#★. *･｡━━━ 🪤 stupid intruders ~ inbox

[accultant]

that's what you get from Miss Hexblood ♥

Iago's eyes grow more frog-like bigger than Miss Hexblood has ever seen them. They're immediately looking for their resident hellion, Steelclaw, and almost instantly forgetting that their neighboring seamstress is still in their shop. "Oh, right. Thank you, Babette," they call from halfway across the room. Steelclaw had found her way to a tall shelf, likely wary of the excitement in Iago's eyes.

"If you wish to stick around to see your latest garment put to use, you'll want to find something to hide behind. Your client is sure to draw blood while put this on her. I may lose an eye, too, but as long as I still have the one, should be fine."

[accultant]

👚+ puck's cowboy hat

Dress my muse up!!

"OoOoOo look at me, I'm Puck, I'm tall and I bark like a dog and I wear silly little hats,"

[accultant]

first thing that came to shade was eerie. but she means it in the "wow I respect you" way, not the "you're creepy" way. also for some reason I can see her calling her something like "long ago iago" in a kind of sing-songy way ? like considering her accent I think it would work (I imagine her having trouble saying Iagos name tbh, more like "aaago" or "yago") so it would be almost like "long ago, ago" idk but it came to mind. also I can see her referring to Iago as "tongue" if she refers to Puck as "teeth", as in "sharp tongue" and "sharp teeth" bcuz she is kinda unnerved about Pucks teeth situation (going to Iago like... does he really have teeth in the back of his throat ???) and Iago seems like the more sharp witted (no offense Puck !!) of the two

long ago iago is so cute WTF!!! oh i think they'd like that, too.... and being called eerie. they kinda like how eerie and odd they are, or at least they like when that's ACKNOWLEDGED with curiosity rather than judgement (it's how they often look at the world, so it's nice to be on the other end of that). and being nicknamed after their sharp tongue is Very befitting! The sharp brothers........

Also Iago would say that Puck has teeth in the back of his throat. He doesn't, but they'd tell her that because it's funny.

[accultant]

☂ (Rip Serkan, you will not be missed)

☂ - An entry about a time your muse annoyed mine.

do these meatheads have no sense of balance no common sense no idea how this place manages to run. i expect sacrifices and slaughters of course i do of course im not so ridiculous to hope for to expect anything else. im squeamish but im not a child anymore im in no denial of where i am of the wretchedness of this place of how much blood i see every day every single fuckingday its everywhere ican smell it now even after ive cleaned my office just yesterday i see it everywhere i look everyw but i do not think it is too much to ask for the SMALLEST bit of restraint. a BALANCE. to request my siblings ask for TITHES AND OFFERINGS not just for BLOOD. not that i have actually asked this yet im still afraid to speak to serkan alone hes never been too interested in me and i dont want to attract his ire now but bhaal below the murder sprees are going to make my hair fall out. serkan is happy to please bhaal in plenty of creative goreish ways but this temple will be nothing but a hole in the ground if we have little more than severed hands and half-gnawed brains in our coffers !! a cult still has bills to pay!!!! if we kill every follower we will have no one left to empty the pockets of and serkan and puck will surely be sad to find there is no one around to fawn over them so. but that must seem like an impossible concept in the face of the sweet sweet call of BLOOD i guess. i am beginning to think he's convinced he's the leader of a butcher shop rather than a proper cult there's a joke here i could make about butcher shops and cannibalism and the eating habits of my brethren but i am too tired to think one up and i still have a mile high pile that kind of rhymes haha of receipts to sort through tonight. how the hells we are going to afford the repairs for the main altar i have no fucking idea maybe i can tear off one of those horns of his and sell it as a trophy to one of his fans-

[accultant]

؟

I wonder if she likes chin scratches. Or playing fetch. Maybe I'll get her a bone to chew on - One of the ones that splinters so it gets stuck in her gums.

[accultant]

☂ :x

☂ - An entry about a time your muse annoyed mine.

