Aster

Aster – The Azure Tensen

Pronouns: They/Them

A Tensen born from the rarest variant of Tao-infused flora—the legendary Blue Spider Lily. Unlike the standard Red Spider Lily Tensen, Rui possesses a unique Tao signature that grants distinct abilities and an unusual physiology. Tensen are significantly taller than humans, Aster stands at 8 ft tall and towers over the overwhelming majority of humans.

Appearance

Base Form Male (Yang) – Androgynous, leaning toward a delicate male form. Ethereal blue hair with light undertones, cascading like silk. Pale sky-blue eyes with deep blue sclera. Skin is a soft silver-blue, faintly luminescent in moonlight.

Transformed Form Female (Yin) – Feminine and slightly more petite. Hair flows in deeper shades of blue, resembling ocean waves. Eyes turn a piercing, almost glowing sapphire. Floral tattoos spread across the arms, resembling blue spider lily petals.

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Personality & Role

Mysterious & Observant – Unlike the more arrogant Tensen, Aster is analytical and reserved, often watching before engaging.

Detached but Curious – Holds a quiet fascination with the fleeting nature of mortal life, something other Tensen consider trivial.

Philosophical – Questions the true purpose of the Tensen’s existence, feeling disconnected from the others due to their unique origin.

Slightly Playful – While mostly serious, Aster enjoys subtle tricks and deception, using illusions to play mind games. General Physiology

Height & Build: 8 ft tall with elongated proportions and flexible joints. Slightly lighter weight than a human of their size due to a semi-hollow, cellulose-reinforced skeletal system.

Skin: Smooth, petal-like texture in some areas (face, forearms, chest) and slightly bark-textured on joints. Skin pigment changes subtly with Tao flow — faint blue veins brighten during exertion.

Circulatory Fluid: A mix of water-based sap and a Tao-reactive resin that carries nutrients, pigments, and pheromones.

Metabolism: Powered by both photosynthesis and Tao energy absorption; can survive on sunlight and ambient Tao for months without eating, though richer nutrients improve bloom health.

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Hair & Emotional Flora

Base Hair: Long, silky strands resembling spider lily filaments — always faintly swaying as if in a breeze.

Emotional Bloom Response:

Love, Lust, or Attraction: Delicate blue spider lily blossoms open throughout the hair, releasing a subtle perfume that acts as a mild aphrodisiac to compatible species.

Joy or Playfulness: Smaller buds and half-blooms appear, petals lighter in tone.

Grief or Sorrow: Blossoms droop and discolor slightly, perfume becomes faint or absent.

Rage or Agitation: Petals curl inward and deepen in color; stamens stiffen into hairpin-like spikes.

Flowers grow directly from vascular nodes in the scalp — Aster can shed them intentionally like petals to leave a subtle mark or scent.

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Reproductive Biology & Forms

Aster possesses two distinct but interlinked reproductive systems, shifting with their Yin (female) and Yang (male) forms.

Yang Form (Male-presenting)

Primary Sexual Organs: Modified stamens located internally along the lower abdomen, extending through a retractable floral sheath when aroused.

Sperm Analogue: Fine-grained pollen, pale silver-blue, slightly iridescent, with a soft, sweet scent. Carries Tao energy as well as genetic material.

Emission Method: Released in concentrated bursts — pollen can be transferred by physical contact, inhalation, or via deliberate brushing of stamens against receptive pistils.

Breasts: Present but flatter; contain small nectar sacs primarily for self-maintenance and wound-healing, not feeding.

Yin Form (Female-presenting)

Primary Sexual Organs: Internal pistils, with stigma filaments that can extend subtly into the hairline or lower abdomen during arousal, producing a sticky, sweet pollen-catching secretion.

Pollen Reception: The sticky secretion is both tactilely pleasant and chemically designed to trigger pollen germination once inside the body.

Breasts: Full and softly shaped, containing nectar glands that produce a high-energy, honey-like fluid rich in sugars and Tao-reactive compounds. Nectar is warm and faintly luminescent, traditionally used to feed newborns or close companions in intimate bonds.

Hair Tendril Pistils: Some stigma filaments double as thin hair-tendrils tipped with tiny sticky bulbs; in close contact, they comb through another’s hair or face, collecting pollen.

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Extra Quirks

Seasonal Petal Shedding: Once a year, both forms undergo a “molting” period where older petals, pistil hairs, and stamen filaments are shed, replaced with fresh blooms. This is both visually stunning and considered a sign of vitality.

Fragrance Modulation: They can consciously alter the scent profile of their blooms — calming lavender-like tones, intoxicating floral sweetness, or even sharp, repelling scents.

Bioluminescent Sap: Any wound weeps pale-blue glowing sap that slowly crystallizes if exposed to air, forming a natural scab.