those drinks? And the one thought that scared him the most: What if he'd not reached her in time?

As much as he hated it, he couldn't stop seeing her laying there, completely at the kidnapper's mercy. She'd made it clear she'd do anything to protect him; what would 'anything' have entailed? Just knowing someone was so willing to use her against him made his knotted stomach twist into a painful pretzel, fingers curling tighter and tighter against each other, until his knuckles were white from the grip. By all sane logic, she'd be safer without him, left with her parents in Domino where she could live a happy, normal life.

Yet nobody said he was sane with her in his life. Even if it meant she'd be safer, he couldn't see his life without her in it; her sweet smiles and gentle touches kept him firmly on a path he needed, one he couldn't find alone. And above that, he was tired of being alone, tired of living a life walled off from everyone else. She was his safe haven and he needed to have her beside him.

“Frowns aren't a good look on y'.”

His head practically snapped up, relief flooding him at the familiar green-blue gaze and sweet smile of his girlfriend. If there was ever a time he could dance around and sing it was right then, but the words that left his lips said anything but. “Do you even know how much danger you were in?”

“Mhm. And I know I'm still tired and sore, but hey, look! No more shakes!” With the faintest and most tired of laughs, Aoi held her hand out to show him, the other working the buttons on the bedside to raise the top half of the bed so she could sit up. “An' I can breathe easier, too, though my lungs still hurt. Gonna sound funny, b' my hair hurts-”

“This isn't a joke, Aoi!”

Her rambles came to an abrupt stop with his snap, head canting just slightly to the side. He'd not had anger in his tone towards her in years... “Aster... I told y', I wouldn't let him have you.”

“Don't you understand?” His voice was rising, winning him a flinch from the the charmer duelist. “Did you only think of yourself?! I can't do this without you, Aoi- If he'd killed you, I'd- Sacrificing yourself was the stupidest thing I've ever seen you try to do! Don't ever do that- Don't ever tell me not to come after you! You could've been killed! You expect my life to be the same without you? After I've lost everyone I ever shared my heart with!? What were you even-”

Aster too a deep breath, looking down to his hands again. As angry as he was, yelling was getting him nowhere, though it had thankfully expelled the rest of the urge to do something from his system. Without it, anger slowly eased into worry and heartache, face falling with a heavy sigh. “...Don't make me live without you.”

Slender fingers tugged at a loose thread in her blanket. She knew those feelings... They were the same ones she held for him, a love so strong she couldn't stand to think of life without him. Granted she'd never lost loved ones like him, but...

He was right. She'd not thought things through, and it'd almost cost them both everything. The look of pure heartache and dejection on his face made her own chest hurt; what she wouldn't give to hug him tight and remind him she was still there. “...I'm sorry. B'... Aster, I couldn't... I couldn't let him hurt y'. He wanted revenge an'... What happened to him?”

“...Heart attack.”

“I hate myself for saying he kindda deserved it. Actually, nobody deserves that, but... At least I know he won't b' hurting you in th' future. Still I... I can't live without y', either. I love you, Aster – there was no way I was gonna let him get near you. I promised t' protect you, and I wasn't going to give that up so easily.”

“Aoi, please-”

“You listen here.” Scooting to the edge of the bed, she slipped her legs off, bare feet pressing to the floor, and reached out to pull the pro closer to her. In a heartbeat, he was out of his chair, arms tight around her and face buried into the crook of her neck, a sign he was hurting more than he dared to let on. “Listen. I love y', Aster Phoenix, an' maybe I was too reckless. I'm sorry. But I promised you I'd never let y' hurt anymore, remember? I meant it... An'... A-An' I won't. I promise I won't so please never leave m' either-”

Renewing that promise was her own tipping point, hot tears quickly building and falling as she nuzzled her face into his hair. “S-Stay with m' forever- I need you in m' life too-”

Reaching up, the sileverette cupped her cheeks, pulling her into a soft kiss full of love she quickly returned, burying a hand in his hair, the other grabbing onto the front of his shirt – when had he taken off the jacket? It gave her a chance to feel his body through the light fabric, solid muscle underneath a further reminder he was real and not some kind of wonderful dream.

They'd barely parted when he spoke again, lips still close enough to brush against hers with every word, an action that sent shivers through both. “Then spend your life with me, Aoi. Spend yours with me, and I'll spend mine with you. Stay by my side.”

Green-blue widened; she didn't need a blunt translation to know what he'd just asked of her. It was a request that made her heart skip a beat... And lips curl slowly into a smile, nodding her head with it. “Forever. I will- O-Or should I say I do? 'Cause Aster... There's no place I wanna be than by your side f' all time. Now an' forever. B-But y' think you can handle m'...?”

“Only if you swear not to give me a heart attack. I love you, Aoi.”

“I love you too- Oh god, Aster, you're a dream come true-”

Parents always tell their kids, if you wish on a shooting star, someday, it'll come true. Most of the time, that's just a silly story- A way to boost the hopes and dreams of kids who don't know any better. But on the rare occasion, those wishes are heard – and this time, they made my dream come true with you.