Sideblog to astralfist
NOT SPOILER FREE
Independent RP blog for my FFXIV WOL Masaki Hanazawa
Heavily headcanon-based/canon-divergent
WARNING: There may be mentions of abuse, torture, slavery, attempted suicide, self harm, and murder as this muse was involved in all those
Written by Celes
You are not required to follow my main blog to interact
Please excuse all the Lies of P posts. This use to be a blog for Carlo LOL
Given Masaki's story (see about), this blog may contain mentions of dark themes such as blood, violence, torture, murder, abuse, slavery, and prostitution.
I'm a heavily canon-divergent/headcanon/AU-based blog. I do the best I can to try to follow canon as much as possible while also combining it with my own headcanons or AUs. If you're not okay with that I rather you just not follow this blog (or any of my blogs in general).
I really don't mind any spoilers. I will do the best I can to tag my spoilers if necesary though for those who do not want spoilers. I usually tag my spoilers as "spoiler mention cw" or "spoiler cw", but in this case it'd be either "ffxiv spoiler mention cw" or "ffxiv spoiler cw". I'm very bad with tags.
Masaki's biological dad is Zenos yae Galvus, and his adoptive father is the "Wandering Bard" (see about). If I'm referring to his dad, it'll usually be "Wandering Bard" unless stated otherwise.
I'd highly prefer if people can follow and respect that I write Masaki being Zenos' biological son, however I can also try to find ways to work around him being in a different timeline or au where they're not related at all, but there's no promises or guarantee in that. Masaki not being Zenos' biological son will not be considered canon on this blog if we go that direction in a thread. If the idea of Masaki being Zenos' son in general just makes anybody feel uncomfortable or if anybody just dislikes the idea, I'd rather you not follow this blog.
I'm a very busy person irl. There are also a lot of other things I deal with IRL. Writing is just a hobby for me and I do not get paid for this. Writing is the least of my priorities. Therefore often times I will be very slow in responses. That being said, please do not expect a lot of activity on here (or on all my other blogs in general). If that is an issue for you, I rather you not follow me or any of my blogs.
Sideblogs:
kingofwaywardsouls - Multimuse (ft. Tweek from South Park as the default muse)
He actually has a major fear of being locked up; carcerophobia. He can't bring himself to even go near something like a jail/prison cell without having traumatic flashbacks of what happened to him when he was a child before being rescued and later adopted. His adopted father is well aware of this and doesn't force Masaki to go near one if he just cannot. However despite Masaki's carcerophobia, there were a few times he actually tried to force or push himself to go near some cells if it meant saving and freeing others who are trapped.
The reason he's so afraid to even go near a jail/prison cell is because he was trapped or held captive in one for more than a few days when he was a child, often neglected, also would often be used for experimentation. The only times he'd be able to get out was if his family or other soldiers within the Garlean Empire wanted to use him to kill left and right.
If Masaki performed well in his killings, his biological father Zenos would actually set him free, though Zenos would consider it temporary freedom as he of course had other means to use his own son.
name:Ā Chikage yae Galvus Masaki Hanazawa
nickname:Ā Saki (he only lets his adopted father call him this)
gender:Ā Cisgender male.
romanticĀ orientation:Ā Demiromantic
sexualĀ orientation:Ā Non-sex repulsed asexual
preferredĀ petĀ names:Ā Doesn't care much for them
relationshipĀ status:Ā Single
opinionĀ onĀ trueĀ love:Ā He's not sure
opinionĀ onĀ loveĀ atĀ firstĀ sight:Ā He doesn't care for it. If he sees someone falling in love at first sight though, he might think they're a bit delusional
howĀ āromanticāĀ are they?:Ā He likes to take things slow. He's also actually quite a cuddlebug romantic or platonic. If he trusts you and feels comfortable around you, he wouldn't mind cuddling up or sharing a bed with you. He also might be a bit of a tease.
idealĀ physicalĀ traits: He doesn't really care much about looks, but if he had to say he'd probably say the eyes because he believes the eyes tell everything.
idealĀ personalityĀ traits:Ā Someone he can feel comfortable with and someone he can trust. Someone he can just feel calm with, and maybe tease here and there.
unattractiveĀ physicalĀ traits:Ā Nothing he can think of
unattractiveĀ personalityĀ traits:Ā Ā Cruelty and being heartless.
doĀ theyĀ haveĀ aĀ type?:Ā Ā Probably someone who enjoys a bit of a challenge as much as he does.
averageĀ relationshipĀ length:Ā Unknown
pastĀ relationships?:Ā Ā Depending on the direction of threads or verses, his past relationship would probably be with Yotsuyu. Though as cruel as she may be and as unforgiving as she may be, Masaki still cared for her and never saw her as anything less. He wishes he could have saved her from her fate.
favouriteĀ canonĀ ship:Ā Doesn't really have one... Does Yotsuyu count????
favouriteĀ non-canonĀ ship:Ā ĀÆ\_(ć)_/ĀÆ
"I heard he was from Rosaria and then he became Lord Barnabas' lapdog."
"Who is that man?"
"That man is Masaki Hanazawa. The dominant of Carbuncle. Despite being the holder of a weak dominant, he has unique healing abilities. Not only that but he's Waloed's top strategist who can foresee one's fate. At least according to rumor that is."
Sometimes I wanna headcanon these two accidentally kissed and they don't even know each other. One just accidentally fell on top of the other and then their lips touched for who knows how long.
(Things might be subject to change overtime. Things might also be added overtime.)
He's the dominant of Carbuncle. Maybe not as powerful, but Carbuncle was known for their supporting abilities and being great strategists (at least in this AU), also foreseeing fate. Carbuncle can also use black magic. He can either shapeshift into a much bigger figure or he stays little. If Masaki were to shapeshift into a bigger Carbuncle, his black magic is more powerful, but of course this would cost him some of his lifespan (like many other dominants). That and his white magic wouldn't be as powerful if he were to try to use them in his bigger form.
