#sette and history

[allherfaeriesmeetinjuly]

obsessed with russian “doomed” music and german expressionism art rn

[nadia-cannot-think-straight]

The idea of ERB Hayao Miyazaki vs Sett MacFarlane sounds genius BUT i don't want it to be made, i fear this would actually kill Miyazaki

[playitagin]

1919-Sette Giugno

Nationalist riots break out in Valletta, the capital of Malta. British soldiers fire into the crowd, killing four people.

[theophagie-remade]

I've seen a few post about the US and cults lately and something that really sticks out to me is how some things about the relation between them that I pretty much take for granted because they've come up so often both during my high school years and now in university are talked about as if they were this huge secret thing that no one tells you about

[theresattrpgforthat]

THEME: Fuck WotC

With the updates to the OGL, you might be looking for a way to play your fantasy game without having to worry about supporting a company that doesn't hold the interests of the community as a priority. These series of recommendations are specifically about exploring dungeons in settings that might possibly have dragons, and require little to no time, effort, or money given towards Wizards of the Coast. Moreover, most of these games heavily encourage home-brew, rule hacks, and your own custom creations!

Ironsworn, by Shawn Tomkin.

In the Ironsworn tabletop roleplaying game, you are a hero sworn to undertake perilous quests in the dark fantasy setting of the Ironlands.

Others live out their lives hardly venturing beyond the walls of their village or steading, but you are different. You will explore untracked wilds, fight desperate battles, forge bonds with isolated communities, and reveal the secrets of this harsh land.

Are you ready to swear iron vows and see them fulfilled—no matter the cost?

Ironsworn is majestic. Character motivation is built in during creation, so you start the game knowing something about who your character is and what they want - and from the very beginning, your character’s story is vital to the campaign. You can approach problems from a number of different approaches, including combat, persuasion, physical prowess, and more. 

The game is built for solo, co-op, and guided play. This means that if you have a friend who’s willing to GM, they have plenty of help in coming up with plot. If you have no-one who’s willing to GM, you can still play the game - and if you have no-one who’s willing to play the game with you, you can still play it. Finally, and this might be the best part: Ironsworn, a 270-page PDF full of lore, advice and foes… is free. 

DURF, by Emil Boven.

DURF is a rules-light dungeon-fantasy RPG in the vein of games like Knave, Troika! and Into the Odd. When it comes to character background, appearance, and history, much of what you decide will be up to you: your character backstory doesn’t have to influence your stats if you don’t want it to. Your character’s stats are boiled down to three: Strength, Dexterity, and Willpower, and you have an inventory of 10+ your Strength. The game is rules-light, but the rules that are there make combat similar to what you see in D&D: you have to roll higher than your opponent, account for range, and most rolls depend on a d20. 

Spell casting isn’t limited to specific classes in DURF, because there aren’t any specific classes. However, that doesn’t limit what your character can do to grow. You can increase character stats, add new spells, and consult a trove of content for this game created by people who love it, much of which is either free or incredibly reasonably priced! If you find yourself writing a lot of your own content for your D&D game anyways, you might enjoy the really creative community that’s popped up around DURF and similar OSR games.

World of Dungeons, by John Harper.

World of Dungeons is a simple, quick-play, dungeon crawling game, using one of the core mechanics from the Powered by the Apocalypse rules system. It's compatible with Old School Renaissance and original D&D monsters, dungeons, and adventure modules.

This is another game that doesn’t require a lot of dedication to convert what you know and are comfortable with into a new system. It’s also an introduction to the standard PbtA conceit of rolling 2d6 for every action and a three-tiered level of success that moves the plot forward, even if you fail. Failure in PbtA games can be just as interesting and engaging as successes - and once you’ve got the hang of this mechanic, there’s a whole world of games available to you!

Tunnel Goons, by Nate Treme (Highland Paranormal Society).

Tunnel Goons is a simple table-top role-playing game. It was originally only included in the zine The Eternal Caverns of Urk. It's a light weight 2d6 system that can be applied to many different genres and settings.

An extremely streamlined system, Tunnel Goons is only 4 pages long and is pay-what-you-want. You only need d6’s to play, and have three stats to take care of. If you enjoy roleplaying but find the idea of transferring to a new system daunting, you pick up a game of Tunnel Goons to try out something new without having to learn a bunch of new rules or spending a lot of money. 

This game is small and simple, but it’s also been hacked a number of times for many different genres, which means that if what you like about roleplaying is coming up with new settings and new character options to play with, you’re right at home here!

Realms of Terrinoth, by Fantasy Flight Games.

Terrinoth is a land of forgotten greatness and lost legacies. Once ruled by the Elder Kings who called upon mighty magics to perform great deeds and work marvels, the land has suffered greatly at the hands of its three great foes: the undead armies of Waiqar the Betrayer, the demon-possessed hordes of the bloodthirsty Uthuk Y’llan, and the terrifying dragons of the Molten Heath. Many of its great cities have been cast down into ruins, and many wondrous secrets and powerful artifacts have been lost.

For hundreds of years, Terrinoth slipped into gloom and decay. But heroes arise just when their lands need them the most. Courageous adventurers brave the ruins of past ages and the foul creatures within to uncover the treasures of their ancestors. The Daqan Barons, inheritors of the ancient kingdoms, rebuild their walls and muster their armies, while the wizards of Greyhaven gather runes of power to awaken guardians of stone and steel. These preparations come none too soon, for the ancient enemies of the lawful races are stirring again, and Terrinoth needs champions of courage and cunning to stand against the rising darkness.

If what you like about D&D is the collection of options and stat-block builds that you can lovingly craft, the Genesys system that runs Realms of Terrinoth has plenty of options that help you build your own backgrounds and create your own classes. So if the setting doesn’t have what you’re looking for, it can’t stop you! The dice system is fundamentally different in that the dice don’t have numbers on them at all - they provide you with successes, failures, advantages and threats, which means that it’s possible to succeed and also running into obstacles, as well as fail and still experience a boatload of good luck! This is the only game on this list that isn't an indie game.

Cairn, by Yochai Gal.

Cairn is an adventure game for one facilitator (the Warden) and at least one other player. Players act as hardened adventurers exploring a dark & mysterious Wood filled with strange folk, hidden treasure, and unspeakable monstrosities.

Based on Knave by Ben Milton and Into The Odd by Chris McDowall, Cairn is an attempt at making Into The Odd semi-compatible with popular OSR settings like Dolmenwood. Character generation is quick and random, classless, and relies on fictional advancement rather than through XP or level mechanics. The game itself is rules-light but functional, leaving most rulings up to the Warden.

Cairn is an excellent example of how creative and generous the indie ttrpg community is, especially within the OSR scene. A free rulebook, it is designed to be used alongside other popular games in the OSR scene, and has many of its own adventures designed by the community. These kinds of games are wonderful for players who are excited about exploring fantastical and dangerous places, and solving the variety of problems that appear within.

Blades in the Dark, by John Harper.

Blades in the Dark is a tabletop role-playing game about a crew of daring scoundrels seeking their fortunes on the haunted streets of an industrial-fantasy city. There are heists, chases, occult mysteries, dangerous bargains, bloody skirmishes, and, above all, riches to be had — if you’re bold enough to seize them.

You and your fledgling crew must thrive amidst the threats of rival gangs, powerful noble families, vengeful ghosts, the Bluecoats of the city watch, and the siren song of your scoundrel’s own vices. Will you rise to power in the criminal underworld? What are you willing to do to get to the top?

Blades in the Dark is a setting that has amassed a large following for a number of reasons: it has free player resources, it prioritizes fiction-first gaming, it has a tight set of rules that are easy to learn and expand upon, and the setting fucking slaps. It’s the parent of the entire Forged in the Dark family of games, so if you don’t want to play criminal masterminds in an industrial city - you don’t have to! There’s so many games published under this ruleset that fall under different themes, such as Band of Blades, a military fantasy setting, Into the Dark, a dungeon-delving game, and Blades Against Darkness, a game about adventurers exploring tombs and new frontiers. FitD games provide a tight setting and focus for your group, so you’ll always know what your players are working towards, and there are number of interlocking systems that you can pull on to increase your chance of success - at the risk of pushing your character a little closer to stress and trauma.

