#'I said IoniA

[witchcraftandburialdirt]

Feather-light kisses on their knuckles + Kisses on the back of their hand

✧ ━━ 𝟏𝟎𝟐 𝐃𝐈𝐅𝐅𝐄𝐑𝐄𝐍𝐓 𝐓𝐘𝐏𝐄𝐒 𝐎𝐅 𝐊𝐈𝐒𝐒𝐄𝐒 𝙻𝙴𝙰𝙶𝚄𝙴 𝚅𝙴𝚁𝚂𝙴

The day had finally come for Vladimir to pay his promised dowry; he had vowed Robin the world, and this small step was just the start. It had been a swift and ruthless maneuver, a calculated dismantling of alliances that left the remnants of House Swain shattered and vulnerable. Drawing Raum's ever watchful eyes away left an opening to slip through and after that it was easy enough to paint the walls red with those lingering behind. The Trifarix Council of the Immortal Bastian now stood before him, its grand table looming empty and bare within the ghostly hall. Robin slowly approached one of the towering windows and ran his fingertips across the cold stone, all of it felt hazy ━ ; the pleasure almost too much to bear, the euphoria of it all was too good to be true. But … it was.

His verdent eyes peered outside, finally noticing the grisly spectacle that lay sprawled. before him; the former members of House Swain dangled lifelessly from the fortification’s walls: a warning of what was to come if any of House Swain's allies came to fulfill their oath. A soft smile graced his lips. Now the only thing left to do was to introduce Jericho to his red radiant destiny, and send his severed head in a box to Ionia.

But for now, he was content with merely gazing upon his resplendent future. The scorching sun dipped low on the horizon line, casting a warm golden hue over the Immortal Bastian to illuminate the towering spires and bustling streets below. Oh how far he had come. He had been but a mere Zaunite rat, scuttling through the shadows and chewing on filth in a desperate bid for survival, Robin now stood at the precipice of a life he had only dared to dream of. He had been cloaked in the suffocating embrace of fear and worry, but no more. He had nothing to fear alongside his beloved fiancé. After all, every leader needed a right hand and advisor … who better suited than Robin? The weight of destiny settled comfortably on his shoulders as he envisioned it all — a long life, a better life, finally within his reach.

He need only choke it from the swine whinging in the dungeons.

Beneath him, the city thrummed; merchants hawking their wares, laughter spilling from nearby taverns, and the distant clang of metal as the city’s guards went about their duties. Whether its inhabitants were blissfully unaware of the shifting tides of power, or just didn't care Robin couldn't quite tell. The Noxians were far too fickle a people, their allegiances driven solely by the allure of strength over loyalty, had never held true allegiance to the Grand General. It was a pity, certaintly. Swain, with all his cunning, would become just another name in a long list of fallen leaders whose corpses would soon be tossed aside as the week drew to a close. His kin would be soon to follow should they bother to show their faces.

Swift he was to turn his attention behind him at the sound of a familiar click! a noise that sent a thrill of anticipation running through him alongside his quickening heart. As he shifted, his breath caught in his throat and a smile broke over his features. There, framed by the tall, arched doorway of the council room, stood his beloved, Vladimir Vol Kalah Heigaari. He was always such a striking figure to Robin, and now he strode in with an air of regal confidence that only made the magnus' eyes twinkle. Conquest and Death looked good on his love, evident by who ━ or now what ━ was flanking him; the moaning, groaning, unsettling remnants of the Trifarian Legion. Their magnificent forms now transformed into grotesque shadows of their former selves. Their sockets glowed sickly red, shimmering with a malevolent light that betrayed the bravery they once embodied. At one time noble warriors, now reduced to mere drooling thralls, shuffling in mindless subservience at the prince's side.

Yet amidst the horror, Robin's gaze was drawn irresistibly back to his Count, who, upon stepping into the vibrant light that streamed through the high windows, transformed into a vision of glory. Golden rays of sunlight transforming his pale hair into an ethereal inferno, fiery strands cascading like liquid gold around his adoring features. Pale brows softened as he fully shifted to greet his fiancé, but words caught in his throat once the Camavoran prince knelt before him as though he were some sort of God. He could scarcely breathe as Vladimir's delicate fingers brushed against his palm! With tender reverence, his beloved lifted his left hand in his claws, their fingers entwining, and in that touch, Robin felt the world around them fade away.

Every nervous flutter in his chest felt magnified, a hitch in his breath, as he felt the warm brush of Vlad's lips teasingly glide across his cool knuckles. With a gentle lift of his chin, Robin allowed a pleased hum to break free, and his heart began to race like a wild drum banging in his chest. Finally Vlad’s lips pressed firmly against the back of his hand, and the younger's poor heart went soaring. The mage could feel the heat rising to his cheeks, a rosy flush that betrayed his calm demeanor with abandon, and his heart raced, nearly escaping as he noticed the corners of Vladimir’s eyes crinkle with delight, a knowing smile dancing on his lips. Robin pressed his own plush lips together, biting back a rush of shy exhilaration that threatened to spill over while watching his fiancé ascent to stand before him, hand in hand.

"Little Love," Robin felt his heart racing fast and he no longer tried to hold his smile back as Vladimir swept him off his feet and lifted him effortlessly into his arms with a gentle ━ yet firm ━ grip around his waist. Vampiric crimson drank in every detail of his face, and he saw his own yearning reflected back to him; how could he ever want to resist the allure of his fiancé? His songbird had learned to yield to the sinful call that pulled their bodies and hearts together ━ that bid him to let go and enjoy sheer mindless bliss. Waves of affection surged through him, blossoming like spring flowers at the way Vladimir eagerly peppered his throat with soft, fervent kisses along the the flush of his collar. He shuddered and gasped when sharp teeth sink down to bloom another mark, and then another, another, and another, until the pale column of Robin's throat, even the area surrounding his scar, had been inscribed with the tender offerings of his devoted lover. As the last kiss lingered on his skin, the Darkin drew away ever so slightly to purr against the shell of the mage's ear, "Mm, Robin-" A silky tenor, pulling over his name as a promise, a sonorous wish,

"This wretched place does not deserve to be blessed by your gaze."

Mesmerizing green eyes sparkled with a hint of mischief as they stared up to Vlad half liddedly with a languid softness, a serene contentedness evident in every flutter of his wintry lashes. The soft contours of Robin's pale fingers glided along the fine edges of the prince’s ornate suitcoat, finally capturing the delicate fabric of his cravat in a playful hook. With a mischievous tug, he drew his taller fiancé closer until Vlad’s straight, perfect nose brushed against his. Eager fingers threaded through his love's pale hair, resting possessively at the nape of his neck as he drew the Count closer still. Kisses, soft and chaste, floated across the skin surrounding Vlad's mouth, each one a teasing promise, always just shy of the simmering depth the prince craved. "Then, my darling," Robin's sweet voice emerged as a sultry croon, smooth and enchanting like a siren's song, beckoning softly as he hovered near the delicate curve of Vlad's cupid's bow.

"Reshape it for me until its worthy of us."

[deathdxnces]

i think there should be more ionians in the rpc. when is someone giving me the drama with karma..

[ohnoitstbskyen]

Are there any champions from Piltover/Zaun or beyond, who didn't show up in s1 of Arcane, who you'd like to see in s2? Both from a “this character would work really well with the story” perspective, and a “I just really like this champion” perspective.

Mm... I'm really wary about introducing more characters, honestly. Arcane's first season was already absolutely crammed to the gills with characters and one of my criticisms of Season 1 is that while everything that was in it was very very good, it was also so incredibly dense that the audience barely has time to breathe.

It's the kind of delicate balance where it feels like they just barely had the time and space to tell the stories of the main ensemble, and introducing more champions into that mix might make it all tip over.

That said, they do have the advantage that all the introductions and worldbuilding have basically been done now, and there's probably room to introduce one or two more characters to shake things up.

Instinctively I want to say Camille, except it makes no bloody sense why she'd only turn up in Season 2 and have been a complete non-presence in Season 1. Like, there was some shit happening that she should have been involved with in the first season.

Renata Glasc is an option. Zaun is going to have a big power vacuum and she would slot in very nicely as the new major power in the undercity. On the other hand, she's also perhaps a little bit too much like Silco 2.0, being partly based on him in the first place, and I think there's a solid argument for bringing the chembarons from season 1 back to fight with each other instead. Especially since one of them has a literal death vendetta against Jayce now.

Then there's Orianna, who in this canon seems to be Singed's... daughter? Some kind of family member? If all of Singed's research in the first season was about trying to find a way to save her life or bring her back to life, then she'd be a natural character to use to expand on Singed as a character in season 2. I think she'd have to be substantially redesigned, though - "music box ballerina" would be a weird thing for Singed to want to build her into.

Seraphine and Zeri are non-starters, I think, primarily because they are both mages, which would make absolutely no sense in the Arcane universe. Like, it is kind of important to the plot of Arcane that mages are essentially as rare as cryptids in this world. Same reason I don't think they'd introduce something like Janna either. She's a literal demigod, it would raise too many unanswerable questions.

There's no reason to bring in Ezreal, Zac, or Dr. Mundo, but Urgot is... not out of the question. He's the kind of relentlessly dogmatic, bloodthirsty cult leader that would make sense as a figure in the chaos and violence of the war that's likely to erupt. Twitch could also cameo, I suppose, but only as a cameo, I don't think it makes sense to make him a central character.

Outside of Piltover and Zaun, I'd say the main champions we are likely to encounter would be Swain or Darius (Darius specifically was most likely teased by Ambessa), and if Darius shows up there's a greater than average chance he'll have Draven with him. It's not impossible that Samira could show up for a bit of a cameo, as some kind of Noxian bounty hunter getting in the way of things. Katarina and Talon are... not impossible, I suppose, Noxus is probably going to want to assassinate someone, but I also doubt they'd introduce a champion character to fill that role in the narrative. It'd be wasteful.

