#starflower island

[wheretheharekissesthefox]

Lavender and Starflower (Mobster AU) – Chapter 10

The Dekarios Clan reigns over Waterdeep as the city’s protector for centuries. Suddenly, the Clan gets challenged by Cazador, the head of the Szarr Clan that rules over Baldur’s Gate. Of course, such an attack won’t be tolerated and the intruder must be forced back and out of the City of Splendors. While fixing destroyed protection sigils, Gale, wizard prodigy and heir of the Dekarios Clan, meets a charming stranger called Astarion. And Gale makes the biggest mistake of his life; he invites the pale elf into his home.

Trigger warning (18+): graphic description of sex, graphic description of violence, smut, dissociation, angst, emotional rollercoaster, mobster AU

I was inspired to start writing this fic when I saw this artwork by @arczism

The first poem's an original written by me.

The name of the fictional poet is based on Pan, the Greek god of the wild, shepherds, music, sex, and fertility. The name Pitus stems from Pitys (pine), a nymph who was pursued by Pan.

The second poem's written by me, but inspired by the lyrics to "Wham Bam Shang-A-Lang" by Silver.

In the game, the inscription on Astarion's gravestone reads "Astarion Ancunín: 229 – 268 DR", thus, he died and was turned at the age of 39 (which is very young for an elf since they claim adulthood and an adult name at 100 and can live up to 750 years)

According to D&D lore, Ches aka The Claw of the Sunsets is the third month of the year and the month in which the Spring Equinox takes place.

In Greek mythology, Ariadne was the daughter of King Minos of Crete and helped Theseus escape the Minotaur and then was abandoned by him on the island of Naxos. There, Dionysus (god of wine-making, orchards, fruit, vegetation, fertility, festivity, insanity, ritual madness, religious ecstasy, and theatre) fell in love with her and married her. Many versions of the myth recount Dionysus throwing Ariadne's jewelled crown into the sky to create a constellation, the Corona Borealis (Northern Crown). Ariadne's associated with mazes and labyrinths.

Lamarelle comes from the French phrase 'jouer à la marelle' meaning 'to play hopscotch'.

This is obviously an AU that isn't related to my other work.

Despite worrying about Astarion's whereabouts and well-being, life went on and Gale had to go to work. Setting up more protection and defence spells, gathering information in the brothels, calming the panicked priestesses in the Selûne temple and explaining that the suspended garlic garlands weren't enough to protect them.

With Murk by his side, Gale made his rounds through Waterdeep until long past midnight. He was exhausted when he finally arrived at home, thus, he didn't have the energy to cook for himself and ate some leftovers in the estate's kitchen. Afterwards, he walked upstairs to his suite and closed the door with a deep sigh.

"Gale..." Astarion scrambled off the sofa and flung himself around the wizard's neck. Relief flooded through the latter and he held the vampire spawn close.

"Are you alright? Where were you? I was worried."

"I had to deal with some business," replied Astarion, but didn't elaborate further. "I missed you."

"I missed you too," admitted the wizard, smiling softly.

Astarion kissed him deeply, desperately, and Gale wondered why. The vampire spawn's hands undid the wizard's trousers while they kept exchanging kisses.

"I want you," whispered Astarion. "Please, let me have you."

"Yes," panted Gale and groaned when the elf dragged his lips down his throat and collarbone. Astarion dropped to his knees, pulling down the wizard's trousers and underwear in one go, and swallowed his cock down. Gale moaned as he was deepthroated for the first time in his life, and ran his fingers through the vampire spawn's hair.

"Careful, don't choke," he got out, but realised at the same time that the undead didn't need to breathe. However, he could feel how Astarion, with his nose pressed into Gale's pubic hair, inhaled deeply as if to memorise the smell. The elf swallowed around him and moaned gutturally. Then, he started bobbing up and down on Gale's cock, once in a while pushing the entire length down his throat. It was too much and Gale couldn't hold on any longer.

"I'm close."

He whined the warning a second before he came. Astarion moaned and swallowed eagerly, his nails digging into the wizard's buttcheeks as the vampire spawn deepthroated him again. Gale whimpered due to overstimulation and gently pulled the elf off his softening, sensitive cock. The latter reluctantly let go and released the wizard with an obscene slurp. Moaning, Astarion swallowed again, his eyes on half-mast as he licked his lips. He seemed miles away. Gale stroke the vampire spawn's hair and asked worried: "Are you alright? You seem dazed."

"I'm fine, Mast– darling. I'm fine."

"Let me return the favour."

"No, not necessary. I'm fine," muttered Astarion, lolling his tongue back out to lick Gale's cock again, but the latter moved out of reach.

"Apologies, but I'm still too sensitive," explained Gale and helped the elf onto his feet. "Are you sure you're alright?"

"Yes," answered Astarion, but he seemed to look right through him.

Gale frowned, kissed the vampire spawn's cheek, and murmured: "I'll get ready for bed."

"I'll be waiting for you," purred the elf and pulled him into a sloppy kiss. When they finally parted, Astarion sauntered into the bedroom while Gale entered the bathroom. The latter gave himself a catlick, brushed his teeth, and dressed in a shirt and underwear. Then, he entered the bedroom. Astarion was lounging on the mattress, with his legs spread to put himself on full display and a charming smile on his face.

"Come here, darling," he purred and rolled his hips up.

"My sincerest apology, Astarion, but I'm too tired to continue," Gale told him as he lifted the covers to slip into bed. "I'll make it up to you in the morning, I promise."