If you want something that's not high-fantasy dungeon delving -well, that's what the rest of my blog is for!

[midnight-in-town]

Ashaf as a First Class Mage

One thing I absolutely love about Ashaf's character is that it takes for the plot to move on a bit for readers to notice that, like Guideau, he's also high game.

That's done very smoothly and efficiently, because the story at first naturally tends to focus on introducing Guideau as a monstrous force to be reckoned with. So during the first arcs, Ashaf is often "reduced" as their supervision and support. But the more the plot moves on, the more we realize Ashaf is even more mysterious than Guideau and might as well be considered as dangerous.

Finally, in the on-going arc (spoilers+++), we're introduced to the summoning of Dragons (plz that scene was absolutely epic) being one of the highest feats of magic...

...and they speak of "only one person who managed to summon an entire Dragon in history".

Later, in the latest published chapters, we're also introduced to the concept of Witche's Disciples through 2 new characters...

and Ashaf is once more rudely looked down upon by another magic user (Dunward was also hella rude during Orlencia Sett), which leads him to say this :

So now I ask you : could it be that Ashaf, the first class mage with many animal familiars, is the one man who once managed to summon an entire Dragon ? Considering I also believe it's not far-fetched that Ashaf may know Angela from a time long past, I wouldn't be very surprised if it was the case (maybe he too received a Witch's favor). :D

Anyway, while we wait for the answer, I gotta show you Ashaf brilliantly beating that fake dragon's ass in a very classy and satisfying way ! :D

It was so not a challenge to him that he managed, mid-fight, to send crows to deliver Guideau's coffin (that lil exchange made me smile a lot xD)

TL;DR let's all agree to stop underestimating Ashaf. x) He's not Guideau's partner just because they randomly met 3 years ago.

[ccraccz]

I wanted to write something for myself so these are my head canons for the heartsteel boys!!!

Heart stealing fluffy headcanons!

Augh these boys

Men actually lmao

First of all

Imo, Ezreal is really smart!

He studied health, both mental and physical, and wanted to be a therapist but he just didn't enjoy that route after high-school

Mostly because he enjoyed singing and dancing too much, and his personality wouldn't really help

Ezreal cannot be super serious

He can be serious at times, but he has his limits on seriousness

He was also a choir kid, he loves singing and took classes for it!

In his mind, the vibrations when he or others sing is comforting

Ezreal also has really good ears! He can probably Sett making his protein shakes every day from his room (I believe he has the second farthest one from the kitchen, yone took measures to make them as comfortable as possible)

That also makes him both a light sleeper and an early riser

So he became acostumed of going to sleep earlier because Sett and k'sante go off to the gym together in the morning

Talking about the gym, the group goes once a week with K'sante and Sett to keep their shape to a T

Aluhe joins, too, but when she does, the boys keep a close eye on the people around them

Yone, when they don't go to the gym, goes on a three mile jog or run in the morning

Aphelios does a lot of waist and core workouts when the group goes to the gym, though they encourage him to build some more muscle in other places, like arms

K'sante has used everyone as a weight

Yone has the best balance of everyone, he can literally stand on a yoga ball on one foot and not fall

Kayn was in gymnastics in high-school and has gotten 3 gold metals and 1 silver during his years

Kayn is very good at taking care of people and is quite the history nerd

Aphelios, Sett, and Yone are English smarties

Ezreal is a science nerd

K'sante is a math boy

He both hates it and loves it

Aphelios can talk, that's canon

But I believe that he is able to strain his voice, and if he does that, he will struggle to communicate

Which is why he doesn't sing anymore

He learned sign language because alune has hearing problems

Sett can see in the dark, and his eyes also glow a little bit

Yone's eyes, in the sun, look gray, but in normal (good) good lighting, their green

K'sante and Sett can not do the splits, but the others can!

K'sante stretches, though!

Kayn loves skydiving

And he hates tea

Sett loves hugs, but he sqeezes people to death so he barely gets any

Alune loves his hugs tho!

Ezreal abuses the GC with copypastas

Yone has put him in both mute and time out because of it, but he still does it

Aphelios is really great full for that lmao

Yone listens to "giants" to support his brother in secret

He also just likes the song

They've all cuddled with each other once or twice

Kayn is a singer, and Rhaast is a rapper

Kayn is actually a nervous reck with his idols, but he hides behind Rhaast, so it seems like he's either a dickhead or really overconfident of himself

But we'll talk more about that in the angst headcanons 🙂

[writerblue275]

Heya! Love your writings. I feel like I'm going insane whenever I read your HCs I just- Aaah! I'm getting sidetracked. Can I see your personal take on how HEARTSTEEL boys would take compliments? Imagining Kayn trying to play it off but then the second he gets alone he's jumping around and- Getting side tracked again. Sorry. LOL

Hiya there Anonnie! I’m so glad you’re enjoying my stuff!! I hope insanity in this case is a positive lmao. Happy to drag some of you along with me in my brain rot! 🤣 But you ABSOLUTELY can have my personal take on this. I LOVE this idea! Thank you for requesting it! 💙

How Heartsteel Handles Compliments

Inspiration: Requested

Genre: Headcanons

Type: FLUFFFF

Gender: Gender Neutral Reader!

TW: Swearing. Slight discussion of HS Ez and HS Kayn past which includes low self-esteem.

Extra: So obviously below I’m going to go more in depth for each member, but as a generalization, I think Aphelios and Yone would react similarly, K’Sante and Sett would react similarly, and then (double trouble) Ezreal and Kayn would react similarly when it comes to getting compliments.

Aphelios

Aphelios is interesting for this. I think in general his reactions to compliments depends on a couple factors. 1. Who is complimenting him? 2. What is the compliment about? (Either him personally/his personality or his work, his outfit, etc.)

If the compliment is from someone else (besides you or Heartsteel) about his work, he’ll give a soft smile and say/sign “thank you” to the person. He really puts a lot of love into his music so if people recognize that, then that makes him happy for sure! If the compliment comes from someone else but it’s about him specifically, he’d be shy about it.

Now with the other Heartsteel members and Alune, he knows them. Phel is comfortable with them. So compliments from them don’t phase him too much. He’ll thank them quickly. But even though he knows you and is comfortable with you (I mean you’re his significant other), you’re unique.

Compliments from you are a different story. He really loves it when you compliment him. When you compliment something personal about him? It makes him so happy he nearly short circuits. And it might sound a bit weird but with you he doesn’t express his appreciation verbally.

You will notice his actions express his appreciation instead. Like Aphelios will hold your hand more frequently. Or you notice his cuddles/hugs get a little tighter, his kisses more passionate. That sort of thing. A special sort of non-verbal appreciation and affection for the special person in his life.

Ezreal

Ohhhhhh my goodness. Ezreal needs compliments like someone needs water to survive a desert. Critically. Words of affirmation is his receiving love language, after all.

Not to mention his rougher history in the music industry. When his album got panned, it really shattered his confidence, especially since he was younger. So while he seems like he’s very confident and such, really a lot of that is a mask over some very deep-seeded insecurities. In reality, he puts a lot of value on compliments and how he’s perceived by other people.

Ezreal would d respond to other people’s compliments with that lovely cheeky grin he has. I think he’d want to play it off like “You like my outfit? Thanks! I gotta put my best foot forward for my fans, you know? It’s what they deserve!” It’s hard to describe what exactly that energy is. Self assured might be the best way to put it. (But you know the truth.)

And I think that’s also what energy he’d use early on in your relationship. He wants to seem cool for you. But I don’t think it would take too long for you to see the real him. Once he opens up and shows you that insecurity and vulnerability he’s hiding deep down, that’s when you know you’ve really earned his trust.

So at that point, please give Ez all the compliments you want to at all times. He loves it. He’ll be even more affectionate with you as thanks and will always be happy to compliment you in return. And while he eventually gets a little more used to compliments from the public, I don’t think he’ll ever get used receiving compliments from you. They help him more than you’ll ever know.