If Noxus is making moves, of course, there's a non-zero chance that there'll be like a Demacian diplomat at some meeting, which... makes it possible that Xin Zhao or Garen might cameo, and if Noxus wants Piltover's technology to prosecute their war in Ionia, hey, maybe there will be Ionian diplomat characters showing up to plead their case, which opens the distant possibility of someone like Irelia or Shen showing up.

I very, very much doubt it though.

tl;dr in my opinion:

Most likely new champions: Darius, Swain, Orianna, and Warwick (Warwick being Vander)

Not impossible: Twitch, Urgot, Renata Glasc, Draven, Camille

Extremely small Easter Egg cameos at best: Xin Zhao/Garen/Jarvan, Irelia/Shen/Karma, Azir (Shurima is Piltover's southern neighbor), Miss Fortune/Gangplank (Piltover controls the sea gate and trade between two oceans), Ziggs (Heimerdinger's best friend), Ryze (the science boys are starting to fuck with World Rune-level magic hazards), Vel'koz (might show up in a Void vision inside the Hexcore or something).

[league-of-legends-hcs]

NSFW Kayn Thingy

Kayn x Fem!Reader

Warnings: 18+, smut, mind control (ish?)

Just imagine sitting under a tree in the forests of Ionia, watching the enchanted waters flow in front of you, lightly illuminated by the moon that shone beautifully through some clouds.

There was a light chill in the air when the summer breeze whisked around you, the hairs at the base of your neck standing up whenever the gentle whisp touched your skin.

But not only because of that. soft lips were placed on the back of your neck, strong, calloused hands, one feeling a little jagged and a little warmer than the other, were gently holding your forearms... And his scent... God it unleashed a wave of emotions you could hardly describe... You felt at ease and yet excited and on edge..

"I missed you..." His voice spoke into your ear, causing a shudder to run down your spine. "Now I finally have a moment for you, my precious jewel..." The young assassin turned you around to face him, your eyes meeting his. The beautiful orbs were filled with relief and a hunger you could barely describe... Only then you noticed the change that his body had undergone, too mesmerized by the voice that seemed to put you into a trance after such a long time of not hearing it.

His face had a mark, one of his bright blue eyes turned dark... And red.. and his skin... It had turned.. partially black.. "Kayn..." You whispered, shocked... Feeling fear and pity wash over you at once. Your loved one had been... Cursed... Somehow..

"My jewel.. " he raised his hand, the corrupted one, the pain in his voice overwhelming once he had seen the fear in you. You were shivering, unable to move away from him, whimpering a little, now that you had seen the way he had changed... It did scare you. Kayn had changed... His... Aura had changed. "Don't be afraid.." he whispered, the clouds seeming to darken the sky now, the one you had called your love melting into the shadows neatlessly... Yet you could feel the heat of his touch. An almost searing heat. Another voice, deeper and outerworldly seemed to speak from where Kayn stood. "She is drenched in fear... How delectable..."

You couldn't help but jump at it, yelping, but the hand on your face that now grasped your chin kept you quiet mostly. "I'm begging you.." with one swift motion, you were pulled into your lover, feeling his heart beat in his chest erratically. "My jewel I'm begging you.." he began to kiss you now. It was passionate but feverish.. with very rough moments.. as if he was fighting himself. "... Do not cast me away... I promise you, I will.." his hands now wrapped around your body, basically pulling you on top of him, placing you in his lap, "... I will never hurt you. You know that.." there was a hunger in his tone that you could clearly hear.

Something he could really barely control...

But you thought back to your time before he had left on this quest to find a fabled weapon that would make him a Shadow Warrior... And he had never given you a reason to think that he might hurt you.. and to be quite honest, you had yearned for his touch for a while...

"I know, Kayn..." You now cupped his face, the glance of the blood red eye still very unfamiliar to you, and kissed him deeply. You let yourself fall because you still trusted him... You knew that your Kayn wouldn't ever hurt you. You knew that he had excellent self control but this new... Creature that corrupted him seemed to make it physically hurt to be around you... In a way. "What do you need?" The young man closed his eyes and took a deep, shaking breath. His chest rumbled and his mouth moved when the other voice and his own growled "You."

A blush whichs color would make a cherry jealous slipped onto your cheeks, especially when both of his hands found your behind. Instinctively you bit your lip. Kayn however, looking a little dazed when his eyes opened, was still at war with himself. "She's mine, Rhaast!" The man growled, while the voice cackled and then said "Naive child. If I want her, I will have her. You cannot hold me forever."

You were so confused. Embarrassed too. Was someone around? Had Kayn been followed all this time and knew about it? Were you just imagining the voice? Or was it really the creature? "What's going on?" You asked, but gazing into this endless void of his left eye had you dazed as well. "The creature that I am fighting within my body can talk." He told you, half absentminded since his hands had started sliding around the fabric of your loose knotted attire. you hadn't felt the need to put on any underwear since you hadn't expected any company and Kayn was happy to discover that, untying the knot of the fabric that held your clothes together, making your dress fall off of your shoulders, pooling around your thighs.

You should be questioning your sanity, but you couldn't. it was like he had really entranced you.. and little did you know that Rhaast did. Just touching you could corrupt you in such a way... Since Kayn had not nearly mastered containing him as much as he wished.

"I want to feel you." He let you know, sliding his hands along your sides, pulling you right against him, feeling his body against you. Especially the bulge that had formed in his pants.

"I want to feel you too.." you said, your desire spiking now, your body heating up while you kissed him hungrily. In the back of your mind, you could now hear Rhaasts voice too. "Yes.. give into it..." And it seemed so easy... To just do whatever he said. To give into your pleasure. Yet, Kayn took his Time. His normal hand found your core, his fingers working it expertly, having your twitch and writhe on him while he now purred "Grind on me... Be a good girl..."

You felt a shudder run down your spine when he began circling your clit and you obeyed almost immediately, the fabric of his pants feeling incredibly good against your sensitive pussy. You hadn't felt anyone else for such a long time that just his words and fingers could bring you so close to the edge.

Little moans began to slip from your lips, your eyes closed in pleasure and only when his corrupted hand squeezed your chin you opened them to look at him. At this... Dark expression he held at this moment. This joy from seeing you whine and writhe.. yet with something threatening in his eyes.

You were grinding on his thigh, the cold air around you letting you feel even better. It also let you feel the intense heat from Kayns flesh against yours. it almost felt painful, like it would sear your flesh. "Kayn please.." you whined, still holding back your noises as much as you could.

"I want you to come." He almost snarled while now wrapping his hand around your throat, still pleasuring you with the other one, and squeezing lightly, getting you a little dizzy. Now, you sobbed, both hands grabbing onto the darkin flesh that pushed the air out of you. And in your delirious state... Well... You came, croaking out his name while your muscles tightened and then.. went slack. As did his hand, the one at your core wrapping around you, holding you by your back, the other wrapped around your shoulders, keeping you leaned against him. "More..." Rhaast demanded. "That wasn't nearly enough.. I need more!" But Kayn shook his head. "Mine. She's my jewel... Mine only."

Hoookay. Some Kayn x Reader.. do you guys want a part 2 where Rhaast manages to convince Kayn? Or just the normal smexy stuff? Or nothing at all? Lemme know!

[puffcap-factory]

Unspoken Whispers of the Heart 

(Yone x reader)

Yone x reader; angst, a bit of fluff if you squint but it’s mostly angst.

Yone is just a perfect angst material

The scene took place years after the invasion of Noxus in Ionia. You were close to Yone (and Yasuo, I guess) during their sword training period, as one of the members who also worked closely at the dojo. But all relationships pretty much fell apart after you all got separated from the war, until one fateful day you stumbled upon a figure that reminded you of the past.

Words: 1.6k

(( Part 2 here ))

Notes: 

The story will follow along the canon lore of league of legends, as I prefer to stay close to the original storyline.

This is my first fic so please excuse my grammar mistakes if you happen to found some, I read it a few times before posting but just in case. I hope you enjoy! :D

•~•~•~•

You steadied your breath as you held your wound on your abdomen. You stepped back to lean your body on a tree trunk behind you for support, hiding yourself right below the shadows. Slowly, you took a piece of cloth to and wrapped it around your wound, and looked to the front.

A man stood ahead of you by few metres, his back turned towards you. The demon - the azakana, that had attacked you earlier had dissipated into the air, leaving trails of glowing dust from the place it had just been defeated with a single blow of a blade that belonged to the person in front of you.

This long-haired man wielded two blades; one seemingly glowing in red, the very one that had served the killing blow. The other was a regular katana, already sheathed back into his right hip. His gaze remained fixated to the place where the monster had vanished, before he finally shifted his body to the right. 

You flinched slightly as he turned his face slightly to the right, revealing a crimson mask covering his upper face. Two sharp points adorned its edges, his eyes glowing blue as they seemed to be looking at you. That gaze on his eyes — You felt your stomach churn as something, something terribly familiar of whatever this figure had posed reminded you a certain memory from the past. One that you were almost certain you had buried deep enough, untouched. 

•~•~•~•

“Yone—!”

You found yourself in his room, about to wake him up from what seemed to be his recurring nightmare. The room was still dark, the only light source was lit by a small lantern you had brought from your own room. You kneeled on the side of his futon, trying to wake him up when he suddenly rose and grabbed your wrist, preventing it to go any further as if it was any sort of prying hands from his dreams. His breath was ragged, unsteady.

