Profile
Knowing • Curious • Introspective • Cautious
River Starling appears to be a thin, unassuming African American man. However he is much, much more impressive than he appears.
River is a schollar of things that are beyond human understandings. Eldritch beings, deeper magics, the things between planes. River has studied all sorts of things like that since his youth. Which is perhaps why he was singled out to be used as a sacrifice to summon something bigger to Earth for the desires and wants of humans playing dangerous games.
This was what brought Alex to Earth. When River's blood was spilled for a sacrific, a light was lit to draw Alex. River was presented with a being beyond his wildest dreams and Alex was presented with a light she could not ignore. Soulmates drawn together in blood.
The two of them have been together since. River has been kidnapped a few more times in that time, but it always ends the same. Cutists turning into a snack for Alex and River being saved by his wife.
Well, that was how it was before Serenity Springs. Now River is a stay at home dad with the triplets and enjoying a fairly stress free life. He loves his children, his wife, and their girlfriend, Rosanna.
Archaic Knowledge: River knows a lot of things. This knowledge can be pulled up in an instance and he can quickly and concisely rattle off infromation as needed. This also means that he knows many spells and lots of magic.
Death [Dad] Sense: River has an uncanny ability to sense danger. Centuries of being kidnapped or hunted has made him constantly aware of things around him. This sense does not just envelope him. He can sense trouble for family and friends as well and usually helps them avoid trouble. Most of the time, though, this sense is used to keep the triplets out of trouble.
River Starling passes as completely human. He is the most likely member of the family to leave Serenity Springs, other than Marion. He sometimes goes out of Serenity for things that aren't easily gotten in Serenity Springs. Mostly, though, he spends time at home with his wife and kids. He homeschools the triplets because they are a bit too chaotic for regular school.
River
River is more serious than his wife. He has spent centuries learning things and is quite adept at picking up on new skills and knowledge. He is constantly reminding her about how technology works, but in a playful way.
River loves his family. He spends most of his time with his kids and wife while just going about a mundan life. He is relaxed in Serenity Springs and is happy to live there. Serenity Springs gives him a sense of safety that he has never fully had before moving there. Even with Alex just a call away, River has had pleanty of stressful incidents.
River met his over 500 years ago during a cult's attempt to summon and then bind a great power to their wills. River had been given up as a possible sacrific by one of his brood siblings, which created a deep seeded distrust for his own species in him. The cultist had slashed across his chest with an onyx knife to start the process of the summoning. One moment he was bleeding and the next Alex was standing at the foot of the alter he was chained to in her incandescent glory. The cultists were devoured instantly by Alex, as were the restraints holding River down. The summoning had worked, but for his benefit. After all, his soulmate was brought to him for it.
River has had a few other run in with cultists. Every time Alex pops up to save him. It's almost romantic at this point.
River is a father, a teacher, and a man looking for a peaceful, boring life.
Bookworm
River is a Bookworm. Bookworms are a species of fae that present like moths in their unglamoured forms. They are consumers of knowledge and sustain themselves on collecting knowledge and sweets. River is a bookworm that presents as a Death Head Moth unglamoured.
Most Bookworms live in collectives or large groups. Bookworms lay many eggs, some decoys, and have many children. However, biologically, worms from the same brood may not be even slightly related even if both of their parents are the same. There isn't much in research as to why that's what happens, or if there is, the Bookworms keep that to themselves. However, a bookworm can only produce eggs with their soulmate, therefore, which is another oddity to their biology.
River is only on speaking terms with a scant few of his brooding. One is Cassian Morrow, who resides in Raven's Hollow. River even visits them on occasion and talks to them often on the phone. Most other Bookworms are considered untrustworthy to him. One too many of his brooding having sold his head to cultists. If it happened once, it wouldn't be a problem, he'd just not talk to that bookworm. However... It's happened more than a dozen times at this point. River is righteously distrusting.
Stay At Home Dad
When Alex and River moved to Serenity Springs, they opened Anything and Everything. This is where River worked for many years before they decided to try having children. When Lance and Marion were born, he started a little daycare in the shop so that he could watch his kids and any kids of similar parentage. He quickly learned that he actually liked being around kids and caring for them.
When the twins were school age, he reluctantly sent them to the Serenity Springs public school. He sometimes volenteered to be a substitute teacher and often ran an after school daycare for kids that included learning new skills and history. When the triplets were born, he had them in the shop with him as well. When they got to school age was when it became quiet evident that Hunter, Fisher, and Thatcher were going to be a bit too much for teachers in the public school. Not that River minded.
So River started homeschooling the boys with a few other parents who pulled their kids from the public school. He passed the reigns of the shop over to Lance, who still runs a mandrake daycare through the shop. River loves homeschooling the boys and is quite happy to be a stay at home dad.
- River is a teacher in a homeschool co-op.
- River was very worried that he and Alex wouldn't be able to have kids. When they did, he was so relieved.
- River enjoys spending time with his sibling, Cassian, and their family. Though he doesn't go and visit often.
- River has never met a piece of technology he cannot figure out in about a day.
- River seldom drops his glamours. He's super self-conscious about his full form.
- River would be happy to never leave Serenity Springs if it meant him and his family are safe.
Galaxia "Alex" Starling • Wife
Alex is River's soulmate. She is the brigthest light in the universe for him and she saved him a lot. He loves her with his full heart and will go wherever she goes.
Rosanna Salano • Girlfriend
Roseanna started out as a neighbor who's son was Alex and River's twin's best friend. Then over time the three of them fell into a romance. Now they have been dating for 11 years strong.
Lance Starling • Eldest Son
Lance is Alex and River's eldest son. River is less protective over Lance than Alex is. He was worried when he was small due to his glimmer, however, he quickly relaxed since Lance has never been sick a day in his life. He just glitters.
Marion Starling • Only Daughter
River loves his daughter a lot. He was so happy to help her pick out a new name when she came out as trans and has been very doting over her since. He loves her photography and has many of her prints up on the walls of his home library.
Matthew Salano • Warlock
River likes Matthew. He thinks he's a nice kid and enjoys listening to him go on about his hobbies. He does worry about how much he enjoys fighting though. Still, he sees him as his own son.
Fisher Starling • Son
Fisher is one of the Triplets. River is closest to Fisher than he is to the other two members of the Triplets. He does teach all three of them and spends almost all day with them, though
Hunter Starling • Son
Hunter is one of the Triplets. River gets a little overwhelmed by just how energetic Hunter is sometimes. He often stops lessons to let Hunter and Thatcher go run around for a bit so that they can focus later.
Thatcher Starling • Son
Thatcher is one of the Triplets. River gets a bit overwhelmed by how hyper Thatcher can be. When he can get him to focus, River feels a bit of joy while teaching him.