If he shapeshifts into a small Carbuncle, his black magic is weak, but his white magic is pretty good. When he's a small Carbuncle, it doesn't cost him much of his lifespan compared to when he shapeshifts into a much bigger Carbuncle, who is about the size of probably Ifrit. (He might crush someone to death or bite someone's head off as a giant Carbuncle).
When not in the form of Carbuncle, Masaki uses star globes in battle, so he's pretty much like an astrologian. When in doubt he'll use a tanto that he carries with him for close combat and self defense, though he moreso specializes in magic than melee.
Masaki was originally from a hidden city someplace elsewhere in the world of Valisthea. He's from Kugane. A city said to have been hidden for centuries in the farther north-eastern hemisphere, but the entire city was wiped and left in ruins. This event was known as "the flood".
Masaki has an egi. That egi is Enbarr, also known as the "steed of the waves" as he takes on the form of a blue horse with hair created from waves. When he's not in the form of a horse he strongly resembles Masaki's father, who died in the flood in Kugane. In his human form he has brown hair. His hair is slightly messy and tied half-up almost like a ponytail. He's also tall, probably about Sleipnir's height.
So how did Masaki and Enbarr end up from Kugane to Rosaria and then to Waloed?
Sometime after the flood, there were ships from Rosaria that had arrived to assist residents in need of a new home, also bringing them supplies to assist in rebuilding the hidden city for those that wished to stay behind despite the hidden city being in ruins. Masaki and Enbarr were offered a home in Rosaria by Elwin, and the two boarded the ship to Rosaria in hopes to start a new life when Kugane was left in ruins by the flood. Masaki and Enbarr met Clive, Jill, and Joshua once they had arrived in Rosaria.
When the Phoenix Gate was in shambles, Masaki and Enbarr fled for their lives, though Masaki was critically wounded by the phoenix (will probably expand a bit on this in another post someday). While Masaki was in such a frail state, Enbarr shapeshifted himself into the steed he is and carried Masaki on his back, fleeing to wherever was far away from Rosaria; anywhere to get themselves to safety.
Masaki, suffering severe wounds, and Enbarr, fortunately only suffered moderate wounds, and having used a majority of his energy to get the two to safety and eventually falling weak, the two fainted. And of all places they ended up falling in, they were in Waloed.
a list of starter prompts from ffxiv: endwalker, including patch 6.1: newfound adventure, patch 6.2: buried memory, patch 6.3: gods revel, lands tremble, 6.4: the dark throne and 6.5: growing light. spoilers may be present.
and when one asked, "what is the point?", there were none left to answer.
my love will be with you forever.
i pray we meet again. if not in this life, then perhaps another.
no more will man have wings to bear him to paradise, henceforth, he shall walk.
i did it! i killed them all! i... killed them all...
they are my meaning and my purpose.
would you be 'happier' had i a 'good reason?'
if my motives met with your approval, would you no longer resent the outcome?
if so, then perhaps a beast's skin would suit you better.
think, and find your way in the darkness.
why would i do something so idiotic and inexplicable?
i also take offence to my portrayal and a megalomaniacal madman.
to live is to suffer.
do not avert your eyes, see your life for what it is.
my ideal is inviolate, invincible.
remember when i said i wanted to die and take everyone with me? i meant that.
has your journey been good? has it been worthwhile?
i would have thought you to be above something so banal as despair.
"remove from the field" was not a euphemism for "enthusiastically murder."
it's the little things that make life worth living, don't you think so?
may we please... be friends?
after all, miracles happen every day, do they not?
the air is thick with a palpable aura of malevolenceā¦
but for what you've accomplished, you have my respect and admiration.
the way the sky changes color with the passage of time... it's probably a mundane thing to you, but to me its a marvel.
i don't know what happened here, but i do know i don't want to be alone anymore...
they're just people. no different from you or i.
it's all a dream, isn't it? a long, elaborate dream...
i should like it very much if you could show me the sights.
they all leave so easily, as if it's nothing...
do what you must, and see your conviction through.
of one thing i am absolutely certain : i would not be happier in ignorance.
while i appreciate your advice, i will not heed it.
a pain i understand... and wish that i did not.
so, waiting to die like all the others, are you?
i will not pretend otherwise, i have my fears.
such a simple thing, unmaking men.
does the pursuit of prey you have bested before excite you?
i myself have plenty of regrets, and one day they'll die with me.
you know, i never really considered i might live long enough to see an after.
so promise me this : come what may, you won't give up on your own happiness.
fell beasts i can face, but i'm not made for idle chitchat with lords and ladies.
once, revenge was all i lived for.
all that hate, all that anger... what good did it do?
we have always tried to do the right thing... but we have not always been kind, nor merciful.
watching you struggle against the inevitable is bad comedy.
in the detritus of existence, i found truth.
so i ask you - why live at all?
there is only one thing that can sate my hunger, and it would seem my friend has lost his appetite.
if we had turned to your gods, would they have saved us?
we are wicked, spiteful creatures - without exception!
after all these years... is this the answer i was hoping for?
i've had more of you people than i could stomach in life, never mind in death.