“Yone, it’s alright… it’s me, y/n,” you whispered softly, trying to keep yourself calm at his sudden reaction. 

He released his grip on your wrist almost immediately after laying his eyes on you, realizing he was indeed back to the reality. 

“Forgive me,” he said, as he glanced at his hand, sighing. He kept his gaze low on the ground, focused on his blanket, his eyes seemingly tired as the night sleep could not offer him the proper rest he deserved.

“It’s alright, Yone. Do you want to talk about it?” You asked gently, keeping your gaze at him.

“…It’s that same crimson-masked creature again and again…” 

You went silent, concern filling your eyes as you were not sure how you would comfort him. It was the third time you had heard about this kind of dream from him by now.

You moved closer to him as you placed your hands on top of his, which had been cold to the touch. He looked up at you, meeting your gaze as the warmth from your palm seemed to seep into him, keeping his eyes at you so intently that you could sense the fear and desperation residing deeply within his eyes. He smiled wryly, more directed towards himself, then slowly leaned his body forward to rest his forehead on your shoulder, closing his eyes.

“Please, stay- stay just like this for a while,” he pleaded as you felt his warm breath trickled at the side of your neck. His voice sounded tired, desperate. You felt a twinge of pain in your heart to see him at this state.

You normally would not see this vulnerable side of the man before you during the day, as he always kept his troubles deep inside - a private man by nature, or so you initially thought. But as the time passed, you realized that this responsible man was being too harsh on himself. You had been trying to get him to open up more, to share even the smallest bit of the burdens he was carrying.

However, on this particular night, it seemed he had utterly drained himself – weighed down by the troubles he was carrying, but you were always ready to welcome him at any time.

You brought one of your hand to the back of his head and embraced him fully, closing your eyes in the process. 

“I’m here, Yone. I’m always right here.”

•~•~•~•

The mask of the figure in front of you was eerily similar to the one Yone had described to you from his dreams, and now, whoever - or whatever - was standing in front of you were clearly as dangerous as the one you had imagined, although he did not seem to show any sort of threat towards you, as for now.

You watched him carefully as he put aside his magic-attuned katana, which had seemingly disappeared into the thin air after a quick swing to the side. Your adrenaline kept you cautious of his movements as he slowly approached you, eyes focused on your wound. 

“The village’s nearby, you’ll need to heal that s-“ 

His sentence was abruptly cut short as he stopped midway, his face now looking at you, seemingly frozen in shock. You gazed up to meet his glowing blue eyes, realizing that he was able to see your face in this distance as you tried to figure out whatever had stopped him in his track. It was hard to tell with the mask covering his face in the shadows, and you were sure enough you were backed up against a tree - unless, it had been alive and was trying to eat you ….

You brushed off the crazy thought as you put one hand behind to feel the tree bark, just to make sure.

You kept your gaze at him, scanning his features, unsure what to do. He kept his ground just right in front of you, also seemingly hesitant on doing whatever was on his mind, but he finally backed away and took a step behind. 

“Thank you,” you said, realizing that you had been silent for a while. He nodded in response, preparing to leave as he shifted his body to the left.

“W-wait!” You exclaimed, causing him to stop on his track in response. 

You felt that you just had to ask, as your thoughts wondered on his mysterious resemblance of his appearance, his origin, and most notably, his uncanny familiarity on his voice, to someone’s voice that you had last heard years ago. It had to be a coincidence… right? 

“What - who are you...?” You asked carefully as you leaned slightly forward, scanning his features on his face, realizing that it was actually his left eye - not of the mask, but a human eye - that had glowed blue, slowly dimming unlike his right one. You also noticed a scar on his left cheek, trailing down to his lips.

“What I am - is not your concern,” he replied, voice low and unwavering, standing still on his ground.

You pondered for a moment.

“…Somehow, you remind me of someone I knew.” You began, taking a deep breath as you continued, your eyes glued to the ground. “Someone I cared for … deeply.”

He turned his head to look at you, his eyes piercing into yours. His human eye had softened, now filled with emotions as he felt a trickle of warmth and sorrow residing deep inside him. Feelings that had been lost,forgotten. His right hand, which had been resting casually on top of his sword hilt, gripped the handle tight enough it rattled just a bit, as if he was trying to suppress the flood of emotions rising within him. All you needed to notice, was a glance back up at him, just to see. But you did not, as you remained fixed on the ground. You struggled to find the right words to say, fidgeting by yourself as thousands of thoughts and emotions were rushing through you, but somehow was stuck right at your throat. 

“I… see,” he replied. He was desperate enough to keep his emotions in check, his tone flat.

You shook your head lightly and managed a small smile, mostly to yourself. 

“But, that might just be me,” you said, deciding not to pry on further, with your wound still untreated. You stood yourself up and readied yourself to go. “Thank you again, stranger.” 

You nodded at him politely, expressing your gratitude, and made your way to the open trails, leading to a village nearby. 

“Oh, and,” you stopped midways, your back now facing him. “If you happen to see him, please tell him that… I miss him.”

For a moment, you stood there, calming your shaking hands, before continuing forward.

Yone watched your figure disappear further and deeper into the path, until you were no longer in sight. There, he stood, seemingly lost in thought under the night sky.

How he had stopped himself for not rushing to your aid when you were wounded;

How he had been restraining the urge not to put his hand on your face to feel your warm cheeks as you were facing the ground, unsure of what to do; 

How he had been holding himself back, not to embrace you from behind, to calm your trembles;

He wondered how he had managed to keep these thoughts to himself, as he knew for a fact that letting you live freely would be much wiser. Nothing would go well tampering with the spirit worlds – much alone a demon hunter.

Lifting his face up to the sky, as if surrendering himself to the cold embrace of the starry night, he closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

“I miss you too.”

[kynimdraws]

Top vs Jungle diff standoff Okay I got too much brainworms on this Runeterra-verse K'sante/Yone that I made a continuation from this post LOL

Enjoy my funni story under the cut

After their fateful meeting, K'sante and Yone started to travel together. Yone would silently continue to his azakana hunt regardless of the locals asking for such help, and K'sante visited the various temples of Ionia to expand his knowledge. K'sante enjoyed having company, even if said travel companion…was a little strange.

Whenever K'sante would come into any spot of civilization, Yone would remain a fair distance away, once commenting he would not be welcome given his frightening visage. Even when the two would just be camping out in the wild, Yone would help gather food and fuel…but never join for a meal. K'sante had offered, but Yone would just shake his head.

"Ah, eating. How I miss it…"

Yone joked about this once, and K'sante asked what he had meant. Initially Yone would simply go away and re-appear the next day, but eventually the man would tell snippets of his past. How he was not exactly alive or dead, and how he ended up in this state. And how his crimson mask had appeared and became a permanent fixture of his face.

Between these stories, Yone did not forget his promise about teaching K'sante the way to sense azakana. While Yone did rely on this mask's "vision" to see them, his old training to be spiritually aware of all beings was still a fundamental part of why he was so adept at hunting them. It was hard work, but K'sante took to the lessons wholeheartedly.

It also helped that the two would visit the temples/monasteries that reinforced Yone's teachings in various ways (Yone himself still refused to go in them, maybe out of shame or something else). While these places still were recovering from the Noxian invasions, the community around them were still strong and resilient. K'sante would often remark on this and how such strength was similar to Nazumah. Yone eventually did get curious, and was content to hear K'sante tell tales and history about his home. It was admirable that a man would travel so far to learn, all for the sake of protecting others.

While Yone was enjoying this travel, a small part of him was sad that soon…this will have to end. K'sante did say he will be going back home after visiting all the places that Sett and others had recommended, and that list was finite. Before all this, Yone was fine being alone given his fate. Now, he felt a bit of dread.

Even worse, the azakana of his mask seemed to be much more restless. Shifting…eating away at him. Giving him horrible headaches and eye pain. Was it the fear and other negative emotions that was feeding the azakana? Yone was unsure, and tried to suppress his feelings. K'sante would start to notice too (a downside of Yone teaching the man about how to be spiritually attuned…he was getting too good at noticing Yone withdrawing/disassociating spiritually). K'sante tried to offer ways that he could help, but Yone would always reject them, claiming it is his own burden to bear.

This problem reaches a breaking point during a particularly difficult hunt for a rogue azakana-nearly-demon. After the hunt was done, Yone collapses while grimacing in pain. The wounds during the battle was already hurting, but now the mask now felt like it was about to eat him alive. K'sante rushes over and asks if Yone is okay.

"I'm…fine….this will…pass….on its own…" Yone barely manages to reply.

He feels his body being lifted up by K'sante's strong arms. Yone expects a talking-to the other man but instead feels K'sante freeze in place. Yone looks up to see what is going on despite the pain, and sees why K'sante was standing still.

Kindred was standing in front of them.

"Ina…and Ani?" K'sante stared at the spectral beings of death in fascination (see "A Good Death"). Nazumah had tales about them, but seeing them was a completely different experience. Yone meanwhile, feels a sense of sadness and relief. To him, it seemed that his borrowed time in the living world was finally coming to an end.

"I…have fallen outside your cycle, Lamb and Wolf. Are…you here to…usher me back?"

Kindred does not answer. Instead, Wolf comes over to the two, and bares his fangs.

"Yone-thing could be ripe for picking, little Lamb. Can I please?"

"Dear Wolf, you know we are here for just one of them."

"Fine."

Yone stares in confusion, but also realizes that his mask seemed to be gripping Yone's skull like a vise, trembling slightly. Was it…fearful?

"…Gong'pojun."** The Lamb called out.

