#copper brittle star

[mythicamagic]

Dwelling in the Clouds (a Xiaolumi oneshot)

Summary: Anemo whipped up their hair and clothes as he dropped down before her on a foundation of Plaustrite.

"Xiao!" She exclaimed.

That was all Xiao saw before collapsing into her arms.

Aka: Xiao senses Lumine's return to Liyue and rushes to meet her- despite the toll it takes on his injuries. Xiaolumi Oneshot.

Rated T. Read it here on Ao3.

It had been a while since his burden felt so impossibly heavy. Everything began to fray at the edges as extended isolation courted loneliness, leaving an onset of hateful whispers in Xiao's ear.

Very rarely would the agony of built-up karma spill forth during inopportune times, as he'd always been vigilant about monitoring it.

This had been one such inopportune time.

Xiao felt his knees give out- managing to catch himself from complete collapse by slamming his spear into the ground.

He caught his breath with short, tight bursts. Wetness caked his hair and brow with streaks of crimson. He could taste the copper of his own blood.

Useless…

Xiao glanced at the disintegrating bodies surrounding him. After combating another remnant of a particularly cruel God, he'd become disorientated- enough so that a couple of monsters had ambushed him. Now he was in this sorry state, and all from a few enemies he should've been able to defeat with a mere flick of the wrist.

It was during this fight for air and consciousness that he stiffened- sensing a change: like a candle flicking to life in the dark. His mind honed in on a presence stepping into Liyue with all the humble majesty of a falling star. Someone had just used a Waypoint.

In that moment, he simultaneously remembered something important.

He was supposed to meet up with Lumine today.

No sooner than he thought it, Xiao teleported. He expelled all energy into quickly bursting through the air, zipping past mortals on the road and scaling Liyue's steep cliff faces in seconds. 

He sensed her exact location the moment he thought of her. Whenever she set foot in Liyue, Xiao knew. Perhaps it was because of the oath he swore, to appear when she called. He knew it as instinctively as drawing breath.

He didn't question it when her location loomed high overhead- higher than the clouds in the sky. He just kept climbing with bursts of maddened speed, twisting his body to manoeuvre with the wind currents as they nipped at his skin and clothes. Occasionally his boots would crash into the stone cliffs- legs pushing off before launching himself higher and higher. The air gradually began to thin. 

Warm golden eyes flew wide the second he flipped up from beneath a cloudbank. Her pretty face was suddenly close; much closer than expected. 

Their noses would've bumped if he hadn't been wearing his mask. Anemo whipped up their hair and clothes as he dropped down before her on a foundation of Plaustrite.

"Xiao!" She exclaimed.

That was all Xiao saw before collapsing into her arms.

—--

There was something…gentle. Yes, a gentle touch. Light and soothing as it combed through his hair. Lithe fingers kept stroking through the strands, running through the bangs that framed his face and occasionally stopping to massage the base of his skull. 

"Please be alright," he heard a brittle voice murmur. "Please wake up soon and be okay."

He heard an audible swallow. Those fingers shook a little. 

Xiao pushed himself to wake, concerned by the lengthy silence and strain in Lumine's voice. He winced as white-hot pain lanced through his shoulder, his heart thundering too quickly: side effects of karma. It rendered him dizzy.

"Xiao-! It's okay, don't get up so quick."

He had no choice, faltering and sinking back down. He groggily forced his eyes open, realising that his head was tucked up against her stomach. His arms were full- wrapped around Lumine's slender waist. Hell, his legs were drawn up slightly too, as if he'd sought to wrap himself completely around her.

Noticing his tight grip, he released her immediately. "I'm…sorry," he croaked, too weak to budge just yet. 

"Everything's okay. Don't apologise," she gently hushed, stroking both hands down his arms. "You sure gave me a scare though. Did you get those injuries on patrol? Please don't tell me you got them while trying to rush here. It's okay if you have to miss a meeting with me. Your health is more important."

No, it's not.

She probably wouldn't accept the truth, but Xiao didn't value his body enough to heed injuries. His mind was more important: it was what broke his comrades as they fell into madness after all.

Lumine was a bright spot in his otherwise monotonous, painful world, and therefore infinitely valuable. She was sunlight filtering to the bottom of Dihua Marsh's foggy waters. She was something he looked forward to, a rare thing. Time spent with her was cherished. 

If he had to break his body just to see her, he would. 

That didn't matter right then though. "I sustained some injuries on patrol,  nothing more. Don't worry so much," he mumbled into her stomach. He pressed his forehead into her waist and breathed in the calming scent of foreign flowers. Her fingers combed into his dark hair, tucking it behind his ear.

"I didn't expect to find you at the Dwelling in the Clouds," he muttered, hoping to distract her.

"Ah, yes…I brought a picnic. I thought we could sit here and enjoy it together," she said quietly, her intentions clashing with the obviously dour mood. Xiao winced, blaming himself for spoiling it. 

He opened his mouth to apologise again but she cut in. "Did you…think I'd be angry if you were late?" she said softly. 

"No, nothing like that," he paused, mulling it over. "I'd rather not disappoint you- but I just wanted to see you, that's all."

Lumine's touch sipped down to the base of his skull. Xiao tensed up instinctively, gripping at her skirts. 

"May I…?"

"Yes."

Lumine hesitated. "Don’t force yourself if it makes you uncomfortable," she soothed, almost heartbreakingly considerate, even now.

Xiao huffed out a breath, reaching up and grabbing her hand, before carefully bringing it to the nape of his neck. There were no visible scars marring his skin, just the memory of one. His brand had once lain there, a mark of ownership from his former master.

He'd told Lumine about it once, and allowed her to hold and touch him- but some things felt like the first time no matter how often they shared affection. Thousands of years spent dodging the touch of others was a hard habit to shake.

Lumine lightly touched the spot, before laying her palm over it almost protectively. Letting out a tight breath, Xiao's lashes fluttered shut. His busted lip ached, the cuts littering his body fighting to heal despite the karma.

They stayed like that for a long time, Xiao curled onto her lap and slipping between consciousness and unconsciousness. Lumine was silent, running a free hand over his arms, hair and back, stroking away the tension. "I'm not her, Xiao. I'd never be angry with you for being late or missing a meeting. I'd understand."

"...I know."

"And I won't be... disappointed with you either," she hummed. "I don't think I ever could be. I'm sorry I've been so busy lately. Fontaine is…messy at the moment."

Xiao fell quiet and pensive, feeling a little foolish to be clutching at her skirts like some child. For some reason the Traveller was always so soothing, he found himself acting oddly around her. He shifted on the stone bench, looking up at the dwelling Cloud-Retainer had created. It was a lonely place, and he wondered why Lumine had wanted to meet here.

After a while, her voice broke through his heavy thoughts. "Beautiful."

Dark lashes fluttered. He shifted, managing to roll onto his back.

The first striking rays of light were blazing above the cloudbank. At once, the heavenly landscape of rolling clouds surrounding them was awash with warm colours. Lumine stared straight at the rising sun, fierce golden eyes unafraid of the glare, absorbing everything with a fond glitter.

Xiao watched as steadily ascending sunlight threw her pretty face into a myriad of shadows and bright colours. His heartbeat thudded strong and sure in his chest, hair picking up to obscure his vision.

Before he could grumble and mind it aside, Lumine's hand was there, tucking the dark strands away again. "There you are," she smiled down at him. 

Xiao blinked. His throat tightened, chest burning. As he watched her, swathed in warmth and smiling at him so fondly, he became aware of his own emotions. The shake in his hands, heat creeping into his cheeks.

Oh. She'd invited him here to watch the sunrise together.

How...foolish. Terribly frivolous and romantic. All the things he wasn't.

Mortals would probably describe this all-encompassing yearning gripping his chest as something equally romantic and foolish, like love. 

Lumine's brows drew together as she looked down at him, ghosting a thumb over his cut cheek. His heart stuttered.

Well, maybe they wouldn't be wrong on that front.

"I wish I could do more to help you," she confessed into the space between them. 

"Help me?" A choked laugh escaped him, brittle but bright and amused. His lips ached as they pulled into a smile, but he didn't care. "You do more than enough. Why do you think I wanted to see you? It's not because Liyue's in danger or out of duty. It's because…you make me feel..."

He fell quiet, looking up at her curious face. Did she really not understand? Xiao huffed out a breath before reaching up and grasping the back of her head, guiding her down. 

"At my core, I guess I'm quite selfish."

I'm always desperately seeking you. 

Their lips met and Xiao forgot himself. His circumstances- his sins. All of it always fell away at the touch of her mouth on his, the finest wine to ever coat the tongue, and yet she enlivened his world rather than dulled it.

The Yaksha weren't known for being gentle. Though they'd enjoyed a camaraderie, Xiao knew nothing of how to nurture this feeling he held for her. There was nothing half-hearted about it. He wanted…so many things. After so long spent in apathy and pain- the mere act of wanting felt startling. Frightening in its strength. His hand curled into a fist within her buttery blonde locks, tugging, urging her closer as he tasted her mouth. Lumine let out a soft, happy sigh against his lips, pulling away to rest their foreheads together.

"Silly Adeptus. You got those injuries from defending Liyue and its people and you'll do it again and again. That's not selfishness," she said a little breathlessly, taking his hand and holding it to her cheek. "But…I don't mind being the one thing you're selfish about. You could stand to be more greedy."

His eyes widened. "Even more?"

"Yes."

He pulled Lumine in for another kiss. He gripped at her shoulder tight, before remembering to loosen his hold, brushing his tongue inside her mouth indulgently before kissing a trail across her jaw and neck.

"...More?" He crooned in her ear.

"Mn."

Their lips met, again and again. Slow and indulgent sometimes - and gradually becoming a little heated. Lumine backed off when she noticed him wince, lip still red and sore- but he huffed and pulled her down again.