...i can no longer pretend that courage and faith will be enough.
pain and despair... aye, we're old friends.
well then, credit where credit's due ā you did a right fine job sittin' on your arse!
i beg you ā share your struggles with me. as family.
you are no stranger to carrying the burden of others.
this is my home. our home.
a son may carry his father's blood, but his choices are his own to bear ā is it not always thus?
silly boyā¦ we are all powerless before such grief.
i won't lose them... not a one.
the gods themselves will be my meal.
so i hone my blade, and i wait.
you will never get what you want ā not even the battle you pine for so dearly.
the beasts rage on, their hunger insatiableā¦
you'll be alone for an eternity, and you'll deserve every agonizing second of it.
if your hells are real, i saw one that day.
i hoped you hadn't crawled beneath the covers just yet.
i feel better about my lack of prowess already!
perhaps i am wrong, but who is to say that you are right?
i would've granted you the gentlest end.
can the despair in a man's own heart consign him to such a terrible fate...?
even though I know you've heard it a thousand times before, i'm going to tell you to take better care of yourself.
are you certain you wish to play the lone wolf?
though in the case of certain present company, "incorrigible" is an understatement.
i should thank you. for trusting in me, time and time again.
suffering exists, and we cannot pretend otherwise.
you're saying they cannot be saved?
i wouldn't be seen dead in one of those ridiculous overcoats.
after all, you and iā¦ we still have a long, long way to go.
don't make me say it. it will break him.
i couldn't sleep - had a few things on my mind.
i realize there is no kindness in withholding the truth, but..
the ones i love and long to see again are waiting, in that promised land, beyond memory and dreamā¦
it'll keep you from getting lonely ā which i know you loathe.
there is blood in the air ā thick and foul.
are we the only ones left who see beauty in the world ā in life?
take my word for it ā he loves you to an embarrassing degree.
as your friend, i cannot bear the thought of making you suffer so.
there are so many people in the world who care for you, and yet...
i know it well, that sense of defeat. i've tasted my fair share of it.
we rise, fall, and rise again.
while we wait, will you not tell me about your adventures?
you must take the next step, and all the rest after that.
come, let me relieve you of your burden. you have suffered enough.
oh come now, it's been a gripping tale.
tell themā¦i am living my life to the fullest. that I am happy, hardships and all.
i for one would have been perfectly content to watch enraptured from the stalls...
that being said, we do have a score to settle.
oh yes, i can imagine you gloating over my forgetfulness.
yes, upon your return, i will gift you a beautiful flower.
how disappointing - not even a single scar in the making to brag about.
what could it be that sets the heavens aflame and turns ordinary men into beasts?
if you truly missed me, you should have cried for me at the top of your lungs the instant you arrived!
i daresay the lines upon your brow have both deepened and doubled in number.
our heroic sacrifice paid off, i take it?
spare me your pity, i have no use for it.
i began to wonder if it was a figment of a half-remembered dreamā¦
you will survive. you must.
we are ghosts, you and i. memories of days gone by.
i felt that it was the right time to offer up this life i owe.
to know that you too have experienced sufferingā¦ is a comfort.
in journeying with you, there has been nary a dull moment.
so long as you desire it and dare to take the first step, there is absolutely no limit!
youā¦ why have you awakened me?
as it happens, i too have been ordered to make myself useful!
your determination defies all reason.
my misspent youth is not your concern.
what pain must i visit upon you to make you surrender to despair?
you will be battered and torn and made to crawl.
at the end of everything i find you, my friend.
nay, i would have preferred that we enjoy a private reunion.
what i desire of you isn't succor, it is satisfaction.
look at me, spilling my innermost secrets.
hear me then. not as a hero, but as simply... you.
then the screams. i was screaming too, i think.
this is the sole pleasure i know, and it is the sole pleasure i have to share.
if i do get the chance to introduce my fist to his jaw ā and gods, do i hope i do ā i won't turn it down!
again? i do not believe i have yet had the pleasure.
how can you all accept thisā¦ aberration!?
if you wish to walk away, i will not stop you.
he never deigned to respond, but i took his silence as a resounding yes!
nevertheless, we must follow our conscience, and mine has led me here.
finally mustered the desire to kill me, have you?
have you no rage left for me? no rancor?
was this life a gift... or a burden?
no odd specters haunting your wake? nothing feels... tingly?
another fine show you've put on, my friend.
we will face it together, as we always have.
oh, i'll warm up when i throw a punch or two.
he was utterly brilliant ā and utterly mad.
i come to you once more as the bearer of bad news.
remember that i'm out there somewhere, trying my very best.
then again, 'tis hardly the first time you've cheated death.
not that i am averse to a moment or two of quiet reminiscence.
this is quite a puzzle, and we do not have all the piecesā¦
the thought of having to bear such a burden for a thousand thousand lives horrifies me.
so if you see me turning a blind eye to the harsh realityā¦ beat some sense into me, would you?
did you so grossly offend every single deity in a past life that they saw fit to place a curse upon your soul?
but then came the light - blinding and pure and hot - so very hot.
i fear this may be the last quiet night we have to talk for quite some time.
my, umā¦carrying capacity pales in comparison to yours, but I could still help.
there will come a time when we look back fondly on this journey.
already you turn to them and away from me.
a little late for heroics, i'm afraid.
it can all be a bitā¦ exhausting at times, can't it?
once again, you have left my best-laid plans in ruinsā¦
or perhaps you would face me here and now?
fare you well, my new old friend.
i'll make them rue the day they met me.
why does it feel as though it's about to get much, much worseā¦?
scarcely can i remember when last we spoke alone, and so candidly.
twas a grand, glorious dream we shared.
sorry to spoil the moment, but might i ask that you postpone the slaughter until I have said my piece?
a slave to sentiment, even after an eternity.
oh my! daddy is pleased his grumpy little boy has finally found his playmate!
and when we fail to live up to their standardsā¦ what place is there for us in their world?
do you not own a warm coat or a cloak? something in fur or fashioned from the skins of your enemies, orā¦?
you need at least one person there to wave and cry and wish you a safe journey!
if youāre not in too much of a rush, i was about to make a pot of tea. would you like a cup?Ā
...not that iām pining for your return, you understand.Ā
observe as the artiste refines her piece into a masterpiece!Ā
there is nothing so perfect in this life as a full glass and an empty schedule.
i see it in you, too - that appetite for the mysterious and the unknown.Ā
have you noticed our little shadow? heās been following us since we left the city.Ā
just try to be back before too many moons have passed.
an invitation to delve into one of the worldās lingering mysteries? as if i could refuse.Ā
how long has it been, i wonder, when last our actions were not impelled by fate or desperation?
itās astounding what a lack of nausea does for oneās sense of well-being.
i suspect the conclusion to your tale is not a joyful one.
think back on our struggles beneath this sunless sky.Ā
enough grief to drown in if we let ourselves be overcomeā¦ but we will not.
what some call ādanger,ā others think of as āadventure.ā
i want to understand everything - to unravel it all down to its very last secret.Ā
why does everyone insist on being so secretive?
you are a woman after my own heart.
what must i do to bask in your sublime gaze once more?