An earth-shattering shriek explodes as the azakana of Yone's mask bursts forth. The name revealed, the azakana tries to escape its fate…but Wolf chases after it, howling with glee. As their noises fade away, K'sante looks and sees Yone has fainted. The impression the cursed mask had made on Yone's face was bloody, but the man was still whole....and freed from the mask.

"W...what have you done, Ani?" K'sante asks Lamb.

"Merely hunting our prey. We have come to you, but not for you."

As Lamb finishes her reply, Wolf returned with crimson-stained jaws and a smile.

"That was a fun hunt! Let us go again, little Lamb!"

"Of course, my dear Wolf."

The two turn to leave, but not without the Wolf's final word to the two:

"We look forward to meeting you again, little hunters."

**The mask azakana name I 100% made up based on 공포증 = KR word for "phobia"

[butcherlarry]

Weekly Fic Rec 46

I'll be out of state/traveling for the next two weeks for the holidays, so this will be my last fic rec list of the year. Fear not! I'll start up again 1/7/2024. It will probably be a long one since I'll have more down time to read some fics (hooray!). I might also post a link or two to some favorite fics I read during my vacation, and maybe a photo or two as well.

how to confess your love, as written by clark kent by scarletazure - Superbat, complete. Clark writes a WikiHow about how to confess your love to your best friend, who just so happens to be Bruce.

Naps are overrated, anyway by ionia - Superbat, complete. Photographic evidence is taken of Superman and Batman taking a nap together. Shenanigan ensue.

to lick your heart and taste your health by redlightofkryptonite (redlightofdawn) - Superbat, wip. Omegaverse Superbat, but only Kryptonians have a secondary gender.

Gotham Nights, Metropolis Days by tiredd_writer - Superbat, wip. An identity porn fic where Batman and Superman work on a case together, but the don't know each other's secret identities :))))))))

all i need is you by twoheadedmoon - Superbat, complete. A lovely smutty fic with service top Clark and dominant bottom Bruce.

Patchwork Pod by Ktkat9 - Superbat, wip. More of the mer Bruce fic! More secrets are revealed about Connor's past. Much feelings are had.

Everything Will Be Just Fine by lonelynpc - Batfam, wip. More of Goth Dad Battinson. Clark sees goth dad in action at a gala.

let the light in by TheResurrectionist - Bruce Wayne & Oliver Queen, complete. Some bonding time between two of the only humans on the JL.

Manor-Dad lets me drive the Batmobile by lostletters (loosingletters) - Batfam, wip. Part of the Bruce Wayne: Billionaire, Father, Dating Batman series. When Dick found the Cave, instead of discovering that Bruce is Batman, he thought they were dating instead. Bruce never corrected him, hoping Dick would eventually figure it out. He did not and neither did any of the other children Bruce adopted. My favorite parts are when the kids ask Batman if they can do something, he says no, and then the kids say that Bruce said they could (and vice versa). Those little shits (affectionate).

(Love) Triangles Have Multiple Centers by frozenpotions - Superbat, wip. I am in love with this identity porn fic. In this update, there is a (kinda) gala involved, flirting, misunderstandings, understandings, more misunderstandings, Clark's giant dinner jacket, Lois, and a surprise :)

slow dancing in the dark by scarletazure - Superbat, wip. Another fic I am completely in love with. Bruce and Clark get amnesia, sleep together, get their memories back, and start not-dating, because taking about your feelings is for losers. I vibrate with excitement everytime I see an update for this fic in my inbox.

Enjoy!

[unboundndd]

Omg finally someone who is willing to write for kayn 😭😭😭 I have been starved FOR AGES i'm telling you. For the past months or so all I've been thinking abt is how Kayn would develop a relationship with a reader who's from the kinkou (a whole enemies to lovers if you will). Just some general headcanons about the relationship tysm ❤️😭😭 can't wait to see more of your writing!

hELLO hello!! I swear uni has been keeping me from writing, i had no energy but i am a bit more free for now~ i’ve been starving for Kayn content too so let’s get started!!!

//tag: enemies to lovers, kayn has no idea what emotions are

·:¨༺ ♱✮♱ ༻¨:· If anybody were to ask Kayn what he thinks about you they would be met with silence. It’s normal for him as he isn’t too keen on talking about topics like this and he finds the question a bit obvious: you’re Kinkou, he’s not. You’re trying to bring back the balance that Ionia has lost back alongside Shen, which means you’re actively trying to stop him from reaching his goals and true potential.

·:¨༺ ♱✮♱ ༻¨:· If only this was what he truly thought, in fact his feelings towards you are much more complex. It’s not a mere matter of blindly hating you because of the group you’re affiliated with, it has to do with the fact that you seem to periodically appear where he is and always try to obstacle him. Despite that he has never felt the instinct to kill you, as if his brain doesn’t completely think of you as an useless nuisance.

·:¨༺ ♱✮♱ ༻¨:· The fact is that you challenge him and motivate him to get better, fighting against you doesn't trigger the same deeply engrained reflexes he'd have when killing any other Kinkou alcyote or Noxian soldier. Every encounter with you keeps him alert, reminds him of the high he gets when conquering something that isn't handed to him that easily and despite the two of you being on the opposing sides of such a difficult conflict you can't help but look for one another.

·:¨༺ ♱✮♱ ༻¨:· Accepting that you might have a crush on the man you're supposed to hate is hard, more than any normal crush. Apart from wondering if you're misinterpreting his actions like when he spared you after one of your missions went wrong or the time he patched you up as you hid from Noxian soldiers who were passing by, you also needed to conceal your feelings. If Kayn was simply toying with you he could use the feelings you grew against you, maybe this was just a cold manipulation technique to encourage you to lower your guard or maybe he couldn't feel any love at all.

·:¨༺ ♱✮♱ ༻¨:· That said you still were unable to stop staring at him during another one of your run-ins, you were both alone and your eyes would keep wandering to his lips that were perpetually graced by a confident smirk. You wanted to slap him, kiss him, anything to make him shut up and stop taunting you. It was getting to your head and soon enough you found yourself on the floor, pinned against him and with Rhaast's blade dangerously close to your neck.

·:¨༺ ♱✮♱ ༻¨:· If Rhaast's eye wasn't creepily staring at you, then at kayn and then back to you it would have been better. Maybe even enjoyable as the weight of his entire body was crushing your hips and legs, his expression wasn't revealing anything of his intentions so you had no idea if he was going to let you go or if he was done with playing with you.

·:¨༺ ♱✮♱ ༻¨:· The fact that Kayn suddenly kissed you was so far away from your possible predictions that you thought you were already dead and this was just your brain conjuring up a happy scenario to aid you in passing into the spirit realm. He wasn't exactly doing a great job, teeth clanking against yours and clumsily trying to understand what exactly he needed to do, only when you kissed him back with the same fervor did he start to finally understand what he needed to do.

·:¨༺ ♱✮♱ ༻¨:· "This is what you wanted, didn't you? Get. Out! Out of my head. It's- You're the one who's been distracting me!"

·:¨༺ ♱✮♱ ༻¨:· You were starting to feel like maybe there was a chance your feelings were reciprocated, Kayn wasn't looking like his usual confident self once he finally had to part from your lips. He was confused and angry at the fact that in the end you managed to beat him by thanks to your wit and your personality.

·:¨༺ ♱✮♱ ༻¨:· Ever since that day you and Kayn have been meeting in secret, ignoring the loyality you were both supposed to have for your respective factions. You never have as much time together as you wish and you spend your days either sparring or lazily laying in each other's arms, it mostly depends on how Kayn is feeling.

·:¨༺ ♱✮♱ ༻¨:· You're quite amused when Kayn admits to you that he's never had any kind of relationship, don't tease him for it though, not if you want him to deprive you of all of the affection you crave for the sake of sweet revenge. He loves to hear you beg for him to just kiss you or when you ask for a hug, the fact that he's the only one who will ever see you like this makes him feel very proud of himself.

·:¨༺ ♱✮♱ ༻¨:· You also find out that Rhaast has been the one guiding Kayn and telling him what people in a relationship do, he basically has a corrupted, cruel but extremely experienced wingman by his side.

·:¨༺ ♱✮♱ ༻¨:· Sometimes you have to sneak in/out from each other's rooms when it's late at night and even though you've both been training hard to be stealthy it's still not perfect. Shen knows, and Zed does too and both have decided not to interfere for the time being. Who knows, perhaps something interesting will come out of your new relationship.

[blood-starved-beast]

Love Irelia but I honestly think she'd straight up hate Zaun despite both Ionia and Zaun being countries under subjugation

Reasons:

Zaun chemtech bombs largely destroyed her home

Zaunites are therefore Noxian enablers

As an Ionian, Zaun's grunge Urban aesthetic is not something she'd appreciate at all; she'd probably see Zaun as filthy

According to Riot's AMA for her rework, Irelia was raised upperclass "Prep school" type, so outside of Ionian Liberation, I can see her be a bit ignorant of class divisions, especially when those divisions do not mean the same thing in Ionia (therefore, Zaunites must be the source of their own squalor).

Zaunite Chemtech Bombs

That being said, I do think with some education I can see her sympathizing with Ekko and the Firelights. She would not like Jinx as a person especially after hearing from Ekko that she worked for Silco (Silco could very well be supplying the weapons for the Invasion of Ionia to Noxus, if those Shimmer barrels mean anything).

Piltover, I think she'd be indifferent too, maybe thinking them as excessive, and probably vain. I imagine that Piltover being amongst the richest cities in all of Runeterra is something that a daughter of an Upperclass Ionian family would know about. She might think they enable Noxus however, especially depending on what direction Fortiche and the Crew take Piltover - Noxus conflict(?) next season.

