Contact Solaris Ashikoinu:

"Blood may be thicker water, but not all water is thinner than blood."

All photos by Pup Solaris Ashikoinu

PW: Welcome, Solaris! Tell us about you.

SOLARIS: I got my pup name from my husband who coined the name due to the fact that I take a lot of photos in natural sunlight, my favorite element has always been fire, and a pendant I often wear has a sun symbol on the inside.

PW: WHat is the origin of your very cool pup name?

SOLARIS: I do have names for my other two hoods as well, named Zephyros and Fulgur, which, much like Solaris, are named with elemental motifs. Zephyros is named after the Greek god of wind, and Fulgur is named after the Latin word for lightning. These two I named myself, and I chose them as I wanted to kind of match Solaris. Typically if anyone asks I simply go by Solaris as that was my first custom hood and the name I generally choose to go by.

PW: How long have you been a pup?

SOLARIS: So even though I say I'm "new", especially in comparison to my main fetish/kink, I've been a pup for like five years now. Considering I got my first pup hood in 2019, though it wasn't custom and I didn't have a pup name at the time. When I got the hood, it just clicked for me and I was kind of just like, "Yeah, this feels right."

PW: What breed do you connect with?

SOLARIS: I unironically resonate with Gerbanian Shepskys (German Shepherd & Siberian Husky Mix), and it's not really for any real profound reason other than I just really love that specific breed of dog.

PW: Where’s home? Is it a good community for pups?

SOLARIS: So, "home" for me is the DMV area (District of Columbia, Maryland, and Virginia). While I have yet to meet any pups in my area in person, I think it's a pretty cool place to live. As far as pups go, the few that I have talked to strike me as cool individuals that I would love to meet and hang out with sometime.

PW: Where did you grow up? Was it a good childhood?

SOLARIS: I was a military brat so I grew up moving around a lot. The longest place I got to live was probably Georgia, so even though I wasn't born there, I tend to consider that as where I'm from. I'd say my childhood, despite the constant moving, was pretty good. Not much to complain about, other than having to make new friends and stuff.

PW: Did you have a big family?

SOLARIS: As far as immediate family goes it was just my parents, my maternal grandmother, my older brother, & one of my elder sisters. At one point both used to live with me but the Eldest if the two I was so young i don't really remember that period very well.

PW: What's your ethnic background? Has cultural identity played a part in the pup you’ve become?

SOLARIS: I'm black and Trinidadian (from my mother's side), and while there are some cultural nuances that come into play, I think they do play a part in who I am as a person. As it relates to my puppy side, I can say that in a way it also plays a part but maybe to the same significance as it does in my day-to-day life.

PW: Okay, on your Instagram account I see clear signs of a rather robust foot attraction. Spill the tea.

SOLARIS: As you've clearly noticed, I have podophilia (not to be confused with the other word), aka a foot fetish, and in most kink spaces I am known as Lil-Footfreak, a moniker I have had since I was in high school. It has always been my first love. Like even before I even knew I was a pup, feet were the thing that I was enamored with most sexually, and that is something that will probably remain a constant. I remember as early as three I was enamored with feet. While I didn't understand it was a fetish at the time, it's one of the most vivid memories I actually can recall from that. I could go into great detail about all the things I like about feet, from the way they look, how they feel, and even how they taste and smell. I'm a bit of a scent hound so that especially does it for me, and many things in between. Men's feet are by far the sexiest thing in the world to me and are the quickest way to make a pup happy if ya catch my drift.

PW: Do you go out in public in your pup hood? What’s it like to walk in your pup skin? Er…fur?

SOLARIS: I'm still working my way up to being completely out proudly in my hood. The hood itself is otherwise harmless, but I'm very introverted and timid, and I think I have a mild level of shame. When I do go out in public with my hood, it's usually inconspicuously, and I want to hopefully grow to a point where I wear it carefree, much like with my foot fetish paraphernalia. The one time I did wear it completely carefree was at Pride in my city, and it was very freeing. I got a couple of questions, some pets, and a few photo ops which was very cool!!

PW: What’s one of your most amazing experiences as a pup?

SOLARIS: I'd say the most amazing thing is finding a pack to belong to in the short time I've been a pup. Shout out to K-9 Kits of Phyre, especially my Alpha Phyre and fellow pack mates Naymbe and Pupparoni!

PW: Are you out in your human life? As a pup?

SOLARIS: Yes and no. Despite my introversion and timid nature, I'm at a point in my life where I don't care if people know what I like. Often honest about it when asked. I've even posted pictures of myself in my hood on my public social media. Granted, I'm not doing anything risqué in those photos, but at the same time, I'd say, in comparison to my foot fetish, I don't talk about it publicly. So people clearly know but no one has really asked me about it funny enough.

PW: Are you single? Partnered?

SOLARIS: I am married but we are open in regards to indulging in varying sexual activities, both together and independently. Of course, we talk about it and have the rules that work for us.

PW: What’s your main goal in life?

SOLARIS: My main goal in life is to just be happy. That is very vague, but I feel like I don't need a whole lot to be happy, even if things can be rough at times.

PW: Are you artistic? How do you express yourself creatively?

SOLARIS: I'm not artistic in the traditional sense, but as a writer, I think my artistry comes in the way of words and words play. I have been complimented on this and compared to Tolkien, which is very flattering.

PW: If you had to create one, what would be your signature drink? The Solaris _______?

SOLARIS: Probably something like the Solar Eclipse or the Tropical Oracle. It would be a mixture of tropical flavors with alcohol involved. I feel like it'd be akin to an Adios MF or a Long Island Iced Tea in regards to the mix of alcohol used.