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The moon's thin atmosphere, called an exosphere, has been a puzzle to science for some time. Two main processes were thought to create this wispy gas envelope; tiny meteoroids hitting the surface and solar wind particles bombarding the lunar soil. But new research using Apollo moon samples reveals that the moon's own surface features provide surprising protection against solar wind erosion. Researchers at TU Wien and the University of Bern conducted the first direct measurements of solar wind ejecting atoms and molecules when striking the lunar soil, a process known as sputtering. Unlike previous studies that relied on Earth-based mineral substitutes, the team used Apollo 16 moon dust and bombarded it with hydrogen and helium ions at solar wind speeds. Published in Communications Earth & Environment, the results were striking. Solar wind sputter yields were up to an order of magnitude lower than previously used in exosphere models. This dramatic reduction comes from two key factors that previous models had underestimated, surface roughness and the porous, fluffy nature of lunar soil.

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Opening Emergency Commissions!

My queue is now running really low and I need money for a deposit since I'll be moving into a new place at the beginning of August. Because of this I'll open a few more slots than I usually would. Reblogs would be massively appreciated <3

10 slots

Half Body Sketch - £65

Full Body Sketch - £85

Extra Character - £40

You can request a commission here: https://ko-fi.com/demekii/commissions

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Fear in their eyes Ash raining from the blood orange sky

[some of my post-canon scenes]

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It’s really odd to me when people criticize Shadowheart for being “racist” towards the Githyanki while ignoring that Githyanki are actual racial supremacists who murder other humanoids on sight. Even Lae’zel admits this. Distrusting the Githyanki is not like distrusting Tieflings because they look like Devils, the Githyanki actually are an evil and dangerous group with few exceptions. They see all other races as “worms” compared to them to enslave or exterminate. I’m not saying Shadowheart doesn’t have biases but distrusting the Githyanki isn’t really one of them, that’s completely logical. Lae’zel is the exception not the rule and even she is still pretty racist towards any non-gith and is mostly tolerating us because she needs help getting to the “cure”. Obviously she grows so much from there and this isn’t me hating on Frogwife, not at all, but it’s just bizarre to call Shadowheart “racist” for not being cozy with the race who just killed all her friends and nearly killed her but not Lae’zel calling any non-gith Tav “servant” and “worm”.

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Just some observations on Astarion learning to see that he is loved

I just saw a clip of Astarion's response to his partner cheating on him with Mizora and it got me thinking. While his entire reaction is very telling and meaningful in its entirety, one line stood out to me:

"I really thought there was more to you. That you were better than other people"

This was striking because it immediately reminded me of something else he says, in the scene after his siblings attempt to capture and return him to Cazador:

"You're the only one. Other people don't have a heart like you. You're you. No one is like that."

These lines feel a little odd at first, because Astarion isn't known for putting the PC on a pedestal. I don't think that's exactly what he's doing here. I think these lines are just capturing the inner chaos and contradiction that naturally come with the gradual unraveling of a long-held worldview. At this point, Astarion is able to process that one person cares for and accepts him, but only one. They must be an outlier: an exception to the rule. Surely they're something special.

Obviously this isn't true, though, and the next step is for him to learn that the PC isn't actually unique in their ability to accept and care for him him. In fact, Astarion is already loved by others and just doesn't see it. This line of his is beautifully contrasted by Karlach's reaction to Astarion's near-abduction. She is righteously angry and protective because she loves Astarion too.

"I dare Cazador to sent more lackeys our way. This is our territory. I'll crack anyone who tries to come into my house and hurt my people."

Earlier in the story, we get a similar moment during the confession scene, showing again how Astarion isn't always able to see the truth of what others feel for him.

When he says this, he sounds surprised. Like the idea of a friend is a revelation. This kind of broke my heart when I first heard it, because I thought it was obvious to him that he already had friends, in both the other companions and my character. But I think a part of him genuinely was stuck in that old thought pattern of assuming that anyone who showed interest in him just wanted to use him. This also makes it clear just how divorced sex is from affection in his mind and experience. Though they've slept together at least several times and grown more emotionally intimate too, Astarion still needs confirmation that the PC actually cares for him.