ācovenantā? a curse, more like.
i lost to you once. i have no desire to lose again.
if you desire something, you pay the price.
you may have missed your markā¦ but i wonāt miss mine.
my name is not to be spoken save in reverence and fear.Ā
i need not skulk in shadow to claim what is mine.Ā
it is good to be home again, among those whom i love dearly and missed so much.
...do as you will. i have no desire to save that world.
the way the sky changes color with the passage of timeā¦ itās probably a mundane thing to you, but to me itās a marvel.
we have no hopes or dreams - not even the release of death.
but enough about that man. he is dead, and we are all better for it.Ā
lest you think i have feelings on this - i donāt.Ā
i help them because i want to. because itās the right thing to do.
i will let it burn, this fire in my breast.
i think someone has been a bad influence on her.Ā
it seems [ name ] is quite unaccustomed to the kindness of strangers.
a monster in flesh, yet in spirit i remain a man.Ā
you would know your enemyās heart?Ā
the future you strive for is one i wish to see.Ā
i sometimes come here for the view. itāsā¦ beautiful.
you have a knack for finding trouble.Ā
who would have thought that sleeping in a bed and eating warm meals could make such a difference!Ā
you may be assured that my backside is immaculate.
iām not wrong to call them that, am i? friends.
it always ends the same way. a knife in the back. and better to have the handle towards your hand.Ā
i suppose some people canāt help but find themselves at the center of world-changing events.
my gift has been a burden. many have suffered for it. died for it.Ā
once, i would never have dared to dream it.Ā
if thatās your heartfelt desire, then you mustnāt be afraid to share it.Ā
though we walk different paths, we seek the same destination.
what is a candle before the sun?
you asked me to join hands with you once, and i refused - i cannot take back that mistake, but i can extend to you the same offer.
we can be better than we have been.
what we couldnāt do yesterday, we might still do today.Ā
iām still keeping my diary, adding new memories to it every day.
back again already, after making a show of leavingā¦Ā
just know, though, that if itās adventure you seek, you could do far worse than come with me.Ā
i swear, sometimes it feels like you open your mouth only to criticize.
life is a series of journeys, my friend, and thereās no telling what awaits us on the long road.
a collection of starter prompts taken from yotsuyu goe brutus, of ffxiv - there may be spoilers. change pronouns and gender as needed. trigger warning for references to domestic violence.
if only i hadn't remembered.
i will not suffer his kindness.
who shall stand, and who shall fall? let the die be cast.
another idiot like all the rest.
no sooner do i wake from gentle slumber than the world returns in all its cruelty.
are you good at anything?
i've always had a soft spot for men like you.
if i cannot escape my nature, then i shall embrace it.
we both know that simply isn't true, don't we?
noā¦no one leavesā¦
speaking of which, how fares my brute?
to the very depths i have sunk, my soul steeped in spite and rotten to the core.
i see you are determined to waste my time.
well nowā¦ this is a surprise!
rather thoughtless of you, was it not?
the self-righteous hide behind ājustice,ā but i need no such mask.
was it not you who made me into this monster?
oh, the stupidity of it allā¦
a noble sacrificeā¦or the last desperate flailing of a fool.
for years i knew naught but the taste of pain and humiliation.
therein liesā¦hope. therein lies freedom.
it is my solemn charge to bring these vermin to heel.
torment them, body and soul, until all they hold dear is as bitter ashes in their mouths.
you always were a cold-blooded little worm.
come now, you've no reason to look so afraid.
devotees of vengeance should rightly pursue their cause unto the bitter end, don't you think?
ā¦i only wanted a persimmon.
take off your clothes.
all that remains is to administer your punishment.
am I sunk to my lowest, then...?
a life of battle will leave its mark upon a manā¦
a nightbloom shall flower here upon the site of my demise...
tell the men to fight as if their lives depend on it. because they do.
everyone's staring at me...
i'll grind you under my heel!
you have endured their worst and survived.
are you sure they're your friends?
they will not find a flower simply waiting to be pluckedā¦
are you perhaps referring to me?
there's just no joy in it. no release.
my position is not for you to decide.
i was married to a vicious old drunk who beat me as he pleased, and when i pleaded for help, i was told to grin and bear it.
ā¦a bit slow, this one.
oh... it's going to be a long night.
i will reign here in this putrid, pestilent swamp until the last of you has been broken!
they pretended not to notice, but they knew. they knew.
is serving me really so unbearable?
it wouldn't do to simply take you at your word.
it is too late for me. there can be no redemption.
this land shall know no dawn.
i will spew forth darkness and drown all in eternal night.
high above you i shall shine uncaring, cold and distant as the moon!
i knew you would not flee.
filth and squalor everywhere i look.
what power can compare to such celestial majesty?
i shall plunge all i despise into darkness!
even your light shall flicker and fail.
a courtesan has her tricks!
what i wouldn't do for a drinkā¦
i see a future in which the sun sets on this wretched land once and for all!
you were the firstā¦ the first i swore to kill.
kill him. surely you can do that much?
you have no place here...
i had thought my hunger insatiableā¦but nowā¦now i am satisfied.
i saved the last of my strength justā¦ for you.
her happiness was never to beā¦ not in this world.
let's share the torment, shall we...?
i was nothing to them ā less than nothing!
i might just as well have been dead!
struggle all you wish ā i encourage it!
there was nothing i would not do to feel that joy again!
i was the bane of your existence unto the very end!
