#shackle-foes

[lesbian-empress-nero]

3 times Yosuke feels he doesn’t belong and 1 time he knows he does 

Yosuke is 12 and living in Tatsumi Port when he realises. It hits him like a punch to the gut, except he thinks a punch would be better in this scenario. 

He realises that he doesn’t belong in this group, all rich and snobbish and definitely shunning him. None of them spare even a second glance as he slinks away, resolving to find the nearest pay phone that’d be still operating at this time of night. 

Eventually he makes a collect call to his mom begging for her forgiveness and quickly explaining that he’d lost track of time before catching the last monorail to the station by his house. His “friends” don’t call. They don’t ask where he’d gone at school the next day. They don’t care, and Yosuke knows. So he stops caring about them.

2. Yosuke is 14 and tired. He’s stopped attending school, too busy preparing to move to a whole new place halfway across the country. Inaba, his mom told him. He’s too tired to put up a fuss about moving. 

His “friends” from school still don’t call. They don’t drop by to offer help with packing. They don’t talk to him when they see him around town. 

His “friends” aren’t really his friends. He knows this. But that doesn’t stop it from stinging any less. He can’t count how many things he told them, how many secrets he’d whispered in the darkness of sleepovers, unaware that he was the only one really saying anything. 

But they also held him when he cried, they listened when he ranted about his dad, they stopped him from punching things when he became angry. 

Silver lining, Yosuke supposes. 

3. Yosuke is 15, and still tired. If anything, it seems to have gotten worse. His bones ache when he moves, his eyes feel heavy with a lead weight he doesn’t remember attaching to them. But his heart has been encased in concrete. 

Chie and Yukiko are nice, absolutely. But he doesn’t mesh with them like they mesh with each other. Because having lived here in Inaba for about a year now, he’s still the school’s exotic attraction. A city boy in a backwaters high school, with slender, gangly limbs and a face that he’d heard other boys describe as “girlish.” 

It’s unfair, really, how some people can blend so well with everyone, while he can barely blend with himself. Music is his only comfort, as pathetic as that is. The blaring from his headphones helps him turn his attention away from what’s bad in his life, and focus on what’s good. Like Chie and Yukiko not constantly making fun of him for how he looks. 

There are good and bad aspects about everywhere, Yosuke has figured out. Chie and Yukiko are good aspects, definitely. 

Yosuke is 17 and living in Inaba when he realises. It hits him like a punch to the gut, except he thinks a punch would be better in this scenario. 

He walks in a field outside Inaba, shoes discarded behind a bush by the roadside. The sky above a deep, dark blue, with black clouds rolling by lazily. A cool breeze drifts by in the warm air, carrying the sweet scent of summer and ruffling his hair. 

Beside him walks Yu Narukami, his partner and best friend. It’s been a year since the Inaba murders were solved, by them no less, and now Yu is back, and Yosuke feels gobsmacked by how much his partner has changed. 

Yu is taller now, the baby fat in his cheeks burned away to make way for handsome features. He’s taller now- Yosuke has to look up to see that Yu’s grey eyes are darker now, more stormy than steely, and his hair has grown out a bit, though it remains the soft grey it was last year. Yosuke finds that the urge to card his fingers through it has only gotten stronger as time passed. 

“Yosuke. What would you say...” Yu begins, turning his head to look at Yosuke. They both stop walking. The sky turns even darker, and Yosuke breathes in the sweet air, listens to the cicadas in his ear. 

“If I told you that my parents are letting me stay in Inaba for this school year, too?” 

Yosuke feels like he’s been punched in the gut twice. Once because his best friend is staying here again, his best friend will be within arm’s reach once again. 

Twice because Yosuke realises he likes Yu as more than just a best friend. 

It’s a terrifying realisation. But it’s one he welcomes. He knows where his place in the world is. He’s known it ever since Yu placed himself in their lives, made himself comfortable in the spaces of their hearts and made residency in Yosuke’s head, whispering soft things that make way for yearning that makes his entire body ache. 

His place is at Yu’s side, so that’s where he places himself. Hugs his partner so tight he hears bones popping into place, slots himself comfortably in the space between Yu’s arm and side, resting his head on Yu’s shoulder. The fabric of his shirt is soft and comfortable, and Yosuke makes a mental note to steal it from his partner the next time he spends the night. 

“I’d welcome you home, partner.” 

god where do I even start with this. yosuke is my beloved creature and this is just so delicious. love the detail that yosuke migh be from tatsumi port island. yosuke feels like an outcast his whole life, no real friends, no one to care about him until he meets yu. yu just brings the group together, makes yosuke feel seen, like he's important. they're partners, not just friends. yu makes him feel seen for the first time in his life and that means so much to him. yu means everything to him and he just wants to be by his side forever. loving each other. yosuke finally getting the love he deserves.

