#windchaser

[pitgritted]

smash + pass for each of the heartsteel members go

⟐〝  is  this  s’pposed  t’get  me  to  croak  ?  come  on  ,  these  are  my  boys  !  just  uh  [  ...  ]  let  me  think  about  this  for  a  second  .  〞  sett  adjusts  his  agonizingly  yet  delightfully  adorable  choncc  plush  held  in  the  cage  of  his  musculature  arms  ,  tendrils  curling  over  its  malleable  head  .  his  pads  engraving  the  memory  of  its  seemingly  velutinous  texture  of  the  choncc's  scales  ,  the  grizzled  man  rocking  himself  evenly  on  the  surface  of  his  bed  ,  the  mattress  easily  molding  into  the  shape  of  his  body  as  he  laid  back  .

                                  his  variety  of  other  plushies  stacked  in  a  neat  pile  along  the  bed  that  met  in  contact  with  his  walls  .  his  ears  twitching  instinctively  at  the  light  caress  of  softer  appendages  from  his  stuffed  companions  .  〝  tsk  '  ahhh  [  ...  ]  where  to  begin  ,  eh  ?  let's  see  -  kayn  -  kayn  -  !  〞  sett  grips  the  choncc's  head  tighter  ,  creating  folds  into  the  poor  pink  creature  .  〝  that'll  be  a  pass  .  a  hard  one  .  i'd  rather  not  get  fuckin'  trunked  by  that  weird  ass  rhaast  dude  .  the  man  doesn't  even  do  the  dishes  ,  what  makes  y'  think  he  can  get  me  off  ?  〞  a  laugh  blisters  off  his  tongue  ,  ridged  canines  clicking  together  .  〝  now  yone  -  that's  a  big  smash  .  pretty  face  ,  nice  'n'  long  legs  [  ...  ]  he'd  be  a  keeper  .  〞

sett  fixes  his  lips  together  ,  brows  creasing  together  now  .  a  moment  .  another  .  〝  'ez  -  〞  he  barks  out  sharply  ,  〝  'ez  [  ...  ]  smash  ?  maybe  ?  he's  too  darn  slippery  .  packs  quite  a  joke  though  -  〞

                                  〝  k'sante  [  ...  ]  my  man  .  it'd  be  a  smash  ,  without  any  contest  .  he  gets  me  .  helps  with  my  muscle  work  .  if  it  came  to  friends  with  benefits  ?  what  the  hell  ,  huh  ?  i'd  fuck  him  .  〞  who  else  was  there  -  ?  sett  feels  like  there  was  a  thousand  people  in  his  group  .  oh  shit  -  〝  'phel  -  !  smash  -  !!  absolutely  without  hesitation  -  !!  but  i  can't  help  the  feelin'  he's  been  sorta  hintin'  at  gettin'  it  on  .  just  a  hunch  -  〞

[agonizedembrace]

hi han hi evelynn , i am tucking you into a warm and cozy blanket cocoon and kissing you on your sleepy lil head because you deserve it ... you work so hard all the time even with your shitty boss and unideal work environment and then even though you're tired you still make room in your schedule to love on and support your friends as much as you can and i think you're such a good friend and person to be around ... you have chill af vibes but at the same time i love doing silly stupid shit with you on aram or rift and DKEJDNNDD riP your rank but i am looking forward to ranking again with you once our ranks are compatible again mwaH i love u smsmsm and i think you're so talented and skilled at games that a lot of ppl would consider mechanically difficult or complex and yet you pick things up so easily and i think that's so admirable and cool of u fr fr..

kya... mars.. hi.. ( eve stares from a distance )

this is so.. SO.. :WEEPIGN: thank you, this actually means so much, even on my low energy days you all make it just a little bit brighter 😭😭😭😭 kya you out here saying i have chill vibes and then i lose my mind to the collector sjfhkdskhjfldskjhf

DFKJHSDKHJFSDKJHF IM SORRY THIS MEME IS JUST TOO FUNNY TO NOT POST SDFHJKSDFKJHDSFKJHDSKJH ( i adore u and venom dearly ... i mean no ill with this )

WAH??? i don't think im that talented at games ... but thank u that does mean a lot. tbh i feel like i invest too much time into them sdhjfdskjhf but ig if they make me happy then.. yk sdfhjkdskjhf but no!! i think UR cool mars wtf

[yanlei]

[ text - usan ] : your son keeps asking for a motorcycle ...