[blissxjj]

HeartSteel!Kayn X Reader

This is a story about you and Kayn, you have dated for three years back when he was in the order later you two moved away, but things changed when Kayn left you for a career! He joined a band and you never saw him again after that you moved on with your life and lived there alone but your paths crossed one more time as faith wanted you to be together.

SFW /Angst

You woke up at 5 in the morning and took a quick shower before heading out, it's been two years since you and Kayn broke up and you managed to find other ways to cheer yourself up believe it or not that was to cook and bake sweet things like pies and cookies, you were currently on your way to the market place as you held a basket in your hand you had this habit of picking up flower because you loved making bouquets and scatter them around your house in beautiful vases, after all Ionia was very unique when it came to nature!

Few minutes of walking and picking came to an end as you finally reached your destination, the market place was full! More than usual actually so many people and so many things

You started picking necessary ingredients and then you made your way around and looked at all the new things they sell things like decorations, furniture and vases!

You looked around until you noticed a beautiful necklace on one of the many tables as you made your way to the stall bumping onto people and people bumping into you

'Wow!' You couldn't help but admire it

"This is a very rare piece it's a magical stone that will unit you with your soulmate" the seller spoke

You looked up at him then back down at the necklace, of course you didn't believe that the necklace was capable of such thing but it was beautiful and definitely worth buying!

"How much?"

*Time pass*

You walked back in the market place with the necklace dangling from your neck, it was a beautiful Amber color that mached your clothes, you couldn't help but wonder if it truly will unit you with someone that will actually love you and not break your heart

You noticed in front of you another stall with beautiful bouquets of flower better than the ones you make, as you kept looking at the stall and not paying attention to what's in front of you you collided with someone

You were pushed back and quick to apologize

"Watch where you are going" a very harsh and deep voice said to you

You look up ready to bite back but you found yourself looking at the man instead of defending yourself

He was tall and...handsome? He had a pink/magenta and purple hair he wore a crop top that revealed his great abs and he was wearing a black eye patch with a very punky style

"I...am so sorry i was looking at the flowers and didn't notice you forgive me" and you walked away beside him fast, as you passed him you felt his gaze on your skin and you walked away not wanting to see the flowers anymore

You walk back home and immediately go to the kitchen to start cooking something, after about an hour your pie was ready you put it at the window so it can cool down faster as you made some flower crowns to pass time

You couldn't help your mind but to drift to the image of the guy from the market he looked like a celebrity and he definitely was not from the village maybe a passer-by or...whatever

It's not like you care, you are done with relationships that are made of glass and you didn't want another man in your life you had to be wise and choose the right one for you this time you are not falling for a random man you saw for one minute in the market place that is not happening

It's definitely the necklace's effect it wants me to fall for som-

"OMG MY NECKLACE!!??" You screamed as you noticed the necklace was nowhere to be seen you ran outside to the same path you walked to try and find the necklace again

You looked for so long and still no use, it was getting dark and it was hard to see properly

"Damn it! It was expensive and i couldn't even get used to it before it got lost"

You say to yourself out loud

"This necklace?" A familiar voice said

You turn around and see the same guy from the market as you made eye contact with him your head was quick to drop down because of your shy nature that prevented you from making eye contact with anyone for too long

As you walk closer to him you say looking at your necklace in his hand rather than his face

"Thank you i was looking for it, where did you find it?"

"It fell when you bumped into me earlier, you left before i could give it to you" he said extending his hand out to you

You grab it and tried to leave but the stranger grabbed your wrist, you turn around and look at him in the eyes, for a second, you felt like you recognized him

"Let me go" you said in a slightly warning voice

He looked disappointed for a second before his poker face was on again

"I am new here and i don't have anywhere to stay could i please stay with you?" His question made you uncomfortable...so uncomfortable that you just said 'No' and walked away

He stood there looking at you as you left back to your home suddenly you stop and look back at him

It was awkward and weird the staring contest was done the moment you muttered a quite 'Kayn?'

His mouth gave a faint smile and he took off his eye patch and you immediately recognized Rhaast's eye it was definitely Kayn

And suddenly a million question came to your head but none came out as your mouth felt paralyzed and your eyes started to water

You turn around on your heel and walked away crying

Kayn was not surprised from your reaction and followed behind you trying to explain himself

"Please listen to me i know what i did was wrong but please..."

He followed you all the way back

You slam your house door in his face and he could still hear your faint cries that made his heart ache

"Y/n please open the door i just wanna explain myself"

"..."

"Honey please i really need to-"

"DO NOT F****** CALL ME HONEY!!" You screamed at him as you opened the door

Kayn was quite and he held shame in his face and said

"Please can you just listen to me"

"You have three seconds" you said

"Ok so i-"

"Time is up" you slam the door again

Next thing you know your front door was swung open and there it was Kayn or should i say Rhaast all out

"You are one ****** spoiled brat Kayn wants to speak to you and apologize for what he has done and you slam the door!" Rhaast roared in your face

"Well i don't want to speak to him" you screamed back

"I am surprised you are not scared of me" he said amused

"I am scared of you..." you said still trying to keep up the tough act

"Why? didn't i promise you to never hurt you if i ever took over Kayn?" He said

"The same way Kayn promised to never hurt me and look where we are now" you said

"Listen to him y/n and if his explanation is not what you wanted then we will leave" he said and immediately switched back to Kayn who fell on his knees due to exhaustion picking himself up panting for air

You stood there visibly angry at him crossing your arms

He straightened himself and started

"I am so sorry for hurting you and i know you won't forgive me for it but i was stupid i still am, i never really knew how much you effected my life until we separated, i chased a stupid band that actually ended up abandoning me and i was alone for a long time before i was invited to my now new band, and even with all the fame i had and the love from the fans it never filled the empty space in my heart all those people supporting me and they didn't compare to what you used to make me feel, you made me what i am right now...i have my own issues and problems but despite all that you still loved all of me and excepted Rhaast as a part of me, i am not trying to make excuses for what i did but simply admit my fault and hope you could find it in your heart to fogive me...please i have changed...to the better"

All this time you stood there looking at him wide eyed and he looked back at you with a hopefull almost pleading expression

You turn your back to him thinking hard of what he said

You loved Kayn and you still do, he was your first love, first kiss, and first...you know

You look back at him and said

"Why?"

"Because i love you and i want us-

"NO!" You said harshly then continued after a short time "why did you cut your hair?"

Kayn was shocked he didn't know how to answer that

You walk up to him and circled him looking him up and down and said

"That's a glow down i would say"

Kayn just stayed quite and looked at the floor sad

"HAHAHAHA" You couldn't hold in your laugh anymore "i am just messing with you"

"You scared me i thought you didn't like my new look" he said frustrated

"Of course i do as long as...it's you" you said getting closer to him with your hands fiddling due to nervousness

"So does that mean you accepted my apology?" He asked getting a little nervous himself he opened his arms for you and as you hug him putting your head under his chin you said

"Not really but you have convinced me that you actually regret what you did"

"You are really confusing sometimes you know that" he said

You giggle hugging him closer then letting go to look in his eyes

"I have one request though" you said

"Anything" he said

"Can you fix the door Rhaast broke earlier?" You said

Kayn looked back at it and chuckled, "whatever you want but i need something in return" you nodded at him "i need some of your cooking it smells delicious in here"

"Sure if you give me a kiss" you said

Kayn turned all kind of shades out there before he kissed you on your cheek

You look at him rather confused before he says "i will work my way back to your heart till i earn that kiss for now a peck on the cheek will do"

You smile at him saying

"I am in love again already"

*Muwah*

Bonus

You sat on Kayn's lap under a tree as you make more flower crowns

"Y/n i think that's enough crowns" Kayn said with 12 flower crowns on his head each with different kind of flowers than the other

"But i still have five more-" he cut you off "FIVE!? No way that's too many flowers"

You finished another crown and Kayn stood up to leave after getting you off his lap he stretched then looked back at you before he saw you standing there with pleading eyes

"Ughhhh fine one more crown"

Masterlist

[ihavedonenothingright]

Captive Prince: Historical References and Naming Conventions

Part 3

Aaand we're back at it for part 3 >:))

If it's your first time, welcome to my ongoing analysis of the historical references and potential interpretations in Captive Prince's names! Today's topics of discussion are Isthima and Artes, and oooh boy these are some fun (if lighter) ones.

Isthima

Etymologically, there isn't much of interest here; I have exactly one interpretation for the name Isthima and it's very succinct. That interpretation, however, ties into some very cool historical references on Pacat's part, and I really want to talk about those, so let's dive in.

There are very few words in Greek or Latin that Isthima could be derived from, and the only really plausible one is ἰσθμός—which we know in English as 'isthmus'. Just as a refresher, an isthmus is a narrow strip of land which links two larger areas of land together across a sea. Given that in the world of Captive Prince, Isthima is an island, not an isthmus, this choice might seem a little odd… at first. 

I'll clarify out of the gate that I don't think Isthima is meant to be Corinth. I'm stating that explicitly because in terms of the ancient world, Corinth has by far the most associations with the word ἰσθμός; the Isthmian games or Ἰσθμιά (Isthmia) were held there, and that was one of the Panhellenic Games, so… safe to say they had the isthmus monopoly. The reason I don't think Isthima is Corinth is actually quite simple, and it goes back to Isthima being the birthplace of Isagoras. 

If you'll indulge me a little, I have a few quotes from the (now defunct) interactive Captive Prince map that Tumblr user @hasensalat preserved here. We're told that Isthima "has its own dialect that is different to the Akielon language," but that is still celebrated because of its association with epic poetry. It was also, apparently, an independent city-state for most of its history. That immediately made me think of Ionia, a region on the western coast of Anatolia that maintained cultural and political independence from the Greek world at large for most of its own history (until Rome came a-conquering, but it actually maintained a good deal of independence then too). Now if you know a little about epic poetry, you might know that a certain poet was believed to be from the Ionian city-state of Smyrna—which, at the time, was itself located on an isthmus. That's right, folks! Homer was (supposedly) from Ionia: a region with its own distinct dialect that other Greek cultures celebrated in the context of epic poetry!