When they finally drew away, Xiao gave a slow smile. To Lumine's eyes, it looked heartbreakingly tender. Fragile. His happiness would need to be protected like a fallen bird cupped within her hands. She could splint his wings and encourage him, but ultimately, the urge to fly would need to come from Xiao himself.

Until then, she'd hold him dear.

Xiao sat up after a while and hummed, leaning to pick up the forgotten picnic basket. "Tell me about Fontaine then. I will listen."

End

[garden-ghoul]

We got another horse poem for you tonight! Li He's horse poem #4, to be precise.

This horse is no ordinary horse--- a star's lineage can only come from stars. Come forward, tap its brittle-looking bones; in themselves they ring like copper.

Notes and original text under the cut.

马诗二十三首·其四

此马非凡马，房星是本星。 向前敲瘦骨，犹自带铜声。

The shortest poems are always very hard to translate, I think. Because there's so little there, it all makes a big impact. I guess I was going for a bit of a magical horse here.

a star's lineage... stars --- here's a very interesting line. Gushiwen reads it as "Fangxing [horse name] was originally a star." As in, it is a truly celestial horse. But I think you can equally read it with my translation; the key, I guess, is how literally you read 本 root/source. I'm also not completely sure about reading 房 household as "lineage" but if you do it reads as a sentence on the importance of good breeding.

Come forward --- it actually just says 向前 forward, I'm not totally sure whether this is referring to the horse's forward motion.

in themselves --- the grammar of this bit puzzles me. 自带 is translated in the modern day as "bring your own" but could be read as "naturally brings about" or "its own saddle" (as in Laurence's translation). I chose the phrase I did to emphasize the strength and self-sufficiency of the horse's construction.

[lichens-art]

Some Life Series interpretation lore (Some people call them headcanons... BUT NOT I!)

Basically a list of what I'm going to draw everyone as + some disjointed thoughts about how the biology/geology/magic works because I am an autistic little FREAK

(Okay to rb, just not putting this in the main tag because I'm embarrassed.)

Species list (● = More Human looking - ■ = More Furry looking)

Grian - ● Wither Skeleton + Vulture (Vanilla + Semi-Vanilla) (^ Resembles a turkey vulture specifically, unadded mob) Scar - ■ Cat (Vanilla) (^ Specifically a Jellie Cat) Mumbo - ● Human/Player (Vanilla) (^ Worlds most normalcore dude ♡) Jimmy - ● Tiny Bird (Twilight Forest) (^ Gold Finch Variety) Joel - ■ Hedge Spider (Twilight Forest) (^ Spider Centaur btw) Scott - ● Guardian (Vanilla) (^ Head 'crystals' are guardian thorns) Impulse - ● Minotaur (Twilight Forest) (^ Long Horn Cow, Pansy Moobloom) Skizzle - ● Valkyrie (Aether) (^ Wings are small and unusable) Tango - ● Blaze (Vanilla) (^ Has blaze rods circling his head) Etho - ■ Leucistic Fox (Vanilla) (^ Has Dark Gray/Light Brown markings, 'Domesticated' Fox) Bdubs - ■ Glare (Semi-Vanilla) (^Acts akin to skulk, but with docile moss, Unadded mob) Cleo - ● Zombie (Vanilla) (^ Doesn't burn in daylight due to mutation) Martyn - ● Creeper + Cat (Vanilla) (^ Makes Creeper noises but cannot explode) Ren - ■ Wolf (Vanilla) (^ I am implementing "More Mob Varients" ♡) Lizzie - ■ Aerbunny (Aether) (^ She rides on Joel's shoulders, also ears blend into hair) BigB - ● Human/Player (Vanilla) (^ He's just some guy ♡) GeminiTay - ● Deer + Skeleton (Twilight Forest + Vanilla) (^ Themes of chronic wasting disease, has a skeletal arm) Pearl - ● Boar (Twilight Forest) (^ Think about it, everyone's like "oh a passive mob i don't gotta worry-" and then THEY DIE AND DIE AND DIEEEEEE)

In my interpretation there's more dimensions than just The End and Nether. There's also the Twilight Forest and The Aether because those two mods register as Vanilla+ in my mind. (Also stuff like Glares, Mooblooms, Copper Constructs, etc. are here too because I'm a salty jackass and this is MY silly thing ♡)

People in this are more or less furry-esque due to exposure to magic. Scar lived in a more magical environment than Martyn, so he's more cat-like instead of more humanoid.

"Undeads" are just their own thing and not actually dead! They have light sensitivity to the point of burning/melting due to the sun leeching their magical energy. Skeletons are very thin naturally and have a high metabolism and very good eyesight. Their eyes are sunken and black but their pupils reflect lots of light like a cat's would. Zombies are slower and have a symbiotic relationship with a bacteria that helps them survive on less food but makes them smell kinda gross. Wither skeletons are similar to normal skeletons but are much faster, taller, and more muscular. Though, their bones are much more brittle.

Planets/Dimensions Radiate magic from within themselves, and Stars burn away their own magic and neutralize it with their light. (Hence why undeads burn in sunlight) The farther you go underground the more magical the lifeforms are. The Nether and Twilight Forest are both underground dimensions due to their planets being closer to their stars. The End is a gas giant with magic infused islands of rock that float naturally, though it is close to its star it's atmosphere is so dense that it isn't effected very much. Btw the Nether is Venus. I know this in my heart ♡ (the other three are just random high-magic planets that linked to The Overworld) The Aether is also a gas giant but is more linked to The Overworld's magic, thus when you fall into the core you wind up in The Overworld's atmosphere. Bedrock is infused with so much magic that it isn't breakable by mortal lifeforms.

Humans do exist! Btw! I know I only have two but listen... I'm a furry. Humans generally are more effected by magic than anything else, hence why there are so many human-like people in my interpretation.

That's all I have for now lol, enjoy my ramble. ♡

[spacerangersam]

if you want a little taste of how where the lost souls meet goes, I'm gonna put the prologue under the readmore

Prologue: Ursus Arctos Horribilis

"Do you ever get tired of watching me?"

The bear head stared Simon down from its place on the wall.

Skin, seen through cracks between sun-bleached fur, was old, leathery and brittle. The eyes were just two beady obsidian dots, watchful as they were unseeing, and its jaw was half open as if caught just before a roar could rumble out, sawdust trickling out between yellowed teeth. It collected in a pile on the floor.

Simon dropped his head down, rubbing at the sore tendons with a hiss. It was always too high up to comfortably look at, or perhaps, he was too low down.

There was a flash of movement just outside his peripheral, but when he looked up, the bear was exactly where he’d left it, jaw hanging down like a still pendulum.

"I'd get bored if I was you,” Simon said. “But then, I'm not a dead, 'eadless bear. Maybe people-watching is the best for entertainment you've got."

Silence.

"Person-watching. That's a bit more accurate, don't you think?"

Tucking his hands in his pocket, Simon turned away, facing the hall stretching before him. 

It was long and thin, narrowing down to a sharp point, the ceiling so far up it disappeared into the shadows. Floral sun-faded paper peeled off the walls in curled strips as the lights above omitted a dim, green-tinged light glow as if the bulbs were infested with algae. The floor below him was made of warped, holey planks.

It looked like a memory half-forgotten.

"I can't figure out whether it'd be better if you talked or not," Simon murmured. "Not, I suppose. Even if you talked, you'd probably only talk bear, and that wouldn't be much use, would it?"

Ever the conversationalist, it said nothing.

Simon sighed and started walking. What else was there to do?

He’d made thirty steps before the bear began to follow him. It moved along the wall in a steady line as if pulled by an invisible rope, leaving a long scratch in the wallpaper, tearing noisily.  

Regardless of how slow or fast Simon went, the head moved at one pace, and that pace was languid. Even that slowness was still too fast for comfort though, as it was a keen reminder that it was not, as it should be, still.

Forty steps, fifty steps, sixty steps, seventy steps, ninety-ninety steps.

The hallway came to a stop. 

Simon found himself in front of a Door. It was a perfectly normal size, not absurdly big or small, and when he knocked on the wood, it sounded like wood. If he’d licked it, which he hadn't, it would taste of wood and polish. The doorknob was a greenish-tarnished globe, and even from a distance, it smelt of copper. Normal, perfectly normal.

 But no matter how much The Door liked to pretend it was normal, Simon knew the truth.

The head halted, the heavy plague it was stuck to bumping against the doorframe with a solid thunk. 

Simon looked up at it, catching its dead-eyed gaze, and mustered up an expression that said, very plainly, please go away. He hoped it said that, at least. If not that, something a bit stronger. Piss off, perhaps. 

He opened The Door anyway.

There was nothing behind it, just a void so dark and endless it hurt his eyes too look at it, like a nightsky devoid of any stars, the moon engulfed and devoured. Simon sighed and closed The Door.  Then, he turned around and walked back the way he came.

It was going to be another long night.

[spookycrazyhatboxghost]

Two months Post Death of Khal. Joha leaves???

Joha is doing the last of his checks before take off.

The soft sound of wings register through his Buy’ce and he stays where he is. Back to the open hatch where he knows Xók is standing.

There was a brittle attempt at a joke when Xók announced his presence by asking “Permission to board Captain?”

The silent Mando hunches his shoulders and shakes his head no still refusing to look at him.

“So—that’s it? You’re leaving ? For how long?—Sir please—J—”

The hurt cut into him with each word and when he turns to the shorter man; he’s barefaced in his kitchen uniform with his cloak thrown over—barely keeping composure.

Joha reaches for his cowl and hauls him into the ship as he slams his palm against the shutting mechanism.

The momentum sends them both into the oposite wall and into a slow slid to the ground.

Xók’s climbed him bodily; heart beating wildly and arms locked around his neck. Cradled in his lap as they settle on the floor.

