Asterians Asterians
Letter from the Editors
Another trip around the sun, another heavensturn, and another absolutely triumphant starlight season -- in this issue, we are celebrating the exchange we all look forwardtoeachyear!Inourfourthyearasa FreeCompany,wehavehitmanymilestones, with several new members, new events, and of course a brand new expansion that brought changes to the game we know and love.
Aswereachthestartofanewyearandwave farewell to Starlight, this issue is in celebration of what makes each of you so wonderful: your ability to connect with each otheracrossdifferencesandusecreativityto build this community together. Let us continue to create a kinder world and may all our tomorrows be a little brighter. Here’s to the amazing memories we made together this past year and to the year ahead of us! Wishing you all a very happy Starlight, and thank you to everyone who participated in the exchange: Han, Sara, Mikka, Smash, Devi,Crystal,Meg,Niko,andJon.
Now sit back, relax, and let the creativity of alltheSecretSaintsastoundyou!
The
Asterians
Starlight Exchange coverstory
Ashowcaseofthisyear’sSecretSaintStarlightgifts
Every year, around the beginning of December, a magical air spreads over the Asterian’s Free Company. The Secret Saint Starlight Exchange begins by an open call in Discord sent to all free company members and friends on other servers After signing up, the secret saints are given the mission to help Saint Nymeia distribute gifts to a very special person chosen at random. As we have in previous years, this very special issue of ASTERIANS quarterly will highlight everyone’s wonderful creativity The magic of Starlight begins on the next page, so take my hand and let’s go!
Han/A’gito starlightexchange
ShortstorybyCrystal,featuringartbyDevi/Eyja
The respite was something Agi’to Raha had never taken for granted No matter what happened in his day, he knew very well that someday– any day, it could all be taken away for good… just like his ability to speak. Despite hardly recalling parts of his life where he could utter a full conversation out of his lips, he lay on his mattress, hands resting over his chest, eyes fixated on the dark ceiling
His fingers drummed over his body, airily humming as the gentle waves from the sea brushed upon the wooden infrastructure
Tuliyollal was a fantastic place that blew his expectations out of the water Although he had traveled far and wide with people he knew and cherished, Tural was something Wuk Lamat spoke so fervently about. He had heard of tales from those within his Free Company Mostly they were of legends and yearnful fantasies of the sun that never failed to wake them up with a smile but he wanted to see it with his own eyes
Especially with Yoshiro Zenko.
His Yoshiro Yoshi
Mostlytheywereoflegends andyearnfulfantasiesofthe sunthatneverfailedto wakethemupwithasmile… buthewantedtoseeitwith hisowneyes.
The Miqo’te smirked as he leaned against the doorway earlier today, arms crossed in his dark tank top. One of his ears twitched, and a smirk drew across his lips. Agi’to had sat on the edge of the wooden platform, greeted by the open breeze of the salty sea under the dazzling sun. Its rays danced upon the pure blue water, his legs kicking as his fingers flipped through the pages of his journal
“What are you doing?”
Yoshiro wasn’t one to sit still He approached his handsome feline, his tail flicked to the side. Agi’to hadn’t responded. Not yet, at least. Yoshiro couldn’t help but chuckle and crouched slightly He crept forward, carefully avoiding the sensitive spots on the boarded flooring Once within arm’s reach, he pounced on Agi’to with an exhale.
“Gotcha!”
starlightexchange|HanbyCrystal
Agi’to’s entire body jolted, his ears perked, and the journal was thrown into the air–almost too comical as it spun and flipped above their heads To compensate for losing his train of thought, he was greeted with the familiar warmth of his beloved Chest pressed against his back, Agi’to’s heart threatened to melt his entire being into a puddle. He cleared his throat, shooting a glance over at his lovely Yoshiro Yoshiro responded with a dashing grin, the wedding band visible by their face.
“You must’ve been quite busy if you couldn’t hear me ”
A faint smile graced upon Agi’to’s lips
Though not without forgetting that his journal came crashing down on top of his husband’s head. An audible clap resonated throughout the inn of the For’ard Cabin, and Yoshiro’s ears flattened, his eyes shut As the journal slid off his head, it returned to Agi’to’s hands. He glanced over his shoulder and silently chuckled
Yoshiro puffed his cheeks and rubbed his head.
“Okay, maybe that was a missed opportunity to be cool.”
[Maybe, but I love you the way you are still ]
Agi’to signed to him, his ears twitching in company with his widened smile. Yoshiro opened one eye and returned a smile of his own, albeit with a generous blush blemishing his cheeks.
“Shucks, you have a way with your words ” [Just speaking the truth.]
Another chuckle elicited from Yoshiro before he recaptured Agi’to into a tight embrace, resting his head on his man’s shoulder. He peeked over, his eyes drawn to the pages that Agi’to cracked open again
“Is this what you were busy with?”