For a moment, the addressed stayed silent and Gale worried that he'd angered the vampire spawn. But then, the latter moved over and stroke the wizard's chest.

"I see," he murmured with a sickly-sweet smile that put Gale on edge. "That's alright, darling, but let me stay close to you."

"Of course, Astarion," nodded the wizard and extinguished the candlelight with a flick of the wrist.

As they lay in the dark, the vampire spawn pulled down the blanket, settled between Gale's legs, and took his cock back into his mouth. The wizard hissed in surprise.

"Astarion, please, I'm too tired. Let me sleep," he groaned.

The addressed popped off the wizard's flaccid member and replied: "Then sleep. Just let me stay here for a while. Please..."

Gale sighed. He couldn't refuse Astarion anything.

"Alright, but I doubt I can get it up again."

"That's fine by me," replied the elf and swallowed him back down. The wizard sighed again and started caressing Astarion's silver-white curls.

The latter seemed content to simply lay between his legs, eyes closed, hands on the wizard's thighs, and a flaccid cock on his tongue. He didn't move at all, only swallowed once in a while. It couldn't be called 'cockwarming', not really. Astarion's mouth was too cold for that, and it was more the other way around; the warmth of Gale's member warming up Astarion's mouth. But the wizarddidn't mind and it seemed as if the vampire spawn didn't either.

"I'm cold," muttered Gale after a while.

Astarion only hummed and, without looking, pulled the blanket up and over himself to cover Gale's torso. The latter lifted it up to look at the elf who was still between his legs and asked: "Are you alright down there? Are you sure you want to continue?"

"Yes," slurred Astarion, gazing up at him.

Again, it seemed like he was far away mentally and looking right through him.

"If you say so," muttered Gale and made himself more comfortable with a sigh. He stretched out his legs, sunk deeper into the pillow, and moved his hand to his own thigh to cover Astarion's fingers. He fell asleep this way, utterly exhausted.

The vampire spawn lingered under the covers, with his mouth around the wizard, while he was floating. His mind blissfully empty. All his worries and fears gone for a short while.

When Gale awoke, Astarion's head was resting on his chest. Smiling, he stroke the elf's silky-soft hair.

"Good morning," he mumbled sleepily.

The vampire spawn lifted his head up, smiling at him.

"Morning."

Astarion slotted their lips together sloppily and sucked on Gale's tongue who moaned at the treatment. They moved their bodies together, rolling their hips into each other. The wizard wrapped a hand around them both and started to stroke. Astarion whined into Gale's mouth and thrust into the grip.

"Gale," he moaned, eyes rolling back in his head. "A poem..."

The addressed huffed a laugh and pulled the vampire spawn into another passionate kiss before complying to the request.

"'Whether bathed in daylight or moonlight,

your beauty always shines blindingly bright.

I'm simply gazing at you in utter awe

as if you were a chiselled marble statue,

covered in stardust and morning dew.

You're the most beautiful being I ever saw.

I realise that the gods have not only blessed you,

as I am allowed to dwell in your presence, I'm blessed too.'"

Astarion's orgasm hit him like a minotaur during mating season. As his seeds burst out of him, covering Gale's hand and belly, his body shook violently and he moaned so loudly and gutturally, he feared his vocal cords would rip. It was only with Gale that his orgasms were so intense. Unsually, he felt nothing. He locked lips with the wizard again, kissing him desperately and hungrily. With a groan, Gale rolled his hips up one last time before he was granted his on relief.

Panting, they lay there, waiting until they'd recovered.

"Pan Pitus, author of numerous epic erotic poems," mumbled Astarion. "Allegedly, he died during intercourse at the ripe age of six hundred and sixty-nine."

"What a way to go," snickered Gale. The elf graced him with a chuckle, but it sounded a bit forced.

After a few minutes had passed, the wizard sighed and spoke: "I must go to work. Will you still be here when I come home?"

Astarion gave him a small smile, it seemed sad.

"Of course, I'll be here, darling."

"Are you sure you'll alright?" asked Gale, frowning slightly. "Something seems off since you've returned. Did something happen? You know you can trust me."

"Of course, I trust you darling, but it's nothing." After a short pause, Astarion sighed and added: "Well, there is something troubling me, but unfortunately, you cannot help me with it. I have to work through it on my own, I'm afraid."

"I see..." Still frowning, Gale gently brushed a loose curl behind the elf's pointy ear. "Whatever's troubling you, I'm sure you'll figure it out. I have faith in you."

At that, the addressed barked a laugh, sharp, humourless, and sad.

"I will," he said then.

They finally got out of bed. Gale got ready for the day in a rush and had a quick breakfast. Astarion moved much slower, as if still in trance. The wizard couldn't figure out why the elf looked so sad. With one last kiss, they parted and Gale made his way over to Morena's office to accept today's duties.

The day was rainy and unproductive. Gale made no progress on the subject of Cazador. No news, no more broken sigils, nothing at all. It was eerie – and highly suspicious. In a bad mood, Gale trotted home next to Murk who happily whistling a tune, seemingly utterly unbothered by anything.

At least, I'll see Astarion again soon, Gale thought with a smile.

"I'm home!" Gale announced and closed the suite's door behind him. He caught sight of Astarion lying on the sofa, curled up with a poetry album in his hand, but staring into space. Tara was sitting next to him on the sofa's armrest.

"Good evening, Mr. Dekarios. Welcome home," she said.