“Joha—what have I done? Why are—”

Golden eyes go wide as the hiss of his Buy’ce releasing stuns the question.

It clatters to the hallway floor and Xók tightens his hold.

He shuts his eyes tight and buries his face against Joha’s shoulder.

{Look at me—Xók }

The boy gasps softly; body going cold then warm.

The sound of his name from /this voice/ makes something in him fizz.

But still.

The shorter man shakes his head; voice a little wobbly.

{No—you—you put that back on— I don’t want to get you in trouble—}

A warm chuckle against the shell of his ear makes his face heat rapidly.

{My job is finished little bird — that’s why I’m leaving—look at me Xók?please?}

Anger flares and Xók rears back to lock eyes with him. In the dim light of the hallway Joha’s eyes are dark and soften when they meet his.

It makes his stomach flip the feeling he sees there; warm and openly adoring.

There’s a birthmark just under the man’s right eye— the smile lines— the shape of his mouth that’s ticked up slightly in one corner as he’s watched in return.

Joha is quiet as he just looks at him without the barrier of his t visor.

This face is familiar under his hands as Xók cups both sides of his face gently.

The shorter man feels a touch petulant when he says finally.

{Shield Brother—“You let me call you old man—- when you look like this??”

That shocks a laugh out of him that Xók can’t help joining in.

{That’s not what I was expecting you to say the first time you saw my face}

This makes Xók grin as he touches their foreheads together with gentle hands.

{I live to subvert expectations— I thought you knew that about me by now Joha—}

The teasing ended abruptly when the other man leans in and angles his face to the right.

Joins their mouths; curious to find out what his name tastes like.

Xok closes his eyes and hums into the kiss— this was tamiles territory.

As the taller man’s hands make the slow crawl from his thighs to his waist then slowly up his back to touch at the soft feathers at the base of his wings -the noise Xók makes in the back of his throat is new.

So is the way he rolls his hips and and bites at Joha’s lower lip hard enough to taste copper on his tongue.

Joha stutters out a low groan arching up into the press of their hips ; Xók feels the shape of him through the fabric of his flight-suit and makes another noise between a sigh and a curse.

The man’s large warm hands fly to his hips and clamp down. Joha’s mouth moves from his jaw to his throat and that leaves Xók free to babble half formed praises and attempts at Joha’s name.

Controlling the pace with the grip at the taller Mando’s nape, him sucking at a favorite spot makes Xók lose focus and squirm on the man’s lap . Wings twitching with aborted stretches as he tries to shift back and find balance bracing himself on John’s thighs

{Mmh—this feels really— good oh stars—but this isn’t what— I —came here —for—}

The taller mouthed at his pulse point before meeting his eyes; stare piercing.

His voice was rough and it made the shorter man hesitant as he entreated:

{Come with me Xók — you asked me in the past to go on assignment with me. Come with me}

For a second he hears another voice— Xok felt a lump in his throat and his body go cold so quickly.

“It’s too sudden Joha— I want to— I do! But—”

He’d scrambled off the man’s thighs and stood on shaky legs.

A helpless noise found it’s way out and Xók covered his mouth; pressing himself against the door. Alarmed Joha rose slowly as to not agitate him further.

{Xók? What’s wrong?}

/this isn’t him—he is a corpse—you pulled out his heart with your own hands—get a hold of yourself!/

Panic welling up in him; the shorter man pinned Joha in place with his golden eyes rimmed with tears.

Xók tried to explain {I want to go with you— I do but I’m—There’s my work and I’d have to find someone to feed Syril — Ari and Buir and—} /Alo’r Maul/

Xók flinches hard at that wound and his wings arch up— try to shield him from it.

Curled up tighter, Xók is mumbling “I’m sorry” in every language he knows; tears streaking silent down his face.

Joha touches him with gentle hands; coaxing him into his arms with soothing words murmured until Xók is cradled against his chest; wings lax and he is no longer apologizing.

{I was too rash—Xok I’m sorry— I didn’t mean to make it sound like if you didn’t come with me you wouldn’t see me again—}

Xok made a distressed little trill and tucks his face against Joha’s chest plate; the cool touch of Beskar a comfort to his heated face.

{That’s exactly what I thought—you ASSHOLE!} Xók rasps angrily as he grips at Joha’s shoulder armor.

Joha drops his head to the top of Xók’s softly; his hair a curtain as he whispers carefully.

{I love you Xók—So you can’t get rid of me that easily— Shield Brother}

Looking him I. The face now; awed Xok makes a happy noise that’s somewhere between a coo and a trill; wrapping his arms around Joha’s shoulders.

{-Love you too} he says easily as breathing— he kisses Joha’s face .

The crinkle between his brows; his nose his cheeks and gently on the mouth once -twice—lingering there as the taller man cups the back of his head and kisses him back.

There was no rush; this felt different.

Xok couldn’t place why but his heart beat fast all the same.

Resting their foreheads together; eyes closed.

Joha spoke first:

{I’ll be gone for three months— the job looks like a difficult one—}

Xok hums in understanding before asking quietly.

{Whose the target?}

Joha smiled softly and opened his eyes to commit Xók’s face to memory; peaceful and his if even for a moment.

{it’s a personal job not a bounty puck— I’m going to find my mother- I think it’s time I reconcile with her}

Xok opens his eyes in surprise and is momentarily distracted at the mirth that crinkles at the corners of Joha’s warm gaze trained solely on him.

Can’t help the smile that blooms on his face Xók exclames:

{That’s wonderful! Oh— I feel doubly worse for not being able to go with you—it doesn’t feel as helpful if I support you from here—}

/I’m a horrible friend /

Xók thinks dazedly as Joha holds his chin carefully and kisses his lips gently before putting a hand to the ka'rta in the middle of his chest plate.

{You’ll be right here— and I’f I miss the sound of your voice I’ll Comm you}

Xok was recovering from the way his mouth tingled; eyes going soft as the words register.

{I’m going to miss you —crushing me in my sleep—so so much—}

Joha kisses him again but it’s more of a bite that makes the shorter man smirk against his mouth.

When the taller man pulls back he knocks their heads together gently as hisses out; affection ringing out.

{Brat I’m trying to be soft here}

Xók’s eyes go pleading as he shifts closer and nuzzled Joha’s cheek as he responds

{—and I’m being very soft and serious—I’ve gotten used to you in my bed and now it will be too big without you.. I’m going to miss you Joha truly—}

The taller Mando cuts in {it’s only three months. We are not at War—-}

Trying to sooth the anxious way the boy’s wings twitched. The look Xók gives him stops that thought and he swallows the feeling.

“We could be—-isn’t that what you always told us in the training hall?”

Tone serious Xók admonishes switching back to Basic as he stands; dusting off his knees and giving him a cool once over.

Joha swallows at the look and his inappropriate response to it.

“Maybe your optimism is rubbing off on me?” Joha says as he schools his features with the years of practice he’s had.

Poor choice of words.

But Xók’s only response to that is to grin and carefully pick up his Buy’ce-kiss the t visor gently and hand it to him with that same soft smile that touched his eyes.

Looking down at the black Beskar, Joha hold his helmet like he’s found something new there— and maybe he had. Not feeling like putting it back on yet—

Xok gets his attention quickly when he says in a stern tone a clear mimic of his own.

“Stand up—“

Joha finds himself standing and leaning into Xók’s orbit, the shorter Mando looks back at him with reassessing eyes and one brow quirked up.

Xok speaks after a moment

“Safety to you Captain—”

Joha kisses him again—not wanting the weight of duty to bring him down from such height just yet.

Xok laughs as he attempts to real him back in.

Pushing at his chest and dissolving into more genuine laughter.

“Go— the sooner you leave—the sooner you can come back—”

Joha lets his Buy’ce seal the melancholy feeling in with him.

Touching the hatch panel with more care then before.

There was a spark of mischief as Xok gently pulled him down and kissed his t visor.

“A parting gift— for luck —when morons want eye contact ‘they can trust’ ”

The shorter Mando repeats with clear mockery in his voice.

Joha’s hands move to sign before he switches the amplifier on; hands free to pull him in close and speak directly in his ear.

{What have you done?}

Xok blinks and can’t hide the shiver— close as they are Joha definitely notices.

Okay that’s new.

“I —” Xok starts and then looks down at the other pair of googly eyes in his hands.

“I made these for when I go on off world missions and people don’t trust me since I won’t give them eye contact —I’m sorry Sir I can take them off— “

{Leave them be—come here}

The Captain leans down and Xok shifts up on his toes to gently press his forehead to his t visor. Xok feels gloved hands frame his face and rub at a cheekbone carefully.

The larger man’s aura keeping people from looking too closely or too long.

Gloved hands move away and one comes back to take hold of his chin again. Xok is further flustered when all he says is :

{Behave yourself}

Before releasing him from his hold and walking back up the ramp.

Xok steps back a few feet till his knees hit a stack of crates. Pulls his legs up and sits in an odd way as he watches Joha leave.

Something wraps around his heart and squeezes— but no forbidding feeling follows which he counts as a blessing.

When the ship has left the atmosphere Xók wonders if he laughed when he saw the eyes.

—he did.

And immodestly put them on his droid co pilot.

FIN

[binenbaumaj]

Marcasite (Pyrite), Opal, Pearl, Silver Ring 13876-1393

This exquisite cluster Victorian design ring features Opal, Pearl and Marcasite (Pyrite) crafted in Silver.

Details: Opal, Pearl, Marcasite (Pyrite), Silver Ring. Dispatches from a small business in Amsterdam, The Netherlands. Size: 17.12 NL / 53.8 FR / 6¾ US / N UK, sizeable (Within reason. Contact seller for information). Weight in grams: 2.2. Condition: New.

