#windchaser

[mercless]

i would like to know more about hn talon's feathery ailment ... is it their demonic nature clashing with the angelic blood that is resulting in their worsening condition ? is there a reason why it is specifically feathers / bird-likeness as opposed to anything else ( i.e. would other demons undergo similar transformations if they also got contaminated with angel blood ) ? can you share more about how you envision the progression and prognosis ? will it kill them or will there be some sort of final stage of their transformation ( whether that's a bad thing because it only gets worse and worse , or a good thing because maybe now that it is complete , they won't be in as much pain and discomfort 🥺 ) ? is it at all affected by whatever they're doing / thinking / feeling / experiencing ( tamagotchi talon ... ) ? what do they do to manage their condition ? does it make them self-conscious or feel badly about their physical appearance ?

"-But it looks like the angels ain't done with you."

I don't recommend that anyone ingests angel blood (good thing that's a difficult thing to do these days) but I wouldn't want to definitively say how it works for anyone else either. and I think it makes sense if talon isn't too sure either, with not meeting anyone else in a similar predicament as they (yet... will get to this later) but say if it were another angel Talon had attacked and drank the blood of, I believe they would still be having similar symptoms, as angels are quite feathery beings (varus with his arm of feathers, irelia with her wings and other choicely placed feathers.) But the particular angel they stole from has had a specific impact on just how the blood has changed them.

The reason for their worsening condition is because the blood has a powerful influence, like an undiluted acid. And it is so dramatic of an change because this influence is the polar opposite to their demonic existence. The more that Talon fights against the changes, the less symbiotic the blood and their demonic nature melds, the more violent and painful the experience is for them. And without any interference either with understanding or other experiences, I see it as a bitter, drawn-out struggle. Just wallowing in fatalism until Talon is nothing more than an unrecognisable pile of bile, blood, and feathers that tore itself apart...

Fortunately for them, the more Talon interacts with their rotting world and the people (and creatures) also struggling in it, the more they will come to terms with their own potential, and reflect on how they can be something more than what they once were. Learning that they don't have to let their worst action define their existence. More than just accepting what they did, and putting in the effort to understand emotions and how to be an active part of life, will mean they are not stubbornly fighting against their affliction. This will increase the speed of it's progression, but also be far less painful of an experience since they won't be actively fighting against it. When Talon is unable to call upon any of their demonic abilities anymore, the physical changes of the affliction will be complete, but they will continue to learn and better themself in an attempt to make up for all the wrong and pain they have caused in their existence. I can picture this happening in two or three decades time, in which there is no longer any hellfire, brimstone or summoned weapons. Talon is no longer a demon, but maybe by then they'll also know if the powers that be would accept a malformed, inexperienced, makeshift samaritan as a stand-in. But that's a hopeful thought, thinking they'll live that long.

Going back to the symptoms of the affliction. Previously, Talon's form was one of shadow and brimstone, and they were able to phase in and out of being corporeal at will. Over time, this ability has been weakened - only able to vanish as a shadow for a moment at a time. Brimstone skin was made brittle until it fell away to soft flesh, hollow bone, and hair. Feathers have begun sprouting through this softer skin too, mostly across their left shoulder, arm and chest, but are beginning to sprout along their throat too. Talon used to pull them out by hand, but has forfeited the fight. Back to the left arm, a sort of carapace has begun to form over their left hand, along the thumb's metacarpal and back of the hand in layers of grey ash and weathered gold. This and the growth of the feathers is very similar to Varus' - the angel in which Talon killed and drunk the blood of - own feathers and angelic arm. But without any of the matching powers, it is a far less grand sight.

Although still considerably hot to the touch, Talon's core temperature has drastically lowered compared to the past. Whatever organs of malice and bile a demon has have made way for a growth in their chest, helping pump the foul angelic blood and pesky emotions around their body routinely, and push out more of their demonic essence every day, little by little. With this, it has already made their demonic powers incredibly weakened. Previously Talon also used to be able to disintegrate bodies with a slice of their hellish blades, but they just do not run hot enough anymore. The final physical symptom are their eyes. Once filled with hellfire, it is far more likely nowadays to see their extinguished, golden-brown irises instead. It is slightly controllable with their emotional state, or when using their powers though.

In other ways, the blood has made Talon far more empathetic, given them a conscience. Troubled with how their actions will effect others now, the suffering and cruelty of the world has become a pain all it's own. Dulling the delight in spreading fear and even disturbing the once simple exchange of souls, Talon is often contemplating their next course of action instead of only giving thought to their best interests. And how their previous, often violent actions, have caused so much.