'tis better to bend with the wind than stand tall and be broken.
ā¦now, having borne witness to my life's work, have you aught to say to me?
your death will be all the sweeter...
if it isn't the cold-blooded little worm, always crawling through my rotten heart.
i wonderā¦ was the fruit as sweetā¦ as he rememberedā¦?
prompts from ffxiv: shadowbringers, including patch 5.1: vows of virtue, deeds of cruelty, patch 5:2: echoes of a fallen star, patch 5.3: reflections in crystal, patch 5.4: futures rewritten and patch 5.5: death unto dawn. spoilers may be present.
what brings you into the wilds this time oā night?
another of your mysterious friends, is it? i should have known.Ā
i will answer whatever questions you have when we are somewhere more private.Ā
if you would prefer something visual to accompany the account, then i think i have an illustrated history book for children somewhereā¦
yet just when it seemed that all would be lost, a savior appeared before usā¦Ā
...i am not familiar with that name. is there something i should know?Ā
have i earned your trust for the moment, at least?
what a brave and reckless and marvelous thing you did!
my hands find no purchase. my gestures catch no eye. and my pleas, be they whispered or screamed, reach not a single earā¦Ā
this world is beyond saving - like those who try to save it.Ā
this world has had its fill of heroes.
iā¦ was not aware the room was haunted.
time has only added to the relief i feel, seeing you safe and well.
come - tell me of your arrival, and all that came before!Ā
what say you, old friend? hungry for another adventure?Ā
thereās naught to be had here but cobwebs and memories.
they are predators - and we are their prey.Ā
it is also known as the ācity of final pleasures.ā
they seem unwilling - nay, unable - to conceive of any other way of lifeā¦
i am not so naive as to think there is some miraculous solution to all of this.
let us see to it that both these stories have a happy ending.
welcome, welcome, to the city of final pleasures!Ā
that silken hair, those pearly cheeksā¦ oh, and you even smell wonderful - like a bed of flowers!
though we share no blood, we have stood by each other through lifeās many challenges, resolved to prevail together - or not at all.Ā
if my wife has given her permission, then you need not seek my say-so.
i tell you what: you hop up on stage and give us a dance first, and then we can have our little talk!
why is this poor man bleeding to death on your floor!?
i demanded an offering of flesh! carved by his own hand, from his own hide!Ā
i alone the voice of justice - and any who oppose me villains to be punished!
how wonderful to meet you in the flesh after hearing all those stories!Ā
i knew youād turn up sooner or later, but i had been hoping for sooner.Ā
as much as i might want to go home, i donāt want to go home to that.
in my time here, iāve borne witness to a lot of last meals.Ā
no matter how hard i fight, itās never enough.Ā
thatās what keeps me moving forwardā¦ even when things seem hopeless.Ā
in a place like this, you learn to take what moments of happiness you can get.Ā
itās never easy, ending a life youāve cared for.Ā
we all deserve happinessā¦ wherever we can find itā¦Ā
the time left to youā¦ is preciousā¦ no one should dieā¦ in painā¦Ā
how many years have i waited for this momentā¦Ā
there areā¦ things which we can ill afford to lose.Ā
the lost comrades, the broken promises, the abandoned principles - just more nagging burdens to ignore.
the world is dead, and writhe as we might, like maggots in its rotting corpse, it will not be reborn.Ā
so long as hope burns in our hearts, we will fight on regardless.Ā
my mind, meanwhile, reminds me that to follow my heart would be to risk everything we have accomplished thus far.Ā
we shall fight on, that our children and our childrenās children might know a better tomorrow.
just have care you donāt lose any limbs out there, all right? they donāt tend to grow back.Ā
letās cut a path through this rabble and keep moving!
all this trouble because of meā¦ iām so sorryā¦
you are made of sterner stuff than the rest. but will it be enoughā¦?Ā
mayhap there is another way. one which does not require bloodshedā¦
iām trying my best to rememberā¦ but it feels like peering through fog.
thereās not a soul in sight, yet i feel eyes all over usā¦
oh - if a voice calls to you, under no circumstances should you respond.
...if ghosts are merely souls without bodies, what does that make us?
no matter what you do, he will never be yours. never, never, ever!
from fighters upon the front lines to babes in their beds, none were spared.Ā
no matter the cost, we must forestall this tragedy.Ā
though the night be lost, behind the shroud of blinding light, doubt not but that the stars shine still.Ā
tell me, tell me! what must i do to bring you back!?
but what of your suffering? your sacrifice!? this isnāt fair!Ā
what of all the people who love and care for you and want nothing more than to see you again!?
everything we didā¦ everything we gave... what was it for?Ā
i would learn from youā¦ and help in what little way i can.
when he found me, i knew nothing of the world.Ā
i can feel the answer at the edge of my mind, just out of reach -
such boredomā¦ such tedium have we suffered.
anyone who so much as thinks about trying to seduce him will wish they hadnāt!
forget this folly. return whence you came.
i simply cannot bear to see men fight and die. not anymore.Ā
i had not the words to tell him then, but it filled my heart with pride.
the world needed heroes - it needed him.Ā
he was a good man. he deserved to be happy. i wish i could have told him that, at leastā¦
in all things, balance must be preservedā¦ and the same will be asked of you.Ā
should you ascend the throne, you will become one of us, never again to live as men do.
to strive for a dream you will never see - to sow seeds that others might one day taste the fruits of your garden - that is the beauty of your kind.Ā
know your shame, girl! you are powerless!Ā
if she was powerless, itās because of you, you sanctimonious swine!