Kayn

(A/N: Anon I really like and agree with the direction you headed in your request, though I think there’s some added nuance to it which I will talk about below!)

With the general public/your relationship early on Kayn would play things cool until he’s alone. He has an image to maintain damnit. He’s the “rebel” remember?

But with you? As things progress and your relationship becomes more established, you see a remarkable shift in Kayn when it comes to how he accepts praise/compliments. At least with you/in private.

Part of the reason he brushed off compliments early on was due to inner insecurities after being kicked out of his old group. Not to mention people who were just shmoozing up to him to use him/his fame (fucking social climbers). But as he realizes you’re sincere when you compliment him, you love Shieda Kayn and not just Kayn the rockstar, and you’re not going anywhere, well it’s like a switch is flipped!

Now he needs/wants compliments from you like he needs air to breathe. And he’s far more open about accepting them. He’ll even ask you to elaborate on what you mean. 😂 “I mean I know I’m sexy, baby, but why specifically do you think I’m sexy?” And when you do compliment him, those are the moments when his giving love language of physical touch manifests itself to show his appreciation (use your imaginations).

His receiving love language is words of affirmation. So give him all the compliments you desire. He’ll accept them all! (He still tries to play things cool when he’s in public though, that’s just how it be.)

K’Sante

The fucking epitome of self-confidence like my god. K’Sante knows he’s HIM. (As he should because he absolutely is!) His self-confidence is a goal all of us should attempt to go for. (Literally like wow king go the fuck off I fully support this.)

K’Sante is definitely one of the members who will play it off the easiest. Not in a way where he makes it seem like it’s unappreciated, no no no, definitely not. But rather compliments don’t really fluster him or phase him that much compared to some of the others.

That being said, he still enjoys getting complimented by other people (deep down, don’t we all?), and he’ll thank them. He might be self-confident but he wasn’t raised to be a jerk. He appreciates the kindness of others! He might even respond in kind with a compliment for whoever he’s talking to! Or if it’s you then he’ll have like ten compliments ready to fire back at you off the top of his head.

The one area of his life where compliments really fluster K’Sante have to do with his designs. He puts a lot of effort into each piece he designs and creates, so for someone to notice and compliment that effort is something he very much appreciates. When he is flustered, you’ll notice he has to take a second to gather his thoughts and the right words.

Obviously your opinion means more to him than the opinion of others, so when you do compliment him, watch his smile get wider, watch his posture get a little taller, and watch as his energy gets even brighter and more infectious for those around him.

Sett

Similar to K’Sante, Sett knows he’s HIM. He’s called “The Boss” after all. That’s certainly not a nickname given to just anyone. Whether in the studio or in the ring, Sett knows he’s the man and 98% of the time he doesn’t care about anyone else’s opinion or approval.

So because of that, again he’s one of the ones who will play off most compliments fairly easily. He’s not super flustered by them, though he appreciates them. And because Ma is the best and raised him with fucking manners, he of course, will always thank the person who complimented him for their kind words.

But now it’s time to focus on the 2% of the time he does care. I’m sure this comes as no shock, but there are only two people’s opinions he reeeeeally cares about. Yours and Ma’s. The two most important people in his life. When the two of you compliment him on something, this giant, confident, usually composed man actually gets a little flustered! Especially when those compliments come from you.

Sett really doesn’t seem like a blusher when it comes to other people, but when you compliment him on something innocent, his cheeks immediately turn just the sweetest bit pink as he gets the happiest grin on his face. (His reaction is definitely different when your compliments are regarding more…private matters, but I’m not going to focus on that rn.)

And his EARS. His ears are the biggest telltale sign he’s flustered. His ears happily flick back and forth, which is admittedly really cute. It’s just very sweet honestly, seeing how much your opinion means to “The Boss!” (He just has such a soft spot for you and I love it.)

Yone

Yone would be in a similar boat to Aphelios. Again it depends on who is complimenting him, what they’re complimenting him about, and the setting he’s being complimented in.

Now Yone is extremely talented at what he does. (We all know this.) And he knows he’s talented. Of course he doesn’t let that make him too arrogant or anything. Any compliments he receives on his music, he genuinely appreciates and will he show/express that sincere appreciation to whoever is giving him the compliment. Making music takes a lot of effort and to become respected like him is only a dream for so many other artists. That’s something he realizes and he is extremely grateful for the fans and everyone else who helped him get to where he is.

Personal compliments he’s just a lot more reserved about, especially ones having to do with his appearance. Like he knows he’s considered attractive, but honestly the only opinion he cares about regarding his appearance is yours. Anyone else he’ll give a soft smile and a “thank you.” But he wouldn’t blush or anything crazy.

But with YOU???? Any compliment you give him makes his entire day, week, month, etc. And when you compliment him on his appearance (because let’s be real how could you not??? That man is so FUCKING FINE) he actually feels pride about how he looks. (AS HE SHOULD.)

Compliments from you make that stoic exterior crack. Yone actually blushes a bit. And your compliments make him smile wider and bring a spring to his step. Compliments from you are what get Yone teased by the other Heartsteel members for reacting just a little bit like a happy puppy at times. (They’re in awe of you for having that power.) That’s your influence over him, honestly, and that’s how much he values your opinion.

Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoyed! Thank you so much for requesting, Anon! I hope I did your request justice! This was so cute and fun to write! Lmao the way I’d be complimenting them all the time because they deserve it. 💙

[duckchu]

Hi!

Could you please write for the following for Kayn;

Reader has media studies, and got an internship under Yone's guidance (as much as I love him, strictly platonic😭)

Kayn falls for reader along the way she is there to work with Yone, maybe even gets a little jealous until he gets himself to finally make a move and stop being dramatic about it 💀

Can have tags, im down for anything 👀🗿

Thank you ❤️

Ooooh I love this idea thank youuu

But I've got no idea how media studies work (I have expanded history and English, so pretty different directions sorry) so if I make stupid mistakes lmk so I can correct them

Also Kayn is kinda mean in the beginning but it's Kayn

"Ok no worries it's just an internship with one of the biggest producers you've heard of, no biggie" You thought to yourself as you walked into the studio. Yone, the supervisor of your internship, was already waiting for you. At the beginning, your relationship was very stiff. Neither of you knew how to approach it, since it was the first internship both of you have done. While you liked working under him since you were always given clear instructions and his critique was rooted in wanting to help you better your work and not mean spirited at all. After a week, you both warmed up to eachother, sharing some small talk and finally you met his bandmates. Don't get me wrong, he didn't mean to put off your meeting, but they were all busy with their own schedules while he was mentoring you. But then, one day you walked into the studio and saw the other 5 members of HEARTSTEEL, goofing around. Yone must have noticed how surprised you were, so he introduced you to all the guys. Aphelios only gave you a nod, busy with his own work and Kayn seemed not too pleased at meeting you, but Ezreal, Sett and K'Sante seemed more excited about meeting you. After getting to know most of the guys, you got to work, working on a song for HEARTSTEEL'S new album, which seemed to annoy Kayn

- Are we really letting her produce our songs?-

After that Yone seemed to precisely time your work so you wouldn't be in the studio with Kayn as often as the rest, though it surprisingly seemed to annoy the pink headed menace, who went behind Yone's back in order to find you during your break and talk you up. While being as annoying as he always is. While you entertained him for some time, you quickly got back to work and that was that. Or so you thought. You intrigued him. So he spend his sweet time bugging Yone about you, sometimes even suggesting the older man was in a relationship with you to test how he'll react.

Finally, after a long time, when your internship was coming to an end he decided that he's done feeling jealous of how much time you spent with Yone. Or how many times you went to grab dinner with Ezreal. Even how you and Alune seemed to click instantly when she came to see how the progress on the album was going. When you went to take your break, he grabbed you and pulled you in an old supply closet. From the unamused look on your face he figured there were better ways to do this, but whatever.

- So...Wanna go out? - god, why is he so...himself? But might as well, a little date wouldn't hurt

- Sure. - You couldn't believe you agreed, but what's the worst that could happen?