I do not "run funny" what the hells does that even mean !! stupid rogue doesn't know a thing he is too busy sulking in the shadows or nibbling on corpses well actually I think he prefers fresh blood BESIDE THE POINT . I DO NOT RUN FUNNY. do i? i might. how often do I run? i'm only used to running when my life is on the line and at that point i do not give a damn how i look i will at least still be ALIVE but i was not running for my life i simply saw a - I DO NOT HAVE A FUNNY RUN I RUN COMPLETELY NORMAL. MAYBE. goose. i saw a row of geese. goslings to be more specific. one goose and four goslings to be exact. they were about to reach the brush on the other side of the stream what was I SUPPOSED to do I wanted to see them okay so what if I walked a little faster jogged a bit okay so what if I broke into a sprint and nearly tripped into the water SO WHAT it was a very normal very regular looking sprint i wanted to see them I don't know the last time I saw baby geese. goslings. they looked very soft. fluffy. a bit funny looking too-HE SAID I RUN FUNNY. DAMN THAT VAMPIRE NEXT TIME I FIND A GOOSE I AM TRAINING IT TO PECK HIS EYES OUT AND SEE HOW MUCH HE LAUGHS ILL SEE JUST HOW HILARIOUS IT IS WHEN HE IS RUNNING FOR HIS LIFE [A small drawing of five birds follows this entry] 𓅭𓅭𓅭𓅭𓅭 <- a family?

[accultant]

@swarmcall

❝ Kongratulations to your fertilization, Iago. ❞

Iago looks up from the pocket they had been mending in their cloak, squinting at Cricket, trying to parse just what the Hells he says to them. The strange little bug seems to be under the impression of... something. Something Iago can vaguely piece together after staring at him silently for a few beats longer - but is still completely clueless as to where this is coming from.

Hm. So peculiar. Iago sometimes finds his oddness quite charming ( perhaps not so much when he's making suggestions about their fertilization, but, ). They always find it amusing.

They look back to their stitches and continue working, "Ah, yes. Very kind of you, Cricket, thank you."

[accultant]

👤 we've talked abt iago and their momma obviously but what abt their dynamic with dad :0 (NOT THAT ONE. i mean the dagon.....)

Charmian Darlington!!!! Dad!!!!

As we know, Iago is a momma's boy, but their dad (THE GOOD ONE.) was absolutely such a light in their life. One thing that comes to mind is how I think their dad helped them with the not so great emotional regulation they had as a child. I mean, okay, they still kinda have this, but it was extra bad as a very anxious bhaalspawn kid who didn't know how to handle scary wild magic magic explosions when they got a little too expressive.

Their mom was lots of help with teaching them techniques like breathing exercises and journaling (things they still use today). Their dad, lovely Charmian, was understanding that Iago was still a Child. Children have Big Emotions and need to let them out!!

Iago fondly remembers their dad taking them on a nice little walks outside of the city to a lovely field or cliffside somewhere nearby and telling this kid to just SCREAM as loud as possible and have as much of a fit as they want. Like he would see little Iago stewing silently on the verge of a meltdown and go "Ohhh you need to explode something, don't you? Let it out, kiddo."

He was always willing to take the brunt of their more .. volatile emotions. He was a big, tough dragonborn dad with cleric wife! He could take it if Iago ever hurt him! And they did! It was very scary for a kid to uncontrollably hurt the people they care about, but Charmian know that because of the nature of their magic (and, unbeknownst to him, their bloodline) that Iago would, inevitably, hurt someone they loved. So he wanted to prepare them for that. Show them that it was okay, he would always forgive them, always love them, and the only thing they could do was be patient and forgiving with themselves as well. Kiddo Iago bawling their eyes out because they accidentally sent their dad flying into a wall and he's like. amongst the rubble going "ITS OKAY! ITS ALL GOOD! IM TUFF! butyoushouldprobablygogetyourmom I LOVE YOU!!! THAT WAS REALLY COOL, ACTUALLY!!!"

I think Charmian was a very enthusiastically loving dad. He would shout from the rooftops how proud he was of his kids and how much he loved them!!! And Iago loved that very vocal reassurance. Iago never had to doubt it for as long as he lived.

[accultant]

👤 !? someone iago cannot stand ?

Enver Gortash when I catch you...

Iago hates Gortash, and always has since the second they met him. The thing is, they would be an incredible duo of tyranny if they got along and Iago was a better Bhaalspawn. Unfortunately (or, fortunately, I guess), Iago wants his head on a pike. They clocked his manipulative ass as soon as he started talking to Puck. See, Iago isn't often protective of Puck's relationships. They know he wears his heart on his sleeve and can fall for just about anyone. But Enver Fucking Gortash... THAT'S a guy who could play Puck like a fiddle and roped him into this awful tadpole mess. Iago spent all their time in the Bhaal temple watching Puck essentially lose his mind and Gortash was the cherry on top that just wanted to make him worse.

Added hatred when Iago befriends Karlach and Wyll and has whole new reasons not to stand this guy on their behalf.

Also !!! he's musty.