it is time we were going - together, needless to say.Ā
you came all this way just to introduce yourself to us?
a war waged without knowledge of the enemy is no war - it is mere bloodletting.
i have no intention of meddling with your mission.
even if there were there a sliver of truth in your words, i would never accept your help.Ā
whatever you choose to do, make sure itās worth watching, would you.
the people were lost, seemingly forsaken by their god.Ā
if youāve brought your ivory standard, iāll be happy to tell you where to stick it.
i will suffer your company if i must, but not your commentary.
you've committed the cardinal sin of boring me.Ā
ātis you and you alone who bears ultimate responsibility for your life.Ā
silent and serene as the sunless sea.
the people were without answers, without hope, their gods having drowned along with everything else.
may her soul find peace in the sunless sea of heaven, and in the love we bear for her in our hearts.
i would rather not sully my hands defending myself against such madmen.
what a mischievous plan. i like it.
if the fates are kind, the way will be clear.
there is nothing to gain from staring at my backside.
you cannot be blind to the nascent corruption!Ā
by the time you deign to enlighten us, it may be too late - if it is not already.Ā
that does not make it any easier to put my faith in a man so infatuated with secrecy.
this āhopeā you cling to is nothing more than a fever dream.
they require a firm hand to shepherd them from the edge.
those who defy you must submit or die.
what sits before me is the inevitable result of bloated privilege and unchecked power.Ā
what good is a paradise to them if it is a thousand years in the making?Ā
a foul, unholy corruption that must be cleansed.Ā
we will guide you along the righteous path.
we will not - cannot - abandon our faith.Ā
āfollow the flowersā¦ā would it kill them to escort us?
[ name ]? ā¦and this is a common name nowadays? how times change.Ā Ā
we have come too far to turn back now.
another door. wonderfulā¦ i can but imagine what awaits us inside.
she is alive. she is alive, damn you!
i did something exceedingly reckless. for which you will just have to forgive me.
dry your tears. what would the others think if they saw you like this?Ā
did you really think i would go gently into that dark night with so much left undone?Ā
i know i cannot dissuade you from going, so please - promise me you will return safely.Ā
i shall return, and bring with me a long-awaited gift.
..would you describe it to me, [ name ]? paint for me a picture with your words.
they are gods after a fashion, yes, but no different from the kind with which you are so intimately acquainted.
try as they might, they could not deny the truth of their own eyesā¦Ā
i ask only that you hold us in your hearts, as we will hold you in ours, now and ever after.
ah, i suspected that you might be awake.Ā
we fight for those who cannot!
while thereās breath in my lungs, i shall see my duties done.
Iā¦ am fineā¦ completelyā¦ and utterlyā¦fine! better than fine! hale and hearty and still alive to mourn those who are not. who i failed to protect when they needed me most.Ā
the tragedy that has befallen you is of your own making.Ā
let this be a lesson to all those who would walk the path of sin - the wicked shall not inherit this world!
all i do is make mistakes, put others in dangerā¦
donāt give up. donāt give in. please.
i believe you have enough burdens without my adding to them.
you thought you could keep me safe by keeping me in the dark.Ā
no matter what happens to me, iām sure that i donāt want to go back to being who i was.Ā
i want to be stronger - strong enough to face my destiny.
do we honestly look like weād need to steal - what, some rusted bits of iron?
you don't look normal, thatās for certain.
so you have your heart set on it - the world doesnāt care.Ā
iāve had years to decide where i stand.Ā
home stopped being home when i lost them.Ā
i thought to try and drown my sorrowsā¦ but somehowā¦ the bottleās never deep enough.
iād say weāre long overdue for a good turn. i can only hope the gods feel the same way.Ā
here and now i have another chance to do things right, and i will not squander it again.
if tomorrow came and i was gone, it would be better for everyone!Ā
i will not see their hopes and dreams squandered.
youāre a stubborn old swine, arenāt youā¦
i donāt know about the worldā¦ but i never asked to be saved.Ā
however much it hurts, and however hard it gets, itās my life, and i want to live it on my own terms!Ā
no matter what you say, i refuse to believe itās all for nothing!
theyāre everything to me. all i have and all i need. and i would gladly do anything for them.Ā
if you would cast your lot with villains, then you shall share their fate!
hah, so you really are a monster.
iām so proud to have been a part of your lifeā¦Ā
your time has not yet come.Ā
when all hangs in the balance, you must give them hope.
yours is a burden none should ever be forced to bear.Ā
such pain and suffering you have endured, yet still you came.
nowā¦ tell me your heartās desire.
since all of our heroes are gone, weāll just have to make heroes of ourselves.
ātis a beautiful, wonderful dream. one we share.Ā
no one, however powerful, is immune to the whisperings of doubt and despair.Ā
look instead to the light within, that you may continue to serve as a beacon to others.
not even the most valiant heroes can stand alone.Ā
oh, i canāt wait for this to be over, so we can all go home.
they thought the world beyond changing, but today i think we proved them wrong.Ā
thereās only one hero in this room, and it is not me.
case in point - i do not consider you to be truly alive. ergo, i will not be guilty of murder if i kill you.Ā
let us put an end to it. to this āparadiseā built upon the bones of the poor.Ā
right, my turn to make a heroic stand!Ā
enough talk. i am a soldier, and you are my enemy.Ā
ever since i submitted to my masterās authority, i have been naught but a weapon.Ā
there is no justice but mine. no future but mine. no will but mine.Ā
it is not for me to judge you, but for your victims.
you have dreamed a twisted dream, but now you are awake.Ā
itās a compliment. take it.Ā
well, rest assured that if your heart can be broken, then so can mine!Ā
ātis a strange tale, but i have no reason to doubt your words.Ā
a bit of advice i learned from his mother: he responds poorly to obvious praise.