[riceballoon]

Hello!! I saw your comic about Velvet Room Attendant!Yu and wanted to know if you had any more content with that au? It kinda got me hooked lmao

ahh i'm glad you enjoyed it!! unfortunately i don't have any more new drawings related to this au or persona in general, i'm sorry TTOTT 💔 i do have some remaining miscellaneous p4 doodles though...!

i posted those drawings 2+ years after actually drawing them so i'm not currently in the persona fandom anymore! again i'm sorry to disappoint i know this wasn't what you were looking for :(

[tag-that-oc]

friendly neighbourhood inventor who lives in a bell tower (and gets thrown through its window in a fight)

alaistor, the inventor

.

[selfdiagnosedeyemotif]

...It’s a shame it had to come to this, Iris. I wish you could have lived. I wish we could have been alright.

Do not think me cruel for this.

[What if there was another way?] [You should have saved her.] [You could have saved her.] [Why did you take the easy way out?] [Do you truly care that little?] [Rather callous of you.]

[definedvines]

saw your account frequently in the ryuji tag. decided to follow you. haven't regretted a damn thing since

that's very kind thank you!

[possuminnit]

OMG HI I HAVENT TALKED TO YOU IN FOREVER

hiiiii wowow nice seeing u again ^_^ how have u been :D

[justagingerwithredhair]

GINGER i absolutely adore you

did you know that narwhals have become one of my favourite animals bc of you? you've affected my life in such a positive way

i love you a lot and i love talking to you and i love being annoying about stardew with you <33333

Eeeeghbbbjgjfbebsndhdjsj

Gjjebsjajdjsjhfjdjskfjgkgkdkd

Fjajrjsktktlfkgkgiyododkfjgjdkdjdkdd

wuv you too <3

im happy to spread the good word of narwhals across the land :')

[beantothemax]

boo

EEK!!!!!!!!

[mar9iech]

Grief is an Anchor

Shame, the shackles heavy on the ankles Guilt, the gasoline fuelin' in between

It's a race you're losing for time's forever a foe who stops for nothing No rewind or pause

You, alone, must flee non baggage-free You run until you're numb from the person you've become

It's a one-way adventure caught in a motion Deep seas and desert land Will one ever understand: that grief is an anchor and tears are an ocean?

©mar9iech (first posted: Jan 2021)

[zarvasace]

And here are Dire and Madness, dark Twilight and dark Four!

Rambling and more art beneath the cut as has been standard :) only two more left to do and guys I love them

Masterpost

Dire

Dire is dark Twilight. 

He and Twilight share one major trait: they are protectors. Not even a process that bastardized Sky’s kindness could take that away. By no means is Dire nice, however. He is a Twilight that has lost all control and doesn't care to regain it, because that would mean facing all he's done. Some part of Dire is aware and suffering, but he purposely buries that part.  

But on the surface that he presents and identifies with, Dire lashes out at everything that causes him pain—which is a lot of things. Dire is no different from the other Darks, in that he can't stand the light and gets annoyed quickly. He doesn't often speak, and nobody is really sure how much he really understands of what's around him. He acts more like an animal than a human in a lot of ways, and is often a little more cruel than he has to be. He's unnaturally strong and quick, and his weapons of choice are his nails and teeth. He indulges his brutal urges because the alternative is thinking.

For plans that require destruction and fighting, the Darks let Dire run out first. He could probably fight an army on his own, provided that he has plenty of darkness and an enemy without too much strategy. He's powerful and extremely dangerous. Due to that, the Darks don't let him run free. They use the shackles around his wrists and neck to keep him nearby and out of maiming range. When they do let him out though (to hunt or fight or exercise or whatever), he always comes back…

Because Dire is a protector. He leans more offensive than Twilight, but Dire too knows friend from foe. He doesn't always care, but Dire has sorted the other Darks as “friend” in his head, and he won't let anything hurt them except for themselves, if he can. He's particularly fond of Madness and Nothing, and has been known to grab them and not let them go, even when they start biting. 

Dire’s design pulls a lot from the fever dream in Twilight Princess: gray skin, blank eyes. He has longer, more matted hair than Twilight. His claws are wicked sharp, and he wears tattered clothes without shoes. His wolf pelt is the softest thing about him, and it really should be washed. His markings are a bit more dramatic than Twilight’s, extending down his cheeks and arms and legs. 

Despite the markings, Dire does not have an alternate form like Twilight. Well, he might, but he was never cursed the same way, and this technically is his dark world form. Some combination of magic might give him the ability to shapeshift, but he doesn't need it. He's bestial as it is. 

Madness

Madness is dark Four! There is one big question here: is Madness the same person as Shadow from the manga?