"Hello, my dear Tara," smiled the addressed and walked over to her. He scratched the purring tressym under the chin and then kissed the vampire spawn's forehead.

"Hello, Astarion, how are you?" he asked.

"I'm fine," mumbled the addressed and lifted his gaze up at the wizard.

He looked terrible, with dark circles under his eyes and a haunted expression on his face. Gale frowned, but said nothing.

"I'll prepare something for dinner," he spoke. "Are you hungry too? Should I get you some blood?"

"No, everything's fine," Astarion replied, but it was obvious that nothing was fine.

Gale sighed and marched into the kitchen with Tara hot on his heels.

"Astarion was like this all day," the tressym informed him while she patiently waited for her food being served. "He's obviously deeply troubled."

"I know," whispered Gale and sat Tara's bowl of food down. "I've tried to talk to him about it, but he doesn't want to. I don't know what to do..."

"Let's eat first," the tressym said and smacked her lips. "One doesn't think well on an empty stomach."

"Truer words have never been spoken," chuckled the wizard and started cooking his own dinner.

Shortly after, Gale returned to the living room with a bowl of noodles, garnished with steamed cherry tomatoes and basil, and a glass of red wine. Silently, he sat down at Astarion's feet and place the wine glass on the low table in front of the sofa. As soon as he'd started to eat, the vampire spawn got into motion, turned around, and laid his head onto Gale's lap.

"I doubt that's a good idea," remarked the wizard. "I might drop some food and burn you."

The addressed hummed, but stubbornly stayed where he was. Gale kept eating and paid extra attention to not spill anything while Astarion started to stroke the wizard's knee absentmindedly.

When he was done with his dinner, he put the bowl down on the table, lifted his wine glass up, and gulped it all down in one go. Then, he leaned back with a content sigh and stroke Astarion's hair.

"You can talk to me about anything, you know?" he muttered, but Astarion kept quiet.

After a while, Gale rose to wash the dishes and get ready for bed.

When he returned to the living room, Astarion stood in front of the open balcony door. Naked and with his arms slightly spread to the side as if he enjoyed soaking up the moonlight. He looked beautiful and it took Gale's breath away.

"You're beautiful," he voiced his thought.

Astarion turned towards him, smiling that sad little smile. Then, he rushed over and pulled the wizard into a kiss. He helped Gale shed his night clothes hastily, before stepping backwards until the table dug into his backside.

"Gale..." whispered the vampire spawn, stroking the addressed's cheek. "Please make love to me."

Before the wizard could answer, he was kissed again. It felt desperate. Quickly, Astarion turned around, placed his hands on the table, arched his back, and widened his stance.

"Take me right here," he demanded, but it sounded more like begging.

Gale kissed Astarion's neck and let his lips wander down his back, worshiping all those scars. When he'd reached the elf's tailbone, the wizard dropped to his knees, spread Astarion's buttcheeks, and licked across his hole. The vampire spawn gasped and whined when Gale wiggled his tongue into him. Astarion cried out, arching his back, and screwed his eyes shut.

"No one – no one has ever done this before," he panted. "Gods... it feels so good. Please don't stop."

The wizard chuckled – as much as he could in his position – and opened Astarion up with his tongue. In the meantime, he wrapped a hand around the elf's erection and started to stroke. Astarion moaned, whined, and begged for more, with shaking arms and weak legs, until he came. It took all his strength to keep himself upright and his attempt was almost all for nothing when Gale removed his hand from his spent member and pushed his semen-covered fingers into the elf. Astarion groaned as his eyes rolled back. The wizard had such a dirty mind – and he loved it.

"Gale, please, I'm ready," he panted.

With one last lick over the vampire spawn's hole, the addressed drew back and stood up. He bent over Astarion to kiss the tip of his pointy ear and whispered huskily: "I'll make love to you, as promised."

The vampire spawn sobbed quietly, and finally, finally, Gale entered him. Astarion cried out in bliss when his prostate was hit with every slow, sensual thrust. Gale's hands were on his hips and his forehead pressed into his back. He felt the wizard's breath puff against his skin with every exhale and moan. It was too good to be true. Astarion's arms finally gave out and his torso collapsed onto the tabletop. The gentleness of their coupling gave him the urge to scratch his skin off. He moaned while his eyes glazed over and he knew what he had to do. Astarion had made his decision.

"'Starry nights, sunny days,

I always thought that love should be this way,

but now, lifted and evaporated is lust's haze,

gone is the belief that we had a love that would stay.

You've been so good to me, but please don't lie,

I know it's over now, and our love has to die.

It hurts to say farewell, of course it does,

but there's no need to fight until our heads buzz.

My heart says no, but my mind says to let it go.

Let's get it over with and quickly vanquish sorrow.

And who's to say where we'll be tomorrow?'"

For a moment, it was dead-silent in the room. Then, Gale asked tentatively: "Astarion... what – what do you mean by that?"

"Nothing, it's just a poem," said the addressed, still bent over the table.

"No, it's not," retorted the wizard. "Don't lie to me."

Astarion chuckled, but it sounded hollow and humourless.

"I always had a weakness for the smart ones," he said, "and, of course, it'll be my downfall."

Hastily, he grabbed his clothes and put them on. Gale stared at him in disbelief, still naked, covered in sweat and other bodily fluids.

"What the hells is going on, Astarion? Talk to me," he implored, but the addressed only shot him a sad smile.