Design Area : Victorian. Area Information : The Victorian Era spanned Queen Victoria's rule of England from 1837 until 1901. During this time, a middle class began to emerge, sparking a demand for jewelry in the mass market, jewelry trends often reflected the tone of current events. The era is usually divided into several subsections: the Romantic Period from 1837 to 1861, the Grand Period from 1861 to 1880, and the Aesthetic Period from 1880 to 1901. During the Romantic Period jewelry also featured nature-inspired designs, similar to jewelry of the Georgian era. Frequently, these designs were delicately and intricately etched into gold. Lockets and brooches were popular in daytime jewelry during the early Victorian era, whereas colored gemstones and diamonds were worn during the evening. During the Grand Period jewelry , because the Grand or Mid-Victorian era corresponded with the death of Queen Victoria's husband, many jewelry pieces have solemn, somber designs. Known as mourning jewelry, the pieces feature heavy, dark stones. Jet, onyx, amethyst, and garnet are frequently found in jewelry from this period. Compared to previous periods, Mid-Victorian-era jewelry features highly creative, colorful designs using shells, mosaics and gemstones. During the Aesthetic period, jewelers used diamonds and feminine, bright gemstones such as sapphire, peridot, and spinel. Star and crescent designs as well as elaborate hat pins were also popular. Some scholars believe the aesthetic era began sooner, in 1875, and ended as early as 1890.. Materials : Marcasite (Pyrite), Opal, Pearl. Material Information : Opal Opal is one of nature's most stunning contributions to the world of gemstones. A unique composition of microscopic cristobalite spheres arranged in layers within an amorphous hydrous silica jelly comprises opal's unique crystal habit. Light refracted by these spheres, in some varieties, creates an amazing array of vivid colors referred to as play-of-color. This play-of-color is what makes opal such a beautiful and desirable gem. Pearl All pearls originate in mollusks (mollusca), whether natural or cultured. Mollusks are a phylum of invertebrate animals that includes oysters, clams, mussels, snails and octopus among their approximately one hundred and twenty-eight thousand species, all with the ability to produce pearls. Only a few of these varieties can create gem quality pearls. Marcasite (Pyrite) Marcasite is an iron sulfide mineral with an orthorhombic crystal structure. It is very brittle and unsuitable for jewelry. What we call "marcasite" in jewelry is actually Pyrite - "fools gold" - that has been faceted to imitate diamonds. Popular from around 1700 onward, marcasite is usually found mounted in silver. Because of its golden yellow color and metallic luster, Marcasite has remained popular in higher quality fashion jewelry. In antique jewelry, marcasite can be distinguished from cut steel faux gems because marcasites are usually bead or prong-set as a gemstone would be and cut steel is riveted. Silver Silver is a white metallic element, harder than gold, softer than copper and second only to gold in malleability and ductility. Represented on the Periodic Table of the Elements by the symbol Ag, silver is an excellent conductor of heat and electricity. Silver is considered one of the noble metals because of it is excellent resistance to oxidation. Historically, silver has played a prominent role in the production of jewelry an objets d'art and is usually alloyed with another metal to harden it enough to maintain the desired shape and details imparted to it.. Size : 17.12 NL / 53.8 FR / 6¾ US / N UK. Gender : female. Weight (in grams) : 2.2. Condition : New. https://www.binenbaum.com/product/marcasite-pyrite-opal-pearl-silver-ring-13876-1393/

[ardentguilt]

Tellurium

Here’s something SUPER RARE for you all.

Left photo taken with a macro lens. Right photo taken with regular lens. I have a magnification box on the way for this specimen for ease of viewing.

Tellurium is a brittle, mildly toxic rare metalloid.

On earth it’s rarer than Platinum. It’s sometimes referred to as ‘The Forgotten Element’

Tellurium has importance in technological uses such as in solar cells and semiconductors. It also has uses in heavy metal removals.

Due to its often incredibly tiny size Tellurium is also being investigated in the nanomedicine field and has shown promising applications as an antibacterial, anticancer and imaging agent.

That said the biological role of Tellurium is considered unknown though fungi have on occassion used Tellurium in place of Sulphur and Selenium in amino acids.

Wen molten Tellurium will corrode copper, iron and stainless steel.

Tellurium also has the highest melting and boiling point of all the oxygen family elements of which it is a part.

Tellurium has 8 different isotopes with two of these isotopes (Te128 and Te130) being slightly radioactive and possessing the longest known half life of all radionuclides, about 160 TRILLION times the age of the known universe.

Tellurium is considered the rarest of the solid stable elements occuring at only around 1 µg/kg in the earth’s crust.

The rarity of Tellurium on earth however does not reflect its rarity in the universe.

In the cosmos Tellurium is more abundant that Rubidium whereas in the earth’s crust Rubidium is at least 10,000 times more abundant than Tellurium.

The theory is that the abundance of Tellurium in earth was depleted by conditions during the preaccretional in the solar nebula wherein certain elements that form volatile hydrides such as Tellurium were severely depleted by the evaporation of those hydrides.

Tellurium is mostly found as gold tellerides such as Calaverite, Krennerite, Petzite and Sylvanite.

Native Tellurium such as the specimen about is much much rarer.

Just last year in 2023 astronomers detected the creation of tellurium in the universe during the collision of two neutron stars.

[thevurth]

13 BENEFITS OF DRINKING WATER FROM COPPER WATER BOTTLES.

Welcome to the world of copper water bottles. The latest health craze, with information on why you should buy copper bottles and the importance of this essential metal/trace mineral in our daily lives. Copper utensils have traditionally been used in India for cooking, food storage, and water. Such brilliant red to pale pinkish-orange metal is a good heat and electrical conductor. Moreover, it is widely utilized in building materials, jewellery, beautiful art, and even utensils.

Copper is one of the few natural metals that is widely used and has strong thermal and electrical conductivity. It is produced in large stars and then collected from mines. The Oligo dynamic effect occurs when water is held in a copper vessel or bottle for an additional eight hours. Copper's antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, anti-carcinogenic, and antioxidant effects are well-known.

BENEFITS :-

Aids the Thyroid Gland's Functioning

Copper is the most common trait among thyroid sufferers, according to doctors. Copper balances the thyroid gland's discrepancies, i.e., it energizes the thyroid gland so that it can function perfectly. But it also protects the thyroid gland from the harmful effects of too much secretion. Thyroid gland malfunction can be caused by a lack of copper or too much copper, resulting in hyper or hypothyroidism in patients.

Avoids Anaemia

Copper aids in the digestion of food to produce haemoglobin. Along with the body's absorption of iron, which is deficient in anaemia. Copper deficiency in humans can cause unusual haematological problems, including low white blood cell counts.

Protects against Cancer

Cancer has sadly become too usual. This deadly disease has been a persistent challenge to the medical community for many years. Water held in a copper container or vessel is high in antioxidants, which can help fight free radicals that cause tumours and stimulate cancer cells. If you spend a lot of time outside in the sun, bring a copper bottle with you since the water in it generates melanin. It is a natural skin pigment that protects skin from dangerous ultraviolet rays.

Increases the amount of haemoglobin

The protein molecule haemoglobin found in red blood cells is vitally essential for physiological function. Anaemia, which causes severe fatigue, brittle bones, and disorientation, among other chronic illnesses, can be caused by a lack of haemoglobin. Copper water, according to studies, aids in the breakdown of food for the formation of haemoglobin and improves iron absorption in the body. Copper is an essential trace mineral that the body needs at the proper levels to prevent certain haematological disorders.

Helps in treating arthritis

Copper's bone-strengthening qualities help to treat arthritis and rheumatoid arthritis. Inflamed joints benefit from its anti-inflammatory effects.

Defends Against Infections

Copper, although being a metal, has natural antibacterial properties. When this metal comes into contact with hazardous bacteria on surfaces or in water, it instantly kills them. For thorough filtration and eradication of numerous germs such as E.coli, Cholera bacillus, and others, doctors recommend drinking water that has been stored in a copper bottle for at least 8 hours.

Beneficial for Heart.

Copper helps to ensure adequate blood circulation by allowing blood vessels to dilate. It also removes plaque build-up in the vessels, resulting in improved heart health.

Heals Injuries

Copper, whether in the form of a metal or a mineral, is naturally antibacterial and antimicrobial. While washing a wound or injury with copper water, cleans the affected area. It also helps the skin regenerate and heal faster.

Helps with digestion

Copper-based medication was prescribed in ancient Roman writings to destroy germs in the stomach. Drinking "Tamra Jal" cleanses and detoxifies the stomach, according to Ayurveda. Copper also contains qualities that help with digestion by stimulating peristalsis (the rhythmic expansion and contraction of the stomach lining), reducing inflammation, and improving digestion. Copper can aid with stomach ulcers, indigestion, and stomach infections.

Hypertension is controlled

Copper, a critical trace metal, helps keep blood pressure in check and regulates the levels of bad cholesterol (LDL) and triglycerides in the blood. However, if a person has had a copper deficit throughout childhood, the odds of hypotension or low blood pressure are considered more. A rapid copper deficit in adulthood, on the other hand, can cause hypertension and high blood pressure.

Helps in Weight Loss

Copper aids weight loss by assisting in the dissolution of excess fat deposits in the human body. Even when an individual is sleeping, copper keeps the body in a fat-burning state. However, it does not mean that too much copper will burn more fat. Too much copper can damage the human body.

Enhances mental performance

The brain and the rest of the body interact via electrical impulses. Copper facilitates cell communication by carrying out these impulses, allowing the brain to function more efficiently.

Stroke Prevention

Copper has anticonvulsant properties, making it a useful seizure preventative. Copper is also an antioxidant. Thus, a deficit would allow oxidants to act more quickly and efficiently, increasing the risk of a stroke.

[melien]

Oriens: Don’t be shy, Copper! From what I can see, she already likes you!

Copper: Thanks for the encouragement.

[cloudberry-sims]

Copper Brittle Star for @melien Glory BC.  