Yes and no! Madness and Shadow do not exist at the same time as separate individuals. They were both made from Four’s darkness, but for different purposes. Shadow really did die when he smashed the mirror, and this isn't exactly a second chance… but it might be. Think of it like this: that body is a computer. Shadow was an operating system there, logging away memories and performing programs. Madness is on the same computer, but is a different operating system (a weaker one, really). However, those memories and personality from Shadow still exist, buried and only subconsciously influencing Madness’s behavior. They act eerily alike sometimes, not that anyone but Four would notice. Perhaps someday, Shadow’s OS will break through and become dominant, but even if he did, he wouldn't be the same. Madness would still be there. 

“Still rivers run deep”—to me, this is very much Four. One body, four colors; a deep knowledge of his chosen trade; a rather serious demeanor with a lot of variety and thoughts; plans and ideas backed up with a combination of emotion and logic. He's balanced. In contrast, Madness is a “fast river running shallowly,” an unbalanced amalgamation of too much, all at once, a broad variety with little substance. 

Madness is a little… unhinged. He's clearly smart, but he speaks in roundabout ways, making connections that don't exist or are too convoluted for anyone to follow. He stares into the distance a lot, and can be quite unnerving if you try to notice how often he blinks (rarely). Nobody can really decide how much of his behavior is on purpose or just how he is. When let loose, Madness shows unparalleled capacity for complex plans, but he doesn't always know how to hold back and often goes overboard. He'll beat that dead horse, and bomb those charred ruins, and smash that fallen vase… You get the picture. 

A lot of these Darks have an odd magical power, and Madness’s is one of the more prominent ones. With a touch, he can attempt to bury a bit of his power in the mind of a sentient being (human, Rito, Zora, Minish, etc) and turn them into a thrall. While a being is a thrall, their eyes turn red and their consciousness goes to sleep. Madness can give them mental commands, and they technically work under his processing power and not their own, so no matter how vague the commands are, they do what he means them to do. Madness can also jump into thralls’ heads to pilot them specifically, seeing from their eyes and speaking from their mouth. He doesn't magically know everything about the thrall, though, so he still has to try to impersonate, and that doesn't usually work well. While he pilots, Madness is still technically in his body, so he will say out loud anything he's commanding the thrall to say, which limits his opportunities to trick the others. 

Without commands, the thralls sit in still silence, which means that over extended periods of time, Madness does have to worry about food and rest for them. The more thralls he has, the less effective he is, because his focus is split, even if he isn't directly piloting more than one person at a time. If he lets someone go even for a moment, the connection is severed entirely. He absolutely refuses to use any thralls in a combat scenario, because he feels their pain, even though it's fainter when he isn’t directly piloting. He uses thralls instead to gather information, start rumors, purchase/steal supplies, and often just cause chaos. 

Madness is actually rather genre-aware. He knows that their schemes are destined to ultimately fail, because the Darks are the “bad guys” and they will lose. As such, he's hedging his bets and logging away information for an inevitable betrayal to the Lights. He does not intend to be on the losing side when it gets down to it. He has half-baked plans to snatch a few of the other Darks and take them with him, too. Madness absolutely does not take any sort of leadership role, which means that he doesn't feel any responsibility to rein in Nothing, making him Nothing’s favorite. Madness also spends time hanging out with Dire, who he thinks understands more than he lets on. Those two would be his first choices, and he thinks Nothing might know that. (This is not at all related to the fact that Shadow’s memories of betrayal are both sweet and bitter.) 

Madness does not get along well with Agony—Madness prefers chaos and mind games over Agony’s stab-first approach. He purposely annoys everyone else. Along with Depth and Shackle, Madness is one of the few Darks who can pass as human, so he's been on a few excursions into towns or groups, and he likes emphasizing his unnerving traits. He'll use a sword if he has to, but prefers bombs and words. He doesn't have any powers from Shadow (shapeshifting, stretchiness, whatever else), but he is very sensitive to light, like most of the Darks. 

Madness casts a wide net, putting on an air of randomness with a sprinkle of insanity for flavor. He connects more dots than he appears to, though, and has a few unexpected urges toward the light. Make no mistake, though, he is a Dark, and he has no intention of doing good just to do good. His ultimate goal is to survive the Dark Chain’s fall, and beyond that… traveling? Therapy? Living at home with people he doesn't hate? (Why does he feel an emotional connection to his Light? Why does he want to protect him? Why does he want to exercise his freedom? Why does it feel like he's running out of time until—)

[obscuritory]

Realmz is a Macintosh RPG from 1994 that has a ton of content packed inside. It comes with one built-in scenario that doesn't have a main quest line so much as it does a dozen separate oversized sidequests, as well as a bunch of extra scenarios you could buy separately. There's hundreds of items included in Realmz, and I'm not sure how many of them are actually used in the base game, whether they were included for the add-on scenarios, or whether they were just added in the hopes that they'd be used in the future.

