#personally i love the aether

[scrys-cream]

patchwork starmap has always gone hard but um what does tumblr fr feel about this??

uhh peach/abyss/peach. inspired by the work of @ vongacy on fr hahaha

[pycth]

Big stretch :)

Was simply in my missing Michael hours last night<3

Bonus—

[batfossil-fr]

one of the many aethers I've finished lately

[sarcastic-neek]

I think the reason I find Xiao X Aether so appealing is because Xiao doesn't want anything from the Traveler.

Honestly Xiao / Traveler works but I prefer Aether because of his characterization as the softer twin.

Lumine, from what I've seen and what the fandom seems to agree on, is a bit colder and more no nonsense of the two. She does the commissions for a paycheck and rolls her eyes when people randomly approach her with more. She makes her discomfort known but does it anyway because she is a good person who wants to help.

Aether is more of a chronic people pleaser. He'll grin and bear it, saving his snark for whenever he and Paimon are alone because he wasn't other people to see him as anything less than helpful and cooperative.

Enter Xiao. He shows up and doesn't want anything from the Traveler. He's self-sufficient and instead wants to help the Traveler, telling them to speak his name when they're in trouble. The Traveler refuses to take advantage of his offer and instead only calls him for cute, easy tasks (taste testing food).

The Traveler refuses to be a burden; Xiao already suffered enough. So the Traveler is kind, offering small gifts of food and quiet companionship because they care. Xiao never asked for anything but the Traveler gives and gives because that's what they know.

Xiao is easily overwhelmed by this shower of kindness, but they can't stop it. What they can do is attempt to offer kindness in return. Crystalflies to decorate their hair. Answering their call and letting himself be included in whatever the Traveler is up to now. Taste testing food.

But never once does he push. Xiao never asks for anything more than attempts at companionship, but even that is mostly in response to the Traveler always asking if Xiao would like to do something (Teapot lines). Xiao is unobtrusive, quiet. He expects nothing but is so grateful for chances to be around the Traveler after they've broken down their walls bit by bit.

The chasm quest highlights this. Xiao is fine being separated from the others, wanting to keep them at arms length because he himself is a danger with his karmic debt. But the Traveler is there. They are there and hurt. The Traveler that he KNOWS is a self sacrificial fool willing to do anything to save everyone else, but no one will save them.

So Xiao comes, to ensure the safety of the Traveler, the one person who had been nothing but patient and kind to him but that no one else seems to fret over.

And why would they? This is the famous gold haired traveler who had fought dragons and gods alike. They're a legend, unrivaled, peerless. A friend to the archons. A master swordsman. They see the Traveler as untouchable.

Just like the Yaksha.

Xiao understands what it's like to bear the burdens of this world. He understands what it feels like to be ordered around to solve problems. So he comes and offers himself as the sacrifice in his stead. He isn't asked to. No one wants him to. But if not Xiao, it would have been the Traveler. Xiao does it because he won't ask someone else to bear the burden.

To me, that's what it all boils down to. Both of them just want to help the other, but there are no expectations. No commissions or fights that they ask the other to join. No requests. Just two people who both shoulder a heavy burden finding solace in someone else who understands and asks for nothing.

They aren't the gold haired traveler and the Yaksha.

They're just Aether and Xiao.

[fatedroses]

Many things were used to describe the mad hermit of Amaurot: a drunkard, degenerate, cynical, and even monstrous by those who stirred trouble for the newly appointed Azem. But nothing could prepare Emet-Selch for what he would see for himself, when offered a chance to meet the Sun's Shadow.

[mintjeru]

i'm cheering you on badly / with this terrible personality of mine

open for better quality | no reposts

[aethernoise]

A few weeks ago, I decided I wanted dyable Constellation pants for my AST glamour, and went back into Eureka Anemos for the first time in over two years. Then, tonight I cleared Baldesion Arsenal and got my very own orb to ponder.

For multiple expansions, I had kinda given up on Eureka. I stopped at level 21 - just entering Pagos - when it was current, and wistfully watched others progress through the 4.x patches without me. It just started to seem like something I'd probably never go back to because it had "been too long" and I didn't have a dedicated group to go with. It seemed exhausting and intimidating.

But then something in me kinda just went "fuck it." I did it, and mostly alone. I relied on pickup groups and the friendliness of familiar faces along the way, and ended up joining CAFE for a newbie-friendly run of BA once I was finished with my new shiny weapon.

Moral of the story is: Do It Scared. Do It Anyway. Just get in there and shout.

[gravehags]

lingerie sets purchased by the ghouls for beatrice (top row from left: mountain, dewdrop, swiss // bottom row from left: rain, phantom, aether)

[earthry]

tum ✨

i want to bully him <3

[nightmareonpeachstreet]

Ororon didn't die and come back to life for his grandma to be straight, you put that nonsense back where u found it, hoyo

[angee1011]

Ahhh went to Galaxycon in Columbus yesterday and got to meet Hayden Christensen and Zach Aguilar!