» — ⌜ TEXT MESSAGES⌟  ,

— @windchaser

→ [ Yone ]: So he does.

→ [ Yone ]: I'm not sure he can have one without endangering himself and others. Kayn is a brilliant boy but too audacious for his own good sometimes.

→ [ Yone ]: I don't know. He has been living with you for some time, now. How is he behaving? Do you think he could handle it? I don't want to be too strict, and he is an adult, albeit a young one. But I know how well it went in the past, trusting him with more than he could handle.

[pridefought]

❛   '   gives   great   relationship   advice   ,   '   huh   ,   ❜   yone   reads   off   the   frame   in   the   video   .   a   short   burst   of   amusement   escapes   his   lips   .   ❛   do   i   want   to   know   who   you've   been   giving   relationship   advice   to   ?   ❜   the   corner   of   his   mouth   curves   upwards   in   slight   smirk   .   ❛   not   that   i   don't   believe   it   ,   but   i'd   love   if   you   could   work   your   magic   on   ezreal   and   kayn's   constant   bickering   .   ❜   he   kids   ,   of   course   —   there   was   nothing   saving   that   .   or   the   rest   of   them   from   the   daily   headache   .

» — ⌜IN CHARACTER ASKS⌟ ,

— @windchaser

Hearty laughter follows the reminder of that particular description (gives great relationship advice), one he did not expect would make it to the information shared about each member of the band; Yone's amusement only adds to his own, and K'Sante laughs again at the almost-question. "You'd be surprised, Yone." More than one of the others, truth be told. For some reason, they had determined he was good at it, despite his own failure in his past relationship — or perhaps because of it, and all he had learned from his mistakes with Tope.

"Oh, but freezing over the sun seems less daunting a task than stopping those two from bickering. You're asking me to do the impossible, my friend," The reply is offered with a smile that denounces the fondness behind his words; troublesome as the boys can be, K'Sante holds them dear to his heart (even when they're incessantly bickering). A sentiment obvious in his voice as he continues: "They are young, still. Give them time — they'll learn."

[iedolon]

[ text : aphelios ] - did you draw your discord icon ? why is it like that ?

// yone cannot understand its beauty i'm afraid pls it's time to put him in a retirement home

[ sms : yone ❤️🐓 ] — do you like it i can draw you one too

[ sms : yone ❤️🐓 ] — i showed the rep that song we worked on last week and he said it’s fine for a bside “he guesses”

[ sms : yone ❤️🐓 ] — how much jail time will i get if i

[ sms : yone ❤️🐓 ] — this message has been deleted.

[ sms : yone ❤️🐓 ] — alune said to take it back so i’m just kidding i love our reps very much. they are amazing.

[witchcraftandburialdirt]

h

hey , tell me a fun fact about yorii

═══ HEADCANON INQUIRIES ═══

So for anyone who didn't know, this is Yoriichi, more art of him here and here:

I could honestly talk about Yorii for 50 years straight, he is my most developed muse and is a very damaged man, but I will keep this lighthearted for the sake of funsies, and since you like Yorii so much, Mars, I'll give you 3 fun facts about him.

To start, Yoriichi is 6'8" in his human form, he has funky little dragon feet, a chunky tail and horns. He also has a split tongue, slits for pupils, fangs and claws that he keeps trimmed down because he's embarrassed about them. His brother has a matching mark on his forehead that is all of the empty spaces on Yorii's.