The agony and illness of coughing up feathers and demonic bile leaves talon haggard and frail. Getting sleep and relaxation would help the most, but with their paranoia it is difficult for them to find places to fully lower their guard and properly rest. Talon's tried to get a room in the crossroad saloon before, but it's... never really worked out (Gragas doesn't let them). Hating and damning the ailment only makes it worse, since it's basically like trying to separate themself from something that has already been mixed in. Feathers get stuck in their many teeth, skin itches from keratin growing in. Fatigue and sensitivity to their own heartbeat. Talon tries their best to hide the majority of their symptoms. Their coughs and exhaustion are the most obvious.

For how the changed made by the affliction is making talon feel... I'm going to paraphrase from a previous message;

I say its dysmorphic but the more I think about it, it's also… having your health decline and your body changing along with it, at least with talons perspective right now since they're losing their demonic powers. dysphoric in the way that they're still holding on to the thought that this isn't what they're supposed to be, they're Supposed to be a being of shadow and hellfire not flesh and bone, let alone feathers and sympathy. so I want it to be much more about accepting that this is their body now moreso than finding a way to reverse the changes. That it's okay to change with age and wisdom as you open yourself up more to the world.

At this time, Talon misses being completely monstrous, of being frightening and having that implicit respect. They feel weaker than they really are because they continue to compare themself to the long-gone height of their power, and because their new physical changes make them feel vulnerable. Being constantly exhausted also doesn't help with any of this. Beyond this though, the only other thing they don't like about these changes is just that; it's different. The uncanny features still don't feel like that that's who they are, and there is this disconnect when others react to them, or comment on their looks.

poses I don't know, maybe Talon just needs some sort of big motivation to no longer see this affliction as a curse, but as an opportunity to be more than a demon that skulks in the shadows. And some encouragement that yes, that is in fact a good thing. Maybe like an ultimatum of some sorts.

[dannimonart]

Native American Hatsune Miku by DannimonDesigns

[aphellos]

may i request 3 headcanons you have about yone and aphelios' friendship in heartsteel 🥺 ...

yaay wahoo! I've not read through a lot of your posts so I'm sorry if some of these don't align with your own! but id also love exploring their friendship more if you're up for it! 😳

I'd like to imagine that, in their earlier days in the music scene, they were either mutuals or knew each other in the online scene/forums at the time, since we learned they knew about each other's work in their interview and phel was the one who asked Yone to join! Being younger and an indie artist just sharing work from his room, Aphelios probably learned a lot about the industry's inner workings through Yone, and unfortunately how brutal it can be watching Yone's burnout in real time. No matter what, he would be sure to comment on posts and boost Yone's work when it was shared, and would reminisce about getting to see his mixing live one day. When Aphelios had his surgery he probably had a bout of inactivity for a looong time, but slowly returned posting his wips or tracks, maybe catching up with Yone's posts he missed.

Because of their age difference and respect he has for the other, Aphelios changes the way he types when communicating with Yone specifically. it's a lot more formal and with less internet terms/slang, he might even use formatting. But emoticons and emojis will still slip in here and there. He tries to be on his best behaviour around his producer too with less goofing off to prove he's working hard because he cares how Yone sees him and respects his opinion... and that making music together is basically a dream come true. If he doesn't go to Alune, phel is asking for Yone's opinion on beats or choices in his tracks. Sometimes he'll accidently send them at the ungodly hour he was working, but he'll try and cover himself with a bad excuse like the internet or reception must have been down until then. With all this in mind, I think it's difficult for Aphelios to talk about anything else but music with Yone. It's what brought them together and where they are in the band now, but really if they are friends then he needs to try and take an interest with other parts of Yone's life. It's just a little difficult. He'll bring up work things before talking about the weather...

Whenever caught in one of his Harmless pranks or bullying the other members of the band, Aphelios' instinct is to act completely innocent or justified in his actions. It's the worst with Yone, where he'll try and use Yone's secretive favoritism to his advantage - and the mentioned before good behaviour he always has with work to either slacken his punishment or in the rare occurrence of getting away with it scot-free. Does the threat of Yone's disappointment dissuade his actions? No, it only motivates him to get even better with hiding his tracks. Yone is, of course, the second-least likely victim to his schemes (the first being Alune.)