An annoying boyfriend could happen.

[unsoundedcomic]

is ilganyag's interactions with the blacktongues out of sync with time and she has to actively look for -when- to screw around with people or does she keep relatively in sync with the living world?

I almost hate to answer this one 'cause it can curtail theorizing, but we're getting close to it coming up in the comic anyway.

Have you noticed that Sette is interacting with the world on her own timeline? She's not reaching through a waterfall and knocking Ssael's hat off. Living entities - human or senet - are bound to their own timeline. It flows down and around them, the lens through which they view and interact with their reality. Ilganyag is no different. She cannot time travel, personally, inside the khert.

Of course she can theoretically look at memories from any time and glean valuable, highly anachronistic information from them, but she herself is a causal being trapped inside the khert that cannot interact with instantiated reality and people from another timeline. This would all be so, so much simpler if she could change history. Instead all she can do is research the future through scavenged memories, and try to change what happens.

It's a really awkward position, I find, but fascinating. To know pieces of the future, to have goals that you want, to change little things over a long span of time and watch how you're nudging the future in a different direction. It's like playing labyrinth, tilting the board back and forth as the shiny silver marble rolls inexorably forward, avoiding pitfalls, riding the edge, red eye on that goal of goals at the centre.

[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"

[allherfaeriesmeetinjuly]

reflections to write in my journal: a series - today was actually super fun. my friends and i had a totally fun time reading a dolls house. it was sooo intriguing and read like twilight apparently; i haven’t gotten to those doctor rank and nora pages yet. however i can say that reading torvald’s lines bring me an absolute visceral amount of rage that is soo unparalleled and indescribable. i wanna punch him how does he go about his day doing that?? i restricted for lunch, eating 3 blocks of tofu and 1/2 a cup of tomato cream soup. the tomato soup wasn’t tomato-ing like it was supposed to. i liked the tofu though; thinking of making something with it tonight. a full vegetarian dish. i don’t know, dramatically, for when an apocalypse comes and meat has run its course, i can stock up on tofu and chickpeas and other forms of protein my mum and i enjoys and make it 💯 delicious. practically, i just really like tofu actually and chana masala is always a lovely meal option. i’m kinda hungry though. i haven’t eaten any carbs today. will be snacking on yoghurt and granola at home 🫶🏼🫶🏼. anyway enough about food, psych was a little boring but still fascinating to me. we did another case study analysis on animal testing and i chose the one with kittens. our psych tr did warn us that some of these experiments were a little sad but out of — i of course chose kittens. there wasn’t anything too vulgar or gorey in the experiment but i do worry about it’s living conditions, especially because it is mentioned they lived in the darkness and were let out only 3 hours every day in the span of the 6 week experiment. not to mention the kittens were newborns. kinda unethical in terms of that if u ask me. tok was tok; meaning not particularly interesting but i am listening because i do want a good grade. the poems and writings are …somewhat interesting but nott my vibe at alll. math was math. i did alright in it ig. school is fun. this is sooo fun. i’m literally not wanting to fall apart at the seams at all btw 👍🏻👍🏻

[goldnhourwrites]

HEARTSTEEL COLLEGE AU HEADCANONS

This phrase seized me yesterday and I have not been able to stop thinking about it. Who knows, maybe I'll write a fic :)

inspired by my experiences as a college student in the US!

Yone

Pre-med student with a minor in psychology

Does peer tutoring and notetaking for his biology classes

always doing work. being a pre-med student is so much Work All The Time. this is why Yone is always seen with coffee and dark circles under his eyes.

He manages fairly well for someone with so much on his plate - he keeps an impressively functional sleep schedule (goes to bed at 10pm every night, wakes up at 8am every morning)

Is an RA (resident advisor) for his dorm floor and tries to be a good resource for freshmen

Bikes everywhere, enjoys taking walks/getting outdoors for a break from studying

Likes to make and listen to music in his free time (which is not a lot)

Sett

Majoring in athletic training to be a sports coach

Student athlete on the wrestling team - spends a lot of time training and traveling to meets off-campus, so he's not around much until the off-season

Hangs out with the boxing club when he's not doing wrestling

Part of an all-men a capella group and enjoys singing/rapping

Joined a fraternity in his sophomore year because most of the wrestling team was on it and enjoys chilling with his friends in it

Casually bakes things in his free time and brings them to the wrestling team/his classmates/office hours/his frat brothers

K'Sante

Anthropology major, education minor - interested in becoming a teacher/professor and enjoys working with kids

Also a student athlete, on the powerlifting team

Part of a hip-hop dance group on campus and likes to choreograph

Involved in campus queer life and helps organize/run events

Takes voice lessons - used to play trumpet, but didn't have time for both in his schedule

Also part of a fraternity, enjoys the sense of community it offers and plays an active part in organizing/managing their social events

Seems like he's constantly busy, but always makes time for his friends and enjoys the feeling of being on-the-go

Ezreal

History major with a minor in classics (studies Latin/ancient Greek literature and languages)

Acts with a theater club in his spare time - loves musical theater and plays, especially Shakespeare

Hung out in the history/special collections section of the library so much he got a student job there

Loves wandering around campus to find cool, obscure places that he's probably not supposed to be in

Joined a debate team in his freshman year (Kayn was on it) (they hated each other)

Big on going to parties but can't handle alcohol so instead of getting drunk he goes back to his dorm and falls asleep at like 11pm

Aphelios

Computer science major with a minor in graphic design

Does digital art and traditional art; enjoys taking studio art classes when his schedule isn't full

Occasionally does game design and similar coding projects

In the orchestra and plays the violin!

Enjoys physically making things every once in a while - jewelry, paintings, etc. and often doodles in a sketchbook absentmindedly

Sometimes publishes his art and poetry in a student magazine under a pseudonym

Kayn

Political science or government major with a minor in studio art

Spends a lot of time in the woodworking/metalworking studios, partially for art classes and partially because he just likes hands-on projects

Plays electric guitar and was part of a student band for a while (the one he got kicked out of)

Likes parkour and rock climbing, regularly shows off his ability to climb up things that he definitely should not be climbing on

Member of a fraternity (but it's the kind that throws a bunch of parties and probably has illegal drugs)

Goes out to party every weekend and doesn't wake up until 1pm the next day

Skateboards everywhere and knows a bunch of cool tricks

Alune

Film production major with a minor in biology

Part of a fashion design club and does photoshoots for/with them

Does a capella and loves performing! Does musical theater every once in a while

Active in political causes on campus

Works as a barista in one of the campus cafés

Likes to roller skate around

i have a couple combined/group headcanons that i'll post tomorrow if i have time :3 this AU has grabbed me and is currently shaking me by the shoulders and won't let go

[redux-iterum]

do dogs know Fang?

Some do, mostly strays and the occasional far-ranging pet who learned it from another passing dog or, extremely rarely, a wild animal that could speak canine. But on the whole, it's very rare, and dog scholars are even rarer.

It's not for lack of desire - dogs really love to learn new things that could help them make friends and allies, and most of them are sharp enough to retain a lot of information quickly, so they've got the stuff to learn it. I'm sure you could approach any random dog and ask if they'd like to talk to those funny-looking red dogs with cat-eyes, or ask that black-and-white-faced fellow what his humans are like, and they'd most likely eagerly respond that they'd love to, please, where do we start!

The problem is that the average feral/wild animal's interactions with dogs consist of being chased, barked at, mauled, or losing territory to them and their masters. They're all too closely associated with humans, the most hated creature in the world, and often are the tools used by those humans to eradicate populations of animals just minding their own business. On top of that, they're loud, lumbering (or scuttling, if they're small), and too often thinking with their nose and tongues, not their minds. This leads to poor impressions when a large year-old pup bumbles into a rabbit's nest and excitedly sticks his nose between the kits, trying to discover what they are, and leading some of the kits to die of fright. You wouldn't invite a dog to your nest, even if they are friendly. There's just too many risks involved.