"Farewell, Gale. Meeting you was the best thing that ever happened to me. For the first time in one hundred years, my cold, dead heart felt something, and for that I am forever grateful."

And before Gale could react, Astarion jumped off the balcony and vanished into the night. The wizard's heart broke and the tears started to fall.

When Gale had finally fallen asleep after crying himself to exhaustion, Tara hopped off the bed and started pacing through the dark bedroom. What's to be done? What's to be done? Tricky, tricky, indeed. The tressym's sharp eyes landed on Astarion's bag in the corner.

A quick rummage never hurt anyone, she thought and scuttled over. Thanks to a magic word in Tressymspeak, the bag opened for her and she stuck her head in to take a look. Everything smelled strongly of Astarion's perfume, including his fresh clothing. Tara figured it might be a way to try and cover up the vampire spawn's smell of undead that could give him away to more nose-sensitive individuals like herself. She dug deeper. There were two books. By the look of them, they were over two hundred years old. They were well-thumbed and thus, well-loved. One was an epic poem about a dragon slayer and a cursed princess, the other was a collection of Elven poetry. Next to them, Tara discovered a dark red velvet bag and she magicked it open with another spell. Inside were a handful of pretty but regular stones, a gold necklace with a ruby-adorned pendant, and a gold family sigil ring. With it, lay an old, slightly crumbly letter. The tressym let it hover in the air and unfold with a spell.

Ches (The Claw of the Sunsets), 268

To Astarion Ancunín, Heir of the Ancunín Family, Magistrate of Baldur's Gate

We hereby send you a letter of honour regarding an invitation to the decennial Elven Festival of the Arts. You are invited as an honorary member to represent your family. It would be an extraordinary pleasure for us to welcome you.

Yours sincerely,

Ariadne Lamarelle

Board Member of Baldur's Gate's Elven Community

Astarion Ancunín. Heir. Magistrate. Baldur's Gate. Vampire spawn. Not good. Not good at all.

Tara growled a bit as she put everything back where it belonged. Now, she wanted to be even more thorough in her investigation than before. She stuck her head back into the bag to search further. On the bottom sat a leather collar which faintly smelled of honey. That's when she suddenly felt her magic wane. Hissing, the tressym reeled back.

Sussur! Oh, that's most worrisome!

Tara immediately knew that the collar wasn't meant for an animal, but for a very specific human wizard.

I must speak to Morena. We must find out more about the vampire spawn's origin and motives. When I'm done talking to Gale's mother, I'll pick up Astarion's trail. I can follow the smell of his pungent perfume halfway across the city.

Tara nodded to herself and set to work. After all, she had to keep her best friend and his mother safe.

[rayless-reblogs]

20 Book Challenge

I saw this challenge on a post by @theresebelivett. The idea is you pick 20 of your books to take with you to a desert island, but you can only pick one book per author and series. Here are two further guidelines I set myself: They have to be books I actually own, as if I really am gathering them up under my arms and heading to the island; and I'm defining "book" as a single volume -- so if I just so happen to have 100 novellas squashed between two covers, it still counts as one book.

We'll go alphabetically by author.

Charlotte Bronte: Jane Eyre. An old standby, a classic, I can jump into it at any point.

Daphne du Maurier: Rebecca. Have only read it once, but loved it and I suspect I'll get more from it each time.

Clare B Dunkle: The Hollow Kingdom. If I can only take one book from this excellent and unusual goblin series that captivated me in the mid-2000s, it'd better be the first one.

William Goldman: The Princess Bride. This book had an outsize influence on my own writing. I can quote a lot of it, but I wouldn't want to be without it.

Shannon Hale: Book of a Thousand Days. I love the warmth and humility of its heroine Dashti. Plus, Shannon Hale very kindly wrote a personal response to a fan letter I sent her years and years ago, so her work always has a special place in my heart.

Georgette Heyer: Cotillion. I don't actually own my favorite Georgette novel, but the funny, awkward, and ultimately romantic Cotillion is definitely not a pitiful second-stringer.

Eva Ibbotson: A Countess Below Stairs. Countess was my introduction to Eva's adult romances, and she is the past master of warm, hardworking heroines who should really be annoying because they're way too good to be true, but somehow you just end up falling in love with them.

Norton Juster: The Phantom Tollbooth. I first read this when I was like eight, and even for an adult, its quirky humor and zingy wordplay hold up, no problem.

Gaston Leroux: The Phantom of the Opera. Can't leave without Erik, nope, the French potboiler has got to come. Perhaps I will spend my time on the island writing the inevitable crossover fanfic, The Phantom of the Tollbooth.

CS Lewis: Till We Have Faces. Faces is my current answer for what my favorite book is, so I'm taking that, though it feels criminal to leave The Silver Chair behind.

LM Montgomery: The Blue Castle. As much as I love Anne and Emily, it came down to Blue Castle and A Tangled Web, and I'm a sucker for Valancy's romantic journey.

E Nesbit: Five Children and It. Probably the most classic Edwardian children's fantasy, though still a hard choice to make. Nesbit is another author who had a huge influence on me as a writer.

Robert C O'Brien: Mrs Frisby and the Rats of NIMH. A childhood book I'm really sentimental about. I should re-read it.

Meredith Ann Pierce: The Darkangel. The first in the archaic lunar vampire trilogy. This will always be frustrating, only having the first in the series, but if I can only read the first, maybe I'll forget about how angry the third novel left me.

