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They finally took the coming soon off the character select screen, I am actually so sad about Valko though I absolutely understand they need to workshop the whole thing and it's not my place to ask them to bring him back because the backstory had insensitive elements. I just think the character would have been nice to explore had he been done right the first time. Like having another experimented on character would have been so interesting and led to so much angst! Caleb would have had someone who could relate to him in the way MC forgot! Also the soft memories that got leaked were so cute I would have loved them I think.
I'm just so numb I hate how things turned out. I was willing to forgive them if they just came out and was transparent about what led them to make this decision. Idk it LADs can ever make a comeback, but I'm too attached to the characters to die.
To me, Valko is still the 6th LI. I don't care if they delete him. So many people loved him. It's so unfair to them.
cw: death, loss, angst, hurt/no comfort, probably OOC.
summary: in a boundless dreamscape where time does not flow, you and Valko say your last goodbyes.
a/n: still grieving my baby
"In the end, what are we, Valko?"
A gentle breeze rustled the leaves of the great Willow tree. Shadows cast by the foliage danced on his face. Beneath the golden glow of the orange sun, his eyes gleamed like rings of amber.
In the space of your dreams, where time stood still, where the setting sun never dipped, and where the winds blew, perpetually cool, you shared a heart with the figure haunting the dreamscape.
Valko's ears twitched. His hand encompassed your own, and a soft tail swept falling leaves off the blades of bottle-green grass.
"Does it matter?"
You winced as a leaf fell onto your eye. You blew it off, then turning to the branch above you'd deemed the perpetrator. "Are we..." Your fingers clenched, grabbing onto a patch of innocent grass victim to your frustration. "Are you real?"
Valko's own pair of eyes flitted to the setting sun that never set. "If only time could pause forever."
"Then, you wouldn't have to leave, and I wouldn't have to deal with this all over again." Your teeth sank into the plush of your lips.
A moment passed in silence. Though, could a moment really pass in a place where time had stilled? Those questions were meaningless, however, as you knew the answer to it all;
"I'm not real."
You shut your eyes.
And neither was the dreamscape. Neither was the blades of grass crushed beneath your palm; neither was the sunken sun nor the rattling leaves, and neither was the cold breeze that threaded through your hair.
None of this was real.
"But the emotions we feel?" Valko brought your hand to cradle the side of your face. "They're real."
Tears stung your eyes.
"You died too soon. We never got a chance."
As he smiled, dimples formed on either cheek. "Hmm. But we have this."
You added, "A fleeting moment in a fictional space."
"And worst of all," you continued, "you're not even truly here. Fate's a bitch."
Valko barked out a laugh.
"For real, for real. But you know..." Two arms reeled you closer until his head rested upon your chest. His ears twitched again, now perking to the rhythm of your heartbeat. "I'm still in here."
The first tear fell. You hugged him back and threaded a few fingers through the locks of his hair.
"I'm sorry..."
"What?" His eyes softened. "Don't tell me you've already kicked me out. Got a new tenant in there?"
You pulled his cheek. "Of course not."
"Ouch—alright, alright. I was joking. Can you stop that?"
Your thumb ran over the skin you abused, the texture feeling oddly real and alive, almost as if to convince you he was really there.
"But, in all seriousness," Valko wriggled out of your embrace. His smile disappeared. "Move on, yeah? Live your life in my stead."
The dreamscape began to collapse.
"Shit." His eyes darted around frantically. The sky cracked. Colours were washing away as if wrung dry by fate. The green disappeared from the grass. The sun turned gray. Branches began to crumble. Its leaves were blown away by a growling gale.
Your hands scrambled to get ahold of his face.
"Valko, wait—don't leave me!"
He pulled you into his chest before you could see his face distort. "I'm always with you..."
"No, I can't move on—"
"Promise me. In another life..."
Valko's voice faded, as if he were screaming into a void, hoping the sound reached the other end.
The warmth enveloping your form morphed into a chill.
"I... promise."
A small laugh escaped his lips.
"I love you."
"I love you too. Goodbye..."
As the last of him was carried away by the breeze, you fell to the ground.
Your mate was gone. You were all alone.
Maybe, in another universe, fate would be kinder.
But in this, you were doomed to reawaken to an empty house, to a cold bed, with sweat running down your forehead and a hand reaching out to the darkness.
Your mate was gone.
In the darkness of your room, you shut your eyes and let the grief consume you.
Sylus watched you tick away like a time bomb ready to detonate.
He witnessed the mirth rot within your eyes as the timer counted down. You smiled 10 times a day, then 9, 8, 7, 6…
In the eyes of your self-annihilation, Sylus was powerless.