Hair I Birthmark 

Traits: Adventures I Angler I Sailor I Good Since of Humor I Irresistible 

Life Time wish: Grand Explorer. 

Favorites: Indie I Blue I Sushi 

BIO: Copper is officially born in Isla Paradiso , but he never spent much time there because of his dads work. Ever since Copper can remember he has lived on a houseboat or at an archaeological dig site.

His dads , who are successful archaeologists ,spent their time in  temples and graves searching for treasures , Copper would seek treasures by the sea. Once he got older his dads let him scuba dive to collect artifacts that were lost at sea. 

But now Copper wants to go on a new grand adventure- to find someone to love and treasure hopefully for the rest of his life. He believes  Danube Glory could be the one , but you never know right?

Extra facts:

- His Bisexual.

- He has a dog named Coral , who is staying at a friends house.

- His dads are currently in Al Simhara and are very supportive of Copper joining this challenge.

- He hopes he will become friends with everyone is joining the BC.

Download: Private unless eliminated.  

He will be up for download as soon as possible!

[16-pennies]

Silver Chapter Titles

Below the cut is a list of Silver's chemical chapter titles and their meaning. Bear in mind I'm not a chemist and all of these are just creative interpretations of basic attributes of these elements. All information sourced here and Wikipedia.

Chapter 1: Silver (Ag)

Atomic number 47. Highest electrical and thermal conductivity of all metals. Stable in pure air and water.

Chapter 2: Vanadium (V)

Atomic number 23. Strong; resists corrosion.

Chapter 3: Helium (He)

Atomic number 2. Lowest melting point of any element; present in stars and nuclear fusion.

Chapter 4: Boron (B)

Atomic number 5. Good conductor at high temperatures; used as an igniter.

Chapter 5: Silicon (Si)

Atomic number 14. Makes glass; one of the most practical and useful elements.

Chapter 6: Carbon (C)

Atomic number 6. Essential for life.

Chapter 7: Sulphur (S)

Atomic number 16. Occurs naturally around volcanoes and hot springs.

Chapter 8: Lanthanum (La)

Atomic number 57. Used in camera lenses; reactive; attacked slowly by cold water, fast by hot.

Chapter 9: Magnesium (Mg)

Atomic number 12. Used in flash photography.

Chapter 10: Rubidium (Rb)

Atomic number 37. Ignites spontaneously in air.

Chapter 11: Molybdenum (Mo)

Atomic number 42. Reinforces steel; strengthens.

Chapter 12: Beryllium (Be)

Atomic number 4. Light, stiff, stable.

Chapter 13: Titanium (Ti)

Atomic number 22. Resilient; resists corrosion.

Chapter 14: Fluorine (F)

Atomic number 9. Prevents dental cavities; used in the formation of uranium.

Chapter 15: Lithium (Li)

Atomic number 3. Used as a mood stabiliser.

Chapter 16: Zinc (Zn)

Atomic number 30. Brittle at ordinary temperatures.

Chapter 17: Mercury (Hg)

Atomic number 80. Used in thermometers.

Chapter 18: Antimony (Sb)

Atomic number 51. Used in flame-proofing.

Chapter 19: Nickel (Ni)

Atomic number 28. Gives glass a greenish colour; malleable; fair conductor of heat and electricity.

Chapter 20: Scandium (Sc)

Atomic number 21. Abundant in stars.

Chapter 21: Tungsten (W)

Atomic number 74. Highest melting point of all metals.

Chapter 22: Sodium (Na)

Atomic number 11. Never found free in nature; floats on water.

Chapter 23: Strontium (Sr)

Atomic number 38. Ignites in crimson flames.

Chapter 24: Chromium (Cr)

Atomic number 24. Makes glass emerald green; hardens steel; used as a catalyst.

Chapter 25: Rhodium (Rh)

Atomic number 45. Highly durable and reflective.

Chapter 26: Neon (Ne)

Atomic number 10. Glows in a vacuum.

Chapter 27: Cesium (Cs)

Atomic number 55. Reacts explosively in cold water; used in atomic clocks.

Chapter 28: Gallium (Ga)

Atomic number 31. Liquid metal at room temperature; highly reflective mirror.

Chapter 29: Copper (Cu)

Atomic number 29. Used in algicide in water purification; used in coins and weapons.

Chapter 30: Aluminium (Al)

Atomic number 13. Practical, malleable.

Chapter 31: Calcium (Ca)

Atomic number 20. Reacts with water; responsible for hardness in water.

Chapter 32: Selenium (Se)

Atomic number 34. Used to make red glass and stainless steel.

Chapter 33: Technetium (Tc)

Atomic number 43. Tarnishes slowly in moist air; corrosion inhibitor, excellent superconductor.

Chapter 34: Tin (Sn)

Atomic number 50. Silver-white, malleable, highly crystalline structure which cries when broken.

Chapter 35: Niobium (Nb)

Atomic number 41. Shiny, white, soft, take on bluish cast in room temperature air; must be placed in protective atmosphere.

Chapter 36: Ruthenium (Ru)

Atomic number 44. Toxic; may explode; resists water.

Chapter 37: Argon (Ar)

Atomic number 18. Used in light bulbs.

Chapter 38: Barium (Ba)

Atomic number 56. Found only in combination with other elements; oxidises easily.

Chapter 39: Lead (Pb)

Atomic number 82. Used in pipes; toxic.

Chapter 40: Seaborgium (Sg)

Atomic number 106. Synthesised; sometimes referred to as element 106 as the international committee decided it cannot be named after a living person.

Chapter 41: Cadmium (Cd)

Atomic number 48. Toxic, forms salts, sulphide used as yellow pigment.

Chapter 42: Radon (Rn)

Atomic number 86. Reacts with fluorine.

Chapter 43: Tellurium (Te)

Atomic number 52. Silvery-white; brittle and easily pulverised

Chapter 44: Rhenium (Re)

Atomic number 75. Good wear resistance and withstands corrosion.

Chapter 45: Hafnium (Hf)

Atomic number 72. Can ignite spontaneously in air.

Chapter 46: Osmium (Os)

Atomic number 76. Possibly heaviest known element; toxic after long exposure.

Chapter 47: Thallium (Tl)

Atomic number 81. Metallic lustre turns to blue-grey when exposed to air.

Chapter 48: Tantalum (Ta)

Atomic number 73. Grey, heavy, hard.

Chapter 49: Polonium (Po)

Atomic number 84. Low-melting, volatile.

Chapter 50: Phosphorous (P)

Atomic number 15. Toxic.

Chapter 51: Francium (Fr)

Atomic number 87. Highly unstable.

Chapter 52: Dysprosium (Dy)

Atomic number 66. Cools nuclear reactors.

Chapter 53: Hydrogen (H)

Atomic number 1. Makes up 90% of the universe; mostly found on Earth in water.

Chapter 54: Iridium (Ir)

Atomic number 77. Hard and brittle; used to make the metre bar in Paris.

Chapter 55: Bismuth (Bi)

Atomic number 83. Used in cosmetics and medicine.

Chapter 56: Hassium (Hs)

Atomic number 108. Manmade element.

Chapter 57: Zirconium (Zr)

Atomic number 40. Found in asteroids; highly refractive.

Chapter 58: Potassium (K)

Atomic number 19. Burns violet; essential in fertiliser.

Chapter 59: Manganese (Mn)

Atomic number 25. Responsible for amethyst colour; improves strength of steel.

Chapter 60: Bromine (Br)

Atomic number 35. Non-metal liquid; used in photography; produces sores on skin.

Chapter 61: Germanium (Ge)

Atomic number 32. Used in infrared spectroscopy.

Chapter 62: Yttrium (Y)

Atomic number 39. Ignites at high temperature.

Chapter 63: Iron (Fe)

Atomic number 26. Constituent of life; found in haemoglobin.

Chapter 64: Meitnerium (Mt)

Atomic number 109. Created by fusing nuclei.

Chapter 65: Copernicium (Cn)

Atomic number 112. Synthetic; extremely radioactive; only created in a laboratory; half life of 30 seconds.

Chapter 66: Palladium (Pd)

Atomic number 46. Can absorb 900x its own weight in Hydrogen; used in watchmaking, jewellery, and dentistry as a leaf.

Chapter 67: Platinum (Pt)

Atomic number 78. Used in jewellery and laboratory equipment; can perform for long periods at high temperatures.

Chapter 68: Arsenic (As)

Atomic number 33. Used as poison.

Chapter 69: Terbium (Tb)

Atomic number 65. Malleable and ductile.

Chapter 70: Livermorium (Lv)

Atomic number 116. Not found in nature.

Chapter 71: Chlorine (Cl)

Atomic number 17. Used to create safe drinking water.

Chapter 72: Europium (Eu)

Atomic number 63. Reacts with air; soft.

Chapter 73: Cobalt (Co)

Atomic number 27. Magnetic and brittle.

Chapter 74: Darmstadtium (Ds)

Atomic number 110. Short half life; unstable.

Chapter 75: Roentgenium (Rg)

Atomic number 111. Half life of 100 seconds.

Chapter 76: Indium (In)

Atomic number 49. ‘Gives a cry when bent.’

Chapter 77: Tennessine (Ts)

Atomic number 117. Most recently discovered element.

Chapter 78: Flerovium (Fl)

Atomic number 114. Super heavy and radioactive.

Chapter 79: Samarium (Sm)

Atomic number 62. Moderately hard silvery metal.

Chapter 80: Krypton (Kr)

Atomic number 36. Bright green.

Chapter 81: Iodine (I)

Atomic number 53. Forms purple solutions; used in medicine.

Chapter 82: Radium (Ra)

Atomic number 88. Used in medicine; burns red.

Chapter 83: Astatine (At)

Atomic number 85. Occurs as a product of decay.

Chapter 84: Gold (Au)

Atomic number 79. Transition metal.