[accultant]

"Do you honestly believe that you are funny? Tell me your best joke!"

Iago raises an eyebrow slightly, having no memory of such claims. "If you're trying to fish for more material, I'm afraid you're not being very subtle about it."

But the book they were drudging through was getting dull anyway. They make a show of slowly placing a bookmark and setting it to the side before they acknowledge the bard again,

" There was this clock maker, right? Horologist, if you're pretentious. He had a massive storefront - for clocks and watches, of course. I don't need to hold your hand through this, do I? Anyway, this shop was his pride and joy- much to the dismay of his only son, who was severely lacking in both parental attention and passion for his father's craft. He couldn't care less about the timepieces his father dedicated his life to. Which was rather unfortunate, considering the shop was left in to him when the elder passed away. The clock maker's son was reasonably distraught. They had their differences, but ultimately, he did care for his father. In his defense, he did try. He attempted to perform the repairs his father taught him- though he more often than not ended up damaging the timepieces even worse. He couldn't create anything from a pile of gears and springs, but he could slap a shiny new price tag on his late father's masterpieces.

" It stayed afloat for a while, but just barely. And the clock maker's son was tired. He didn't feel the same obligation as time went on, he didn't care for the craft, he simply wanted to be done with it all. None of the work was selling. The only thing that was selling was the storefront itself, prime real estate that was being ogled by every starry-eyed self-starter in the city.

" So, he caved. It was a matter of time, really. He had been wanting to throw those things into firewood since he first became an angsty, neglected teen all those years ago. It was freeing, in a way, when he started to lug them out into the courtyard nearby to burn once they had all been added to the mass. A metaphorical funeral pyre, if you wish to be morbid.

" But as he nearly broke his back moving one of his father's largest clocks - a beautiful grandfather, golden tinted inlays, chimes like a funeral toll every hour, you know -, a lovely voice called out to him. It was a woman, around his age, I'm sure you can imagine where this goes. She gushed about it's beauty, it's craftsmanship. The clock maker's son only ever saw it as trash, but when she asked to take it home, she batted her eyes and he couldn't refuse.

" Then, to his delight, she returned the next day. The pile of garbage was ever-growing, but she took a pocket watch from the mess. The day after that, a simple wall clock. She kept returning as he built his pyre until eventually, he asked to court her for an evening. Their relationship budded quickly, like it was always meant to be."

They pause and spare Tryck a glance, " Bards like that kind of thing, right? True love and whatnot? Well, it was like that.

" She adored him and he abandoned his monumental task night after night to see her. The trash pile of clocks and watches was left alone in favor of quality time and romance. It would need to be taken care of soon, as it was becoming a bit of an eyesore for the courtyard, but he didn't even hesitate to accept her invitations to dinners and parties and, most excitedly, a grand ball. He hadn't realized she was of such high class to be attending something like that, so he had to really clean up.

" And clean up he did. He was dashing and fit right in at the ball. He might've had two left feet, but the woman didn't seem to mind. They danced all evening. He planned to tell her he loved her that night, under the moon, perhaps on the balcony. Something romantic.

" But he was nervous- she was nobility. He was nothing but a clock maker's son with an abandoned pyre and a half-emptied storefront. His palms were sweating when he excused himself, offering to get them both something to drink. It was a fabulous ball, mind you, the spread of refreshments was quite impressive. He even had to wait behind a few other party goers as the table was quite congested. This time was used to calm his nerves, slow his racing heart.

" But you know how these parties tend to be. He couldn't help but overhear the gossip. The people around him, all a higher class than he ever dreamed of being himself, spoke about relationships and scandals. Literature and music. And one particular conversation piece that stood out- everyone seemed to be gushing about the grandfather clock at the end of the hall. The way they described it, the son had no doubt that it was his father's, the same one the woman took home with her the day they met.

" Hearing such kind words about his late father's work brought unexpected tears to his eyes. He was touched. He felt like a fool for letting himself give up on his father's art so easily. But then another line of gossip met his ears just as he neared the drinks table.

" 'The Lady of the house here has played the son for a fool, you know. He fawns over her like a lovesick boy and all the while she's bringing such lovely works back home, furnishing it before her husband returns from his time away. For not even a copper! And he's such a collector himself that he won't even be bothered by her methods. I hear she plans to drop the clock maker's son as soon as he returns, anyway.'