Canine scholars have it rough for this reason. No one wants anything to do with them, no matter how much information they've got or how valuable that information is. They're more often trusted if they're visibly older (white muzzles and faces, etc) and slow in their movements, but it's not a guarantee that they'll be welcomed into a badger-sett to teach the kits about the history of their kind.

[helenaheissner]

Comic Review: Green Arrow by Joshua Williamson Volume 1: Reunion

As a longtime Green Arrow fan, I had been looking forward to reading the first trade paperback of the current ongoing series by Joshua Williamson for a few months now. Williamson's been having something of a moment lately- his also ongoing run on Superman has been widely-lauded and very much enjoyed by me personally, and while I've not yet read his Batman & Robin series, the snippets I've seen online make it look very much up my alley.

In the wake of a recent event storyline titled Dark Crisis (also written by Williamson, and which I've not read either), Oliver Queen, rich brat turned hardcore survivalist turned bow-wielding man of the people superhero, is missing, stranded on an alien world for reasons he knows not why. So he does what he does best: survive.

The drive to survive is something I consider an inherent part of Ollie's character: he's motivated not by a desire for justice, vengeance, or familial obligations like many other DC heroes, but by an iron will to survive implanted by his being stranded on the not-so deserted island of Lian Yu for several years. He wants to survive, by any means, and he wants that for everyone around him as well. That is both his greatest strength and his greatest weakness, because sometimes by choosing survival over all else, he neglects to let himself truly live the life he wants with the family he has built, or otherwise cross moral lines for the sake of his (admittedly very noble) concept of a greater good. That dissonance is a huge part of what drives this six-issue opening act. Because while Oliver is doing what he does on the other end of universe, his family- specifically his adoptive son and former sidekick Roy Harper/Arsenal; the on/off love of his life and mainstay of the JLA, JSA, and Birds of Prey, Dinah Lance/Black Canary; and his illegitimate biological son, former Buddhist Monk turned co-Green Arrow, Connor Hawke.

It's on their hunt that they find trace of Roy's presumed-dead daughter by an unrepentant supervillain, Lian, and a touching father-daughter reunion happens... Only for Lian to suddenly vanish in a rush of light, and rematerialize on the same world where Oliver has been stranded.

Let's talk about the Arrow Family for a moment, shall we? The Arrow Family is freaking great! Oliver and Dinah are genuinely one of my favorite ships in all of comics, Roy is a Teen Titans mainstay who's undergone some of the best character development in all of comics, Connor is a brilliant example of a legacy superhero done well, and Oliver's adoptive daughter and other sidekick, Mia Dearden/Speedy, as well as his other-other sidekick and much younger half-sister Emiko Queen/Red Arrow, are two of the most criminally underrated heroines in the DCU. But due to several questionable editorial mandates and a few baffling writing choices over the past twenty or so years, the family has been scattered. Lian was straight-up dead for over a decade in real time, Connor and Mia were stranded in the proverbial comic book limbo after a continuity reboot in the early 2010s (long story), Roy and Dinah were on the outs with Ollie at various points in the past two decades, and while Emiko has gotten to hang around pretty consistently, the character wasn't created until 2013 and didn't became her big brother's sidekick until 2017. And this is without even getting into all the instances of Oliver being an idiot about his personal life and isolating himself from his family in the process.

This comic makes that a driving tension in a very literal sense- something is causing the members of the Arrow Family to teleport away from each other when they're near each other, causing Oliver to conclude that the only way they can all survive is to be apart.

He's wrong, of course. And he realizes he's wrong. And I won't spoil why, other than a very clever reveal of just who from Oliver's personal history would want to mess with him, as well as setting up a new potential archnemesis for the entire Arrow Family going forward in Amanda Waller (which, frankly, is a move that makes so much sense thematically it's surprising it took so long for someone to try it, given the potential contrast between Oliver's humanistic progressivism and Waller's authoritarian patriotism). What I will say that when truly pushed, when truly forced to choose between survival and family, Oliver sticks to his guns (so to speak) and chooses his family, chooses to take a chance on all of them being together no matter what risk there is for something to go wrong. Because when you're hardwired for survival above all else, the idea of letting someone, anyone, let alone a whole family of someones, into your heart is TERRIFYING. But Oliver Queen is not a coward, and he wants very much to be able to prove wrong all the many, MANY people who think that he is a bad man. He wants to be able to look in them in the face and tell the unblinking truth when he says 'no, I am a good man. Fuck you.'

And he does. And it is GLORIOUSLY CATHARTIC.

This book also does emotional beats very well. We get two parent-child reunions in this story, between Roy and Lian and then later Ollie and Connor, and both of them bring on the warm and fuzzies something fierce as these people who have been through so much together put aside all the hurt feelings and bad memories and are just thrilled to see each other once more. And then there's Ollie and Dinah's reunion... Let's just say I swooned. I swooned something fierce when my OTP got a spectacular (and rather hot) kiss scene.

This book also does banter and superhero lunacy very well (Roy and Peacemaker getting into a shoot-off becomes a plot point, and Oliver fights literal alien corporate fat-cats while in space) while still balancing it all in real emotion and a compelling personal story with personal stakes. It's aided by superb artwork from Sean Izaaske, who not only provides fantastic panel layouts, action scenes, and facial expressions, but also does several fun stylistic shifts when representing different periods in Ollie's history. It builds on established lore and character arcs without actually requiring you to know the storylines they originally came from (which is not always easy in superhero comics). Basically, it's very, VERY good, and I recommend it highly.

***

Thank you for reading! If you like this and want to support my work, you can give me a like, a repost, and a share! You can also become a paid subscriber to my Patreon in exchange for advance chapters of my stories and other exclusive content:

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[clefaiiiry]

New Heights, New Depths

more bottom / sub sett agenda

the working title for this was 'wham bam thank you ma'am' just because i thought it was funny

Read on AO3

Read on Tumblr - Under Read More

-~*~-

How did he let K’Sante rope him into this?

“Nu-uh, this was your idea!” K’Sante says.

Sett digs in his heels. “Well, maybe for once in my life I had a shitty idea-”

“C’mon, you keep saying you wanna try it,” K’Sante says, all but dragging him down the street.

“Sure, yeah, but there is a huge difference between talking about doing it and actually doing it, ya know?”

K’Sante waves to a guy as they reach the doors and he hauls Sett over the threshold. “Just trust me. Try it once and if you hate it then, hey, at least you gave it a shot.”

He’s right, and he hates when K’Sante is right. He’s always so smug about it. Sett can already hear him now, ‘see? You just gotta push out of your comfort zone!’

If his comfort zone is staying at home watching baking show reruns, then a BDSM club was probably the furthest away he could get.

Part of him regrets asking K’Sante what the deal was with that necklace he never took off. A day collar, he’d called it, from Yone. That opened a whole goddamn rabbit hole and left him feeling like he was fifteen again, trying to hide his search history from his momma.

He’s had sex, has even been told he’s pretty good at it, and obviously he’s watched plenty of porn, he was a guy-

But learning how vanilla all his experience was shattered any kind of self conceptualisation he’d managed since his teenage years.

“There’s nothing wrong with vanilla,” K’Sante had said, but that shit was like Pandora’s box; once it was open Sett couldn’t leave it alone.

So now he’s here, hanging outside Targon dressed like a damn nun compared to the outfits some folks were walking in wearing. No judgement, show it off if you’ve got it and all that, he just felt very overdressed. And like a total loser.

At least he wasn’t as much of a loser as Ezreal was for staying home. Loser.

Once they get inside, K’Sante stops to chat with another friend and retrieves a little yellow wristband from the basket on the door for himself. He whistles to catch Sett’s attention and his ears swivel first before he turns.

“Hey, you’re a sub, right?”

“What if I don’t know I’m a switch yet?”

K’Sante gives him a look. “Are you being serious?” He plucks a blue wristband from the basket and tosses it to Sett. “Yellow for doms, blue for subs, green for switches.”

Sett rolls his eyes, but accepts the stupid little wristband anyways.