[ashored]

❛   𝗦𝗨𝗖𝗛   𝗧𝗥𝗔𝗚𝗘𝗗𝗬   𝗜𝗡   𝗛𝗢𝗪   𝗬𝗢𝗨   𝗠𝗜𝗦𝗨𝗡𝗗𝗘𝗥𝗦𝗧𝗔𝗡𝗗   :   /   𝗜𝗡   𝗧𝗛𝗘𝗦𝗘   𝗗𝗘𝗣𝗧𝗛𝗦   𝗦𝗪𝗜𝗠𝗦   𝗡𝗢   𝗙𝗘𝗔𝗥   ,   𝗡𝗢   𝗦𝗢𝗥𝗥𝗢𝗪   𝗧𝗢   𝗪𝗜𝗧𝗛𝗦𝗧𝗔𝗡𝗗   .   /   𝗘𝗡𝗩𝗜𝗦𝗜𝗢𝗡   𝗬𝗢𝗨𝗥   𝗪𝗢𝗥𝗟𝗗   𝗪𝗛𝗘𝗥𝗘   𝗠𝗢𝗡𝗦𝗧𝗘𝗥𝗦   𝗖𝗘𝗔𝗦𝗘   ,   /   𝗔𝗡𝗗   𝗪𝗛𝗘𝗥𝗘   𝗦𝗧𝗥𝗨𝗚𝗚𝗟𝗘𝗦   𝗘𝗡𝗗   ,   𝗬𝗢𝗨   𝗙𝗜𝗡𝗗   𝗬𝗢𝗨𝗥   𝗣𝗘𝗔𝗖𝗘   .   ❜

from   all   around   continues the   voice   , this faceless visitor of dream , ❛   𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗹   𝘁𝗵𝗲   𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘁𝗹𝗲   𝗳𝗶𝘀𝗵   𝗻𝗼𝘁   𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗿   𝗵𝗲𝗿   𝗵𝗲𝗹𝗽𝗹𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗽𝗹𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁   ?   :   𝘁𝗵𝗲   𝗹𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁   𝘆𝗼𝘂   𝗱𝗲𝗳𝗲𝗻𝗱   𝗶𝘀   𝗳𝗹𝗲𝗲𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴   .   𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿   𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘀   𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗹   𝗱𝗶𝗲   ,   𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿   𝗼𝗰𝗲𝗮𝗻𝘀   𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗹   𝗱𝗿𝘆   ,   𝗮𝗻𝗱   𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿   𝘀𝗸𝗶𝗲𝘀   𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗹   𝗱𝗮𝗿𝗸𝗲𝗻   .   𝗱𝗼   𝗻𝗼𝘁   𝘄𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗲   𝘁𝗵𝗲   𝗲𝗳𝗳𝗼𝗿𝘁   .   𝗶𝗻   𝘁𝗵𝗲   𝗲𝗻𝗱   ,   𝗮𝗹𝗹   𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁   𝘆𝗼𝘂   𝗹𝗼𝘃𝗲   𝘀𝗵𝗮𝗹𝗹   𝗿𝗲𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗻   𝘁𝗼   𝘁𝗵𝗲   𝘃𝗼𝗶𝗱   …   𝘀𝗼   𝘄𝗵𝘆   𝗻𝗼𝘁   𝗵𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗻   𝘁𝗵𝗲   𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘃𝗶𝘁𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲   ?   — 𝘀𝗲𝗲𝗸   𝘀𝗼𝗹𝗮𝗰𝗲   𝗶𝗻   𝘁𝗵𝗲   𝗱𝗮𝗿𝗸𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀   𝗻𝗼𝘄   .   ❜

𓆩✧𓆪 - Nami feels herself being pulled down before anything else. Eyes blink at the cold water rushing past her, desperately searching for a point of light beyond her own glowing source to be her guide in the deep black encompassing her. Although she knew she wasn't moving, not of her own volition anyway, the waters made the mermaid sink. Looking up, that's when she sees it; three shining lights far above her, fighting back against the darkness together. All the while she was being dragged further and further away in this rip current. Even as she desperately tries to fight back as fins kick, hand reaching up, reaching for her friends to join them, knowing deep down that every action was in vain acts like an anchor.