I made a post once about the two triggers for Astarion's confession here, which further reveal his mindset: going out of your way and into danger to get his scars translated, or choosing not to force him into complying with Araj's dehumanizing demands. Both of these things are concrete demonstrations of respect and care for him and what he wants. Astarion knows very well how empty words can be, so actions are what finally help him believe that the PC cares about him, and gives him the impetus to confess.

Later, If you break up with Astarion, his reaction is extremely telling in that he regresses slightly from this healthier mindset he had developed:

"I can hardly blame you. I don't exactly have much to offer right now, beyond new burdens to carry."

Typically, we witness any traces of Astarion's self-deprecation filtered through irony or dark humor, so his vulnerability in this moment is stark.

He claims that he has very little to offer, but that just isn't true. He may be going through a bit of a crisis, but he is still a shockingly good partner given the circumstances. He is unwaveringly supportive, caring, and clearly tries to lighten his partner's emotional load when they begin to feel the strain of responsibility. Not to mention, just being himself still makes him perfectly worthy of being loved. In any relationship, there will be times when one person needs more support than they themself can give, and that doesn't mean that they aren't enough. We're seeing, yet again, that he sometimes just doesn’t recognize how deeply he is valued by others. At this point, maybe a part of him still feels like he needs to be of service in order to be accepted, let alone loved. I also personally interpret this line as partially concerning his insecurity around not "providing" his partner with sex at this time, reiterating this deeply internalized belief that he needs to perform in order to be valued.

All of these little moments add so much subtly and humanity to his character, and make his development feel natural and earned. The payoff is clear after Cazador's death, when we get to see his new confidence:

He doesn't have to ask "really?" this time.

"You believed in me - believed I was enough just the way I am."

He truly knows now that he is loved.

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i wanna make a proper bg3 x parks and rec but this was long enough to be its own post ✌️ pls enjoy

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Baldur's Gate 3 - Minthara Romance 2/?

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how does Gale turntable so quickly……

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Astarion is an extremely vocal lover and if you disagree with me I'm sorry but you're incorrect

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camera 🐶☀️ art 🥀🚬

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Happy elf.

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Astarion companion piece to my Shadowheart. Messiest eater in camp, even with Gale over here sucking down magical boots.

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I'd let the world burn Let the world burn for you [some of my post-canon scenes]

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Im not really explaining this 😌

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Drunk

A sketch of happy blood-drunk Astarion

on twtr: https://x.com/skeptical_lynx/status/1931409368039272911?s=46&t=EuBiJuFrpmM7JiLiuDbaCA

on bsky: https://bsky.app/profile/skeptical-lynx.bsky.social/post/3lqzwctk4jc2k

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Uncanny Astarion: Yearning

…by candlelight, long after Tav has fallen asleep

She should terrify him. Warm. Mortal. Radiant.

A walking promise of blood and heartache.

And yet, it is not her vulnerability that haunts him but her presence. Her humanity. Her infuriating tendency to curl her body against his in the middle of the night like he’s not cold, like he’s not danger, like he’s not …other.

Because he is. Isn’t he?

His eyes adjust to darkness not in seconds but in blinks. His hunger lives just beneath his skin, whispering always. He doesn’t breathe when he kisses her, he mimics. He doesn’t sleep, only closes his eyes and pretends he doesn’t hear her blood pumping through her veins like a lullaby made just for him.

He is not like her. He is not like any of them.

And still…

He wants her.

But not like them, not like the thousand bodies beneath Cazador’s silk sheets, not like the empty eyes and open mouths and powdered skin of nobles drunk on power and perfume. They never saw him. Only what he was meant to play. The charming thing. The willing pet. The seductive spawn with a bite sharp enough to draw screams and moans alike.

Kisses were a currency back then. A lure. A distraction. A chore.

He hated kissing, really. Too intimate. Too slow. Too human.

And now… Gods. Now he could kiss her for hours.

Not just for pleasure, not just for contact, but for the simple, maddening miracle of it. How her lips part with a sigh. How her hands come up, hesitant, reverent, like he is something sacred. How, even when her body leans forward with heat, her eyes don’t darken with demand they soften with care.

And the ache inside him isn’t just hunger anymore.

It’s yearning.

My MASTERLIST btw the name “masterlist” sounds so ✨naughty✨