While not featured here, THIS IMAGE IS BEFORE SHIT GOES DOWN IN HIS LORE, he canonically covers his face in various clothes and does not speak very often, generally using either sign language or depending on one of his close companions to speak for him. He has extremely high anxiety in relation to trauma events that have rendered him almost mute, and he keeps his face hidden with the hope that no one will look at him for too long - doesn't really work when you're as tall as him but one can dream.

This man adores everything small, from animals to teeny little cakes to pebbles. He tends to hoard these items and pack bonds with just about all of them; projecting living traits onto those non-living objects. He will buy the cutest cupcake and then never eat it and when it eventually gets thrown away he will sulk. No he won't stop. There's been a running gag that he has 30 small sculpted hamsters that he's hiding under his bed.

He needs therapy.

[ionianwanderer]

origin of the scar on yasuo's nose in restaurant au though ... cooking accident or smth else ?

God I think it would be funny as shit actually if it was a cooking accident where he was trying to be a show off with his knife skills and 100% cut himself in the stupidest way because he got distracted.

So here we go right:

This is a day where they're busy as hell, some sort of lunch rush maybe? Of course, Yasuo is being a bit of a show off (especially since this is him as a younger adult) with his filleting skills and makes a show of it in the front of house with the customers. Tries to juggle the knife in some stupid feat of skill, ends up cutting his nose pretty badly. Boom, scar.

Bonus if he never hears the end of it especially in a "Hey remember when your dumbass cut your NOSE juggling a knife???". I also like to think Yone eventually brings this up to Yasuo's little stray he feeds when he's not around because he asks Yone about it LMAO

[deathdxnces]

your pinned post so pretty i am admiring it gently ...

thank you... 🥺❤️ i wanted it to be pretty...

[spirithunts]

sitting   across   from   her   on   set   ,   yone   looks   between   the   camera   and   ahri   before   looking   back   down   at   the   list   of   questions   that   had   been   given   to   him   .   a   brow   lifts   as   he   scans   the   following   line   ,   laugh   of   disbelief   spilling   forth   from   lips   as   he   raises   both   hand   to   chin   and   eyes   to   hers   :   ❛   how   embarrassing   …   you   probably   didn’t   expect   me   to   be   the   one   asking   you   this   question   ,   but   ——   who   is   your   favourite   heartsteel   member   ?   ❜ 

what   a   load   of   crap   ;   anyone   could   tell   the   question   for   what   it   was   ——   a   prompt   planted   to   stir   up   attention   and   speculation   between   their   respective   fanbases   .   although   he   has   full   faith   in   her   ability   to   deflect   or   answer   without   difficulty   ,   if   there   was   a   way   to   at   least   telepathically   communicate   his   own   unhappiness   and   sympathy   for   the   senior   popstar   ,   he   would   .   there   is   fatigue   in   his   bones   and   fatigue   beneath   the   polite   expression   he   shows   for   the   cameras   .   he   tilts   his   head   ,   hands   folding   neatly   before   him   as he offers good-natured chuckle .   ❛   is   it   right   for   me   to   even   guess   ?   i   think   that   everyone   in   heartsteel   brings   their   unique   merits   and   charms   to   the   table   .   ❜

» — IN CHARACTER ASKS!  

— @windchaser

The subtle smile that plays upon her lips is practiced enough to no longer seem practiced. For one who truly knew her, beyond cameras and stages, it would be noticeable that it does not reach the popstar's eyes sincerely as the camera focuses on them. Only briefly does it shine with honesty (and sympathy), softened as her blue eyes meet Yone's gaze. It wouldn't take being able to sense emotions to know he is deeply unhappy with this poor attempt at stirring rumors and potential drama. 

She knows the feeling well.

But this isn't her first time dealing with pathetic attempts at profiting from rumors — at profiting from people as if they were made to entertain, their true feelings and thoughts irrelevant. Ahri always regrets not being quite as abrasive as Evelynn, in moments like this; her friend would speak her mind and criticize the question unafraid of repercussions, truly. But it isn't the way she is, and at any rate, the popstar can't see her colleague being all too happy with it either. Yone does not seem to want to make it into something bigger than it ought to be, and they are surely in agreement on that.