Initially, it looks like any other club and a pretty tame one at that. Now, Sett was nearing his thirties and hadn’t been clubbing for years, but he was struggling to remember why he enjoyed it so much. His ears flatten against his head to attempt to block out the pretty horrendous electronic crap coming through the speakers. Someone’s being hauled off the dancefloor after nearly passing out, but they still seemed to be having a good time.

He stays close to K’Sante as they pass through, heading to a heavy curtain at the back. It’s sectioned off with velvet rope, bright purple LED trimmed above the entryway. A woman stands to one side, pretending to look busy on a tablet.

“No,” she says without looking up and before K’Sante even has a chance to open his mouth.

He laughs, casual and suave as usual, leaning forward in that way that made anyone swoon. “Awh, c’mon Leo, I’ll vouch for him.”

Unfortunately for K’Sante, this woman is immune to his charms. “You know the rules,” she says, ponytail swinging as she finally meets his eyes, “he needs an application before he can come in. Really, what did you think I was going to say?”

“Look, if he gets into any trouble it’ll be on me. Please?”

“No. Because it won’t fall back on you, it’ll fall back on me.”

K’Sante groans and rubs his face. “Can I go in and find the guy I’m looking for, at least?”

“Fine,” she says, unclipping the rope and holding it to one side.

K’Sante glances back to Sett. “Get a drink, chat someone up,” he waves a hand, “I dunno, unwind a little.”

K’Sante abandons him before he can object. 

Sett hovers awkwardly for a few seconds longer before he drifts off toward the bar. He leans against the counter trying to appear comfortable, like he actually knew what he was doing, though he wonders how convincing he could really be when his ears are still flat against his head. It wasn’t his fault, the bass was particularly loud in this corner.

God, what was he, sixty? Complaining about noise? Kayn was right, he really is a momma’s boy.

This should not be so-

“Good evening.”

An older woman perches on the stool beside him, swirling her drink. He thinks she’s Ottrani vastaya but honestly can’t tell, her ears just barely poking out from her fluffy hair. He notes her wristband, yellow.

“I’m urh, waiting for someone.” Smooth Sett, real smooth.

“Don’t worry, I know you’re here with K’Sante,” she says, “you just looked utterly terrified all on your lonesome.”

“What, me? Nah, I’m fine. Totally fine.”

She smirks. “Then you won’t mind if I just chat with my new friend.”

“Typically you give your friends a name.”

She places her free hand over her chest. “I’m Soraka.”

“Sett. So, you come here often?”

Conversation flows so naturally it’s quite easy to forget where he is. If not for the occasional people covered in leather heading into the VIP area, he could forget why they were actually there. Soraka’s voice is steady, warm, eases his gnawing uncertainty. She offers to buy him a drink and when he declines she only smiles, tells him everything will be fine and he honestly believes her. Is she the kind of woman Ezreal would go nuts over? Is she a milf? He's not sure if she’s old enough but he’s sure as hell not gonna ask.

They’ve probably been chatting for about twenty minutes when he spots K’Sante again, returning from the VIP area with another man. He’s a pretty thing, slim and tall, geometric ink trailing up his arms, boots landing with a heavy thunk at every step.

Then he taps at K’Sante’s shoulder to get his attention and raises his arms, hands moving rapidly.

Oh, he signs.

“And he’s not going to cause trouble?”

“He's a good guy,” he hears K’Sante say over the music, “don’t worry about it.”

The man hums, glancing over. Even in the low light, those eyes are piercing, trying to pick him apart from across the room. Sett averts his own.

“Oh, he’s setting you up with Aphelios,” Soraka huffs over the rim of her glass, “you really are after a workout, aren’t you?”

“Should I be scared?”

Soraka laughs. “Only if that’s what you’re into. He can be just a little intense, is all.”

Sett scoffs, leaning back against the bar. “I can handle intense just fine.”

She only stares at him, then finishes her drink. “Have fun,” she says, melodic and sweet, then rises to her feet and twirls away back over to the dancefloor.

Since K’Sante’s been gone, he’s managed to get glitter in his beard. Sett decides he’s better off not asking. K’Sante gestures to the man at his side as they close in.

“Sett, this is Aphelios. Aphelios, this is Settrigh.”

Sett cringes, extending his hand. “Sett is fine.”

Aphelios gives him a once over from head to toe, expression impassive, arms crossed over his chest. The moment drags with all the grace of a limping hound.

Hey buddy, wanna shake my damn hand yet? You’re only making me look like a total asshole-

Finally, he takes it with a little nod. His hand is colder than Sett expects. “A pleasure. K’Sante says you’re new to all this.”

“Ha, he’s sharing all my secrets already?” He grits out, shooting K’Sante a glance, who only shrugs.

Aphelios taps K’Sante’s shoulder, then signs, “Maybe you should book him with Soraka instead? Or Alune even.”

“No way, they ain’t got a session for weeks. Besides, you were the one mad about a cancellation.”

“Usually that’s what waiting lists are for.”

“Consider it a favour owed.”

Aphelios lets out a deep, long sigh through his nose. He closes his eyes, running a hand through his hair. He’s got a cute little cowlick that flicks back up as soon as he moves his hand away. 

Then he signs, “Fine, let’s talk.”

“I’ll leave you to it,” K’Sante says with a grin, “Yone’s waitin’ in the back.” And he’s gone again. For such a huge guy, man he can move.

Yone’s here too? No wonder he’s so desperate to ditch him-

“What is it you’re looking for?” Aphelios says, leaning against the bar in a manner much too casual for the environment.

It takes him a few seconds to register that Aphelios has asked him a question. Sett shrugs and rubs the back of his neck. “It’s embarrassing-”

Aphelios scoffs. “Look where you are. Whatever you want, I’ve probably heard it before. You can’t surprise me.”

It was Sett’s turn to size him up and yeah, he could believe that. Still, verbalising it seems impossible.

“I- I wanna- I’d like to- Urgh.” He takes a breath, then forces it out. “I’m the boss all the time. Everyday, every hour- Ya know, it’s exhausting.” His ears pin back against his head and he averts his eyes. “I guess I just wanna not be the boss for a while.”

Aphelios stares at him for a moment longer, then waves to catch Soraka’s attention. He makes a vague gesture, but she understands, slipping through the crowd toward them.

“Sure,” Aphelios says, “we can figure something out.”

When Soraka gets to them, she slips a little business card into Sett’s hands with a nudge and a wink.

“Go the the website and fill in the form before-” Aphelios furrows his brows in thought for a moment. “-Friday?”

Sett huffs through his nose. “I can do Saturday.”

Aphelios lips twitch into a smile. “That works. I’ll text you.”

-~*~-

‘This form is the beginning of negotiations. Please make sure to communicate!’

‘Remember the question, “What do you mean by _____?”’

The negotiation side made the whole process way less sexy than Sett would have liked. He was expecting maybe, two pages max, but after page five this was starting to feel like it would never end.

Kink etiquette, ID checks, STI checks, yadda yadda- if he knew it was gonna be this complicated to get smacked around he would have just gotten into a street fight.

“Hey, at least it’s thorough,” K’Sante had said.

Sett only groans and continues swiping through all the options, each to be marked Yes, No, Not Sure, or Discuss Further.

Does the submissive wish to receive pain? Does the submissive wish to resist? Does the submissive wish to be restrained?

Bondage, collaring, leather, latex, gags, blindfolds, rope, chains, tape, wax-

Sett ends up marking half his answers as ‘not sure’ or ‘discuss further.’

Once it’s complete, Aphelios sends him a text the following evening. He communicates mostly in emojis so it initially takes Sett a few reads to understand what he’s actually saying. He sends through an attachment of his own form and tells Sett to read it.

Sett skips most of the boring parts, swiping and skim reading through the pages until he finds,

What will the submissive call the dominant? BOSS

Oh, the motherfucker-

“Boss? Really?” Sett laughs. At least that meant he was attentive. That’s probably a good trait for a dom to have, right? He tries to remember his own answers to the equivalent question,

What will the dominant call the submissive? Mutt, Pet

Those weren’t too out there, besides they could always up the ante if they weren't doing it for him.