Hayden was so nice! He shook my hand and I was like “omg” and got a lovely photo with him 💜

Zach was equally as nice! He was a blast to meet and interact with, he even did a couple lines from Genshin for me 🤣 it was surreal

I had a better time at this year’s galaxycon but the lines were killer lol

[caryscat]

FUCK kaloscope

[magentakat]

Made these silly lil’ Mammet bois for the Voidsent!AU I’ve got chilling on a back burner—dunno if they’d have these outfits in it but they’re cute so it’s fiiiiine. :P

[karmicbias]

Ghoul Week night 1, success!

Unmasked ghouls below the cut.

I'm exhilarated and exhausted but wow, what an evening! Scroll to the end if you're just here for the good Chris photo - I want to remember as much as I can about the night which means trying to write everything important now before I go to sleep.

Opener, Blaqk Audio? Amazing. The lead singer seemed to be pleasantly surprised by the audience's energy and got realllll up close and personal with the front row. Fun music, I'm definitely going to add them to my rotation.

Debated leaving my spot during their set in hopes of catching Chris at the bar or something but my gut said I wouldn't be able to get back easily enough and it wouldn't be good time to chat anyway, so I stayed. As soon as the opening set ended and the crew started switching around the gear for Sisters, I spotted Chris pretty much immediately, setting up his station at Doctor Avalanche. I was in about the fourth row and made heart hands up high and pointed at him and he shot me a quick grin and a peace sign.

Sisters of Mercy were great! I'd heard that the last tour was kinda a let down but there was plenty of energy tonight! Ben Christo has incredible hair and arms and got lots of cheers from the audience throughout. Their other guitarist, Kai, also got lots of cheers especially on his 12-string.

Funnily enough Chris's onstage presence is the most subdued in the band (other than the frames of his sunglasses - everyone comes out wearing them but his glow under the blacklights). He's in the back and mostly just stands there stoically while Eldritch and the guitarists sing and strut. Crowd was packed pretty tight by the end and we were all good and sweaty which tbh means we were having a great time.

Once the encore wrapped I got back outside quickly for fresh air (yay small venues) and to see if it looked likely that I'd be able to catch Chris by the tour bus. A tiny crowd, maybe a dozen folks, seemed to also be waiting and security was chatting and not running anyone off so I decided to give it a go.

Waited for maybe a half hour without much activity other than pizzas being delivered and trash being taken out when I look up from my phone and spot someone hauling a couple of armfuls of stuff to the bus - and it's Chris! I call out his name and he gives a little half wave and a gesture that seemed to mean, I'll be back in a minute. So I wait.

Next thing I know he's ambling over! I've rehearsed this enough in my head that I don't freak out. I show him the pin of his cat, Rosie, that he shipped with the album I ordered from him, which he was delighted to see, and ask if he'd mind taking a picture. He agrees immediately and slings an arm around me. I follow his lead, i guess, and put my arm around his waist??

The conversation was going really smoothly and we spent a few minutes sharing various cat photos on our phones (classic), and I even had a natural opening to mention the show at 54 Below later this week, which he said he was bummed to be missing by one night with the Sisters tour schedule. Chatted about Enter the Vortex and he had a big laugh when I mentioned I was excited to see what Mad/Dylan wears for the show.

I told him how much I was enjoying the Kitchen Disco albums and he said there's one more coming next month. We talked for a good bit about his motivation for recording them and how the project started as an EP, then grew into an album, and eventually four albums.

At some point he apologized to me repeatedly for taking a minute to respond to a text, but as far as I was concerned he was taking time out of his evening for me so it wasn't a big deal.

I'm sure we chatted about some other stuff but I have to admit that I probably don't remember all of it... I would have stayed and waited to see if Ben came out but it was getting late, and I needed to get the friend I went with home before midnight.

Regardless, I'm so so happy I went and that I waited! The music was all absolutely fantastic and I got to meet someone I really admire, and tell him how much I appreciate his work.

A very good night.

[magnusmodig]

||. finally going to bed thinking about lore - keeper asgardians . thinking about how intelligence and wisdom are one of their favored traits. thinking about how thor is the best of every asgardian ideal . thinking about how he is wise . thinking about his street - smarts . thinking about how he is also knowledgeable in legends , lore , and folktale. he is adaptable . he takes this knowledge , adapts to it , and crafts himself into something stronger. he is ever growing , and one of those ways is how he seeks out knowledge , and knows well to keep a sharp mind on the tales told by word of mouth or written on a page.

[cori-randomstuff]

Hoyoverse make a silent protagonist and not give them a sassy personality challenge (impossible)