Sherwood Smith: Crown Duel. At one time, this swords-and-manners fantasy duet was one of my absolute favorite fandoms, and clever me has both books in one volume, so I don't have to choose.

Anne Elisabeth Stengl: Starflower. My favorite of the Tales of Goldstone Wood series. We'll have to test whether I can actually get sick of Eanrin.

JRR Tolkien: The Lord of the Rings. I've never actually read it through as an adult and, look at that, I have a three-in-one volume. Cheating!

Vivian Vande Velde: Spellbound. I've read much of VVV's YA fantasy and liked a lot of it, but none more so than The Conjurer Princess and its fast-paced tale of revenge. The Spellbound edition includes the prequel and a bonus short story, so I'm good to go.

PG Wodehouse: The World of Mr Mulliner. There are some hilarious novels I'm leaving behind here, including all the Bertie Wooster stuff. But there are some absurdly fun Mulliner stories and this edition is like three hundred pages. That'll keep me happy for a long while on my island.

Jack Zipes (editor): Spells of Enchantment. This is an enormous compilation of western fairy tales. I've owned it since 2004 or so, and I've still never finished it. Now, on my island, I'll no longer have the excuse.

Tagging anyone else who feels like doing this!

[conchologyeorzea]

Field notes on: The Starflower

Location: Sea of Clouds

Locale: Aetherical Currents

Molluscs capable of flight will never stop amusing me both as a man of science and personally. I've seen similar species at sea, that use their long and sail-like tendrils to float on the ocean currents. Yet, to see them employ the same technique to float much like a parachute across the sky feels almost otherworldly.

I've not collected many speciments just yet, and find myself struggling to even safely capture any without putting my own vessel at risk of falling off one of the islands. Perhaps some kind of net would be helpful? I must perform some tests to be certain, but I believe it would be a much safer pursuit than throwing myself off the nearest cliff.

One thing, though, is for certain: The Starflower is yet another example of just how diverse the populations of Eorzea truly are. They will not be hindered from taking flight, even without wings.

[joshuaboakley]

SPACE STAR FLOWER FANTASY LIQUID BLUE STARFLOWER IMAGINATION STATION LIBRARY CASTLE LABYRINTH BOWIE BEING BORN BECOMING BEAUTY BLISS BLESSINGS IMMORTALITY RESTORATION RESURRECTION REFLECTION ILLUMINATION LEVITATION PROTECTION AURA LIGHT RAINBOW TOWER HEART SACRED MOUNTAIN HOLY SUNFLOWER SKYBLUE CERULEAN SAPPHIRE SEA OF STARS DIAMOND DRAGON GUARDIAN CITADEL FORTRESS ASTRAL PALACE MEMORY NEXUS GATEWAY MULTIVERSAL UNIVERSAL CONSCIOUSNESS DOORWAYS WINDOWS IN TIME AND COSMIC DREAM ISLAND NETWORK PLANETARY NEBULAE GALACTIC INTER RADIO ELECTRIC AMETHYST EMERALD GOLD SILVER PRESERVATION CONSERVATION PLANETOLOGY RUBY RED AZURE TURQUOISE CHARTREUSE CRYSTAL ASTROLOGY MYTHOLOGY ARCHETYPAL CONNECTION SPIRIT FIRE EARTH WATER AIR TEMPLE BALANCE PEACE GARDEN SKY BRIDGE MAGICAL MYSTERY TOUR HOUSE INN  #music #smokymountains #gatlinburg #treasurehunt #comevisit #space #STAR #stars #SEA # cosmic #OCEAN #IMAGINATION ☯️🖼️♈♉♊♋♌♍♎♏♐♑♒♓⛎💙✨⭐💚💟💜🐢🐉🐦🦚🙏🌻🌼🌼🌻🙏🦚🐦🐉🐢💜💟♐♑♒♓⛎💙✨⭐💚♏♎♍♌♋♊♉♈🖼️☯️🌼💚♏☯️♎♍♌♋♊♉♈🖼️♐♑♒♓⛎💙✨⭐🌻🙏🦚🐦🐉🐢💜💟☯️🖼️♈♉♊♋♌♍♎♏♐♑♒♓⛎💙✨⭐💚💟💜🐢🐉🐦🦚🙏🌻🌼🌼🌻🙏🦚🐦🐉🐢💜💟💚⭐✨💙⛎♓♒♑♐♏♎♍♌♋♊♉♈🖼️☯️

https://instagr.am/reel/C-RMYqmR5s9/ BLOGGER, RHYTHM SECTION GATLINBURG, IMAGINATION, STATION, CREATION, LIFE, RAINBOW, WATERFALL, FOREST, MYSTIC, MOUNTAIN, MAGIC, HEALING, CREATIVITY, SAPPHIRE, EMERALD, AMETHYST, DIAMOND, OPAL, FANTASY, MULTIVERSE, BEAUTY, LIGHT, LOVE, STAR, PROTECTION, PRESERVATION, RESURRECTION, RESTORATION, DREAM, DREAMING, DREAMS, FAIRY, PALACE, ASTRAL, MEMORY, CASTLE,…

[starflowerjewelry]

A Starflower Classic, our Sleek Sensibilities 5 Stone #ring can be customized to suit your #style & budget - this timeless design is a stunner whether you love a pop of color, or you simply want lots of #sparkle 🎄✨️ #ShopSmall #CustomJewelry (at Long Island, NY) https://www.instagram.com/p/ClwjkN3O9an/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[fujiwaranomokou2]

Weekend sketch dump part 2

1. Fabian x Azure

2. Loreto or Denen Shogun (電炎将軍)

3. This is not a girl. It’s a boy but he disguises as a GIRL. (Mukuro)

4. Frostine x Blaine

[travelling-my-little-pony]

February is a month of ponies in various parts of Chile! 