 Safe as her reply might be, it would only be deemed boring if Ahri didn't deliver it right. With enough charm, it is but what the public would expect from her: not hesitant and appeasing, but earnest, perhaps even sweet. Sincere, too. She doesn't have a favorite; she knows them all too superficially for it. She does, however, appreciate their creativity and the unique talent each of them adds to the group. It reminds her of K/DA, in a way, and it's enough to make her somewhat fond of the so-called boyband.

"This is definitely a question that is harder to answer when posed by one of Heartsteel's members," The lightness of her voice is accompanied by a smile, an airy giggle following the commentary. It flows easily into the next part of her reply, casual as she shifts in her seat and tosses blonde-pink hair over her shoulders. "But you guessed right. I think each of you is uniquely talented, and the combination of your strengths is what leads Heartsteel's work to be so special. I truly couldn't answer differently when that's also how I see K/DA. When I sought the girls to form the group, I knew our different personalities and tastes would make us better, and that is also the case for Heartsteel, from what we could see of your work so far."

"Between your organization and guidance, Sett's powerful presence, Kayn's attitude, Aphelios' creative genius, K'Sante's charm, and Ezreal's brilliance you have a team full of great talents, bold and ready to show all you got. It would be impossible to pick one — I'm really just excited to see what else you guys will create together in the future." The dazzling smile that follows conceals uneasiness; she hates the implication of pressure for more work, newer content, the way everyone always expects more and more and more, even when these expectations are born of love. To repeat it to another leaves her bitter, no matter how careful in her wording she is to avoid suggesting that; it feels like just playing a part, once again, as they all have to do, to some extent, as she always despises doing, even when complying. Not anything anyone would notice — especially not with how she decided to close her answer. "Really, how could I pick only one when I hope we can gather everyone in Heartsteel and K/DA for a collab one day?"

[sinistercall]

what's your favourite thing about ithuriel's appearance ?

𝐔𝐍𝐇𝐎𝐋𝐘 𝐀𝐒𝐒𝐀𝐒𝐒𝐈𝐍 𝐘𝐎𝐔𝐑 𝐁𝐈𝐑𝐓𝐇 𝐖𝐀𝐒 𝐀 𝐌𝐈𝐑𝐀𝐂𝐋𝐄. 𝐁𝐇𝐀𝐀𝐋 𝐂𝐎𝐍𝐂𝐄𝐈𝐕𝐄𝐃 𝐘𝐎𝐔 𝐅𝐑𝐎𝐌 𝐀 𝐏𝐋𝐀𝐂𝐄 𝐁𝐄𝐘𝐎𝐍𝐃 𝐌𝐎𝐑𝐓𝐀𝐋𝐈𝐓𝐘. 𝐘𝐎𝐔𝐑 𝐁𝐈𝐑𝐓𝐇... 𝐘𝐎𝐔𝐑 𝐂𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍 𝐅𝐀𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐑 𝐓𝐄𝐍𝐃𝐄𝐃 𝐓𝐎 𝐘𝐎𝐔 𝐖𝐈𝐓𝐇 𝐋𝐎𝐕𝐄... 𝐇𝐄 𝐌𝐀𝐃𝐄 𝐘𝐎𝐔 𝐏𝐄𝐑𝐅𝐄𝐂𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍.