The creators of Realmz clearly had fun coming up with all the extra items. Especially all the flavor text! ESPECIALLY for all the cursed items. Here's some of my favorites, taken from the Realmz Character Editor. It was really hard to narrow these down (Reproduced as they were written with typos.)

Broadsword +2 A weapon fit for a lord. This weapon will bring many a jealous stare.

Scimitar of Trickery -2 A foul curse brought upon by an evil druid so long ago. Even the gods do not remember why.

Mace of Destruction +3 This weapon is extremly powerful and has always been in the hands of evil. Until now!

Morning Star of Pain -2 Aaagh! Sharp pains shoot through your arms as you try to bring this weapon to bear. What diabolical force created this?

Flail of Devilish Dare +4 Woe be the netherbeast to confront a foe who brandishes this weapon.

Tip Sword of Stench -2 The olfactory emissions produced by this item cause its wielder to choke and gag whenever need is greatest.

Sword of the Omen -3 This small blade brings visions of horrible destruction. Before the end of the first new moon they invariable come true.

Battleaxe of Death -2 Faaaughh!! What sick wizardry is this? It inflicts damage on the wrong side!

Bow of Thumbs -3 A criminal creation is this. Somewhere a vile wizard laughs.

Bow of Shalomar This mystical weapon was though to have been lost when the golden elves were banished from the Realmz. That does not now seem to be the case.

Throwing Hammer +3 If a hammer could swat a fly on the wall at a hundred paces, this hammer would be the one to do it.

Cobra Strike +4 Though it is disgusting to look upon, it is a mighty weapon in battle.

Firestorm Invented by a senile fire giant who was attempting to construct a interior heating system, firestorm arrows will blanket an area with flames that persist up to five rounds.

Cheters Blade +8 This weapon was once the weapon of Cheter. Cheter was an aid to Charon, ferryman over the river Styx. Cheter was slain while fighting at Charons side battling a powerful demon wishing to cross Styx without paying.

Leather of Darkness -2 Spawned from the pits of hell itself! Woe is the adventurer who mistakes this for a suit of armor.

Armor of Imprisonment -3 This suit looks innocent enough until you try it on. What twisted wizard created such poison as this?

Gauntlets +24 These gauntlets radiate so that none but the moronic will deny the power of their bearer.

Gauntlets of The Void Contemplate what is worst in men, and you will find a portrait of he who created this filth. Baaahhh! They hurt even to look at!

Cloak of Darkness -3 Many have considered the possible good that could have been done with the huge amounts of raw power used to create this cursed cloak.

Salt Table Salt, useful for curing meat and perhaps throwing in the face of enemies.

Gauntlets of Pain -2 This foul curse is considered one of the most painful. One will never play the flute again if worn too long.

Hellsbane +11 Created by Chetnyet the Brave in his quest to rid Hell of all devilkin. Such a fool who believes that hell can fall to the likes of just one man.

Necklace of Shackles -5 At first this necklace appears to be valuable. Hmmmmmph!!!

Shadow Mask A perminent smell of rot pervades this mask. Though it smells disgusting, it's benefits are vast.

Staff of the Ages Can turn any creature into a statue of stone. The mind is not destroyed and the cursed creature often goes mad from boredom over the centuries.

Mystic Luck Stone +20 This unique item is a true wonder. Taken from the dead body of a Vex Witch by "Bolo the Angry". A powerful ogre who found the witch dead of natual causes.

[lesbian-empress-nero]

It seemed like ages passed in the hospital, eons spent waiting for results.

Akihiko’s knee bounced incessantly, even after Makoto put a hand on it reassuringly. Akihiko looked over at him, noted how pale he looked, noted the blood that had dried under his fingernails from the desperate attempt to staunch the bloodflow from Shinji’s wound.

“He was still breathing when we brought him in,” Makoto pointed out, his voice barely above a whisper. His hands shook, the one on Akihiko’s jumpy knee and the one clenched into a fist around his mp3 player.

“I’m scared,” Akihiko confessed, his voice shaking. “I’m scared that I’ll end up losing my best friend. I can’t- I can’t lose him too...”

He was aware of Mitsuru looking at him, of the worry that furrowed her brow, but he ignored it. He was busy throwing up his heart.

“I know. ‘There’s nothing we can do right now,’ that’s what they always say in movies. But it doesn’t take away the fear. I’m scared too, Akihiko. I’m terrified that I’ll lose a guy I never had the chance to know better beyond a few gruff words in the lobby. I don’t want to lose him either.” Makoto really did look scared. His lower lip trembled, his eyes shone with unshed tears. He was pale and shaky and looked like he was about to throw up.