Aphelios’ form is much more certain than Sett’s. It’s an interesting read, and he actually manages it with a mostly straight face. Aphelios, as it turns out, is more than willing to throw his punches. Happy to inflict high levels of pain, to tease, to withhold or ruin orgasms. Choking, waxplay, sensory deprivation, it seems Aphelios is open to pretty much anything so long as he was the one calling the shots. The ‘no’s were minimal, mostly reserved for more specific kinks that even Sett had turned his nose up at, but one catches his interest,

Is the dominant open to switching? Yes | No | Not Sure | Discuss Further

Sett debates asking about that one, since he’s such a nosy fucker, but decides it’s probably best left unprodded.

His phone pings again and he’s been sent another cryptic string of emojis. Once he deciphers them, he figures out Aphelios is asking if there’s anything in particular that he’d want for his first scene.

‘Surprise me,’ Sett sends back, even though it felt like tempting fate.

He gets a little devil face in response.

-~*~-

Saturday is upon him before he can even blink. Sett is totally prepared and absolutely not pacing a dent into the apartment floor.

“Quit freaking out. It’s just a scene. It’s not like you’re going on a date or whatever,” K’Sante had said.

“What if I’m so great it turns into a date?”

K’Sante had laughed. “Sure, keep dreaming, buddy.”

A few hours later, Sett finds himself standing outside Targon again. He stares up at the glowing neon sign for approximately ten minutes before he works up the nerve to finally walk inside. It’s very much the same as it had been last time, though he doesn’t stop to collect a wristband on the way in. The bouncer on the VIP section is the same redhead woman as last time, though if she recognises Sett she doesn't show it.

“I’m here for Aphelios?” he says.

“Sorry,” she says, though is anything but sincere, “he only does by appointment and he’s booked up for months.”

“No, I’m his date, or whatever.”

She blinks, then her lips twist into a smile. “Ah, you’re Sett! Yes, he said you’d probably be early. Can I just ask you to sign here-”

When he’s finally let in, she tells him to wait while she informs Aphelios, and Sett finds it difficult to look, well, anywhere. He doesn’t want to stare but since most people in here are half naked or covered in latex that’s a pretty tough task. Is that guy wearing a dog tail buttplug? Yep, he sure is. Good for him. That lady’s being used as a footstool? Hope her back is alright- Is that a pair of subs in a cage? How would he feel in a cage? It’s really too much for him to process at the moment.

He retreats to the wall and leans back against it, tapping an offbeat rhythm on his knees. It strikes him how much it feels like he’s waiting for the headmaster to show up and scold him.

He had marked all the role play options as ‘discuss further’-

A hand taps at his shoulder and he jerks from his thoughts. Though his expression is neutral, Aphelios offers a cute little wave.

“Oh, hey,” Sett says, really hoping he comes across as nonchalant and not like he’s currently shitting a brick, “You urh, you weren’t stood there long, were ya?”

Aphelios shakes his head and gestures for Sett to follow. No point standing on ceremony.

They head further into the VIP area and down a corridor at the back, Aphelios moving swiftly as Sett strides to keep up. It’s quieter back here, the thrum of music from the main room only a distant rumble. There’s signs along the walls, informing about club rules, consent, protection, all the formalities. Most of the rooms are free as they pass, but the night is still young.

The room they end up in is at the end of the corridor, one Aphelios unlocks with a keycard. It’s almost sterile, with dark walls and vinyl flooring. There’s a low bench along one wall, a table against the opposite. There is a bed, but the mattress is all leather so he can’t imagine it’s particularly comfortable. A kneeler is shoved off to one side, out of use for tonight it seems.

Aphelios dumps his phone and keys on the table where there’s already a bottle of water, condensation dripping down the outside. He waits until Sett closes the door behind them before he signs,

“You didn’t put anything for safewords so we’ll use traffic lights. If you’re happy to continue, you say green. If you want me to slow down, you say yellow. If you need to stop completely, you say red. Do not hesitate with your safewords, do you understand?”

“Sounds good.”

“Since you won’t always be able to see my hands, I’ll snap my fingers when I wish to speak with you.”

It all feels very professional, way too formal. Then again, Sett reminds himself of the sheer amount of paperwork it took to even get into this room so he really should have expected it. He peers at the table and feels the sting of disappointment when he realises there aren’t any toys or tools he can see.

Aphelios sees his expression and says, “I want to figure out your limits, especially since you’re new to all this.”

Sett scoffs. “I ain’t soft.”

“I never said that.” He’s frowning as he signs it, brows furrowed tightly. “Besides, I can ruin you just fine without striking you once.”

Oh, he likes the sound of that. “Then ruin me, pretty boy.”

Aphelios raises his chin, lips twitching. “As long as we’re in this room, you call me boss. Is that clear?”

He nods a little too eagerly, then realises his mistake. “As day, boss.”

Aphelios hums. “Undress, then kneel here.”

Fortunately, Sett had the forethought not to wear complicated layers, so his shirt is off before Aphelios even finishes his sentence. He’s probably a little too keen on this, but he’s been patient enough already. He just wants some damn action already. His belt clinks as he tosses his clothes over in the vague direction of the bed. Then a moment of hesitation as his fingers hover over the waistband of his underwear, and he glances back up. Aphelios nods, so he takes them off too.

Once he’s down on his knees, Aphelios takes a step toward him, expression impassive, almost bored. But behind that facade is a distinct, primal hunger that leaves Sett feeling smaller than he ever has.

He wants more.

“Don’t slouch, fix your posture.”

It doesn’t occur to Sett that he could disobey. There’s nothing forcing him, but still he finds himself following the order without hesitation. He’s already half hard and should probably feel a modicum of shame for that, but finds himself uncaring. He sits up straighter, chin raised.

Aphelios continues signing, “Keep your hands behind your back. Hold your wrist if you have to, but keep them there.”

Sett does as he’s told, resting his hands at the small of his back. The way his tail tickles his arms is oddly grounding.

“Good. Very good.”

Pride wells up in his chest and Sett can’t resist a grin. Aphelios’ expression darkens.

“Don’t look so pleased with yourself. I haven’t touched you yet.”

“Sorry, boss.”

Aphelios bares his teeth and, after one last disinterested glance up and down, circles around behind him out of sight.

His ears perk, following every movement intently. Fingers idly play with the tip of one, carefully rubbing the soft fur. Sett remains firm, determined not to sink so quickly.

Lithe hands trail down Sett’s throat, tilt his jaw up so he sits straight. His Adam’s apple bobs as he swallows involuntarily, clutching his wrist. Aphelios doesn’t squeeze, but his hand lingers, firm and unyielding. Sett’s a big guy, he could probably throw him off if he really wanted to, but there’s something about the illusion of helplessness that has him panting.

Then he’s forcing Sett’s chin upward, far enough to strain, back arching. Sett shudders as Aphelios’s trails his nails down, digging in minutely and his breath stutters in his throat.

“Fuck,” Sett grunts, but stays put, a dull ache building in his wrist from his nails. That earns him a little scratch at the base of his ear. He groans, ear flicking instinctively, ticklish.

Aphelios leans up, pulling Sett back just a little further to meet him halfway. Lips tease the soft, wispy fur at the tips of his ears and he can’t help but shudder against the sensation.

Then there’s teeth and Sett yelps, the sound melting into a needy whimper as Aphelios tugs at his ear. He’s not biting hard, but it’s enough to send sparks down his spine.

Aphelios’s free hand follows the curve of his back, appreciating the muscle beneath his fingers. Aphelios’ hands are cold, or maybe Sett is just burning hot, but it leaves him squirming against the sensation.

“Aphelios-”

He withdraws completely and Sett whines.

“Wait-”

Aphelios circles around to stand in front of him, painted lips twisting in contempt, in pure disgust. “If you can’t be a good mutt, then you don’t get touched.”

It takes a moment to realise he’s slouched again and Sett chokes around a whimper as he sits straight. “I’m sorry, boss. I’ll be good, I promise I’ll be good.”

There’s a hand on his jaw then, squeezing. Sett pants, lets his face be tilted upward to meet those piercing eyes.

Aphelios raises his free hand then, “Open your mouth.”