Something I really enjoy about Durge as a whole is the fact that Bhaal had "given his seed" out long before Durge was even an idea - and instead, with Bhaal being on another plane, was sculpted from his very essence. Sceleritas Fel answers a lot of questions about Durge's past, and one of the questions able to be asked is in regards to Durge's mother; to which its discovered the character doesn't have one:

𝘠𝘖𝘜 𝘞𝘌𝘙𝘌 𝘕𝘖𝘛 𝘊𝘖𝘕𝘊𝘌𝘐𝘝𝘌𝘋. 𝘉𝘏𝘈𝘈𝘓 𝘚𝘊𝘜𝘓𝘗𝘛𝘌𝘋 𝘠𝘖𝘜 𝘍𝘙𝘖𝘔 𝘈 𝘋𝘙𝘖𝘗 𝘖𝘍 𝘏𝘐𝘚 𝘖𝘞𝘕 𝘎𝘖𝘙𝘌.

I found this idea really cool because bodies are full of different colors, not just red but whites, blues, purples, all of that - so I had to sit and really decide what I wanted to do with them since I was dead set on making a tiefling. But of course being me I couldn't just leave her being standard red, and instead wanted to base her on something else in the body besides blood. Eventually I settled on having her visage be inspired by bleached bones and their raw marrow:

There's many different viscera within the body, and I included the inspiration of veins and arteries as well - the blues lend themselves a fine contrast to the pinks and creams that make up her main body. The reason I went with bones specifically is because of their meaning in regards to Ithuriel's storyline: there is a degree of duality with regard to the symbolism of bones in that they can both represent death but also the indestructible part of life which endures beyond death. Not only this but in many cultures they are used to encourage reflection on one's mortality and the impermanence of worldly attachments - and identity is a major theme of Ithuriel's story since she feels she lacks one at all.

Her name even means "discovery of God" - whether she follow the lifelong destiny promised by Father Bhaal or decides to free herself from it entirely.

Another aspect of Ithuriel's design are the two dark crescents under her eyes, they're not actually markings but rather makeup that she puts on when she wakes up in the morning. This is more than a routine for her, however. Durge's storyline is rife with amnesia and while it isn't my favorite trope it does lend for some interesting explorations in terms of identity and what it means to connect with something specific from one's past. These markings are similar to a haircut or a tattoo for her; they are something she remembers being present on her body often, and she intends to keep them there as her reflection looks wrong without them.

This next paragraph is going to seem like its out of left field a little but I promise they all connect. Within the realm of DND devotion to Gods usually brings about boons or power that can be used by clerics, paladins etc - this happens whether someone is born into worship or indoctrinated. However if you dig a bit deeper into Bhaal specifically you’ll find books and writings detailing how his devoted are gifted divine ecstasy. Joy and pleasure beyond anything by following his tenets - and considering some Bhaalists are necrophiles it definitely extends into sexual pleasure. A common reaction to sexual pleasure is to run the hands down the face, usually starting at the corner's of the eyes and following the curve of the cheek down to the chin or jaw.

These marks that she is recreating with makeup are from the blood of hundreds (if not thousands) of sacrifices within Bhaal's name, each one having their blood smeared down her face while she writhed in pleasure gifted from her Father. Ithuriel before the tadpole was a massive hedonist, and while extremely logical and efficient as she is now, she enjoyed her worship and the gifts given to her by Bhaal. While Bhaal inflicts his spawn with dark urges/nightmares so they either submit to the depravity and become a worshipper or resist and Ithuriel, in her past, felt extremely loved and connected to her Father and gladly obeyed his doctrine. Currently she's unaware why she's so connected to these markings, or of their nature, and uses a dark carmine to rouge pigment to recreate the markings.

I also like her double horns and that she's built like a brickhouse but -

[yanlei-a]

flashes m7

— @windchaser

kills him and spams this emote

[pitgritted]

we all know that sett loves being pet ( and deserves the head scritchies ) but does sett find it at all disrespectful or offensive if people he doesn't know or trust comment upon or try to touch his animal features ?

he  does  actually  .  he  knows  his  ears  can  be  a  center  of  attention  &  usually  defuse  most  of  the  intimidation  he’s  trying  to  aim  for  ,  giving  off  something  in  nature  of  [  cute  ]  .  people  in  valoran  are  generally  respectful  about  the  vastayan  community  ,  as  they  come  in  all  shapes  ,  sizes  ,  &  magic  .  animal  inspirations  can  differ  or  there  is  a  mix  .  so  there’s  not  usually  a  case  where  someone  has  come  up  to  sett  &  just  attempt  at  touching  his  ears  or  petting  him  .