how can you remain so...so optimistic throughout all this? itās downright tiringā¦Ā
forgive me, i wasā¦ lost in a dream.Ā
tell me, when all of this is over, what will you do?
you have the strength to forge your own path.Ā
you will leave countless lives better than you found them, and the souls you touch will never forget your kindness.Ā
together, we would travel the lands and cross the seas and take to the skies upon the eternal windā¦ my heart swells simply to imagine it.Ā
it ends here. and it ends now.
had you only entrusted your fate to me, there would have been peace for all.Ā
my very existence is virtuous! i am perfect! immaculate!
why am i cast downā¦ when it is you who are the villains?Ā
you will not defile my new paradise!
who would choose to remain here, in this dying realm, when they might go elsewhere and begin anew?
a paltry way to end a chapter, i concede.Ā
yet your tale will continue, and my role in it will scarcely be remembered.Ā
what a disappointment you turned out to be.
i shall look forward to seeing you bring the world to its knees, hero.
well, well, look whoās back from the dead!
thatās what heroes do, isnāt it?
if you need a push, iāll be right there behind you.
don't give me that look! of course i knew before i asked that you'd never ever heed such a wicked suggestion!Ā
i need to know what he feared - what battle you and your companions are truly fighting!Ā
there is no hope. we are finished. mankind is finished.
should said catastrophe be averted, the very skein of thine existence will unravel.Ā
it was a breath of inspiration in an age of suffocating shadow.Ā
i will see this tale to a happy end, my friend. there has been enough tragedy.
we will find a way to cure this, i promise you!
making promises you have no way of keeping is not a kindness - itās a lie, plain and simple!
this world is in twilight. i wait for the sun to set. i wish only to sleep.
go on, foul shade, feast yerself on me rotten soulā¦Ā
itās a hollow dream, when you think about it.
it seems far darker down here, but iāll not start at a few shadows.Ā
youād think all those tall, dark buildings would be frightening, but for some reason they just make me feel sadā¦
ātis said it starts suddenly, a cacophonous keening from beneath the earth.
i am simply a shade. here and not here.
i play the same role as all the rest - a bit part, meant to bring color and noise to this well-crafted stage.Ā
too much scrutiny, and we shall burst like the fragile bubbles we are.Ā
know you, then, how this conflict ended?Ā
..ātis truly a terrible weight he has chosen to carry.
you were gone so long, i was on the verge of mounting a rescue party.
thereās always hope if we look for it.
no matter how long it takes or how much it hurts, you can count on me to keep on walking.
drag me though wonder and danger, as you are wont to do, and i shall endeavor not to slow you down.
do as your heart decrees, without hesitation or regret.
well, this has put everyone in a solemn mood, hasnāt it?
no matter where you decide to go, i will be there, guarding your back.
even now, after everything, you refuse to see reason.Ā
how much more must i endure your bumbling interference?Ā
you cannot be entrusted with our legacy.Ā
one day, we too will be ashes and dust, but not today. our time is not yet finished.Ā
a fitting backdropā¦ for your final judgment.Ā
they are our worlds! our homes! full of life and love and hope!Ā
we define our worth, not the circumstances of our creation!
who are you? no one. nothing.Ā
it is true that all we hold dear is fated to fade away, but that is no reason for us to forsake it!
weary wanderer - youāve no fight left to fight! no life left to live!Ā
if you had the strength to take another step, could you do it?Ā
this world is not yours to end.Ā
this is our future. our story.
how can you hope to stand against me alone?
i could not well leave matters half-finished.Ā
let us cast aside titles and pretense, and reveal our true faces to one another!Ā
Rememberā¦ that we once livedā¦
they are coming back, arenāt they? i couldnāt bear the thought ofā¦ ofā¦
this tale, too, will fade with time, passing into legend as the world heals and moves on.
such is the heroās lot - to touch the lives of countless othersā¦
i had thought to push on till dawn, but my body had other plansā¦Ā
ah, ātwas a rare, tranquil morning, made unforgettable by the sight of those clear blue skies.
i thought to indulge in a little revelry myself last nightā¦
i would have been terribly lonely if everyone had suddenly disappearedā¦Ā
if iāve gained anything from all of this, it is the courage to stretch out my hand.Ā
well, of course iām going with you-thatās what family is for, isnāt it?Ā
you were an inspiration to me then.Ā
[ name ] always was a reckless young foolā¦ ready to die for the first righteous cause that came along.Ā
well, it would be nice if things were that simple for a change.Ā
if he suggests dying one more time, i swear iām going to grant him his wish.
the soul is not a candle to be snuffed out and relit on a whim.
iād rather get on with doing whatever it is that needs to be done, if itās all the same to you.Ā
i never thought you would be the one to suggest going back there.
wellā¦ it is certainly creative. thereās no denying that.
i would jump for joy if i werenāt so exhausted.Ā
oh, this is all too much for my poor heart to bear alone.
it should go without saying that i have no intention of dying for this.
if i have learned anything from all of this, it is that change begins with the individual.Ā
as ever, the way forward is paved with difficult decisions.Ā
whatever it takes, i will see you safely home.
donāt give up. donāt give in. i keep those words close to my heart.
they gave their lives for the promise of a future theyāll never know.
i know not why i, and i alone, have been gifted this chance.Ā
none of us were born heroes, my friend.
you should not be so eager to run headlong into danger!
their hearts now burn with a curiosity that is not easily satiated.
i wouldnāt be here were it not for you, and i have yet to say a word of thanks!
it was never you that i needed to deceive.
how very unlike you, to err so gravely.Ā
you fail and you fail and you learn nothing - allow that which is most important to slip through your fumbling fingers like so many grains of sand.
there is no common ground to be found between you and i.
iām afraid that the dead do not speak quite so clearly.
itās a minor miracle that we accomplish anything at all, wouldnāt you say?