He does. Aphelios squeezes even tighter.

“Wider.”

Sett whines and opens as wide as he can.

Aphelios huffs through his nose. Then he spits in Sett’s waiting mouth, clamps it shut, and presses his free hand over his lips. He doesn’t need to sign for the next command.

Swallow.

Sett’s eyes roll back as he does so, holding his breath until Aphelios steps back and removes his hands. He opens his mouth again to show his obedience, tail wagging against his hands.

“So, you can follow an order.” Aphelios huffs through his nose and squats in front of him, head tilted. “And you’re already in such a state.”

Sett can’t help but squirm under such scrutiny. “Boss, please.”

“Please what?” He signs and the fucker tries to stifle the smirk on his face, tries to maintain the impassive, mildly annoyed expression. “Use your words, pet.”

“Please touch me.”

Aphelios reaches out and slides his fingers into Sett’s hair, rubbing at the base of his ear. A purr rumbles up from his chest before he can push it back down and Sett leans into the sensation, closing his eyes, letting himself drift.

There’s a snap of fingers and it takes a moment for his muddy mind to comprehend. Sett blinks a few times, then sits straight, wrists at the small of his back. 

Aphelios watches him intently, lets him stew in it for a while longer before he slides a hand down Sett’s flushed, damp chest. Even such a slight touch has him arching forward, groaning.

It’s agonising watching those fingers dance their way down, slowly, so slowly. He tries to steady his breathing, spreads his knees a little wider as if it could tempt him.

But Aphelios does not budge, in fact his hand stops just inches from where Sett needs them and he realises he’s shaking.

Aphelios scoffs. “So desperate.”

Sett tries to roll his hips, only minutely, praying to whatever god would listen that Aphelios wouldn’t notice, but of course he does and removes his hand in punishment.

“Fuck. Boss, please- please touch me.”

“I already did,” he signs innocently, “wasn’t that enough? Such a demanding little mutt, aren’t you?”

Sett’s ears are flat against his head as he tries in vain to still his quivering hips. “Boss, please touch my cock, please-” He licks his lips, whines oh so sweetly. “I’ll do anything! Please!”

That earns him a hand on his face, thumb smoothing over his cheekbone. Sett shoves into it like a man starved, gazing at him with the prettiest flushed cheeks. Aphelios pats his cheek twice, a condescending slap with barely any force. Sett whines despite it.

“Open.”

Sett does as he’s told and Aphelios presses two fingers inside, pushing down on his tongue.

“Suck.”

And by God, Sett licks and sucks like he might die tomorrow, vulgar filthy noises tumbling from his throat. He takes them as deep as he can, gagging and choking around them in earnest. There’s drool spilling from his lips, down his chin. He must look like such a mess-

Then there’s a hand on his cock and it’s like his entire existence has led to this moment. Sett keens around the fingers, the sound cut off by another gag as he fights to take them deeper.

There’s red rising in Aphelios’ cheeks, a small victory compared to the absolute state Sett is in. His hand is slick, Sett has no fucking idea when he had time to lube it up but he’s not complaining as it slides in a slow, harsh rhythm. Up, down, up-

Heat keeps building in his gut, swirling and molten and Sett feels like he’s going to explode. He can’t stop the way his hips jut upward, but the pathetic little whimper he delivers afterward seems to be a good enough apology.

The fingers in his mouth are cruelly withdrawn and Sett is left freely to spew soaked, filthy noises from his worn throat. It’s all surging too quickly, he’s dizzy and his cock is soaked, he’s so fucking hard-

He doesn’t want this to be over so soon-

“Boss, wait- I can’t- I’m gonna-”

Aphelios hisses and it takes a long moment to realise that he’s trying to hush him. His free, spit covered hand rises into view. “It’s okay, pet, you can cum.”

Sett can’t construct a response before he’s jerking his hips and crying out as that heat erupts. He cums harder than he has in months, dimly aware of the way it splatters across the floor. He rides out every second, until his stomach starts to hurt and his cock starts to burn from overstimulation. He tries to pull back but Aphelios forces his hips back down. He’s still going.

“Boss, I can’t- I can’t- it hurts-”

Aphelios coos and snaps his fingers so Sett looks up. His smile is wicked, his tongue peeking out between his lips. Oh, he’s evil.

His hand keeps moving until Sett is crying, until his throat is raw from his pathetic sobbing, wriggling beneath Aphelios’ iron hold.

But he doesn’t safeword, doesn’t let go of his wrist.

Finally, finally, Aphelios releases him and Sett can’t stop himself flopping to the ground with a heavy thud, panting and gasping for precious air. He’s quaking violently now, every muscle aching from strain.

His vision is blurred, everything hurts, he’s pretty sure he’s landed partially in his own spend. He’s so cold, reality feels so distant and alien.

He’s not even sure where Aphelios has gone, not even the vague notion of where he could be in the small room. Sett wracks his brain, pure mush, trying to recall what he’d put down for aftercare-

“I won’t need anythin’,” he’d said to K’Sante.

“You just want him to leave you there after? Not even a pat on the head?”

“Why not? I can take a beatin’, no problem.”

He hadn’t understood K’Sante’s insistence at the time but right now? Crumpled on the ground, shaking and nauseous?

This sucks, it sucks so hard. He feels like he’s about to puke-

There’s a quiet sound beside him and he looks up as Aphelios sits beside him, cross-legged, watching intently for a few long seconds.

Then he opens his arms. An invitation, one Sett takes with embarrassing haste. He can’t quite get upright, so shuffles across the floor until he can rest his head in Aphelios’ lap, a torn breath ripping from his chest and pittering into a sob. Aphelios only strokes his hair, his other hand reaching downward, curling around his shoulders. Sett’s arms snake around Aphelios’ waist, clinging to him like a lifeline.

If it bothers him, Aphelios doesn’t make it obvious.

He leans down, curling around him almost protectively, like nothing in the world could touch him as long as Aphelios was there. And in the back of his lucid mind, he honestly believes it.

Slowly, very slowly, Sett starts to ground himself, the little coil he’s wound himself up into finally starting to loosen. He blinks a few times, then reality crashes back into him.

“Fuck,” he says, shooting up to a sitting position. How he doesn’t headbutt Aphelios on the way up, he has no idea. “I’m sorry, I didn’t-”

Aphelios smiles. A little thing, a barely-there twitch of his lips, but it utterly bewitches Sett in an instant. His heart feels ready to burst from his chest.

“Do you feel any better?” he asks.

“Yeah! Yeah… Tired.”

Aphelios snorts. “That’s pretty standard.”

He moves closer, carefully guiding Sett to lean against him again. Sett’s head ends up on his shoulder, kneeling before him as Aphelios strokes through his hair. He drifts, sluggish and heavy, kinda like how he feels after too long a workout.

“Hey, wait- wait,” Sett blurts out, “I didn’t get you off.” He reaches out with his lead hands-

Aphelios catches them and jerks back, eyes wide, manic almost. Sett recoils.

“Shit, I’m sorry.”

“No, it’s okay. You don’t have to.”

“You sure? I’m more than happy to!” I really want to, please let me-

Aphelios only smiles. “That’s very sweet of you, but it’s fine, really.” Then after a pause, he adds, “maybe next time?”

Sett’s ears perk and his tail wiggles. “Next time?”

“Sure, if you’re up for another round.”

“I can handle anything you throw at me, boss.”

A mischievous smirk spreads over his features. “Be careful what you wish for.”

Sett looks around for his clothes, tries to stand- and crumples. Aphelios is there to ensure he doesn’t smash his knees but Sett is more astonished that he can handle the weight without even a stagger.

It does feel a little embarrassing, being led over to the bench and having his clothes handed over like he’s totally shitfaced, but it’s kinda nice being taken care of.

Aphelios makes certain he isn’t going to slump over, then passes him the water bottle from the table. While Sett sips, he signs,

“Let me call you a cab.”

“Nah, it’s fine, I can-”

“I insist.”

Maybe he’s just too goddamn tired, but Sett feels he doesn’t have much room to argue back.