And then, as the timer approached months, your disintegration began.
You skipped meals. He winced at the disgruntled wails of your stomach as your eyes landed upon the cupcakes he’d baked for you. A battle ignited within your conscience: the hunger fought with the sheer numbness, the desire to live with the desire to decay, and in the end, after the persistent hesitation contorting your face, Sylus watched as you turned away. The nausea outweighed hunger. When even the microscopic globules of fat and carbohydrates sickened you, there was little he could do to ease your disgust.
Sylus lay beside you as the hunger soiled your slumber. For weeks, you hadn’t closed your eyes, and every time his warmth had lulled you to sleep, you’d awake mere hours later, gasping, wide-eyed, with beads of sweat clinging to your jaw.
You refused to fall back asleep. You only rolled away from his arms, ears falling deaf to his desperation, drowning yourself in work.
At work, you fell behind. Deadlines passed like wandering ships disappearing behind veils of fog. Your superiors yelled at you, ending their reprimands with the query—you used to be so diligent. What happened to you?
It was only months before you had been conveniently laid off, carved off like rotten flesh, a hindrance, a thorn by your coworkers’ sides. Sylus watched you take the news. Your reactions were dampened by the numbness; your bloodshot eyes stared at nothing.
You felt nothing because you felt everything at once.
Unable to return to the workforce by the courtesy of your fraying mental health, Sylus picked up the pieces you were too tired to. He could take care of you for your life—no, he most definitely would. But he knew how much you valued your autonomy, how much you enjoyed the fruits of your own labour, how brightly you smiled at your own achievements. You’d be cared for. You knew that much. But Sylus knew all too well how deep a scar that would leave in your heart.
That day, a chunk of you crumbled to the ground, powdered to fine dust.
Everything was meaningless.
Sylus had tried it all. Therapy, medication, his own unwavering love and attention. He had never missed a date, an anniversary, or your birthday. He had bought you everything you had once desired, everything you could ever need. He spoke to you softly, loved you wholly, serving himself on a silver platter for your consumption. And yet, you only fell further; neither faster nor slower, as if his means had had no effect at all.
Sylus watched as nihilism consumed you.
He watched it bleed out of your wounds. He watched it trickle down the gashes in your arms, the slits on your thighs, and the scar you’d left on your face. He saw it in your eyes, the emptiness, the pointlessness, overshadowing the fear in his eyes. As his hands fled to stop the bleeding, your eyes only looked at him as if you were already a corpse.
After that day, the day you nearly bled yourself to death, Sylus was never the same.
Something shifted within your lover. Some of his edges softened, but some of them dug into your skin.
Your meals never went unfinished again.
Meals were constructed with the patience of an engineer. Every meal was planned—the nutritional value was balanced, and the taste was enhanced. Every ingredient was deliberately added for your benefit.
You refused to eat, of course. No matter how enticing the smell, no matter how loud the grumble of your stomach, your body recoiled at its sight.
Sylus would understand and listen. He always had. He had once been patient, never breaching your boundaries, never doing something against your will.
But something within him had rotted ever since.
If only you’d stopped squirming and thrashing around in his vice-like grip, you would have heard his heart shattering as his hands forced your mouth open, gently pushing in a forkful and guiding you to chew.
“I know,” he cooed, prying your jaw open, “I know, sweetie. Just a bite. I'm sorry.” Tears welled in his own eyes at the sight of your own. He patted your back as you retched, rubbed a path down your neck as you swallowed, pressing on the lump until it disappeared down your throat.
Even as he caged you, he held you with such gentleness that the prison began to feel safe.
After every meal, Sylus would place pills upon your tongue and rub soft circles into your back as he held the glass against your lips, urging you to swallow.
In bed, his arms would snake around you with remarkable strength. Never enough to hurt, but enough to keep you still, face firmly pressed against his chest, with nowhere to wander off to besides the realm of slumber.
Every night, he would lie awake, relishing in the gentle rise and fall of your chest, often soothing the dark bags drooping beneath your eyes, other times rolling your sleeves up to caress your scars. They were the remnants of his failure, the proof of his incompetence, and the driving force that led him down this path.
For how much longer could Sylus watch as you ruined yourself? How could he watch you inch towards death, uncaring and dazed, consumed by a force far crueller than any aether core, any greed, or any spite?
How could he let his mate sever her wings and bleed onto the blades of soft grass?
Could he ever forgive himself if he lost you again?
Two days later, Sylus moved you into his place.