The voice of a melancholy tone fills the emptiness, then. Nami's attention turns in search for it's source. Worried for the words spoken, and - with her clouded senses unable to realise this was a terrible dream - that someone else was down in these depths too. They sound so far and too near all at once. if Nami reached out, would she be able to catch them? But then again, was that something she should do? The words alone were beautiful. Their finality and acceptance of the end of all. The loneliness struck her heart. Hands embrace one another before her, and she realises there is not even water, anymore. It was only this endless expanse, and the voice calling out to her. Urging her to see the pointlessness in her struggle.

But even with this immense pressure, Nami's light grows stronger.

"All my life, we hid in the depths from the dangers that threatened our world from above. The only light that ever shone strong enough to reach us were the Star Guardians that defended us and our home." Her voice feels small in the vast open, and Nami can only hope her reply is heard in turn. "I always dreamed of being able to save my people, to join such a wonderful cause. And I won't let the end happen before it's time while I'm still a Guardian."

If there was no sorrow here, then there was no joy, either. No celebrations of overcoming a difficult goal. No relief after anxiety. No love to continue harbouring, long after its source is gone.

"When I first breached the surface and saw the Sun rising over the horizon for the very first time… I want everyone to experience that, too." Even if peace in life was only achieved in small bursts from immense effort, it only made the reward sweeter. If existence was fated to return to nothingness one day, then Nami would cherish every moment she had. "You're right, in that eventually there is an end to everything… But that doesn't mean the present matters any less! What I love and care for now, I will forever! I will protect my home until there is no longer an ocean. I will look up at the sky with wonder, until there is nothing left to see!"

She is hurtling down, now. A sense of all of this ending approaches rapidly. But she needed to do one last thing. A hand reaches out past her light and into the darkness as the drag fights this extension. Struggling to keep it held out, sparkling tears of effort form at the corners of her eyes, and Nami calls out one last time, to whoever was all alone in the dark,

"So please, join me! I want to show you the horizon while it's still shining, too!"

[agonizedembrace]

' is that a ... baby ? ' he blinks , unsure if his eyes are deceiving him , but judging by the way she holds the child , it seems to be the case . where did it come from ? — or perhaps a better question : how is it still alive ? ' where did you — ' it cries at the sudden uptick in his volume , and he hushs at once , whispering to her as he comes closer , ' where did you find them ? ' were there others just like it ? he suddenly worries that they've stumbled upon a moon that the company would not like them to have found .

evelynn is generally not a fan of children of any variety ; whether that'd be of a human or another creature on the planets she visits for the company, she typically does not care. yet when this ... fellow waddles at her, with the most adorable whine in its tone, the woman feels more than compelled to pick him up.

it is cute , she tells herself. this alone takes her by surprise : there is very little that evelynn finds cute.

one arm cradles what she deems ' the baby ', the other prodding at its mouth gently with a soft coo escaping her lips. she appears like a mother with their child, softly soothing them from whatever horrors they may have seen.

unsure of how much time passes, she deems that she at least has to find something for the company. yet she cannot compel herself to leave this child behind ... so along it comes, cradled in her arms as she trudges through the mines. it isn't until another voice hits her ears, or rather -- the child starts crying again does she realize that she's not alone.

" shh, it's okay dear. " evelynn thinks if she stopped long enough to realize how ridiculous she looked, she'd likely hate herself. so she does her best not to dwell upon it, instead consoling the now calm child as the speaker approaches. blinking away the surprise as yone questions the very being in her arms, she shrugs it off.

" it just ... came to me? " she speaks honestly, finding that he of all employees is likely the one to understand her best. her gaze shifts from him and back to the baby in her arms, whose own gaze sparkles as it stares back up at her. " it was crying ... like searching for it's mother -- so i picked it up. and well -- here we are. "

[archivedolon]

[ 4:13:37 PM — aphelios ] : you've been in your room all day . did someone leave the blanket over your cage again ?

[ 4:13:59 PM — aphelios ] : here — enrichment for your enclosure :

image attached :

[ 4:14:14 PM — aphelios ] : come eat dinner .