The telltale click of a door shut everyone up. All eyes were on the doctor as he walked out, bearing a clipboard and a grim face.

That expression made Akihiko’s blood run cold. His skin turned to ice, and he froze. Please, he silently begged. Please, let Shinji be alive.

“He’s in a coma. Thankfully, it isn’t a deep one- he’ll most definitely wake up. However, we are looking at about two to three weeks before then.”

He was alive. Despite being shot, despite losing so much blood, despite those wretched suppressants that Akihiko now knows he was taking, Shinji was alive.

Akihiko should have known better than to doubt him.

“Can he have visitors?” Yukari asked tentatively, and the doctor nodded.

“Yes. Whenever you all are ready. Though, I suggest only one at a time for the first week or so. After that, it is up to you how many you deem fit to visit.”

After the doctor turned on his heel and strode down the corridor, all eyes turned to Akihiko.

“You should visit him, Akihiko. He’d want to see you first,” Makoto murmured. Akihiko knew he was right, and had to admit that the kid knew Shinji better than he gave himself credit for.

“Yuki. You can visit him next. After all, you helped save his life,” Mitsuru said.

Akihiko didn’t linger to hear Makoto’s arguments. He made a beeline straight for Shinji’s door, the dried blood on his hands itching the entire way.

There he was, Shinjiro Aragaki, laying on the bed. He was hooked up to a number of machines and wires, like some kind of speciman from his shitty sci-fi movies.

And yet, he looked almost peaceful. There was no scowl on his lips, no furrow to his brow. But he was still pale, his cheeks were still gaunt, his eyes were still darkly circled and sunken. Some things couldn’t be changed in a few hours.

Akihiko sank down into the chair beside him, sighing. “You’re a dumbass, Shinji. You know that? I mean, what were you thinking!? Did you think you deserved to die? Did you think at all?”

He knew it wasn’t fair to Shinji to unwrap all of his rage and grief and sorrow right there beside him, but he continued to anyways. He figured Shinji wouldn’t mind.

“We care about you, Shinji! Did you think we wouldn’t miss you? Did you consider the grief you’d cause us? Mitsuru can’t handle another heartbreak! I can’t handle losing another person!”

He was crying now, sobbing at Shinji’s bedside, clutching his hand and clinging to it.

“You’re selfish, Shinji. You’re a selfish asshole and I’m so fucking glad you’re alive because I don’t know what I might have done if you weren’t,” Akihiko whispered, breath catching with a new wave of sobs.

“...God, when did I get so soft, huh? Probably sometime around when Makoto arrived. Guy’s got a knack for that sort of thing, doesn’t he? Even Mitsu likes him... Do you think Miki would have liked him? He’s pretty quiet, so she might have tried to get him to talk more. Probably would have driven him crazy asking about his mp3 player. But I think... I think they would have been friends.”

Akihiko glanced at the clock, cursing quietly when he saw how long he’d been in there for.

“I’ll visit you tomorrow, okay? I’ll bring Ken along. Bye, Shinji.”

The ride home seemed to last forever, but it was forever spent in relieved silence. Makoto and Fuuka were sharing earbuds, Mitsuru, Junpei and Yukari were talking quietly, and Akihiko was hugging Ken as tightly as the kid would let him.

Ken was trembling with sobs, his tiny hands shaking as they clung to Akihiko’s vest. Sometimes Akihiko forgot how young he was, how young he had been when the incident happened.

“It’s okay, Ken... He’s okay. I’ll bring you there tomorrow after school and you can talk to him all you want. We can get ice cream after, even, if you want. Does that sound okay?”

Ken didn’t move his head from its place against Akihiko’s chest, but he nodded slightly. Akihiko rubbed his back, holding him close.

Shinji was alive. And somehow, just the fact alone was a comfort.

Because that meant that one day, he would wake up. And everything would be okay again.

RAYAGGGYHG JUMPING OFF WALLS RN of course aki would be mad at shinji. them insulting each other is how they always talk. its like a love language. also AKI COMFORTING KEN!!!! THE FATHER FIGURE AKI!!!! shinji lives... the tension in waiting to hear if shinji would live or not is so..... ghhhrghrhhh eatjng this fic like a tasty snack

[too-much-alphabet-soup]

Sunshine

"Tell me how you really feel!" Luffy's voice shouted across the field of fallen foes -- punctuation to the full force punch.

Words echoing around Sanji's head. And he heard it in that moment the throat torn cry of Robin "I want to live!" The repeated screams from Nami "arlong! arlong! arlong!" The faint echo of Vivi "please stop fighting!"