On the same day, the people responsible for your layoffs had gone missing.
His room became yours. Though everything of his had always belonged to you. You did not protest as he moved your belongings into his place. You were tired, and you knew he wouldn’t listen.
Every gun had been sealed behind glass. Every weapon was kept out of reach, every sharp end dulled, every knife locked away in the kitchen. He trailed you throughout the house silently, just happening to emerge in spots you ventured to, coincidentally bumping into you as you strode through the hallways.
The rooftop had been shut off with large metal locks that wouldn’t budge. The windows had been locked. The glass was already bulletproof and unbreakable.
Sylus’s defences were impenetrable. Or so, he thought.
Every day as you slept, he rolled up your sleeves.
Not a day had gone by when he hadn’t discovered a new cut, a new bruise, or a new nick.
Each time, he bandaged it with care. His confidence decomposed. Slowly, Sylus found himself inching towards a madness none had returned from.
And the last straw, he found, was when you’d sauntered to the rooftop; feet planted upon the edge, peering down at the world through lifeless eyes.
That day, Sylus almost lost you again.
Whatever restraint remained died on that rooftop.
The windows were barred. The curtains were drawn. The doors were locked behind a code. Sensors lined every doorway. The cameras, some only accessible to him, granted you no privacy.
And the cruellest change of them all was not how his grip tightened, not how his voice softened despite the abuse, and not how his mere presence made you shudder beneath his warmth. It was the chain you didn’t notice softly slipping onto your ankle, shackling you to your room.
Sylus had lured you into a gilded cage, and you had walked in willingly, allured by its gleam.
You could no longer tell whether the restraints were real or metaphorical.
All you knew, all you saw, and all you breathed was him. His affection is now akin to a beast of voracity. His obsession, now submerging your head beneath the cold, unmoving waters. His possession, now you.
If your hatred, your tears, and your fear were a necessary consequence, Sylus would be willing to pay the price.
If that’s what you wished, he’d beg for your forgiveness for all of eternity.
But the shackles would not disappear. The control wouldn’t soften.
For a corpse cannot love or be loved.
And you would realise, of course, you would, one day, that all he did was for you.
But until that day, nothing would change.
As your lover cradled you in his arms, wiping away the tears rolling incessantly down your cheeks, grieving the freedom you once had, he pulled you into his chest and whispered, “I have clipped your feathers,” a kiss to your forehead, “I have broken your wings,” one to your jaw, “And I have bound your soul to mine.”
Sylus’s lips ghosted over yours.
“Don’t… leave me, my dove.”
And then, he captured your lips in a soft, devouring kiss.
“In every lifetime, stay with me until fate consumes our souls in its cackling flames.”
Your wings are gone.
There is nowhere to fly.
YAYYY I'M FREE TO WRITE AGAIN!! Not proofread btw so ignore any mistakes <3 I've been meaning to write yandere!sylus due to my fascination with yandere content, but I just can't imagine him as a natural yandere like i can with caleb ughhh. so i had to give him an excuse to turn into one. I settled on a self-destructive reader as a) i relate obv and b) genuinely what would he do if nothing works?? So, yes. this idea was born.
On a more personal note, I will be taking a short break from LADs content. I know, I know. My hiatus just ended. I know. This situation has left a bitter taste in my mouth, and I just can't bring myself to write something right now. I may be posting Valko content in protest and writing for other fandoms. During my break, I will be working on 3 large fics: Komorebi, The Glory, and Silken Chains part 2, so I will definitely be feeding my audience after my break!
Some good news to lighten the mood: I've been busy setting up my very own candle business! Thus, the lack of content as of late. But, honestly, that's the only good news I can give you. I'm not in the best space mentally either. But, I hope things will take a better turn soon.
I had some Valko fics planned anyway. I may be releasing them in protest LMAO
I'm sure we all know what'd happened by now. I want to share my opinions regarding it all. I would request that you hear me out first, as some things I say may be controversial.
Truth be told, I am one of the people who did not want a 6th love interest to be introduced to the game this early along its journey. On other social media platforms, I’d been vocal about how I believe that Infold should first release Sylus and Caleb’s missing content, add the necessary QoLs, promise to listen to community feedback, introduce more events with diamonds as rewards, update the chocolate shop, produce more repeatable and redoable endgame modes, and so on. As you may already know, I play other gacha games, and what I sought was that we receive the bare minimum that every bigshot gacha game already has.