(I say supposedly because there's a whole debate about whether or not he ever existed, but the Ancient Greeks thought he did and that's all I need to tackle right now.)

I don't think I really need to justify or explain why Isagoras is our in-universe Homer; every Greek-inspired fantasy has its Homer stand-in, and Captive Prince is no exception. I do, however, want to applaud Pacat for giving Isagoras a similar cultural background to Homer. Little details like that give the world a bit more depth (and further demonstrate to me how much Pacat knows their stuff. Seriously, did they major in classics???)

Additional Information: Smyrna's modern name is İzmir, and it's the third most populous city in Turkey!

Artes

This one is nice and simple, which is good because I've somehow managed to bang out almost 3,000 words of Capri name analysis and my hands are starting to hurt. 

I've said before I think Artes is heavily inspired by Rome, and that mainly comes from its influence on Vere. The ruins mentioned at various sites in Vere remind me of the Roman ruins we still have in France, and particularly the ones in Arles… but I digress. So naturally, I'm looking at Artes through a Latin lens (oooh alliteration). In Latin, "artes" is the plural form of the noun "ars," which has a few different translations. The most common are "skill," "craft," "art," "conduct," "character," "strategy" and "science." The last one might seem a little odd to a modern audience, but in the ancient world, science was generally considered an art; if you've ever read the Hippocratic Corpus, in particular the text often translated as "The Art of Medicine," you're probably familiar with that usage. This is also where we get English words like art, artisan, artificial, and artillery. 

So at a base level, the name evokes this idea of craftsmanship, knowledge, and art: a sort of ancient ideal for Damen and Laurent to emulate when they combine Vere and Akielos. But I think there's also something neat about the way the many meanings of ars are reflected in Damen/Akielos and Laurent/Vere. Science was considered an art, but that didn't preclude it from being the pursuit of truth; it was its practitioners who labeled it an "ars" in order to legitimize it. And when used in reference to one's character and conduct, it really reminds me of Damen, whose changing views and ideals are central to the story. Not to mention its associations with strategy, in particular Odysseian tricks and wiles, which Laurent excels at. In a way, it's a combination of all the good parts of Damen, Laurent, and the countries they come from. And I think that's cool. So yeah.

Anyway, next time (so probably tomorrow or the day after) I'll finally tackle the cities! Tune on in for Ios, Arles, and Delpha/Delfeur (for real this time. prommy). 

<< Part 2

[hippotree1212]

COMPILED JHIN Q+A INFO THAT I FOUND INTERESTING:

-Jhin takes "trophies" from the people he kills (i.e. the maid from the color story "would make a horrible mask" implying that the masks he DOES have are made from dead people and magic)

-Jhin was impressed with hextech when Ionia learned about it

-jhin's father ran a dojo, this part about his life was considered "deep" backstory that shen must uncover

-Before Whisper, Jhin and his father worked "in blades and darts", Odin mentioned that Jhin's father was devoted to "the 100 blades" technique but mentioned that it could be changed in the narrative if it suited them later on

-Khada Jhin isn't the only identity that he uses, but the only one that we know of

-Jhin is ambidextrous

-His obsession with the number 4 started as an internal joke during development but they doubled down on it after it made more sense symbolically and in-game

-despite being completely normal looking, jhin considers himself ugly

-Jhin knows he's "fallable", Odin (jhins writer at the time) said that he's very insecure, searching/fighting for validation, hence why he goes back to the scene of the crime: to see his work's effect, even if it puts him in danger

-jhin would be annoyed by how artless teemo's shrooms are

-seems overpowered but: jhin is good at disguise, he's a GREAT actor, even without a mask he can seem like a totally different person

-kinkou related: the "balance" always refers to the balance of elements, emotions, and the balance between magical and physical

-Jhin started training in daggers at 4 years old HOLY SHIT

-I FOUND A REALLY BIG SECTION ABOUT HIS DAD WOW: his dad's dojo was all about attack speed, think like a ranged attack storm of blades and daggers

-jhin actually hated his dad

-he was trained to attack fast but chose not to, also jhin's lack of natural agility was a huge disappointment to his father

-he would be very mad at someone choosing to not follow a social norm, but also feels like he's above the law

[deathdxnces]

"Arrel looked out across a small clearing in the wooded hills they had chosen to make camp, shrouded in a gentle rain that glittered and shone with every color of the rainbow. Some of the drops struck the ground as rain should, others winked in the air like tiny stars, dissolving in a mote of light with the soft chime of a distant bell."

—

"The shimmering color of the rainfall made everything like a dream in a wavering, queasy way."

—

"Something detached from the trees beside them. The already chilly air grew colder. Erath’s breath caught in his throat as a massive form revealed itself, and the rain began to fall upward."

obsessed with the rain related tidbits. losing my mind over ionia having rain that glitters with every color of the rainbow and some drops blink and disappear like tiny stars. thinking of nothing but the shimmering rain that makes everything dreamlike. going insane about a creature existing that simply makes the rain fall upward.

[notariahere]

crush on you (yasuo x reader)

a/n i really liked it while writing this so please show love!! and it’s big yet amazing (; so hope you enjoy it!

working in a bar on ionia is like sacrificing your life. there will be many fights among drunk people that their lives are miserable, men and women making out in front of you and you, who gives alcohol to the people. you liked that but by the time the same things happened, your life became boring and tiring until…

…your life became more interesting and upside down when a mysterious man appeared in the bar. he looked tall, long brown hair tied in a ponytail and a blue coat/scarf with his torso appearing as well. you didn’t hesitate, you bit your lip while he approached you

“can a get a drink? maybe two… drinks?” the man said

you turned around and saw his brown eyes looking at you “yeah… here you go.. so what brought you here?”

“a drink really gets me out of all my troubles i made.. after all i’ve done, i ran away and ran away by having drinking problems too” now you know who he is since you recognize him well..

“ah! are you the man who killed his brother??”

he sighed “yes.. everyone knows me and my name too”

“no i don’t know it.. shall we introduce ourselves.. if you want to..”

he sad-smiled “i’m yasuo”

you said your name trying to hand-shake him. your hands were small against his. first time in your life you had heart-eyes. you blushed and you thought that this is your first time feeling that you have a crush on a man.

“pleasure to meet you” you said

he pointed to the glass that made you realize that he wants an another drink. you get him another one while you get a drink for yourself too.

hours passed by talking and laughing. you never saw the other side of him. drunk, flirty, open-minded and funny. did you really start to fall in love with a guy who many people hated him but in real time he was innocent for all he has done.

“i have to go. to.. continue my ride and i hope to see you again. you seem a good person” he said making you sad.

“hope so..” you sad-smiled. you really wanted to hug him but you were afraid if he would get uncomfortable “see you.. soon.. i guess”

he laughed. you really liked his laugh “see you soon. until then, bye”

he left. you cleaned the bar while talking to yourself

“damn, do i really have a crush on him.. he looked attractive and cute when he was drunk. he flirted with me a lot. talked about how cute i look when i blushed. oh my goodness did he noticed that i blushed? oh no! but nonetheless, i really hope he would come again. i really wanna tell him how i feel. im in love with him..”

2 weeks passed by. you didn’t see him. you started to miss him more and more but you have to forget him because you know that he will never come back until everything about his life changed. he came back to ionia to “clean” his name after all he has done but little did you know that you guys will meet again but under in bad conditions on the bar..

two men, drunk came through the bar and started out of blue fighting. you really had to stop them but you get hit by one of the two. a scar started to appear next to your lips, bruises everywhere while they cuss you until..

you saw him again. with no second thought he started to fight them and he killed them. you felt so sensitive about seeing dead bodies and you started to cry. the swordman dropped his sword down and run to you trying to comfort you. he hugged you

“it’s okay now, it’s okay.. let me look at you, oh my goodness…” he saw you with bruises, scars and almost half naked. you didn’t know what to do. you were weak.

“they made a mess in the bar yas! how im gonna suppose to clean it up?” you said while crying

“imma help you out no need to worry about it. get yourself some rest right there” he pointed to the table. you sit on the table while you watched him cleaning the bar but you can’t help it out because you wanna clean up too. you did it so and he smiled while watching you cleaning up. you see him smiling at you and got confused

“why are you smiling?”

“nothing” he smirked.

after cleaning up the bar you took the chance and confessed him

“yasuo, look, i really wanna say this now and probably i’ll never see you again so i wanna say that now. i… i have a crush on you… i really like you since you first came up here. i like your smile, laugh, eyes, when you’re flirting. everything about you makes me fall in love more and more time by time.. and i know that i’ll never see you again. if you reject me that’s okay-”

his lips were on yours. you were shocked. it lasted a minute and you felt like it lasted for a decade. his lips were soft and passionate.

“never thought that a girl would confess me.” he says while smiling “i really like you too. you thought that i will reject you?” while he poked your nose “i liked you since when i entered the bar. your eyes, smile and if you let me say it.. your body. you’re cute and funny and you understand me well enough and i really appreciate it. never thought that a person like you would stand by my side..”

“i love you” you said to him. he never heard this word ever before even his parents never said “i love you” to him. now how he is supposed to say it back?