Here are princess Twinkle Star and Starflower on the island of Rapa Nui (Easter Island) with a few moai visible behind them.

[brightwood-duchess]

The Great Storm of 2022...

The Duchess has returned.

This is the first time Katell has been unbound on the island. For the first time the institute can see this Royal Beauty for what she is. Once again, Katell is luminous, quite literally. She glows with the light of her beloved stars, a path of spring starflower blooms in the wake of her steps and a mix of night blooming flowers perfume the air around her. Her abilities to heal and comfort with starlight have returned and fill her with a giddy warmth as she bends the light to her whim. She is a shinning star walking this earth, and should the tumultuous clouds have parted, the stars would have brightened above her as if trying to reach down to touch her.

Many could remark on her beauty while bound but nothing could compare to the otherworldly vision she is now. She looks and holds herself like a queen, enchanting all who see her. She’s quite a temptation on this island of sinners. This would seem a simple enough consequence to the storm, a blessing even, were it not for two problematic effects looming within her. One, Katell has a hunger for oaths and vows. Promises made to the Fae cannot be broken and are taken very seriously. Where Katell usually avoided such things, she can now feel a craving for them and with her stunning grace no longer dimmed she knows it would only be too easy to ask admirers to become devotees.  Second, although her powers were restored the last time she had them she was steadfastly loyal to the Seelie court. Now that she has rejected them, she faces access to starlight without the influence of growth and renewal from her court. Not quite Seelie, but not quite Unseelie, Katell struggles with the changing magic of a wild, courtless fae. 

[peace-coast-island]

Diary of a Junebug

Island hopping for gyroids

It's been busy these past few days, traveling from one island to another, staying undercover, and retrieving gyroids. Jamie's on a big gyroid mission so she recruited me and two old friends I haven't seen in forever. Tagging along with Jamie on her adventures are always fun, especially when it involves traveling and high stake escapades.

Joining us are our old friends from Wizpire - Alex and Holly. I haven't seen or spoken to them in years so it was nice catching up with them. Being with them again almost feels like old times, except everything's a lot different now.

Holly used to drop by Wizpire once in a while to donate paintings to the museum but since her garden in Camellia really took off, she's been super busy. Holly's latest project involves putting together rare hybrids to make even more rare flowers. She also teaches online classes on interior decor for the Happy Room Academy.

Last I heard from Holly was a couple years ago when she was living in Airy. She was a well known patron at the museum much like how she was in Wizpire. Holly was also seeing Sam, though they drifted apart about a year later. Sam's a good guy and a dedicated father, but I always felt that he and Holly were incompatible as a couple. They're both old fashioned, though I think Holly's more progressive while Sam's more traditional. There's also the fact that it shouldn't be Holly's job to coddle him when he puts his foot in his mouth, which I'm pretty sure was the source of their conflicts.

Right now Holly has no time for romance. In fact, after being with Sam, she realized that she has no interest in it at all. Holly always figured that she'd be into a romantic relationship when the right person comes along, which obviously turned out to be false. There's nothing wrong with having no desire for romance. From experience, coming to the realization that it's okay to be who you are is a freeing thing. It's also good to know that you're not broken or messed up just because you've never had a crush or experienced attraction towards someone.

I'm glad that Holly's out there living her best life. She made the decision to move to Wizpire on a whim and never looked back. Before that she had an unfulfilling corporate job that constantly stressed her out. Finally, she had enough and took the plunge. Now look where she is, donating to museums, growing a garden, being a seamstress, and teaching interior decor!

Alex has kinda dropped off the face of the earth since leaving Wizpire. She's always busy, hopping off from one thing to another - that's just the way she is, you can't keep her in one place for too long. From deep diving in the Cavernous Seas, racing down Rainbow Derby, skydiving at the Double Helix Nebula, to making treats at the Land of Sweets - Alex has done it all!

Right now she's been staying in Charma making scooters and bikes. After that she plans to move to Etienne Falls to dig up fossils and other hidden treasures. Alex runs a travel blog called Girl on the Run and at this point I think she's traveled to over a thousand different places. As much as I enjoy traveling, I don't think I can keep up with her lifestyle. I like trying out different things and going on adventures but I also need downtime where I can do nothing without feeling like I'm wasting time.

So we've been busy traveling to various islands to retrieve lost gyroids to take back to their respective homes. Some places are easier to access than others, and no two islands are alike so we have to be prepared for the challenges that lie ahead.

The first island we stopped by was Banana Bay, where we went digging at the beach. There, we found a couple gyroids, some old tech, and a couple of rusty keys. Since we needed the keys to get access to an old hideout where the other gyroids were hidden away, Jamie took them to a friend to get them cleaned up. While we waited for the keys we had coconut banana ice cream with bubble waffles, a local treat that was perfect after a long morning of digging in the sand. By the time we were done, they keys were ready to go.

As expected, the old shack was armed with security robots. No one really runs the place anymore except the machinery. The tech may be outdated by over twenty years but the alarm system's still up and running so a simple slip up can put the entire place into lockdown and get us into a heap of trouble.