[ sms : 요네형 🐔❤️ ] — so rude, you're the one who's supposed to take the blanket off [ sms : 요네형 🐔❤️ ] — moo deng (˃̣̣̥ᯅ˂̣̣̥) [ sms : 요네형 🐔❤️ ] — i want to hold her like that [ sms : 요네형 🐔❤️ ] — [ IMG ]

[ sms : 요네형 🐔❤️ ] — what's for dinner ᯣ_ᯣ

[witchcraftandburialdirt]

inside meme : 9 for base ; 22 25 for modern 😌

✧ ━━ 𝐀 𝐏𝐄𝐄𝐊 𝐀𝐓 𝐖𝐇𝐀𝐓'𝐒 𝐈𝐍𝐒𝐈𝐃𝐄 𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐈𝐑 … 𝙻𝙴𝙰𝙶𝚄𝙴 & 𝙼𝙾𝙳𝙴𝚁𝙽 𝚅𝙴𝚁𝚂𝙴

𝙻𝙴𝙰𝙶𝚄𝙴 𝚅𝙴𝚁𝚂𝙴

09.     “junk” drawer. ━━ Which one? Robin's little cottage/shack has so many drawers for storage and most of them are filled with seemingly random items and knick knacks. Organized chaos is very much his style of living, so most of his drawers are junk drawers. You'll find everything from herbs, to calligraphy pens, sewing supplies, a bowie knife, and loose change all in one drawer.

𝙼𝙾𝙳𝙴𝚁𝙽 𝚅𝙴𝚁𝚂𝙴

22.     amazon shopping cart.  ━━ As stated before, Robin's shopping list is usually last minute items he forgot that don't need to be of perfect quality to work. He doesn't shop super extravagently, and you'll find most of his purchases come from local artisans (he's a massive supporter of the arts).

25.     five most recent in google search history. 

[weldfists]

not just a scratch in hs verse pls ...

send me    ‘ not  just  a  scratch ‘    for your muse to catch mine trying to patch up a wound in secret…

Maybe he shouldn’t have stormed off—

What’s the point in being collaborative if he was just going to take everything to heart? This wasn’t like before. He wasn’t nineteen standing before his own flesh and blood, where he was presenting something and already bracing himself for it to be torn apart. It’s so far divorced from everything he’d gone through for years with his music and yet it still made the weight on his shoulders unbearable, the strain in his jaw almost crushing. And before he could let the wounds from the past tear open at the drop of a simple critique he’d excused himself from the studio, despite the odd look Yone had thrown him as he shoulders past K’sante roughly (much to his offense). 

He doesn’t care what it looked like, up and leaving and shoving his seat backward with a growl as he did it. But the sting from just… he can’t even fucking remember what it was that Ezreal commented on that triggered that dread that manifested bone deep within him. But he knows it was enough to echo the words of his father once upon a time and it was enough to make him fly off the handle. This is how he ends up outside the studio; his back pressed firmly against one of the trees nearby as his ears pin flat against his hair despite hidden in the pockets of his beanie as an itch spreads across his arms while he tries to shake out the trepidation. Fruitlessly, really— he knows better than anyone how to shake it.

Is he overreacting? Maybe. 

He can’t think about it now, not when the sting of wood splintering beneath his knuckles scratches that itch far better than talking this out ever could. At least that’s what it feels like. Another wind up, another punch, more wood cracking beneath the hit and digging into his skin. It doesn’t stop till his breathing evens out and it doesn’t feel like there were ants crawling all over him. Doesn’t stop till he realizes just how stupid he was to start in the first place. A flex of his hand blooms a new pain, knuckles bloodied with skin split. Fuck.

Sett up and leaves, angry but not really, set off by something he can’t quite put into words yet with the boys, doesn’t have the patience to talk about it anyways, but to then come back with his hand fucked up? How the fuck was he supposed to explain this? As soon as the adrenaline is gone the regret begins to flood in as he holds his hand carefully, fangs bared at no one but himself. 

Sett thinks he’s been gone for what feels like forever, rushing back inside and moving as quickly as he could to a bathroom. He had to wash it away, hide the fact he wasn’t as in control as he thought he was. Suddenly he’s nineteen with watery eyes and a busted lip and a bloody nose, washing his face silently until the water ran clear and he could stand to look at himself again.

So, no— he doesn’t hear when the door to the bathroom creaks open. Doesn’t hear the footsteps that approach him cautiously, methodically, before stopping not too far behind him— watching. Sett’s only concern was cleaning his hand until he could stand to look at himself again. When the sting of the cold water blasting away the splinters and scabbing was enough to make him wince, that's when he catches the glimpse of white hair posted behind his reflection and he stills completely. Mouth falling open to try and speak only to find nothing to say, distress lingering in the crease of his brow while the water continues to run down his mangled handiwork.