“yasuo, you dont have to say that you love me back, your confession is good enough for me”

“love you too babe” you widened your eyes while he called you “babe”

“did you really called me… babe?”

he laughed “yes. what? is there a problem?”

you laughed “no it’s okay! at least i like it when you call me that.. your voice hypnotizes me”

he widened while his hand was on his neck “oh! it does?”

you giggled “yes”

“well will you be my… partner? is that how they saying it?”

you giggled again “yes is this is how you saying it and yes i will be your partner” while you hugged him.

he never felt so much love. he bit his lip and hugged you more tightly.

“you will leave ionia to continue your.. journey?” you looked up to him while his large hands was in your waist

“… nah i don’t think so… unless you wanna come with me. do you want to be on my side?”

“yes. like the wind.” you said while smiling

he smiled back “so you will be like a wind, always by my side.”

“yes.” you said

“then let’s go!” he grabbed your hand and you guys left. while starting a new page in both of your life’s. living in peace without no one else hurting you. you really admire him playing the flute while you hummed in the melodies and notes. sung together, traveling together and doing everything together. he was the perfect boyfriend and if not boyfriend, husband material. and then your life has been happily ever after. with the person you love and you will always love..

a/n hope you enjoyed it! 2 hours of writing it (; love u <3

[mono-dot-jpeg]

[9:59am]

a/n; i was baby sitting my sister's cats and i was on my period. one of them was laying on my stomach. im having a great time so, why not write about hwei meeting a cat for the first time?

[gender neutral! reader] [wet cat man meets cat] [modern au but they still have powers and shit] [reader and hwei are both depressed artists] [slight crack? but taken seriously bc i love him]

hwei was your sad cat man but he had never met a cat before? well, he's definitely seen a few. ionia was particularly rampant with wonderous wildlife in the forests and near temples. but he's never really had the thought to try and interact with one.

"the cats often run from me when i approach." he said softly, his face reminiscent of a dejected wet cat, which is truly what you love about him. he always looks like that.

"they feel your vibes, hwei. they know you're more depressed than i am. or maybe you just look intimidating."

so, you decided to arrange a little meeting with your cat and him. your cat was generally really friendly with others. surely, it would be fine?

the moment the two meet, it's pretty fine. he sticks a finger out to let the little cutie sniff him, and he sort of smells like you, so the cat allows a pet and a little rubdown. and it's cute to watch. hwei's eyes turn into a soft pink, and his silent admiration for such a beautiful creature is endearing.

you two relax in the living room together after that. you're both watching your normal shows, and the cat decides that he is worthy enough to be a lap pillow. it jumps up onto the sofa and to his lap.

and he nearly panicks. it's painfully obvious how inexperienced he is with the cat, wondering where to keep his hands or if he could shift just a little bit to be comfortable.

"what should i.."

"don't move. it's the cat law."

"cat law?"

"that cat is comfortable in your lap, you'll be damned if you move." you pet the cat, cooing your affections to it as it lays in his lap, uncaring yet basking for your attention. "cats choose you because they know your vibe, hwei. and my cat likes your vibe."

it's not often that he finds himself truly realizing that he is loved. you try hard to get him to understand this. and he does the same for you.

having this cat in his lap brings him a sense of peace. he feels a little silly, finding so much comfort in such a simple moment where he was just panicking seconds ago.

"you look happy, hwei." you comment as you watch him gently pat the purring cat.

"i am." he muttered softly with a gentle grin.

[collidescopeeyes]

Time is a Roulette Wheel: Swain WIP Pt2

SFW

Not me spending like an hour in the weeds of the fandom wiki trying to reconstruct a timeline for Noxus. Apparently after Swain killed the previous Grand General and established the Trifarix council he pulled back most of the warhosts but maintained a bunch of coastal territories in Ionia and Shurima, which is roughly when I'm setting this, but also at some point in the future he decides on Ionian Invasion Pt: Back In The Saddle Again re: the awaken cinematic, which apparently isn't even necessarily canon?? Anyway I'm extrapolating a bunch of information about Noxus' current political climate from those two things

----

They give you a nice room in what you take to be a guest wing, and Garret departs again. There are guards outside your door, which you aren't sure if you're to take as a threat or a luxury. You aren't really in the mood for their oppressive hospitality, though, so as soon as the doors close you rewind yourself to the streets outside.

Your latest raven sights you almost immediately. There's lots of them outside the palace–you assume because that's where Swain is. You make it to the block outside the tower before you stop and turn to look at it, exasperated. “Come on then,” you wave it over. It flits down to the fence next to you, cocking it's head at you. “If you're going to be following me around anyway, I'd rather know where you are,” you say, offering it your arm.

It blinks, one eye at a time. “I'll tell you a secret? Something no-one else in Runeterra knows…” you coax. It caws softly. “Alright, you drive a hard bargain. Two.”

The raven steps onto your arm and caws. You grin. “Okay, let's see…hm. When I was six, I stole all of my friends glitter pens and blamed it on a boy who was mean to me. Then I felt bad, so I threatened him into writing an apology note and planted it and the pens back in her bag the next day.”

The raven caws harshly at you. You shrug. “I never said they were ground-breaking secrets.” Nevertheless, the bird settles on your shoulder when you lift your arm up to it, and you set out again.

You walk without any particular purpose, just exploring the City. You were somehow expecting it to be more depressing, but despite the grim and brutality architecture the people are lively and vibrant. It reminds you of Bilgewater, but with less outright crime, honestly. The market hawkers holler offers across the street, beside you a woman argues sharply with a weaver about the cost of a bolt of silk. A vastayan man on a street corner does an elaborate fire-breathing display, and his hat is piled with coin. Nobody apologizes when they knock into you in the busy streets, but not once does anyone try and lift your purse. You eventually find your way to the markets, where you permit yourself to buy a few books and a glass figurine that catches your eye. You usually prefer to travel light, but here's hoping that you'll be staying here for at least a while. You get skewers from a food stall that smells irresistible, and you feed chunks to the raven as you walk back. You suppose that they must be like normal ravens to some extent, because it accepts the food easily enough.

The raven departs with a soft caw as you make your way back to the tower, the sun setting in the distance. You rewind yourself back to your room and read until your dinner is brought.

—

If you were counting your entire stint in the Void as a single incident, meeting the Trifarix is the second most stressful thing that's ever happened to you. It's like a job interview, except you're pretty sure they're going to try and kill you if you don't get the job.

You're led into a cavernous throne room, with the Trifarix seated at a simple stone table at the foot of the empty throne. Swain sits in the center, Darius on his right, and to his left the Faceless in their many layered robe. You sit across from them, feeling distinctly like you should be wearing something nicer. Your guard escorts fall back, and Swain prompts you to recount your offer.

What follows next is the most exhaustive hour of negotiation you've ever been party to. The Faceless asks where you got your powers. You explain that you can't explain, and then go through all of the unpleasantness of proving it by hacking glass up on their table. Darius wants to know what exactly you have to offer Noxus, the limits of your powers, whether you can be sent to the front lines. You tell him you're immortal, and then when he laughs in your face, you say he can behead you and prove it if he's fine waiting a few hours for you to come back. He kind of pauses, then, and either the seriousness in your offer or the shard of mirror glass still sitting on the table seems to convince him, because he's a tad less rude after that.

Swain seems more concerned with the terms of your agreement than your worth to the empire–what your duties will be, for how long, how each party will assure the other that they're fufilling their end of the contract. He doesn't know off the top of his head how to get you home, but he suggests several promising avenues a team of mages and researchers could pursue. The Faceless suggests you work for them until they find a way to send you home, you point out that that motivates them to purposely delay or fail their research to keep you here. You suggest that you work for them for a year regardless of their findings; at the end they either send you home, or you fuck off elsewhere. Swain suggests a ten year term with updates. You point out that if you find out that they're trying to fuck you over, you’ll unmake this entire goddamn city around them. Swain points out, almost idly, that that would disproportionately affect the citizenry, and you don't really have a rebuttal for that, so you relent and amend that fine, you'll just kill all of them, but that's a much less dramatic threat. Darius laughs. The other two do not.

You settle on a three year term.

---

“Garret, be honest with me, are you reporting my every move back to the Trifarix?” You ask wearily, on your way out of the meeting.

Garret blinks. “Not specifically. Of course I'll be honest if asked, but to be frank, ma’am, they have better ways to keep tabs on you.”

You grimace, glancing up at the birds on the rooftops around you. “That's fair. Why were you assigned to me, then?”

“If the need arised, to kill you,” he says evenly.

You raise a brow at him. He doesn't look any more dangerous than your average Noxian, but there must be some reason he was the one assigned to take you out. He looked Ionian–maybe some form of magic that would take you off guard. “Unlucky.”

“So I hear,” he says dryly. He stops in front of your new residence, a two story in a nice looking part of the city, or as nice as Noxus' imperious architecture gets. “This will be your new residence. Someone should have already been by to drop off your citizenship documents. Welcome to Noxus, ma’am.”

“You won't be escorting me anymore, I take it?” You extrapolate. He shakes his head. “Can I ask you a personal question, then?”

He blinks. “Not standing out here in the street, no. You may invite me in for tea, however.” He fishes a set of keys out of his pocket and hands it to you.

You crack a smile, open the door, and then turn to stand inside it. “Could I invite you in for tea, Colonel I don't know your first name Garrett?” You say with your best approximation of an Ionian bow.

“You may, Madam Iso I don't know your last name,” he responds in kind. There's the edge of a smile on his lips, which is as expressive as you've ever seen him.

“I don't actually know if I have tea,” you say as you close the door behind you. “I didn't bring any.”

“I don't drink tea,” he says plainly. He goes to sit at your new couch, politely folding his hands in his lap. “You may ask your question.”

You sit across from him, bemused. “Are all Noxians this abrupt?”

He inclines his head at you, akin to a bird. “We value our time. Was that your question?”