he’s  quite  tall  ,  so  it  usually  hinders  the  possibility  of  that  happening  .  his  stature  is  also  very  burly  ,  so  it  can  make  others  adhere  to  his  power  &  aggressive  appearance  .

if  push  comes  to  shove  ,  sett  will  make  somebody  apologize  if  they  think  about  touching  or  commentating  about  his  ears  .  it  was  a  very  regular  thing  before  his  career  as  the  boss  of  an  ionian  —  noxian  inspired  —  fighting  pit  .  being  a  pit  fighter  ,  getting  under  the  skin  of  your  opponents  came  in  handy  of  winning  the  stage  &  the  hearts  of  the  crowd  .  sett  was  used  to  having  his  ears  pointed  out  ,  &  that  he  was  just  some  lost  young  pup’  wandering  the  wrong  streets  .  he  silenced  that  joke  many  ,  many  times  .

he  absolutely  hates  when  others  not  within  his  circle  of  trust  feel  ,  stroke  ,  or  briefly  caress  them  .  his  ears  are  sensitive  ,  &  it’s  an  appendage  he  heavily  relies  on  for  listening  just  like  the  ears  of  everyone  else’s  .  this  is  held  true  for  his  tail  located  beneath  his  tailcoat  .  i’m  sure  there’s  an  unspoken  rule  in  regards  to  [  touching  ]  a  vastaya  as  a  stranger  .

[agonizedembrace]

can't remember if i asked this before but how does evelynn charm those who are not attracted to women or perhaps not attracted to anyone at all ? does she appear differently to these people or do her abilities work regardless of the fact ?

i feel like we might've talked about this before in dms/a gc so!

it is canonical that eve can shift her form as she pleases! she defaults to what we see and know, as that feminine shape and form, that's often what lures in most of her prey. i would say that her charms / magics likely works well on anyone, but if she were to put the effort in, im sure she'd could lure without if she shifted herself to appear more masc if that's what her target was attracted to.

though generally safe to say more times than not she doesn't even need to excess that extra energy, due to how well she's able to do her job.

as for those who aren't entirely holding any kind of attraction... i haven't entirely considered. i would say these individuals are the ones she would have to use that extra energy and magic for. it would be purely on her charms/magics for them to be lured in for her to be able to feast and claim as her own.

[yanlei]

[   text   —   usan   ]   :   exactly   that   .

[   text   —   usan   ]   :   however   ...   i'm   considering   if   there'd   be   any   merit   in   teaching   him   myself   .   with   your   approval   ,   of   course   .

» — ⌜ TEXT MESSAGES⌟  ,

— @windchaser

→ [ Yone ]: I considered that before. I think it would be the best way to go about it. If he does not start supervised, I fear he might simply do it anyway, without taking enough care.

→ [ Yone ]: If you are willing to teach him, I think it would be a good idea.

→ [ Yone ]: But you must prepare for the kind of student Kayn is. Enthusiastic as I'm sure he'll be, it might be difficult to rein him in sometimes.

[pridefought]

he   knew   the   fake   police   tape   and   other   crime   scene   paraphernalia   had   called   out   to   him   from   the   clearance   decorations   pile   for   a   reason   .   the   complete   disrespect   that   had   greeted   him   this   morning   :   one   of   the   heartsteel   members   had   swept   ,   but   not   disposed   of   the   dirt   —   instead   leaving   it   maturing   on   the   ground   where   yone   is   now   found   laying   adjacent   ,   feigning   death   .   what   horror   .