I was given the task of unlocking doors and disabling cameras. I'm no hacker but the tech is pretty primitive - meaning easy to figure out. All you have to do is solve a bunch of puzzles to get into the system and most of them aren't even that hard. Meanwhile Alex came up with strategies to evade the robots while Jamie and Holly split up to retrieve the gyroids.

The robots were more of a nuisance than a challenge to get through. The blue ones with the giant red eye creep me out though. I made the mistake of looking into one of them and instantly regretted it when a giant four headed spider peeked through.

On day two we went to two islands that were side by side to each other - Teal and Turquoise. In contrast to the sunny beaches of Banana Bay, Teal Island was a snowy forest. In order to get in the caves we need stones to unlock the passageways and pickaxes to get through caved in areas.

We happened to arrive after a big blizzard so that complicated things a little. Light snowfalls made it a bit hard to see, which means we have to be extra careful. Wolf tigers roam the island and they're aggressive as fuck. Ice balls will do the trick when you need to subdue them, but you have to be quick because they can sneak up on you when least expected. Jamie and Alex have dealt with their share of wolf tigers so Holly and I were well covered. Those creatures are scary fast and sneaky.

Walking into the caves was kinda like heading towards a death trap. Along with the wolf tigers, we also have to worry about falling rocks, scorpion bats, and mega tarantulas. While preparing for the mission Holly made us gloves and masks so we won't hurt ourselves with the sharp rocks and dust. I had some of Em and Ludwig's light formula so we used those as flashlights.

As soon as we got what we needed, we headed to the neighboring island of Turquoise. Since we were a little traumatized by the caves, we hung out at the motel and went sightseeing. I found a cute stationery shop called Milk Clouds and bought some washi tapes, stickers, and a notebook. Alex bought a bunch of scented candles from Petrichor Gifts, Jamie treated herself with a lovely handmade silk dress, and Holly bought some handwoven fabric and starflower peach seeds.

Then off we headed to the long abandoned labs in the far end of the island. Jamie rented a plane so we can get there instead of having to go through a dense jungle. We had to land on top of a cliff and then parachute down in order to get to one of the entrances.

Although the lab is pretty much abandoned, it's home to many hostile creatures so we have to be careful if we encounter them. They could care less about the gyroids - and could've made our job a million times easier if they helped us out - but alas we have to that ourselves. Jamie managed to talk to a few of them beforehand and they pretty much just said as long as we stay out of their way then it's good. Do what we have to do and get out. Fine by us.

So that's what we did. There wasn't even that much to look for anyway, and some of the gyroids were in such a bad state that we didn't even bother. I mean it was expected that we can't save everything, still, it's sad that some things will remain lost forever.

Thankfully, the rest of the island is nothing like the hostile creatures residing in the lab. I think I was more traumatized by them than the cave. I try to see the good in everyone but you gotta listen when the warning bells go off in your head. I'm sure a few of them have some good inside them but it's the power hungry and abusive ones who run the place, so you can't let your guard down.

Day three - earlier today - was the final stretch. First, we swam to Crick Island - as in we scuba dived there. Planes can't access it so we have to travel underwater. The island has no residents but it's heavily guarded as it's full of stolen artifacts. It's run by a secret organization that Jamie's been trying to hunt down for years, only for them to elude her as soon as they were within her grasp.

The underwater passages are full of security robots that go off if we bump into them. They only move around the same place so they're easy to bypass. Problem is the water  makes it hard to move - unpredictable currents and such. Luckily we're all pretty strong swimmers, but those currents can get pretty rough. Getting thrown into a tangle of weeds is much better than accidentally hitting a robot, no matter how frustrating it is to get out of a sticky situation.

From there, we were able to infiltrate the pyramid lab. Alex was tasked with unlocking doors and disabling security, Jamie did the navigating as she knows the ins and outs of the place pretty well, I evaded the robots while Holly kept a lookout for guards. Since the lab is far from being abandoned or run down, we had to be stealthy and clever.

Then it's back to the underwater passages where we swam to two more secret labs - radium and ionic. I have no idea if the names mean something or they're just random. Had a few close encounters where a guard could've walked in on us but thankfully we managed to steer them away easily. I don't mean to judge but their snobby attitudes just scream pretentious assholes - not the kind of company I'd wanna get stuck with if caught.

Now we're back in Banana Bay, taking it easy before having to do inventory on what we found. It's been a lot of fun but I think that's enough high stakes adventure for me. We're leaving tomorrow evening so Jamie and Alex will go off their separate ways while Holly's gonna be staying at the camp for a couple days before heading back to Camellia.

Gonna treat myself with bubble waffles and coconut banana ice cream - we sure as hell deserve it!

[romijuli]

I bought a sketchbook last year and it IMMEDIATELY left for the aether so, uh, notebook doodle.

Uh, any of y’all who read Fondness might recall some fancy fantasy flowers I made up? This is one of them!

So this little (terribly sketched and uncolored) bloom is called an ocean starflower! because it...looks like a star...when drawn by someone with actual drawing skills *dodges brick*

As one might expect, it’s an ocean flower! Under the cut there’s some lore and some fun game stuff. :3

So for these purposes, Nautica was once a human kingdom on an island that sunk to the depths of the ocean; the humans who lived there prayed for salvation and got it in the form of becoming merfolk. (This is kinda where the mermaid’s burden stems from, in a way.) Most of the nature (animals and plants alike) on this island was extinguished when it sunk, with the exception of these guys, which magically adapted to life on the ocean floor on account of being magical already.