With that being said, I was not against Valko as an LI. In fact, I was excited for him. However, I won't deny that I was disappointed upon his release. Not because I dislike Valko. I have nothing against him. I had only hoped that Infold would say a word or two about the things the community has been asking for years, and to nobody's surprise, they hadn't. I agree that Valko had been teased too early. I agree that the game needed more updates before his arrival. But cancelling Valko is not the solution.
Instead, the right path was to delay Valko's release, and in the meantime, work on releasing the expected QoLs, the missing content, etc, and make a promise to listen to community feedback. Valko's release could have been after the expected content had already been delivered. Easier said than done, yes, but infinitely better than cancelling Valko altogether.
However, something I want to add is that I think there is more to the situation than what we were told.
Infold had prepared everything: 3d models, combat animations, standard and limited cards, main story appearance, main story significance, lore progression, VAs, artwork, events, etc. They had already poured in gallons of money into his debut, and one thing we all (should) know about Infold is that they care only about profit. A company that prioritizes profits making a decision so blatantly unprofitable. A decision that leaves them millions of dollars in losses is not a logical one, and it is certainly not the one they'd take easily.
To add to that, they had made this detrimental decision just before the debut of their most promising competitor by far, Silent Whispers. Financially, corporately, and creatively, and in every other way you can think of, this was a bad decision. My conclusion is that either the person making these decisions is not mentally fit to do so, or that there was an underlying cause that is not being disclosed. I suspect legal reasons and government pressure, both of which I have heard rumours of.
In the end, the one responsible is Infold. But what I want to say is that there may be more to this situation than we are being told. There is a greater reason which is being kept strictly under wraps. I'm not trying to relieve Infold of any accountability. I only want the truth, and I want an answer.
I sympathize with those who were excited for Valko. I was eager to see what he brought to the lore, how he expanded the world and our knowledge on Eoncore Tech. Alas, I don't know if it will happen. I was open to the idea of potentially falling for him. If it happens to Valko, it can happen to your main next.
But my deepest sympathies go to the creatives in charge of him. I'm sorry that your hard work has gone to waste. I hope you are compensated for your troubles. I'm sorry that a character so dear to you was done such a great injustice.
To creatives, characters are more than just pixels on a screen. Please understand that and be respectful. Sign petitions, speak up, leave bad reviews, go f2p. Do whatever you can to show your dissatisfaction.
Abt the whole Valko thing, I wrote something in the official server that I’m gonna post here as well jic something happens.
Honestly my main worry is the legal side of things as there was a VERY small but vocal group that got the Chinese state involved. I feel like the pressure was more political/legal than because of money.
Honestly this is messed up an all sides imo. This isn’t the first time that one of infold’s games got sent downhill due to political reasons. Lads’ predecessor (MLQC) had an issue in 2021 where one of the VAs was fired due to an accidental political message. I doubt he knew that what he said would result in him being fired, but Chinese laws would have destroyed the company had they not fired him. This drama resulted in a large percentage of people leaving the game and all of the VAs quitting the game (two in good graces with the company, two in bad graces) and being replaced. The game went steadily until they had to make the change to partial voice acting, but still did not make enough money. The game went EOS this March.
Right now, the issue, just like last time, is the lack of communication from infold. Rather than fully explaining their decision with something as simple as “Due to legal matters we cannot move forward with Valko” they try to keep it vague. Now the community is split between people blaming infold and people blaming the CN girlies when I feel like it’s more nuanced than that.
Yes infold is an greedy company but unlike most of their decisions this doesn’t feel like it was done purely because of money. Their office building was sent literal manure which is a huge health hazard and people were wishing death to them via the chrysanthemums. There were news reports on them, a detail in-game that was there for a while was suddenly the main point of attention. But they could and should have done more. Their PR team is shit
There are some CN girlies who are celebrating Valko’s removal, but others are grieving just like us. The people who harassed infold were very few, but even 10 can raise an eyebrow. Blaming all of them will be just as toxic and cruel when the vast majority are actual well adjusted people
Rather than placing the blame onto one group (CN Girlies, Infold, etc) it’s important for us to work together to try and solve this. Send emails, sign petitions, write posts, etc. Don’t spread hate.
But above ALL else make sure to focus on yourselves. I sincerely doubt this issue will be solved in the next 24h. If this really stresses you out then take a step back from social media (especially twt, it’s a dumpster fire over there. Saw one person call another brain dead for liking Valko and blamed both Valko and infold for all of this. I will not be including them in the sources to not cause unnecessary drama). Take care of yourselves, drink water, go to sleep, cry if you need to, engage in other hobbies, etc. Your mental health is more important than this game. If you can’t take action without worsening your own mental health then don’t
Lads will not reach EOS any time soon. They were able to keep MLQC running for 5 years, I know they’ll try their best to keep it alive from a functionality point of view.