» — ⌜YONE DECIDED TO PASS AWAY⌟ ,

— @windchaser

K'Sante forgets the reason he had walked into the kitchen of Heartsteel's shared residence upon stepping into the room and being greeted with a 𝑪𝑹𝑰𝑴𝑬 𝑺𝑪𝑬𝑵𝑬 — or what may as well be one, with Yone lying on the floor feigning death.

It takes neither doctor nor detective to find out the 𝐂𝐀𝐔𝐒𝐄 𝐎𝐅 𝐃𝐄𝐀𝐓𝐇: he lays right beside it, the dirt swept but not disposed of ( only the latest crime on a string of many, K'Sante knows; the boys have a talent for avoiding their assigned chores or doing it with as little care as possible ). A quiet sigh escapes him; dramatic as Yone's reaction may be, he cannot fault him for it, tiresome as it must get to be the responsible one all the time. It's disrespectful to them all to not fulfill one's assigned task properly, but it must feel all the more so to the one constantly trying to make sure everything is in order. 

And, as much as he enjoys their shenanigans, K'Sante understands a line must be drawn at times; they need to be more 𝐑𝐄𝐒𝐏𝐎𝐍𝐒𝐈𝐁𝐋𝐄, and it's time someone other than Yone made sure they understood that. But first things first: he could scarcely leave the other man lying on the floor like that.

Naturally ( and with far too much ease ) K'Sante lifts Yone from the ground, carrying him to the nearest couch — where he'll be left to rest comfortably instead of working and worrying, at least for a little while. ❝ I'll find the culprit and make sure he sees the error of his ways — don't worry about it. You deserve a break. ❞ His tone is warm, despite everything. There is no jest in it, however; this time, he fully intends to be the one scolding the others. ❝ So wait here and rest. Soon enough he'll be here with an 𝐀𝐏𝐎𝐋𝐎𝐆𝐘. ❞

[iedolon]

@windchaser sent a letter : ❛   aphelios   ,   ❜   comes   utterance   of   other's   name   ,   weighted   in even just those four syllables .   the   doorway   ,   empty   only   a   few   seconds   ago   ,   now   frames   yone's   looming   figure   ,   appearing   as   if   summoned   from   thin   air ——   this   harbinger   of   sure   misfortune   (   though   whose   exactly   ,   was   yet   to   be   disclosed   )   .   he   steps   into   the   room   ,   extending   closed   fist   palm-up   towards   aphelios   .   the   hand   opens   ,   revealing   the   six   tiny   plastic   toy   chicks   that   he's   found   strewn   about   the   house   over   the   past   two   hours   .   ❛   ——   why   .   ❜   the   question   ,   like   the   answer   ,   is   likely   only   the   tip   of   the   iceberg  

" hm? " ━━━ innocence settles easily on his face: the way that his eyes turn up and he tilts his head, a sound pitched in seemingly genuine confusion. it's second nature, aphelios finds, the way that he so expertly evades situations just by playing ignorant. among the heartsteel members, kayn rivals the songwriter in causing just as much trouble but never successfully evades blame by making his escapes too obvious, too loud. AMATEUR. he barely looks up from his notebook where he scribbles absentminded lyrics and drawings, simply a means to appear distracted and busy. the tone of yone's voice tells all and he sees the flash of yellow in his hands, the way the plastic clinks when he extends it to him.

" me? i saw k'sante and kayn holding those. i meant to tell you. " ━━━ there's the ghost of a smile on his lips when he fails to meet yone's eyes again; it proves difficult to keep his knowing look from rising too quickly, a simmer that threatens to boil in a bout of silent laughter. so he turns his head, places his chin in his palm to brush his thumb over his lips to cover the way the corner of his mouth twitches. in favor of a response, aphelios merely hums a quiet tune to forgo a proper reply as his fingers run over the notes in his book, flipping through the dog eared pages.

his fingers are quick when he produces a sketch before sliding it to face yone. it's rough, but the image is clear: 12 chicks frozen in each cube of an ice tray. underneath are a few messy words circled with a smiley face. i saw some here, too. in case you haven't found them. i think there are 200 around the house. :)