Every moment he has witnessed of one of his crew breaking, and his pride stood solid like a wall. His family, estranged tho they were were going to die. His marriage was going to end in his death. And Luffy... He had thought for a moment that Luffy hasn't kept his promise. His own desperate search for his captain among the wreckage of bodies.

It was breaking him inside, he was shackled, broken from the time he had already spent with the Vinsmoke family. Even Pudding's words hurt him, though he was already forgiving her for them.

But this, this was destroying him.

Luffy was watching him, standing tall in his conviction, back to strength after the food that Sanji had prepared and ruined on the way over. A picture of forgiveness and determination. Behind him the storm roiled: dark clouds, wind, and rain -- no end in sight.

The tears began pooling in his eyes as Sanji wept. He tried shakily to stand before falling to his knees before his captain, wracked with sobs.

"I want...I want" he tried to push the words out, to break his pride, to break the need to be the savior and not the saved. His own suicidal tendencies warring and screaming at him that he is not worth being saved.

But Luffy has been there. He had kept his promise, he had waited and fought and starved.

"I want"

Luffy looked on, waiting not moving, not offering a hand to help. No further than he already had.

Sanji curled his knees in the mud his hair hanging limply around his face, slowly becoming wet with his tears.

"I want to go home...to the Sunny." He sobbed the pain releasing through his body. He could almost feel the smile start to bloom across Luffy's face as he continued. "I want to be your cook, I want to fight with Zoro, and be around everyone. I want to go home."

Sanji's choking sobs tore into the chilled and silent air. "But, Luffy, my family, I hate them but I can't let them die. I can't just run away from all of this. I want to, but I... I..." He trailed off as he lifted his eyes for the first time to see the grin stretched wide across his Captain's face.

Luffy grinned like the sun. "Okay." He nodded, "then we'll save them."

What strength had been returning to Sanji's legs fully left him at those words. The relief, the wonder, the worship. With tears running down his cheeks Sanji looked up at Luffy, and behind him the sun. The beautiful sun shone through the storm.

[tag-that-oc]

Found Family But The Family You Found Lowkey Fucking Sucks

ft a lesbian (the woman in white), three gay men (the man with red hair, the man with the blue mask, the blonde man), two children (the girl with the red bandana and the kid with purple hair), and two halves of a god (the brunettes)

their designs look neat

[selfdiagnosedeyemotif]

“So... cold...” 

Trousseau’s voice sounded pained, efforted. He clutched at his bleeding side, head bowed. His white hair was stained crimson, his face splattered with poison and blood. 

“I’ve watched so many die... Time and time again...” 

He chuckled weakly, shoulders trembling. Castti could only stare, only watch in horror as the one she once called a friend died slowly before her eyes. 

“So this... is what death feels like... Of course. This is it... Salvation.” 

The look of relief on his face was underlined with pain, with something akin to sorrow. Somewhere deep down, Trousseau didn’t truly want to die. 

“Trousseau...” Castti began. But what would she say? That she was sorry? That she had well and truly hoped that they could be friends again? 

Trousseau only looked up at her, his eyes pale and far away. The blood on his cheek had started to dry, cracking and darkening against his pale skin. He had always looked sickly... 

“How’s it feel, Chief? To take a life?” He asked, and Castti felt sick. Her hands tingled and burned where Trousseau’s blood had spilt, her axe clattering to the ground from a slackened grip. 

No, she decided. She refused to allow this. Apothecaries were not meant to take lives. 

“I’m afraid I won’t know the answer to that,” she answered, sinking to her knees in front of him. She would have to act quickly if she wanted to keep the already-fading poison from infecting his wound. 

Trousseau fell silent as she started pulling at his robes, but complied nonetheless. Lifting his arms so she could peel off the outer layer, then dilligently keeping them raised so she could work without hinderance. 

“...Why are you doing this? Why won’t you let me die? I’m worthless anyway. I’ve killed so many, who’s to say I won’t kill you, too? I’ve already tried twice.” 

Castti looked up briefly from his wound, already dressed and halfway bandaged. She felt numbness starting to creep into her fingertips, the black swellling aching deep in her bones. 

“Because I will extend a helping hand to all in need.” 

Trousseau looked away, eyes shining. 

“...I know the cure to the poison,” he said, and Castti paused, the bandages wrapped tight around the wound. The fact that she caused it still made her feel ill, perhaps made worse by the poison in her system. 

“You... What?” 

“I know the cure, Chief. Please... Let me help you. Let me extend my hand one last time.” 

Castti nodded, and Trousseau shifted, one hand gripping his coat tightly. 

“Purebalm, scalebark leaf, skybalm, santanejo nlossom... And snowdrop petals. Those should create a cure for the poison. Please, Chief... Test it on me. I want to be the first to know if it works. I know it’s a selfish request, but please.” 