when she realizes sheās struck a nerve, she remembers. by the gods, she remembersā¦Ā
to hear her speak youād think iām on my deathbed.Ā
it feels like we could be doing more - like we should be doing more.
you are our leader. none can take your place.
would someone explain to me how weāre meant to kill a being who doesnāt technically exist?
you will do as youāre told, and get some rest.
remember: if you ever need me, just say the word. iāll be there.
step one: make a fist. step two: extend your arm, like so. step three: beat āem senseless.
iām stupid, but iām not naive.Ā
it may not be my place, but allow me to offer you a few words of advice.
if you are interested, i will gladly tell you the taleā¦ the tale of the worldās end.
if there is anything i can do to help - anything at all - you need only say the word.
i think a name can mean a lot, and i imagine it would be terrible to have people call you something which didnāt feel right.
i felt as thoughā¦ there was something iād lost, and that i had to go out there and find it.
it felt as though long-forgotten memories were dancing at the edges of my mind.
you are death, and only in death shall you serve any purpose.Ā
strange as it may sound, i consider it something of a badge of honor.Ā
such faith, such courage in the face of unrelenting despair.
to believe - to choose to believe is to take the first step towards a brighter future.Ā
that which i seek to do, i do of my own volition, and with all my heart.Ā
iām sorry, i know it was childish to storm off like that.Ā
[ name ], you really are an unbearable snob sometimes, do you know that?
the rains have ceased, and we have been graced with another beautiful day.
does the world no longer have need of me?
onward, then, over the bloodied bodies of the fallen.Ā
i have dealt with countless heroes, and always it ends the same way.Ā
every end marks a new beginning.
for heroes such as you, there is only ever conflict.
you did not hesitateā¦ or perhaps could not?
we change. we forget. and what little we do remember becomes twisted and fragmented over time.
no matter how much i should change, no matter how much i should forget, i shall ever remember my duty.Ā
come what may, we must not surrender to despair.
all that remains is to prayā¦ to pray that we will one day meet again, beneath a blue sky.
if i may give voice to a personal desireā¦ i would rather you lived.Ā
it must weigh heavy, the burden of all those memories.Ā
i don't know what this sky portends, but i do know it canāt be good.Ā
did you see it too? it was so beautiful! so heartbreakingly beautifulā¦
i think they were after us. us specifically, i mean.
[ name ]! iām about to do a great many stupid and reckless things. watch my back, would you?
the graver the matter, the less inclined you are to speak of it.
nothing will ever change that - will ever change what we mean to one another.Ā
i count myself blessed to have had you in my life, and i want you to know that.
why you? why not you?Ā
what i wouldnāt give to return to those halcyon daysā¦Ā
rest assured you havenāt seen the last of me.Ā
if you would usher in the end, then with my all shall i oppose youā¦Ā
even should it cost me everything, i will not forsake my duty!
and so it ends. in unceremonious silence.
i shall have it, your soul and all!
stay strong. keep the faith. at dutyās end, we will meet again.Ā
promise me youāll take me on your next adventure. a journey. together. thatās all i ask.
if i were to tell you that this isnāt the endĀ that we will meet again - would you believe me?Ā
we struggle because we have hope.
the thought of never seeing you againā¦ itās more than my poor heart can bear!
you have our love, now and always.
i could not bear it if you were to leave. please stay! i beg of you!
honestly, heās a boy in the body of a manā¦
itās justā¦ i always knew that everyone would leave one day.
now that the time has come, i just feelā¦ lost. lost and lonely.Ā
you made me who i am.
gods know, iām proud of you. i always will be.
we, my dear, are in unknown territory.Ā
yet miracles do happen.
i wonāt stop praying until i know theyāre safe.
you stand where you stand by virture of the road you walked to get there.
being free to live as one pleases is not without its challengesā¦
i shall carry them close to my heart always, unto the end of my days.
i did glance at the reportā¦but iād be lying if i said i understood half of it.Ā
had i half her stubbornnessĀ nay, her unwillingness to accept the status quo, i would be a far better person.
did no one teach you any manners, girl?
i was still a child when last i came here, but now i am rather more capable.
the tides will turn, as is their wont, and the wise man sails with them towards the shores of new opportunity.
i thought myself the hunter, but it turns out i was the preyā¦Ā
bloodshed followed. then bloodshed to answer the bloodshed. and on and on it went.
what we have sown in blood, we have reaped in suffering, and it cannot go on.Ā
so donāt bother trying to reason with me. you will find i have no reason.
no sooner do we overcome one problem than another appears.
i for one do not intend to allow a nihilistic madman to take us all to the grave with him.Ā
there is nothing in this world i would rather do than write a new future with you.Ā
oh, i couldnāt lose him if i tried. and i did try. repeatedly.
with this power of mine, i can make a difference.
it means a lot, you know - you coming with me.
the way [ name ] goes on about him, iām fairly sure i could pick him out in a crowd.
well i for one will not be making that mistake again.Ā
one canāt remain a spoiled little lordling forever, you know.
you know, when we were growing up, [ name ] would never befriend other boys because he couldnāt stand the thought of not being in charge.
he still loves nothing better than the sound of his own voice.
are there no depths to which you will not stoop!?
Soā¦ save your mercy for those who deserve it.Ā
better to die than live as a tool of evil.
we came together, and weāre leaving together!
if you have need of my strength, itās yours.
donāt tell me - you couldnāt read my handwriting.
if you wish to walk the path of ruin, i will not stand in your way.
it was only a matter of time before that grinning maniac showed himself again.
be the hero i canāt.
no one ever calls themselves a hero.Ā
the one who awaits at the heart of the chaos will come for us. for you.Ā
the stars shall bear witness to our final contest.
I'm so damn tired and brain dead since work has been kicking me in the dick and I've been working overtime, and y'all are giving me some angst brainrot