A nod Agi’to pointed to the pages–especially ones that were faded and slightly torn. Some of the edges also appeared burnt Yet the content within carried a story A tale that, silently, Agi’to brushed his fingers over.
A tale that recounted his journey as the Warrior of Light
Heclearedhisthroat, shootingaglanceover athislovelyYoshiro. Yoshirorespondedwith adashinggrin
To end it all.
Yet he still stood up Yoshiro extended his hand, but Agi’to instead shook his head. Bloodied and bruised, physically, emotionally, and mentally, he still stood No matter how much blood and sweat he poured, he slowly got up. He stared at his husband’s hand Frozen in time, almost As if he was always waiting for him
Agi’to smiled.
Then, he took his hand
For I did not want to appear weak I want to be strong enough to stand by your side, no matter what.
Hestaredathis husband’shand.Frozen intime,almost.Asifhe wasalwayswaitingfor him.
Upon their fingertips brushing over one another, Agi’to blinked, the memories of respite flickering fast in the background. In this vast space of his mind that only he and Yoshiro occupied, various scenarios unfolded before his eyes Emotions surged from his chest and he tightened his grip, his knuckles whitening.
From the day he first stepped foot as an adventurer to the day he became a grand part of the Free Company to the day he fell massive beasts to the day he exchanged a passionate kiss to his loved ones, none comparing to the final one he etched deep in his soul The kiss with Yoshiro fluttered in his chest, their fingers intertwined as they shared one of the many heartful moments under the beautiful dark sky.
Stars dusted upon the canvas, accompanied by the gentle moon as their hearts yearned to become one.
“Say, I know you have a fear of what’s to come for the future but trust me, we’ll be okay. You have me!”
[I know I have you But I want to remember the quiet moments we had together.] “Why?”
[Because our moments of respite don’t last forever.]
“ Agi’to? Are you still awake?”
He blinked. He lifted his head from the pillow, but only slightly Though he needn’t lift it for long, the mattress creaked as another presence welcomed itself. Agi’to turned to his left, greeted by his husband’s gentle kiss on his forehead Yoshiro ran his fingers through Agi’to’s luscious hair, whispering,
“Sorry to keep you waiting You know how long Crith can take to get gil out of her bank account… especially when she was arguing with her retainer about how adding fruits to tacos might invite another Calamity ”
There was a pregnant pause. Then, Agi’to airly laughed, his whole body shaking as he cuddled into Yoshiro’s chest Yoshiro laughed, too, holding him close and burying his face into the top of his head.
For Agi’to, he cherished these moments of respite. Though he never took them for granted, perhaps just as Yoshiro had told him:
“They may not last forever, but let’s enjoy them and make them happen more and more!”
And for starters, their trip to Tural was a fantastic way for him to create them.
ThekisswithYoshiro flutteredinhischest, theirfingers intertwinedasthey sharedoneofthemany heartfulmomentsunder thebeautifuldarksky.
Devi/Eyja starlightexchange
VideoCreatedbySara/Yoshiro/YolkedshiroZengains
Niko/Bertram starlightexchange
Styrnrael’s arms
“I love you both too, but can we eat please!?”
Meg/Styrnrael starlightexchange
ArtbyNiko/Crith/Bertram/waveknight
Jon/Seishin starlightexchange
GposeCollectioncreatedbyMikka/skysplitz07
Sara/Yoshiro starlightexchange
ArtbyMeg/Styrnrael
Smash/Asuka starlightexchange
ShortstorybyJon/SeishinFuda /sladez
Soifyouwannarunaway Tiredofdreamingwhatit's allabout
Andeverytimeyougetclose Youtrytochange,butyou chok—
A
suka coughed, her voice straining, the notes dry and cracking in her throat, interrupting her choreographed movements She fell against the desk and gripped the edge so tightly her fingernails scratched the grain
“Focus, damn it, focus,” she hissed, glaring up at her reflection in the mirror. Her red eye gleamed from under the wide brim of her cowboy hat, shaded from the barebulbed lights that framed the vanity, droning softly. “You’ve rehearsed this, Asuka. Hundreds of times. Don’t choke now. You can do it ”
She could hear the murmuring voices of other Terrarium performers passing outside her dressing room door, flowing into a susurrus of laughter and vocal warmups
There were only a few minutes left before curtain rise. Musical scales wafted into her room, so practiced, so precise, perfect as birdsong Were the other performers this nervous on their debuts? The lights felt hot against her face. She closed her eyes, breathing deeply, and willed her heart to stop racing
She gripped the end of her tail to keep it from twitching anxiously. Gods, she hated this feeling. It was never like this in the ring, when it was just her against the world with nothing to lose, so why should this be any different? “Okay, from the top,” she said finally, shaking her hands at the wrists to loosen them up The sleeves of her purple tuxedo shimmered in the incandescent light She hummed the opening notes of her performance number to herself before taking a deep breath and moving into her starting position
Whyyousoafraidtofaceit? Whyyousookaywith wastingtime?