Chapter 85: Erbium (Er)

Atomic number 68. Fluorescent pink.

Chapter 86: Neptunium (Np)

Atomic number 93. Hard metal; named after Neptune.

Chapter 87: Oganesson (Og)

Atomic number 118. Highly radioactive; short half-life.

Chapter 88: Gadolinium (Gd)

Atomic number 64. Reacts with oxygen.

Chapter 89: Oxygen (O)

Atomic number 8. Breath.

[wheelsupin-five-inactive]

(No) Vacancy

Relationship: Castiel/Dean Winchester

Characters: Castiel (Supernatural), Dean Winchester

Additional Tags: Angst, hurt/little comfort, Hopeful Ending, au where Dean manages to eject michael himself, Body Horror

Words: 359

Read on ao3 here

A/N: For the suptober day two prompt “No vacancy” :)

Dean’s knees threaten to give out as he limps his way back to the hotel. The sky gives no light, no stars or moon in sight under dark clouds, leaving him reliant on the broken lighting of the carpark to drag his distant feet over uneven ground. It hides the blood caked to his clothes.

There is nothing he can do but hope Cas is still there so he prays.

I’m coming, I’m sorry, I’m coming .

Dean is hallow without the celestial might of an archangel stuffed into his skin, tearing tissue, crushing bones — bursting at the seams —  but somehow, he can’t feel anything at all.

He scrambles to barricade the splintered door of his mind.

“Dean?” A voice says from outside one of the rooms.

His mouth works to string words together, but nothing makes it past his copper stained lips. His legs buckle beneath him, knees crashing into stoney asphalt. Pain sears through him.

The red ‘no’ of the no vacancy sign flickers weakly over him, illuminating the wet blisters covering his hands and the tears now streaking his face. Familiar shoes stop in front of him.

He lets out a brittle sob sinking further to the ground.

Cas kneels in front of him, hands tenderly cupping his face. Dean closes his eyes, relaxing into his touch. Cas is speaking but Dean barely registers it.

Golden light rushes gently through him, consuming him completely, knitting his body back together. He stays in place even once it all fades into nothing and lets Cas pull him warmly against his body. Cas holds him tightly, their hearts beating in time beneath their ribs, and Dean can only helplessly clutch at his trench coat. It’s soft and familiar in his hands.

“He’s gone,” Dean chokes out. “Michael’s gone.”

“Dean-”

“He’s gone he’s gone he’s gone he’s gone he’s-” He drops his head to Cas’ shoulder, burying himself in his scent with ragged breaths. Deep in his bones, he can feel Michael looking for him. He can’t stop himself shaking.

“I’ve got you.” He runs a hand through Dean’s hair. The sign overhead flickers once more then dies. “I’ve got you.”

[honestlyfrance]

just feel; let’s exist

ship: sam/bucky

warnings: hurt/comfort, suicidal implications

summary:

“Where are you, Sam?” Bucky whispered, dragging his hand on Sam’s back, rubbing careful circles to ease the tension in his man’s muscles.

Sam shuddered at the touch, murmuring, “I don’t know,”

or

Bucky tries to keep Sam grounded for the night.

—■—■—

We’d all like to know what’s it like living in the Avengers Mansion secluded in the vast forest, the same mansion that you could only reach with a rocky dirt path, the same one where it stretches with its landing strips and pools, the same one where it looked more like a castle lost in the 16th century than one in the 21st century, and the same one where the sunrises were almost as perfect as the ones in Wakanda. Despite this description, Sam Wilson would tell you it was a noisy place, always full of fights and silent conversations—other times it’s a game of cat and mouse on who can eat the last platter of brownies before the super-soldiers can get to them. 

Everyone wanted to know what it felt like to live at the top of the world, unbothered and untethered. Not even touched by the weather, god gifted and forever immaculate: What does heaven feel like? They’ll say it tastes like copper blood, everlasting and stained. Others would say that heaven does not exist, and it’s hell on earth in the Avengers Compound; constant tension in the hallways, there’s always a reason for thunder to break through the walls and shatter the mirrors. It doesn’t sound like heaven, and maybe it shouldn’t be called as such.

Most nights it did feel like heaven on earth, when the room was just the right cold, the water pressure was just right, and the hallways were peaceful as it can be on a Thursday, it’s almost as if you were on top of the world. Damned those who think not, it was better when it was empty and vast as it should always be. 

It was always so full of life, and other times it was full of sorrow, resentfulness, and even, death.

This was one of those nights, the nights when Sam feels decayed and broken to the bone , almost numb at the overriding sensation throughout his body. It should’ve been illegal to feel this way, empty and vulnerable to even air, feeling as if you may crumble at the very touch of kindness. It shouldn’t be like this, but it always has to be; c'est la vie. What can anyone do?

Sam sat on the rounded couch in the vast living area. It had high ceilings, two chandeliers hanging precariously with its heavy diamonds and crystals; the couch was in an unlevel flooring, shaped for the large rounded velvet couch; the moonlight was streaming in the drawn open French windows that reached the arches of the walls; the rose bushes were in full bloom in view of the windows, full and lovely; the TV screen was sat atop a long desk, decorated with picture frames of the members of the Avengers all smiling and serious; the room was dim lit except for the moonlight, and there’s an uneasiness in the room. It was nearing midnight, and Sam didn’t make any plans to go back to bed.

Everything seemed to swallow him whole, and the vastness was only eating at his sides, bringing him down just to build him back up again with hope; it’s a sickening plot to take him down but his mind was almost peeling at the seams, and there’s a need to kill his overwhelmed senses before dawn, because there’s a ticking in his head that he had interpreted as a ticking bomb that would implode him and his thoughts when the sun would rise.

It’s saddening, how the world could beat him down into a pulp, taking his mentality and sensibility. The world has stripped him down to the bone and left his soul to burst into flames, an open-to-all show for the world to see. This is your Captain America! and you’ve let him burn to ashes! The world has left him to drown like an Icarus, burnt to a crisp and broken like glass. Nothing could ever piece him back together except for death, and even then it wouldn’t be the same. There’ll be an aftertaste in his mouth that would taste like gunfire and carcasses, and he wouldn’t be able to wash that foul taste without burying himself six-feet-under.

In the silence of the mansion and the dimness of the night, it’s here that he let himself daze into nothingness, feeling the void wrap itself into his bones, etching his fate with a pen-knife and salt, embracing his wounds as if the Mona Lisa to its Louvre. Sam lets himself decay with the stars, and if his fate leads him into his bed, then so be it; he’s lived long enough, won’t that mean he’d die short enough?

The silence seemed to ring in his ears, and there’s an ache in his chest he couldn’t cater to; it seemed too far away for him to reach, and if it was close enough for his fingers to grasp, it would turn futile. He would let it be; who’s going to tell him otherwise? There’s not a person in the world who decided to let Sam thrive, and even if they did, it was obviously not enough. Sam knew his worth, but did he know this could save him? Months of spiraling into the void, Sam has finally recollected and called himself “extinct.” Reminiscing would lead him nowhere, and the happy thoughts he had clutched onto had become stone; Sam did know his worth, but it only became his enemy.

Sam knew what it meant to know things and had felt things to conflict it, in the end burying himself in his own grave from the pressure of the world. Life has offered him endless tragedies and he has offered nothing but service, ruthlessly nice and angelic to the halo and wings, and it’d be a shame to have him drown in Atlas and the world’s burdens, but that’s what people make him do; stripped down to “support” and “partner” all in one, the world will forever see him in this facade.

As the ache in his chest began to sear him, Sam suppressed his cries to beg mercy at the world; he’s been abused to the bone that he’d let himself get down on his knees to beg for a sliver of mercy from the world. There’s tears rolling down his cheeks as he gritted his teeth, clenching his jaw at every sensation he felt. There was the need to numb himself, and he’d do that even if he has to physically hurt himself, to ache at the skin— yes, maybe that would work…

Footsteps approach Sam, breaking his soliloquies. Sam was left with ragged breaths, wiping his tears away with his bare hands when Bucky Barnes had plopped down right beside him, invading his personal space. Bucky was panting, wiping his forehead with a face towel before facing Sam with a splitting grin; it disappeared when Bucky saw the red in Sam’s eyes, and so Bucky immediately gave the man some space.

“Hey,” Bucky gently spoke, his hands wringing in between his thighs, “You— You don’t have to say anything,” he put on a small smile for Sam, but the man only sniffled, turning into convulsive sobs, “Do you want me to leave? I can give you more space. Do you want me to stay? I have some, uh, few ideas to get your mind off things…”

Sam turned to the rough fabric of the couch for comfort, crying into it as he choked on his sobs. Bucky sat beside the man, resting his chin on his crossed arms on the backrest of the couch; he had fear glinting in his eyes as he watched one of the strongest men he knew break down in pieces. There’s an unmistakable anguish in the air, one that brittles the strong with crashing waves, and Bucky feared for it.

“What do you need right now, Sam,” Bucky whispered into the darkness, and there’s a softness in his tone that just breaks Sam even more.

Sam looked up from his arms, a glare burying Bucky to the ground as he says, “Don’t treat me like I’m fragile,”

Bucky took a double-take, but nonetheless nodded carefully, afraid he’d hurt Sam even more. There’s an unspoken rule about comforting someone: Don’t hurt them even more . Bucky stood up, arms in awkward positions as Sam went back sniffling into his arms. Bucky’s heartstrings chimed to the tune of a love song, one that sings just for Sam; there’s now the only goal he had in mind: make Sam happy .

“Everyone’s fragile, Sam,” Bucky whispered, his voice barely above a murmur, but Sam must’ve heard it, because he stopped his whimpers and stayed robotically still, “Their brokenness only depends on how people handle them,”

Sam looked up, his lips twisted as his eyes searched for something in Bucky. “Stay,” he whimpered.