Sett doesn’t try to hide it, but it’s evident in how he sucks in a harsh breath and clenches his fists that being found was frustrating him beyond what he’d ever admit. Perhaps it’s good then, that his ears stay pinned closely to his head, his tail flicking roughly from side to side as he begins his ritual of cleaning his fist once more. In moments like these, Sett’s rather thankful he has them opposed to the myriad of times where they’ve done him dirty. Either way, Yone of all people finding him bloody knuckled and mere moments from panic had not been something Sett was looking forward to.

“I don’t need ya checkin’ on me. S’fine.”

The words cut clean and dry when he does eventually speak, his eyes locked on the other man through the mirror. He wasn’t planning on opening up about what he felt right now or about what dragged a knife across the tender scars within his chest in the studio any time soon. Silently, Sett just hopes that the image of him frantically scrubbing away blood stays hidden within Yone’s mind, and dies with him really. 

But he knows better.  He knows what this will lead to later when the two cross paths in the early mornings and Sett wants nothing to do with it.

[ionianwanderer]

towering 10 feet over him : ' brother ............. '

"i didnt kill you because you were chasing me down for schmurdering elder Souma i killed u because ur taller than me and thats not fair."

[pitgritted]

does sett got his CDL for that dump truck

a  fucking  what  ???

[umbane]

[ text - kayn ] : what the hell did i just hear from your room .

It's hard to explain the chaos that Killer just unleashed upon Kayn's room. Somehow, the tiny puffball of a dog managed to take down one of the shelves in his closet, knock over his table, and upend his chair, all while completely ignoring all the dog toys that Kayn has got him to amuse himself with. Seriously, how much destructiton can one dog cause?

[ text - DONT PICK UP ] NOTHINGGGGGGG [ text - DONT PICK UP ] MAYBE IT WAS EZREAL'S ROOM????

Now, the question is: how is he gonna fix all this? Seriously, it's a fucking mess in here now.

[ text - DONT PICK UP ] IGNORE EVERYTHING YOU HEAR FOR THE NEXT THREE HOURSSSS

[mercless]

as the powder witch lounges: yone is away . doing god knows what at this hour , he doesn't like to share . she thinks he could be making his rounds . she thinks he could be sneaking off to that magical bar to drink — though that uprightness of his , even if he does fit the bill of a man down on his luck , makes it hard to take slugging alcohol as being his vice . maybe he is with luna . she thinks , she thinks , she thinks . but more importantly — she is alone with talon . this is shockingly not the first time the gunslinger has left her alone with them , but it is the first time he has does so at night . this is bigger of a responsibility than it seems , and rell wonders if yone has said as much to talon . how would he have worded it ? — there is no way he would have told them the full story ( not only to preserve her own privacy , but because he'd go way over the allotted amount of words a day he is willing to spare on talon , she thinks wryly , and she rolls her eyes ) — but then what , a stern , ' if she sleeps and you aren't staying put , leave the light on ? ' ugh . it sounds ridiculous to even think it to herself , to imagine his voice . and it is ridiculous . she is meant to be sixteen years old , outgrown the need to be babysat — not a responsibility . or maybe it isn't like that . he has never called it so . maybe she is just insecure . maybe she is just overthinking the fact that she has not since the first time had to wake up alone in the dark , and that she cannot remember the last time the gunslinger hadn't been there . yeah . she could lie to herself like that . she could believe . yeah ! and so yone has left rell alone with talon . she would like to think that it's because he trusts the demon with at least this much . she would also like to think that he trusts talon more than any of them would guess . she believes this to be the case , but perhaps this is also a lie she likes to tell herself . maybe he just trusts her to be able to take care of herself , to make sure that talon does not get up to anything nefarious . maybe he has not let her alone with them , but them alone with her . and there is true threat in this — not just in her magic , but the way she descends upon them then , curiosity rabid ; there are sometimes questions that can only be asked when either of them is away . can i ask somethin' , she asks , though it is more of a formality at this point . she can ask questions ; whether talon's answer will satisfy them is a whole other matter . but there are always questions she wishes to ask , of talon , of yone . there are also questions that she does not want to ask . yet , or ever , she is unsure . a strange silence follows , and it's as if she's fired a blank . she is in her casual garb , laying on the bed with her bare feet towards the head of the bed , and she stares up at the ceiling . ❛ you know what ? ❜ she suddenly says , pushing herself up . ❛ how about we get outta' here and find somethin' fun to do , save the questions for later ? ol' rickety bones don't gotta' know — we can leave a note if that matters . ❜ already is she looking for something to write with , to write on — the gears in her head turning , she eyes the carpet mat and ventures that if she just lifts up a corner ... @windchaser (hi uh . touches the ground . something happened here .)