You laugh. “No. I wanted to ask, and you can feel free to tell me to fuck off if it's too personal, but…you're Ionian, right? Why are you here, in Noxus?”

He pauses for a moment. “That is very personal, yes. May I ask why you want to know?”

You pause a moment, mulling over your words. “Because…look, you know what I did in Shuriman. I work for Noxus now, and honestly there isn't a hell of a lot I wouldn't do to get home, but…all the same, I want to know what I'm getting into. What I've done to those people.”

He sighs. “It was…different, for me. My village was poor, and we had little to resist with when Noxus came almost a decade ago, under Darkwill’s rule. It was brutal, and I lost people I cared for in a hopeless attempt at resistance. The army raided our temple for relics, and we were told to bend the knee or die. I bent.” He spreads his hands to indicate to his practical Noxian garb. “I thought our lives would be as senseless and cruel as the army was. For a time it was. Then Grand General Swain deposed Darkwill, and things changed. The world opened to us. My sister pursued an education in history, my son an apprenticeship in smithing. We were recognized for the worth of our craft rather than the blood in our veins. I miss my wife, yes, and my son his mother, but we are fed and content.”

You look down. “Does that make it worth it?”

His lips thin slightly. “The spring does not justify the winter. They are merely things that happen, and we weather them.” You sit in silence for a moment, before he offers “Grand General Swain is just, as far as I have seen. He has inherited his predecessors' wars, but there is a purpose there where Darkwill only had tyranny and madness. He is not war-like by nature, I believe, but securing Noxus' future relies on stabilizing the borders of our acquired territories.”

“So that makes the brutal expansionism justified?” You ask dryly.

He shrugs. “Justification is the tool of a dishonest conscience. I know who I am and what is valuable to me, and I know what I must do to have it. So do you. That is why you are Noxian now. The citizens of Bitharix will have a choice to make, whether they value their lives or their ideals, and then they will either be dead or they will be the same as any other Noxian. I can tell you that the Trifarix cares for the wellbeing of Noxus. I cannot tell you if Noxus' wellbeing is more valuable than that of Shurima’s, but here is where I live, here is where I thrive, and so here is where I will serve. Whether the same can be said of you is your own decision to make.” With that, he rises to his feet and offers you a bow. “I will be going now.”

You nod. “Thank you, for your assistance, and for your advice.”

He nods. “Whatever path you choose to walk, I hope that you walk it with surety.” And then he turns and leaves.

You sit in silence in your new Noxian house for a few minutes. Then you abruptly decide this situation calls for ice cream and hop to your feet.

—

“Birdie, do you know if this place has ice cream?” You ask the raven that flies down to the fence next to you. It caws harshly, and you get the sense it's offended. “Oh, come on. I'll tell you a real secret this time if you bring me somewhere nice,” you offer enticingly. It caws again, this time somewhat uncertain. “C'mon, it's riiight on the tip of my tongue, can't you just taste it?” you taunt.

The raven stares at you so intensely you think it might actually be able to, and then hops onto your shoulder and caws in the direction of the markets. You beam and set off.

—

“God, I really needed this,” you tell the bird appreciatively as you devour your chocolate chip cone. “I know you're a demonic entity whose reporting my every move to Swain, since I'm under contract now, here's a secret for free: that man stresses me the fuck out.” The bird caws in what you take to be agreement. “I know, right? It's the resting bitch face, I think. It makes me feel like I've forgotten my homework or something.” You shudder.

As you finish your cone, the bird caws at you impatiently. “Alright, you did good, I guess you earned it,” you relent with a sigh. It hops onto your knee and peers up at you intently. The words rise to your tongue unbidden. “The thing that took me had a name, but I haven't been able to remember what it is since I killed it. I try, and it's just…white noise, like blood in my ears. I don't even know why I knew it's name, it's not like it ever told me,” you say forlornly. Then you blink. “Wait. I shouldn't have been able to say that. How did you–”

The raven crows triumphantly, and then pain beyond anything your curse has ever given you rips through you.

—

You wake up on a plush couch. You sit up groggily, only to realize you have no idea where you are.

“You weren't lying about your immortality, it seems,” Swain observes mildly. He's at a large desk, writing something. You're in his office, it seems.

You rub your throat. “What happened?”

“Raum suppressed your curse long enough to draw out a secret, and you paid the price for speaking where you shouldn't.” Swain says. He signs the page at the bottom, puts his quill in his inkwell, and then steeples his hands and looks at you. His expression is neutral, but there's an intent glint in his eye you aren't sure what to make of. “You were found with about a dozen shards of glass protruding from your throat. You have been dead for…” he glances at his desk clock. “Approximately one hour and twelve minutes.”

You blink. “That was quick. Usually takes longer here.” You look down at the couch you're on, which is covered in what is most likely your blood. You rewind it clean with a grimace. “Why bring me here?”

“For one, to verify your claims of purported immortality. For another, we need to discuss your duties. I had intended to give you some time to settle in, but given the circumstances it seems best to be expeditious. Do you need anything, before we continue?”

You frown. Your mouth tastes like blood. “Water would be good.”

He produces a pitcher and some glasses from a side table hidden from your view by one of his enormous stacks of paper, and gestures for you to sit across as he pours. “What do you know of Raum?”

You settle yourself across from him and drink. It tastes faintly of lemon. “Demon who eats secrets. I know generally what you can do with his powers, but I don't have the specifics of how you control them.”

He nods. “I see. Suffice to say, Raum becomes more difficult to control if I overuse his power, or if he's…overfed, shall we say.” He gives you a pointed look. You wince. “I purposefully let him loose to see if you could contain him unassisted. Not only did you accomplish that, but your intervention significantly weakened his bids for control. As such, part of your duties for your time with Noxus will be assisting me with Raum’s ongoing containment, starting now.”

You blink. “Now?”

“Now,” he repeats, unimpressed. “May I remind you that you fed him a secret capable of leveling a kingdom so that you could find the best ice cream parlor in Noxus, and now I am paying the price.” His voice is so dry it rivals the Shuriman dunes.

You wince slightly. “Yeah, that's fair. Give me your hand.”

He blinks. You hold your hand out towards him and wiggle your fingers expectantly. His lips thin slightly, but he complies. The leather of his gloves is warm, and you can feel the shape of his past beneath it, but… “Something's not right,” you mutter, opening your eyes. “Other hand.”

“Pardon?” He says.

You furrow your brows. “Give me your other hand.”

“This wasn't necessary last time,” he points out warily.

“Last time, I was being actively fried with demonic energy, which gave me a physical connection to Raum’s timeline,” you point out. “Now, I'm pretty sure there was a term in my contract that says you're not allowed to eldritch blast me just because you really want to, so I suppose you're just going to have to give me your hand.”

He lifts his hand from where it lies hidden under his coat, and if it were a word you thought could be physically applied to Swain, you'd say he seemed hesitant. Alas, it's not, so you go with wary instead. It casts a soft red glow across your skin, and when he finally places his palm in yours, it has the oddest sensation of electricity–a current that's just strong enough to hum under your skin, but not to hurt. Other than that, it feels like a normal hand, though admittedly one with long curling claws and feathers at the elbow.

“Satisfied?” He asks dryly.

“Yes,” you agree easily. You shut your eyes and begin to work–it’s strangely difficult, like every inch you wind Raum back he tries to regain. “This will take some time. He's not happy about it.”

“Hm.” He hums in response. “Tell me something. Why Bitharix?”

You blink at him. “It was in an important strategic location to connect trade from the coastal cities, and a sustained seige would cost too many resources, leave your forces too exposed for too long. Plus, I figured altering the geography of an entire city would be the fastest way of getting my point across.”

“Why not Port Alkaline?” He counters. “It was closer to Tereshni. It's an important coastal stronghold with strong walls.”

You furrow your brows. “I figured you were planning to blow their wall up and then just build it back. It's not nearly as thick, and you had more stone shipped in than you'd need for the those big ominous arches you like to build.”

“And do you know why we build the arches?” He pushes.

You frown. “It’s an ever present reminder of Noxus' presence, and their resources, as well as a defensible structure? Why are you…” you pause, narrowing your eyes at him. “Are you quizzing me?”

“Hm,” he hums noncommittally. “You mentioned you could restore the walls, and the Bitharix ravine.”

You nod. “Sooner would be better. Longer something is the way it is, the more it wants to stick. Won't take me long, though, I can go back to anywhere I've been before without much effort. Same goes for Alkaline, if you do end up blowing their wall.” You pause, listening. “...can you hear that whispering?” You ask.

“Constantly,” he agrees. “Best to ignore it.”

You frown. “Can you tell him to shut the fuck up?”

“I truly wish so, but no,” he sighs.

You open your eyes and squint down at his feathered hand. “Hm. Maybe if I…” and here, you slow the rhythm of Raum’s existence to a crawl, until there's quiet in your mind. Swain looks at you in what might be surprise, but doesn't comment. You sit in blessed silence for the few more minutes it takes to claw Raum back to what feels like a reasonable equilibrium. “Hm. Is that better?”

He removes his hand from yours, flexes it experimentally, then nods. “Yes. You're dismissed. I’ll send for you when I have need,” he returns to his work.

You stand, apparently dismissed.

“Oh, and Iso?” He calls as you turn to leave. “If you have any more pressing questions about local cuisine, please refrain from making bargains with my birds.”

You consider him. “...in that case, do you know where I can find a good seafood mornay? I've got a craving for fish.”

He gives you an unimpressed look. You're fully expecting to be ignored, but apparently he decides answering you is the fastest way to get you out of his office. “Sailmaker’s Bounty, on the east side. Now begone.”

“Thanks, boss!” You chirp with a grin before you close the door.