Bucky warily comes back in his seat, Sam inching towards the warmth of Bucky. Bucky wrapped his arms around Sam’s waist as the man leaned into Bucky’s body, nestling his head on Bucky’s chest. They lied down like this for minutes long, feeling each other’s breathing blend into each other. Bucky tries to even his breathing, already fearing the way his own heart beats deafeningly into the night; does Sam hear the fear and anxiety Bucky feels for him revibrate in his chest, or was Sam too deep into his thoughts to feel anything outside of him?

Bucky planted a soft and gentle kiss on the top of Sam’s head, and Sam instinctively groaned at the action; Sam’s body reacted by burying himself deeper into Bucky, as if it was still possible. If anything, they were practically connected into each other, atoms sharing and merging with one another they wouldn’t be surprised if they had melted into each other's souls by dawn.

Dawn .

Sam lifted his head, and Bucky whimpered at the loss of heat. Sam set his hands on Bucky’s knees as he blinked at the darkness, trying to figure out the murky shapes in the living area; he almost jumped when he saw something move in the darkness, only to realize it was Natasha Romanoff’s cat, Liho, moving around by the carpet. Bucky watched the back of Sam’s head, his eyebrows knitted together as he tried to decipher Sam. It seemed like everyday that Sam was jumpy and spaced out, almost like an astronaut from the many times he’s been into the void — Bucky just wanted to bring him back down with him on Earth.

“Where are you, Sam?” Bucky whispered, dragging his hand on Sam’s back, rubbing careful circles to ease the tension in his man’s muscles.

Sam shuddered at the touch, murmuring, “I don’t know,”

Liho is now on the other end of the couch joined by the other cats, Alpine, Goose, and Figaro; so that’s what those menaces do at night.

Bucky sighed, bringing back his grip on Sam’s shoulder, easing out the ache of the world out of him; if it was only possible. Bucky wished it was that easy, because Sam didn’t deserve an inch of this bullcrap, however the world seemed fit, angels just don’t need the burden of Atlas as if it wasn’t from different religions in the first place. If there was just a magic word Bucky could say to bring Sam back down on base, he'd make a song out of it— Anything. Anything that would give back Sam his control, Bucky would pick it out from hell itself if it could bring Sam peace and comfort.

“Why do I bother,” Sam murmured, his voice raspy and ragged.

Bucky hesitantly set his forehead on Sam’s back, breathing in the scent of him; he exhaled, saying, “We bother because we care,” he breathed in once more, his eyes shut closed, “Sometimes we care too much to feel anything. Which is why we rest… Feel… Breathe in…”

“I know,” Sam’s eyebrows furrowed, staring into the void of darkness as his idle hands grew sweatier and colder, “I… I can’t seem to do anything right now…”

“Then let’s just exist, Sam. Come back down for you.”

Bucky rested his head right on Sam’s back, eyes upwards as he heard the mewling of the four cats approaching them. They both chuckled at that, and for a moment, the world stopped spinning and had rested just for the two of them. Sam lied back down, bringing Bucky down with him; Sam curled himself deeper into Bucky’s chest as the other rested his feet on top of the mahogany coffee table before them. Liho finds a spot between Bucky’s legs and Alpine is soon behind him; the other two cats, Bucky thinks, should scram before the two of them do anything more.

They sat down for a moment, overwhelmed by the silence to move, and it feels nice to have the weight be lifted from one’s chest; there’s a pang of pain to breathe but there’s also the love that revibrates within the heart, and it blares so loudly between these two it shouldn’t be hard enough to stay oblivious to this. 

“You don’t have to talk,” Bucky whispered in Sam’s ear; Sam hummed in acknowledgement, “I know. I know it’s hard, and it’s fine to be fragile,” he rubbed circles on Sam’s back with his palm, then his fingers, feeling Sam sigh deeply into his chest, “One thing I’ve learned is that… You should just exist. Alone or together, any is fine; just breathe and feel, Sam. The pain leaves like a bandaid,”

It’s probably near two in the morning when Natasha emerges from her bedroom on the other side of the mansion to retrieve Liho, scooping up the noir feline from Bucky’s legs. In exchange, Natasha had brought the two a blanket, and apparently Bucky had requested to bring his laptop and secret stash of champagne. No sooner had she left with her cat, Goose had followed as well, meowing all the way down the hallway.

“What are you doing?” Sam drawled out, suppressing a grin as Bucky laid out the blanket around them.

Bucky had set down his laptop on his lap, opening up a browser and going incognito; Sam watched Bucky enter a website that had too many ads for one’s liking, entering a movie title that had only disappeared from the cinemas just yesterday. The movie began to play and Bucky raised the volume, Alpine setting her paws on his arm as he did this. Chuckling, Sam popped open the champagne with surprising ease, laughing fully as some of it spilled; Figaro crawled on top of his legs, and Sam had run a hand across his cat’s fur as Bucky snuggled deeper into the duvet.

They took turns drinking the alcohol straight from the bottle, and no sooner had Bucky seen a smile form on Sam’s face, all gap-tooth and wide, it was too beautiful to miss, even in the darkness. Everything fell back into place, but there’s a new atmosphere surrounding them as explosions and guns blared from the speakers, their two cats purring in the background making everything harder to move, and their breathing was too close to each other to ignore.

They didn’t know who was the first one to lean into the kiss, but they both knew they wanted this. Long and languid  kisses ensued between them, and Bucky’s advice ringed in their heads: Just feel , and they did; they felt each other’s skin against each other as their hands found their way to cup the other man’s cheek and bring them closer with a hand on the neck. They rested against each other’s foreheads as they breathed heavily, eyes still closed as they let the taste of the other be ingrained into their heads, never wanting to forget what love finally tasted like: it tasted like champagne turned into wine and the living room into an abandoned movie theatre, and it felt ten times colder but they were too warm in their hearts to complain.

They stayed like this for another movie, just existing together and alone, and if the world has decided that enough was enough and that they should break apart, just know this: though they were both fragile, in each other’s presence they felt too strong to even believe they were weak in the first place. Dawn had just arrived, and they could say they’ve stayed for another day.

[macrolit]

“Heritage” by Countee Cullen

What is Africa to me: Copper sun or scarlet sea, Jungle star or jungle track, Strong bronzed men, or regal black Women from whose loins I sprang When the birds of Eden sang? One three centuries removed From the scenes his fathers loved, Spicy grove, cinnamon tree, What is Africa to me? So I lie, who all day long Want no sound except the song Sung by wild barbaric birds Goading massive jungle herds, Juggernauts of flesh that pass Trampling tall defiant grass Where young forest lovers lie, Plighting troth beneath the sky. So I lie, who always hear, Though I cram against my ear Both my thumbs, and keep them there, Great drums throbbing through the air. So I lie, whose fount of pride, Dear distress, and joy allied, Is my somber flesh and skin, With the dark blood dammed within Like great pulsing tides of wine That, I fear, must burst the fine Channels of the chafing net Where they surge and foam and fret. Africa? A book one thumbs Listlessly, till slumber comes. Unremembered are her bats Circling through the night, her cats Crouching in the river reeds, Stalking gentle flesh that feeds By the river brink; no more Does the bugle-throated roar Cry that monarch claws have leapt From the scabbards where they slept. Silver snakes that once a year Doff the lovely coats you wear, Seek no covert in your fear Lest a mortal eye should see What's your nakedness to me? Here no leprous flowers rear Fierce corollas in the air; Here no bodies sleek and wet, Dripping mingled rain and sweat, Tread the savage measures of Jungle boys and girls in love. What is last year's snow to me, Last year's anything? The tree Budding yearly must forget How its past arose or set— Bough and blossom, flower, fruit, Even what shy bird with mute Wonder at her travail there, Meekly labored in its hair. One three centuries removed From the scenes his fathers loved, Spicy grove, cinnamon tree, What is Africa to me? So I lie, who find no peace Night or day, no slight release From the unremittent beat Made by cruel padded feet Walking through my body's street. Up and down they go, and back, Treading out a jungle track. So I lie, who never quite Safely sleep from rain at night— I can never rest at all When the rain begins to fall; Like a soul gone mad with pain I must match its weird refrain; Ever must I twist and squirm, Writhing like a baited worm, While its primal measures drip Through my body, crying, "Strip! Doff this new exuberance. Come and dance the Lover's Dance!" In an old remembered way Rain works on me night and day. Quaint, outlandish heathen gods Black men fashion out of rods, Clay, and brittle bits of stone, In a likeness like their own, My conversion came high-priced; I belong to Jesus Christ, Preacher of Humility; Heathen gods are naught to me. Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, So I make an idle boast; Jesus of the twice-turned cheek, Lamb of God, although I speak With my mouth thus, in my heart Do I play a double part. Ever at Thy glowing altar Must my heart grow sick and falter, Wishing He I served were black, Thinking then it would not lack Precedent of pain to guide it, Let who would or might deride it; Surely then this flesh would know Yours had borne a kindred woe. Lord, I fashion dark gods, too, Daring even to give You Dark despairing features where, Crowned with dark rebellious hair, Patience wavers just so much as Mortal grief compels, while touches Quick and hot, of anger, rise To smitten cheek and weary eyes. Lord, forgive me if my need Sometimes shapes a human creed. All day long and all night through, One thing only must I do: Quench my pride and cool my blood, Lest I perish in the flood, Lest a hidden ember set Timber that I thought was wet Burning like the dryest flax, Melting like the merest wax, Lest the grave restore its dead. Not yet has my heart or head In the least way realized They and I are civilized.

[whatgaviiformes]

Fic: Firefly’s Glow - Part 8/?