It is a hushed evening in this homely little room the gunslinger left them in, while he went out on his righteous errands. Refusing to elaborate, let alone be accompanied on his business with their kind of ilk. And as Talon has their boots kicked up on the chair turned to face them, arms sizzling like an low oil flame across their chest and musty hat upon their face, they were of two minds about it; It was a break from Yone's constant vigilance. Finally, to not be beneath the weight of his suspicious glare no matter the action or lack thereof they committed. Not so long ago he made it his job for the evening to watch the demon - unblinkingly, mind you. They had stared right on back until their eyes stung to confirm. Made their afflicted skin crawl sometimes, he did. It had been a spell since they had last known the freedom that was the dark veil shrouding the range, to finally be the scariest thing in the night again, at least in the immediate area. But then, they weren't outside in the quiet eve, the chorus of crickets and woeful birds quieting upon their arrival; even without seeing a hellspawn, the land and it's critters instinctively knew when a stranger to their mortal world approached. No, they were cooped up in this little inn room Yone had dumped both the young powder witch and them in. With little more than the orders to stay safe until his return, which only he knew the hour of. Of course.

Talon cared very little for who in fact was watching who in this situation. They would be the last to underestimate the lengths of which Rell's powers could bend and twist metal, but it wasn't as if they couldn't leave unnoticed. If Talon really wanted to. But then, Rell would be alone... Which wasn't their issue. It would be the haunted gunslinger's fault, if anyone's. His form of retribution just wasn't something they were looking forward to receiving anytime soon. So they sat as comfortable as they could, oil lantern bright enough for a human's vision to see that the corners of the room existed.

She had spoken up at some point, garnering a movement of Talon's head to now rest on an ear and face the source of her voice, their hat still covering every feature. But it had been some time since then. Enough cricket chirps has passed that they were left to wonder if the witch was stuck on what to ask first, and eyes consider closing and no longer take in the low light between strands and treated leather. Rell so did like to ask things of all sorts. Her constant questioning should be bothersome by now. Talon almost starts at the commotion, shuffling from their own lying position and lifting a hand to pull their hat away. Over it's jagged brim do they watch Rell rise from the mattress, and soon their own disgruntled boots meet the floorboards with two tired thuds. And even behind their exhausted features is there something new alight at her scheme; the clandestine plan, the potential antics, the threat of trouble if they meet it out in the night or they're caught returning late…

Fixing their hat atop their crown, Talon watches Rell look around the room and the small possessions their little entourage had stored for the night as curiosity tugs their head from side to side to follow along with her search. "What he don't know won't do no harm?" The corners of lips threaten to curl into a smile, even once she has begun to mess with the carpet. A little sign, that they were here once, but ultimately decided their time was better spent elsewhere. The thought of Yone finding it after a quick gander at the empty room, the imagined squint of his eyes and twist of his lips exposes Talon's teeth, for a breath. As long as the little witch returned unscathed... They finally stand with what effort remained unspent, the blades trailing behind them lifting and slithering daintily with a roll of their shoulders as to not get caught between chair rails. Watching as she lowered to the floor, they wait until hand has nearly met the boards to speak up again; "Go ahead if you wanna risk a scoldin' on property damage."

Humming in their throat, a hand rises to their hat again, taking hold of the brim as the top of their blond stands are revealed. "If we leave an additional alleviatin' sign, too..." With a final cant of their head in thought, Talon chucks the hat through the air, spinning and landing softly on the table where their abandoned chairs stood about. Making their way to the door, Talon reaches for the raggedy, beaten duster they insisted on keeping hold of. It came in handy to keep the suspicions of settlement inhabitants to the same level as they would be when any outsider walked their streets. Arms of brimstone and feathers respectively are tucked away into worn sleeves in turns, and their ashen eyes fix on Rell with a rare, quizzical look of their own.

"What do young witches get up to after dark for fun, these days?"

[kalijhomentethi]

[ txt ] : canyou ask akali if she's allergic to bees ple ase ?