Selfish? No. Not selfish. Dangerous. Much too dangerous for someone in such a fragile state. 

Castti shook her head. “No. Not in your state, your condition is too unstable. I’m testing it on myself.” 

“If it doesn’t work, kill me,” Trousseau responded, and Castti paused. She hated how he made her hesitate, how he stunned her constantly. She needed to act fast, and he was hindering her. 

“I won’t,” she said, and Trousseau leaned forward weakly to grab at her axe. 

“Then I’ll do it myself.” 

She kicked it out of his reach, frantically mixing the ingredients together. If this cure worked, she would owe Trousseau her life. If it didn’t... She would risk that life to find the true cure. 

“...Cheers,” she murmured to Trousseau, lifting the bottle of tincture in a morbid toast. Trousseau simply stared at her with blank eyes, watching. 

She took a hearty sip, and waited. Sure enough, she felt the antidote take place almost immediately. Her breathing and heart rate returned to normal, the black swellings disappeared, and the bleeding of said swellings vanished. 

“Trousseau, it worked! Your cure worked! Here, drink.” 

She handed the bottle to Trousseau, who stared at it blankly. 

“I don’t want to be saved. I don’t care about salvation anymore... It should be my punishment instead.” 

Castti took the bottle from his limp hands. 

“Trousseau... Just the very fact that you think you deserve to be punished for what you did proves that you are a better person than you give yourself credit for. You can still change. And if we hurry, there won’t be any casualties of today. Now drink, so we can save the rest of the townspeople.” 

She placed the bottle back in his hands, and after a moment he swigged it, taking a single gulp. 

Slowly, he rose to his feet, favouring the side without the injury. Castti did that, she hurt the one who looked up to her, she tried to cleave the most eager member of the group in half- 

“Come on, Chief. They’re waiting for Eir’s Apothecaries. Let’s not keep them waiting,” Trousssau murmured, and Castti took his hand, bottle in his other. She scooped up her axe, putting it back in her belt. She tried to ignore the way Trousseau seemed to flinch slightly when she picked it up. 

Just as they were about to rush down the stairs, Edmund came running up. 

“Bonemender, are you-” 

He paused, eyes trained on Trousseau. 

“...Isn’t this the guy who tried to mess everything up? Hell’s he doin’ alive?” He asked, and Trousssau gave a weak smile. 

“That’s what I would like to know as well. Unfortunately, Chief isn’t very good at reasons. Excellent at action, though. That’s why she’s on her way to cure everyone afflicted with poison.” 

“With the cure that Trousseau created,” Castti added, and Trousseau’s smile vanished. 

“Chief is the one who created it. I just told her ingredients that might work. In any case, we don’t have time to argue about the intricacies of my survival. At the moment, there are many in town who likely need a dosage of the cure. If you would be so kind as to let us through..?” 

Edmund stepped aside wordlessly, and Castti made her way cautiously down the stairs into the castle. At some point, Trousseau had ended up on Edmund’s back, being carried like a child through the twisting corridors. Not that he seemed to mind. In fact, Trousseau seemed quite content to be as limp as a sleeping young one and just as quiet. 

It was almost terrifying how silent he was, but Castti chose to ignore her anxiety for the time being. There were people who needed saving. 

It seemed like aeons before her and Trousseau were staggering into the tavern with a drained bottle of antidote. Everyone was safe, and Castti was so, so tired. 

“You can rest easy, Chief,” Trousseau’s soft voice assured her as her eyes fell shut. “Everyone is safe.” 

“Even you...?” She asked sleepily, and heard a breathy chuckle from above her head as it fell onto her arms. 

“After the effort you put in to keep me alive? I’m not going anywhere anytime soon, even if I wanted to. Don’t worry, Chief. I’ll be right here when you wake up. Go ahead and rest. You deserve it.” 

Trousseau was right. Castti did deserve to rest after what she’d gone through. 

Before she knew it, she was falling asleep, and dreaming of Eir’s Apothecaries, with Trousseau there merrily laughing with the others as though he’d never even heard of the black blood poison. 

In her sleep she smiled, dreaming of bygone days that whispered in her mind like a pleasant memory. 

And when she woke up, Trousseau was still there, fast asleep on the table, looking more peaceful than he ever had before. 