Chapter 1: Part 1 | Part 2 Chapter 2: Part 3 | Part 4   Chapter 3: Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 Chapter 4: Part 8  You are Here From the Beginning: FF | AO3 Summary: Imprisoned by the Hood, Gordon dreams of his oldest brother and of fireflies - but of course the Hood had to steal that memory too, in addition to his baldric, his boots, and Virgil’s face. What else could he possibly steal? He discovers the answer is quite a bit, and Gordon has to learn to navigate his new world, its new dangers, and the overbearing presence of his brothers’ desire to help what they can’t fix. This part ~  1.2K words – the sky, the stars, and the sea (or: Scott and John take care of Gordon) TW: Thunderstorms for this part, and slight drinking.  Thanks to @godsliltippy​ for the read through.  -----

Rain trailed down the villa’s windows with a steady pitter-patter as intermittently the grey sky growled with a fervent rumble in the distance. There was a difference to the way a storm sounded, striking instead a blanket of leafy, green canopy as opposed to the plains of their Kansas home – and this time it was joined in its chorus with the tossing of the sea waves upon the sandy beaches and rocky alcoves of Tracy Island.

Muted through the windowpanes it was, but Scott was listening for it. It was the sound of life-giving water returning to its home. Sky to sea. Eventually sea to sky, and back again.

The cycle helped him breathe through the weight in his chest.

The figurative one. Gordon was hardly heavy at the moment, more a feather’s breath sleeping soundly on the pillow his torso provided, rising up and lowering down with the motion of his lungs.

There was a reason Scott kept his breaths steady.

He pressed at the space between his eyes, where his nose met his aching head. Though the slumbering form shifted at the movement, Gordon did not wake. Despite the circumstances, he couldn’t help but smile fondly down at the figure curled on top of him and the childish googly-eyed smiley face that grinned at him on the camo shirt above where Gordon’s injured right arm was sprawled over his belly.

The doll clothes had been John’s idea. After a quick net search by EOS, some call outs from the Space Elevator on John’s way to the Island, and finally a quick pallet pick up from the brand’s warehouse in Thunderbird 1 on Scott’s way home, they were now owners of a pallet of 6-inch dolls of randomized styles.

It had been easiest and quickest to buy them in bulk, and the clothes weren’t sold separately. They’d have some doll toys they could keep in Thunderbird 2 for future rescues when all this was over, and the rest could be donated to the children’s hospital on the mainland. But in the meantime, Gordon had picked a few pieces to wear, and the first order of business had been for his brothers to pry the damn dolls out of their packaging so they could get to the clothes, which were either pull over or Velcro.

Even with doll proportions where a good chunk of the size came from the large, non-anatomically correct heads, the apparel was still slightly oversized on their brother.

“How is he?”  came John’s patient, dulcet tone from around the corner, clasping two half-full glasses of amber and raising an inquiring eye when he realized Scott was in fact not at their dad’s desk where he left him, but lying on the couch propped up slightly on one arm and with his long legs propped over the other.

“Exhausted,” Scott answered thickly, his voice low. “We were just going to rest a moment.”

And they’d needed it. Debrief had been…. Hard.

They’d made it through the details of the original rescue in the standard amount of time and dreaded the next part, though no one expected Gordon to flat out refuse to talk until Virgil left.

Virgil had paled at the statement, argued for Gordon to let him help until he was hoarse with it. And Gordon just shook his head. In the end, Scott agreed that they should do as Gordon asked, because he could feel how tightly Gordon was pulling at his collar.

Scott hated that look of betrayal in Virgil’s eyes as he stormed off, the “fine” breaking off with a brittle catch of air. He’d wanted to follow Grandma and Alan to make sure he was okay, but Gordon needed him.

And though he hadn’t understood it at the time, he did now.

His heart ached for Gordon.

It ached for Virgil too. He was going to be devastated.

“Hey, Scott. You with me?” John asked with a swirl of the glass, the ice clinking against the side. He gently nudged Scott’s legs back as he sat down on the edge of the couch. “Figured we both could use one of these after that.”

Scott hummed in agreement. Once Gordon had felt comfortable with just Scott and John in the room, the story had come tumbling out. Every painful and cruel detail.

He accepted the glass and shifted up just a bit to give John slightly more room. It was a more comfortable position for sipping, but not so far propped up that Gordon would start to slide. Just in case, he also rested his left arm across his stomach so he could support him if he did.

A crackle lit up the sky for a moment, and the cool burn of whiskey slid down his throat. “Helluva day,” he whispered, his breath heavy.

John nodded, brushing back the ginger hair that fell into his face. “We can fix this, Scott,” he stated, gaze sharp as emerald green abandoned the copper inside his glass to meet weary blue. “Kayo’s out pursuing leads, and I have EOS looking. We’ll figure this out.”

Scott watched a bead of condensation cling to his glass, much slower in its run through the cycle than its raindrop cousins outside. He rubbed it gently with his thumb, which came back wet while the glass appeared silkier, smoother and yet when he looked at the world through it, everything distorted in angled amber.

John coughed, then cleared his throat. “So, I had to tell Grandma.”

Scott frowned at him. “You heard what he said.” Gordon hadn’t wanted anyone else to know.

“Right,” John scoffed. “Have you ever seen Grandma take no for an answer? She cornered me on the way to the restroom. She said she gets it. She won’t reveal anything until Gordon’s ready. But Virgil’s really hurt.”

He knew that and despised that this was something big brothers couldn’t just put a bandage on and fix. “I don’t like having to keep this from him.”

“No one does,” John agreed, “but we have to trust in Gordon. It’s what he wants. For now.”

Outside the thunder clapped, the storm closing in on the villa with a rush of rain. Even after all this time, even with listening so intently to the storm build, the volume took him by surprise. Despite the exercises, there were times – too often than he’d like to admit – that thunder didn’t sound like thunder.

Air caught, just for a moment in Scott’s lungs. He forced the fear back down with a mouthful of fire, listened to the rain, focused on the cycles.

Above his fluttering heart, Gordon stirred. “Why,” he mumbled, “...th’boat stop?” He blinked groggily up at the ceiling, at John then Scott. “Oh.”

“Go back to sleep, Gordon,” John encouraged. “Sorry we woke you.”

“‘S’ok.” Gordon tapped to get his attention, and Scott looked down at the pressure, meeting small, but just as equally determined brown eyes. “Hey. Jus’ a storm.”

“I know, Gordo,” Scott whispered. “Sleep.”

Agreement was muffled into his shirt and faded quickly as the tiny grip went slack.

Eventually glasses were emptied, refilled, and finally abandoned as the storm blew through. And finally, when Scott’s lids lowered, John cleaned up and took over at their father’s desk to pick up the reports where Scott left off, keeping a watchful eye on his brothers as always.

[binenbaumaj]

Marcasite (Pyrite), Pearl, Silver Pendant 13880-1397

This magnificent cluster Victorian design pendant features Pearl and Marcasite (Pyrite) crafted in 925′ sterling Silver.

Details: Pearl, Marcasite (Pyrite), Silver Pendant. Dispatches from a small business in Amsterdam, The Netherlands. Weight in grams: 2.4. Condition: New.

Design Area : Victorian. Area Information : The Victorian Era spanned Queen Victoria's rule of England from 1837 until 1901. During this time, a middle class began to emerge, sparking a demand for jewelry in the mass market, jewelry trends often reflected the tone of current events. The era is usually divided into several subsections: the Romantic Period from 1837 to 1861, the Grand Period from 1861 to 1880, and the Aesthetic Period from 1880 to 1901. During the Romantic Period jewelry also featured nature-inspired designs, similar to jewelry of the Georgian era. Frequently, these designs were delicately and intricately etched into gold. Lockets and brooches were popular in daytime jewelry during the early Victorian era, whereas colored gemstones and diamonds were worn during the evening. During the Grand Period jewelry , because the Grand or Mid-Victorian era corresponded with the death of Queen Victoria's husband, many jewelry pieces have solemn, somber designs. Known as mourning jewelry, the pieces feature heavy, dark stones. Jet, onyx, amethyst, and garnet are frequently found in jewelry from this period. Compared to previous periods, Mid-Victorian-era jewelry features highly creative, colorful designs using shells, mosaics and gemstones. During the Aesthetic period, jewelers used diamonds and feminine, bright gemstones such as sapphire, peridot, and spinel. Star and crescent designs as well as elaborate hat pins were also popular. Some scholars believe the aesthetic era began sooner, in 1875, and ended as early as 1890.. Materials : Marcasite (Pyrite), Pearl. Material Information : Pearl All pearls originate in mollusks (mollusca), whether natural or cultured. Mollusks are a phylum of invertebrate animals that includes oysters, clams, mussels, snails and octopus among their approximately one hundred and twenty-eight thousand species, all with the ability to produce pearls. Only a few of these varieties can create gem quality pearls. Marcasite (Pyrite) Marcasite is an iron sulfide mineral with an orthorhombic crystal structure. It is very brittle and unsuitable for jewelry. What we call "marcasite" in jewelry is actually Pyrite - "fools gold" - that has been faceted to imitate diamonds. Popular from around 1700 onward, marcasite is usually found mounted in silver. Because of its golden yellow color and metallic luster, Marcasite has remained popular in higher quality fashion jewelry. In antique jewelry, marcasite can be distinguished from cut steel faux gems because marcasites are usually bead or prong-set as a gemstone would be and cut steel is riveted. Silver Silver is a white metallic element, harder than gold, softer than copper and second only to gold in malleability and ductility. Represented on the Periodic Table of the Elements by the symbol Ag, silver is an excellent conductor of heat and electricity. Silver is considered one of the noble metals because of it is excellent resistance to oxidation. Historically, silver has played a prominent role in the production of jewelry an objets d'art and is usually alloyed with another metal to harden it enough to maintain the desired shape and details imparted to it.. Gender : female. Weight (in grams) : 2.4. Condition : New. https://www.binenbaum.com/product/marcasite-pyrite-pearl-silver-pendant-13880-1397/