She’d somehow wound up part of not one, but two performance troupes The theatre? Maybe she had been hit in the head a few too many times after all. This was the last place on Etheirys an underground street fighter would think to find herself But after months of coming to the venues, recording performances, making friends, she finally built up the courage to take the stage herself Maybe it was the encouragement, the excitement, the newness of it Maybe she got wrapped up in the glamour. Either way, she’d put her hat into the ring, and it was too late to back out now
She turned, wiping the sweat from her brow with the back of her hand.
“I don’t think I’m supposed to be back here, but I couldn’t let you go out on stage before I got a chance to see you And before I gave you these I don’t know a lot about flowers, you know. They probably have some kind of meaning love or luck or happiness or some such but I just thought they looked nice They reminded me of you, Asuka ”
Lyse slid a chair over and sat down with her, handing her a bouquet of red and purple flowers Asuka gave them a quick sniff; they didn’t have a scent, but she couldn’t deny that they were pretty. She placed them on the vanity, folding a petal between her fingers “So, your big day! How are you doing?”
While Asuka was feeling more confident after her dry run, the thought of getting on stage in a few minutes still made her skin crawl, though she didn’t want Lyse to know that. Instead, she crossed her arms and flashed the most confident smile she could muster “Oh, you know I’m doing great This will be easy. Got it in the bag.”
“Mm-hmm.” Lyse tilted her head and stared expectantly at the auri woman She knew Asuka better than anyone, perhaps better even than Asuka knew herself, and she knew she could see right through her façade “You know, you’re kind of cute when you’re nervous You’re always so fearless; I don’t get to see this side of you that often.” “Shut up ” Asuka pushed her shoulder playfully and sighed She wanted to get up, to pace around the room. Maybe even leave and run without looking back. Instead, she just turned away; vulnerability wasn’t something she showed easily, even to Lyse
Asukawassofocused thatshedidn’tcatchthe softknockatthedoor, orofitopeningslowly, silently,norofthe furtiveflashofredand goldthatslippedinside.
“I don’t know Since I fell in with Cirque And the Terrarium And started caring about them, I guess. They mean a lot to me, and I wanna do right by them.”
Lyse nodded, silent for a moment, searching for the right words, before finally replying, “You know, the first time I tried to speak in front of the Resistance, after Conrad well, after everything, I had no idea what to say Like all the words just tumbled out of my head My whole life I’d been living somebody else’s story, and everyone else had been there for so long, had so much more experience than me. Who was I to go in front of all of them? Why would they listen to me? But just when I thought I couldn’t possibly do it, when my throat was tight and my vision swimming, I looked out at the crowd And there, right in front, I saw you, Asuka ”
You gave me one of those smiles of yours, the ones you show when you’re about to take on the whole world. And you made me feel like I could, too ” She leaned forward and placed a hand over Asuka’s “I guess what I’m saying is: I know what it’s like to be on the outside. To feel like you don’t belong ”
At her words Asuka’s mind drifted back to the Azim Steppe, to the boundless sea of grass and sky She thought about herself wandering, aimless, alone, a child unable to find her way back to her tribe, unmoored and unwanted; memories that she had locked away, or that had been locked away for her. She thought of her long journey to another faraway land, of fighting for money, and survival; of victory, and loss; of death always so near at hand And in all that darkness so stark and endless, little dots of light, one by one, small stars and specks that grew and grew: the faces of those that cared for her when she thought that no one ever would or could. The twins. The Scions. Her free company Cirque The Terrarium
And Lyse. Yougavemeoneofthosesmiles ofyours,theonesyoushow whenyou’reabouttotakeon thewholeworld.Andyoumade mefeellikeIcould,too.
Once the door closed, Asuka turned back to the mirror and stared herself down for a minute. Her breath was once again calm, her heart steady as a stone She closed her eyes and took a deep breath before opening them again, left one glimmering crimson with confidence, and cracked a wide grin
y g settle like stones in a river, smoothed over by Lyse’s loving words. She looked back at her, reaching up and pulling back a blonde bang that had fallen in her face “Thanks, Lyse. For… everything.”
Lyse put her hands on Asuka’s shoulders, looking kindly into her eyes, before slipping her fingers under her lapels and pulling her into a kiss “Now,” she said, straightening Asuka’s hat and standing up, “break a leg, okay?” She started for the door, before turning back slightly. “Not literally. That’s something people say, right? Papalymo always did, anyway You’re going to do great.”
“Showtime.”
Jump
Whatareyouwaiting
Whatareyouwaitingfor?
Don'tbeafraidofwanting somethingmore
Jump
Intothedeepend
Tofindyourwaybackup Don mor Just
Mikka/Zia/Trey starlightexchange
ArtbyHan/A’gito
Crystal starlightexchange