“Sleep well, Trousseau.”

while i cant say im partial to the concept itself, the writing in this is definitely worthy of being called a Mav Classic

[kavehnanginto]

and i told the sun something about you

pairings: 5wirl x gn!reader

synopsis: the burdens of the past still in his shoulders and the journey to peace is hard and full of changes, it is no surpise that it all becomes too much... thankfully in the darkness of the night their lies the moon glowing and they watch as it becomes the comfort and light in the dark

tags: hurt and comfort, tragic pasts, emo depressed boys, fluff, i think idk, no angst i also think, thats basically it, i miss writing like this so much hehehehhehe

VENTI

He's at it again. You watch him sitting in his favorite spot, one that he always teased you that you can't ever reach. But that didn't really matter when you were more concerned that he never went down. He should've swayed with the townfolk, the cheers of his ballads were not to be heard.

"Venti!" you called out his name that night, and there he lied restless and unmoving all at once. That didn't really made you give up, instead, you climbed infront of his favorite statue. In hopes that you'll be on top and see his favorite view for the first time.

And be with him.

You saw the piles of wine scattered at the beaitiful and delicate hands of the statue, the same as the model they went by with it. And as you placed the human sized hands, his face finally meeting yours, you smiled.

"You were right, the view here is truly beautiful." You saw the moon on his eyes, and with it your light. And as he saw the moon in yours he can't help but wonder what truly was the difference between both.

XIAO

The conquerer of demons is no need of sleep, but you know damn well he is need of rest. He never came, and you were too scared to call. Maybe he'll lash out on you, maybe he won't even care. It's better to not humor yourself with the possibility if you try to call him.

As you walk on the lake, the familiar glaze lilies all bloom, swaying in the cold breeze. You can't help but feel someone missing at your side and as you start to miss him once more the sound of conflict can be heard near.

You saw him riddled with karmic debt, as you ran in the sound of danger. He was surpised to see you, but he was too tired to react. Finally happy to see him you hugged him soundly, and for the first time he dare not react. But there he sat on the grassy field and let himself go for a while, drifting comfortably to your hand on his, his head on your lap.

It was a vulnerable act, not one made by a yaksha. But he was no longer anyone when he's with you, he's just Xiao. And the moon as your only witness, for you that had always and will always be enough.

KAZUHA

One who's soul is too free can never love so eternally, but as the months went by you noticed that Kazuha still possessed shackles of his past. Even as he travelled miles and countries afar, the memories of it all never disappeared. He was but a human after all living in the world where Gods too can't move past yesterday.

After all those poems of longing and odes to joy, you look for him in the comforts of Liyue Harbor to see him standing by the sea–the direction of his home. You sat beside him, a smile on your face.

"Can't sleep?" He nodded, he was honest but with that he was not shy. Kazuha expressed what he truly felt in a way he wants you to see. He looks like someone with many secrets and stories but he'll easily share them with a stranger, his friend and even his foe.

His home was not as it was before and maybe its for the better. He found you. It maybe with the cost of his heart breaking a million pieces but he found you. And in these moments Kazuha learned to never regret, and appreciate the beauty beside him.

The moon. The stars. You.

HEIZOU

He was a humurous man, but that case really scarred him. There he searched for you and you almost had a heart attack when he embraced the love of his life. Both of your days are always like this, but the feeling of melancholia in his heart was evident in his face buried in your neck, in his fidgety arms that intertwined when they meet at your back.

"Heizou?" There was no response and it was not needed. But now he clings at your clothes causing you to fall to the floor and him patting your hands as his eyes finally let go of the comfort of your skin.

You smiled at his pouty face, causing him to whine then complain at how you were making the situation sadder and then grinning back when you actually thought he was serious. He had a bad day at work, but it wasn't one he needed to bring in your presence.

And he need not to hide away what happened, but it all disappeared when you were there. After all, he needs you everyday for that very reason. And he needs you all his life for that very same happiness. And he's glab you held his hand too on stormy nights and sunny skies. Just like he'll do yours.

Every single time.

WANDERER

He is one with many names, many secrets and many scars. All he hides, and some never see the light of day. Nowadays he tries to show who he is, what he's like but wha happened before all got thrown away. And one day it all came crashing down.

You looked for him everywhere after that fight, maybe he hates you now, maybe you should've closed your mouth shut. But he should've listened, and care what you wanted to say.

To let go and leave it all behind is nothing but a wish, but finding peace in the turmoil and darkness is our reality. And when you saw him in the balcony all by himself, he found your statement true.

The moon was absent today, but the sky never seemed so bright.

"I'm sorry." You stopped when he quietly mumbled an apology and as you hugged him tight, he doesn't need breathing anyway. He needs you, and he wants you for every living second you have.

It was a new beginning for him, and he has never been this excited before. To live a normal life, and for you to be his comfort and light.

hello guys muhahhahaha i miss writing in these anyways its a 80 followers yeheyyyy!!!! That makes me very happy anyways thank you for everything i love you so much i literally have a parasocial relationship with people who read these garbage i put out jk thank you so much and i hope you have a nice day :D i also didnt proof read this like always