They grow really close to the ground and spread really quickly, so they’re largely confined to the palace garden, where the walls can keep them from getting out and taking over every unoccupied inch of Nautica, haha. They glow, too, so any flowers that get out and/or get Too Close To Other Garden Areas end up being used as street lights of sorts? They have a bit of a reputation for being guiding lights, as it were.

When Nautica gets Fucking Trashed at the beginning of act 2, the palace garden’s walls get fucking nuked as well, which means that these little fuckers are free to spread wherever the FUCK they want. So when Alizarin’s butt is kicked and the Nauticans are free to not get eaten, they find a long trail of ocean starflowers, guiding them back home.

[zephyr-94]

tagged by: @loverthe8 i love u sm

rules: answer 21 questions then tag 21 people

1 — name: miyu

2 — nickname: chloé (my name for starbucks) & moyu (my friend’s typo)

3 — gender: female

4 — star sign: pisces

5 — current time: 15:46

6 — favourite artist(s): tom misch, the rose, exo, svt, ptg, arashi, the oral cigarettes, luck life, indigo la end, conan gray, the driver era, the neighbourhood, the 1975, loyle carner, joy crookes, finneas, jorja smith, raveena

7 — song stuck in my head: dr. bebe - ptg

8 — last movie i saw: avengers endgame

9 — last thing i googled: schiphol flight tracking

10 — other blogs: @lems-desk for ib q&a stuff, i used it when i was in high school

11 — do i get asks: nope!

12 — reason for my url: the man that got me into kpop

13 — following: 84!

14 — average sleep: i try to get 6 to 7 hrs?

15 — lucky number: 22

16 — currently wearing: black turtleneck, black sweater with metal ringed holes, navy cropped jeans and grey socks

17 — dream job: a mom

18 — dream trip: malta island & hawaii

19 — favourite food: anything japanese

20 — instruments: piano, psaltery, soprano/alto/tenor/bass recorders, clarinet, vocal

21 — favourite song: starflower - raveena

tagging: my sis @zeromilenct :D

[halloweenfor]

70's Costumes - Women's Starflower Hippie Costume

Theme Halloween Costumes

Hippie Costumes

Quick! Picture your favorite decade. Did you envision groovy colors, bell bottoms, headbands, vans, peace symbols and fringe? Then you might feel most at home in the 1960s, a whimsical and carefree decade that brought you the Beatles, the Rolling Stones and Woodstock. You could switch on the TV and watch old favorites like The Flintstones and Gilligan’s Island, or head to the theater to see classics like Psycho or Dr. Strangelove. There were so many great shows, musicians and movies to come out of that decade! Don’t even get us started on the great Space Race and the excitement of putting the first man on the moon.Then again, there was also the Vietnam War, and sweating out the draft, and Kennedy’s assassination… And Civil Rights struggles and the slow-burning fear behind the continuing Cold War… Okay, so the decade wasn’t perfect.We’re not looking at the 1960s through rose-colored glasses, but everyone can agree that the 1960s had some of the very best fashion history has to offer. Now, transforming into a flower child isn’t as hard as you think, thanks to this Women’s Starflower Hippie Costume. You’ll feel instantly groovy in these vintage style duds. The Bohemian style mini dress has a bright colored flower pattern and big bell sleeves, with exposed shoulders for a fun and flirty look. There’s a peace sign patch right in the middle, and both the neckline and waistline are accented with fringe bands of suede. The costume also comes with a cute daisy headband. Slip on the Women’s Starflower Hippie Costume and show the world you’re ready to give peace a chance!

See Details & Get More Deals at: Best Halloween Costumes 2019 :: Shop

[lilianadias4]

Somewhere in Madeira Island... #starflower #estrelicia #visitmadeira #visitportugal #madeirabyday #madeiraisland #lifestyle #flowerfestival #madere #flowers https://www.instagram.com/p/BxucTpiFebs/?igshid=39p9zr9oz0k3

[madameximon]

Today after a long barren stretch my rope hoya has graced me with a perfect little cluster of blossoms, like a miniature flower chandelier. 😍 Somehow it seems like the perfect accompaniment to today's Jupiter/Neptune square, the first of three for 2019, that beckons us to dream big, yet cautions us not to get lost in our fantasies. With Saturn moving to sextile Neptune, we may soon get some grounding to help us make our dreams real, if they are meant to be. But before we can be practical about our dreams, we have to dare to have that initial vision, that willingness to reach for the stars so that we have even a chance of attaining something more realistic. Without imagination, we have no reason to excel! #astrology #astrologersofinstagram #dreambig #floralbeauty #flowers #flowermagic #greenwitch #hoya #stars #starflowers #witchesofinstagram (at Bainbridge Island, Washington) https://www.instagram.com/p/BsmDl5UnClb/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=1cm2l4n9lbrux

[starflowerjewelry]

Starflower x @TheRutileLtd Custom, authentic #Arrowhead Pendants. Featuring arrowheads collected by hand, set in custom, #handmade 14k bales on leather & neoprene cords. 🏹 Unconventional materials are no problem - if you can dream it, we can make it! ✨ #HandmadeRevolution (at Long Island, NY) https://www.instagram.com/p/CW8_Y5WFW5u/?utm_medium=tumblr

[fujiwaranomokou2]

Weekend sketch dump

1. Kirono

2. Petra

3. Yunoki

4. Fabian’s initial concept art