" It was gut-wrenching. He felt his world, the one he had begun to dream of, at least, fall apart in an instant. And there was that incessant tick-tock-tick-tock that seemed amplified now that his attention was drawn to it. How could he have missed it before? Every wall was adorned with another timepiece, another work of art that was unmistakenly his father's. And in the middle of it all, the woman who had ripped his heart in two, was across the ballroom, showing off her latest pocket watch.

" The clock maker's son couldn't take it. He couldn't stand to hear one more tick. He was a fool to let himself be distracted, he decided. He would finish his work, his destruction. She would never complete her collection because the pyre he had abandoned would soon be in flames as it was always meant to be. Garbage, it was all garbage! Trash!

" Someone from behind asked him if he was going to get a drink, snapping him back to the present. He had work to do. He ran out into the night, fueled by rage and heartbreak with only one goal in mind.

" He left the love of his life, fled from the party, and most notably,"

They fix a blank stare at Trick, their voice deadpan, "He abandoned the punch line, turning instead to his reinvigorated dedication to wasting time."

[accultant]

؟ idk why it's right algined

He'd get an invite to my heist team. My elite crew when I inevitably break into the Counting House. He'd make the cut.

bonus:

We should trade fratricide-dodging secrets. I could give him some tips.

[accultant]

🎧 + 6, 8, 11

6. A song that represents my muse's world view

This one is HARD and i think depends a lot on Where They're At in life. I'm going to say either It's Nesting Season by Brian David Gilbert for the cringefail paranoia of it all. Also shoutout BDG for making songs that are so silly and yet somehow always make me tear up a little ???

OR Shit Show by Peter McPoland because Iago so often considers themselves an outsider. A world view thats ,,, from a distance. This song is them seeing the world as something to finally be a part of I think,, Desperate for it, honestly.

8. A sad song that fits my muse

Oogough,,,,. Days by HMLTD. Song about their deteriorating relationship with Puck in the Bhaal Temple and Iago having to spend years of their life watching him lose more and more of himself every day. Refusing to let go of him even at the lowest points. Still holding onto what was honestly a shell of who he used to be. Sucks out here.

11. A song my muse would dedicate to yours

OKAY WHIPLASH FROM THE PREVIOUS SONG BUT HEAR ME OUTTT- [Iago voice] Amay, I think you should listen to Ska. KEEP YOUR HEAD UP!!! by MilkCan. I just think it has a very deranged and chaotic energy that Amay could relate to. I think he needs to run in circles to this song. It could fix him. I don't even want to screenshot the lyrics, the VIBE is what is important here. The lyrics without the sound doesn't give a good idea of the ENERGY happening here. Personally, Iago would hate this song. But they would Appreciate the energy it brings and they would want to see Amay run in circles to it. Enrichment.

[accultant]

What are some weird interests or hobbies you have that people probably wouldn't expect you to have?

answered here!!!

Here, have this little doodle of Iago's latest findings...... little thief.... curious collector.......

[accultant]

👚 + THIS

Dress my muse up!!

trying really hard to pretend they are not bashful . . .

[accultant]

What's usually on your shopping list?

"I frequently need to replace my ink and pen nibs from the amount of writing I do in my diary journals. I usually need a new one of those, too, as they tend to fill up fairly quick. I don't eat meat when I can help it, so food-wise, I'll usually try to stock up on nonperishables for the necessity of being on the road, and produce for something actually enjoyable. I like to keep apples... they're nice with a little honey drizzled on top. Oh- that reminds me, I'm almost out of honey, aren't I?" It seems they've moved on to talking to themselves now as they pull out one of those aforementioned journals and continue making a shopping list, having completely forgotten your presence. "Some brie, maybe... And a new ball for Scratch, the beast has torn it to shreds and is playing with Puck's skull collection instead..."

[accultant]

"Still figurin' out what kind of weird you are. You got a lot goin' on." Zandi rolled onto his back by the fire, eyeing them intently from upside down. "Hey, do that thing where your magic does random shit without you."

They huff through their nose at his first comment, amused. He's certainly not wrong, they won't argue that. It's almost nice to hear it stated so casually with a bit of curiosity rather than scorn. They certainly don't argue with that.

Iago leans over a bit so they're slightly above him, upside down from each other's perspective. "If I could do that, Zandi, it wouldn't be very random, would it?"

They make a point to waggle their fingers over his face, tiny tendrils of purple, jittery light flickering around their hand - the same that seems to electrify and taint the very air they breathe whenever their wild magic flares up - before they close it in a fist to quell the crackling. "But if you're just looking for a magic trick, I'd be happy to oblige. How would you like to spend the day as a sheep? That one I can do intentionally, as well."