-> [mr. yone]: akali can't come to the phone rn

-> [mr. yone]: why? cause she's

-> [mr. yone]: allergic to bees

-> [mr. yone]: no im kidding i love bees as long as they stay at least 100 feet away from me and dont sting me

-> [mr. yone]: are you ok or is this msg meant for someone else

-> [mr. yone]: have you seen eve

[aphellos]

📷 what photos/ memes are being shared between them ... can be pre- or post- heartsteel's establishment !

five pictures

pre-heartsteel.... I can imagine photos Aphelios and Alune take together to send Yone, either just group selfies (usually one 'serious' or nicely taken one, followed shortly by a much more unflattering one) or things they see when they're out together like events, meals, or clothes etc. (because Aphelios only goes outside when Alune drags him out) and these photos played a part in being kind of accountability-buddies while they were going through their individual rough times...

Once leaning Yone owns a cat, if not already shared by him, the twins would beg to see pictures of Luna frequently. this is also done in pm's and there might have been a competition at one point to collect more images of Luna than the other, and ranking the rarity of the images mostly based on the kitty-action caught.

Aphelios would also share screenshots of his progress work to Yone, and any mishaps along the way like his software crashing at the worst possible time, or new instruments.

After joining heartsteel and getting settled in, Aphelios also makes memes of the other members (as well as himself) such as this, though these are moreso shared in their group chat and threatened to be posted on socials than sent just between private messages.

In a gently teasing way, and to make sure he's keeping up with the latest viral jokes, I feel like Aphelios will often send Yone the freshest of memes just to gauge his reaction, and to test him.

okay below I'm also going to share some reaction images phel would send in conversations

from left to right; whenever a picture of luna is shared (always, desperately, needing more cat content), when aphelios is feeling particularly annoyed or petty and wants to complain to yone but also doesn't want to say anything yet, and finally a multifaceted image, which can mean many things in different contexts (e.g he's finished a track and wants to share, he's saying good morning after pulling an all nighter, his computer crashed, etc.)

[ashored]

🎧 x 3 ...

1. flux and flow - lights (acoustic)

"With our heads above the trees. And the storm at our knees. Come all the tides and tows. We'll stand above the sea."

A melancholic, slower version of the original, poppy rendition. The guitar strumming gives me the visuals of a grey ocean sky with a storm on the horizon, but going on with the journey regardless. This song gives me the feeling of how Nami would have felt upon finding that the Lunari are missing or in hiding, and that her quest will be far more drawn out than she first imagined. But nevertheless continuing on and journeying even further away from her home, changing plans along with her fluctuating circumstances, going along with the flow of her journey while taking in that sadness of leaving her home behind...

2. rapunzel theme - barbie as rapunzel

"And so I will follow a falling star, To find out who I am and who you are. Come along, it can't be very far, The waves are singing..."

I have an instrumental version in my spotify playlist... and I use some of the lyrics in my header! Nami is very adventure-princess coded to me... and if her story was a little less frightening I would like to think it could have been ripped straight from a children's fantasy movie about meeting your fears with courage... with some mermaid dressing. Her LoR card interactions with comedic little sea critters perfectly demonstrates this too! I chose Rapunzel's theme because the lyrics can be associated with Nami the easiest with Rapunzel's dream of being free and seeing the ocean... Nami is the same but the ocean in this case is home for her, and her dream is to return home! The harp, flute and vocals are elegant, enchanting and hopeful too, creating a picturesque scene in finally reaching that fated coastline...

3. home - gabrielle aplin (ep version)

"I'll always keep you with me, You'll be always on my mind. But there's a shining in the shadows, And I'll never know unless I try."

A song for homesickness, as they artist said, "It’s about realising where home is for you." Nami wants nothing more than to return home and to her loved ones - and being nostalgic the simpler times before picking up the Tidecaller mantle - but also fully understands that it's something she cannot do without first completing her quest... She just wants to reminisce a little. No matter how impossible it feels to find the Lunari or even collect the Moonstone, Nami has to try. It also helps that the song has a lot of ocean-related lyrics too. I also wasn't aware there was an ep and fully released version, but I think I prefer this version at, least for fitting with Nami.

[agonizedembrace]

poses 🥃 + your opinion on yone , ma'am , in any verse you'd like .

Send me  ‘ 🥃 ‘ + plus a question, and my muse will answer it while drunk.

" that ol' bounty hunter? " words that slur together, a delightful chuckle that rumbles from her chest. down goes her glass, making the counter hum in response before she leans against it, chest present. " almost feel sorry for 'im, really. "

" stuck between life 'n death, isn't he? can't say that i pity 'im, but i welcome the presence. too bad ol' gragas wont let me make a lay outta him. " cue a dramatic huff. " suppose it don't matter, he ain't my type. should get 'im on stage with me -- think he could sing a duet with me? "