Infold, if you’re somehow reading this, a small update could calm things down. Legally, idk how much you can say, but even a simple “Dear Hunters, We cannot discuss all of our reasons behind everything due to current legal matters. We apologize for any stress caused by our recent announcement. Here’s a code for (idk how much I personally think 50 pulls in dias in case ppl wanna spend it on something else)”. And if you can say more, PLEASE say more. The biggest issue right now is your vagueness tearing the community apart. We do not want a repeat of MLQC
Hiiiiii, dropping by with a request if that's okay!! 🥹
On theme with the latest LADS banner, would love some headcanons or drabbles (dealer's choice!!) about a cinema date with any or all of the guys! Or a cozy movie night at home, or ideas about what kinda movies you think they'd each like! If you wanna do a more personal one, maybe your fave LI reacting to any of your fave movies? Sorry I'm just sorta throwing lots of randomness at you lol, hopefully some of it sparks some inspiration but of course no pressure and no rush!
Anyway yeah! Hope you're having a nice day! 💕💕
Well, since you were pretty much okay with anything, I decided to write for Xavier! I don't know why him. Not my fave. More like my bestie or long lost twin. I just thought he'd enjoy movie dates the most out of all the LIs. Plus, I don't really have any ideas for the rest of the LIs (except Sylus), so I just stuck with Xavier for now. I don't really watch movies (I prefer series), so I kept it vague. Thanks for the req!! <3
cw: mild hurt w/ comfort, fluff.
wc: 1.0k
The good thing about dating your colleague was that you and Xavier would seldom have to worry about mismatched routines. On most days (save for when you were assigned different missions), you clocked in at the same time, caught glimpses of one another maneuvering throughout the workplace, and by the end of the day, you would find him waiting for you by the HQ's gate, clutching a paper bag with drinks to sip on the way home.
Even with such remarkable compatibility, you and Xavier stumbled upon days when things would not go your way. A mission gone wrong ended up with one of you staying over to write a damage report. A civilian gone missing within the no-hunt-zone called for an extensive search operation. Vastly differing missions assigned would mostly warrant trips by air, stretching hundreds of kilometers between you on the night meant to be reserved for dates.
For the past week, the two of you had been suspiciously plagued with such drawbacks, almost as if fate herself had damned your plans. The mission went wrong after your inexperienced hunting partner had managed to sneak off and use a flash beacon to enrage a multi-eyed wanderer despite the first cardinal rule of dealing with it stating, do not, under any circumstances, expose the beast to light.
Alas, the beast concealed its protocore and entered a state far more powerful and erratic than usual. Nothing you couldn't handle, of course. But the same could not be said about your hunting partner, who had ended up with broken limbs as you struggled to juggle three cups: eliminating the wanderer, ensuring it doesn't reach civilian property, and keeping him alive.
After that, a child mistaking Xavier's tall silhouette for a wanderer had run deeper into the woods as he extended his hand, forcing hunters in that area to halt operations and search for the missing child. Five hours later, they discovered her hiding atop a tree branch, utilizing her small size to blend into the darkness and look just like foliage.
And just as the two of you had begun settling into your couches, your hunter's watch beeped, and you had been summoned to the association in a hurry. That very night, you had been shipped off to Skyhaven on an emergency mission, sacrificing both your sleep and your precious time that was to be spent cuddling on the couch with your boyfriend.
Such is the dismal fate of a hunter.
After this, with neither of you willing to tolerate another disturbance, the two of you planned a movie date the night of your return. Finally, a moment of peace to yourselves. A night that belongs only to the two of you. After a week of unexpected events, today, the day must go according to your plans.
Except...
"What's that smell?"
"Hm?"
You raised your nose, flaring your nostrils to inhale a large whiff of air.
"Something's burning."
Xavier paused the show. The arm slung over your shoulder lifted as he turned in the direction you were facing.
"Did we..."
Before he could finish his sentence, your eyes widened. "Xav—th-the popcorn!"
A part of you knew not to let Xavier near any kitchen appliance, yet it ached you to put such little trust in him as well. After all, he is an adult. Surely, instant popcorn in a microwave wasn't out of his league? You knew him to microwave takeout regularly either way, so, surely this was something well within his capabilities?
The popcorn came out as a lump of charcoal—almost indecipherable from it—reeking of a strange smell (which you later identified as burnt butter). You weren't sure whether the greater issue was how Xavier set the microwave to 10 minutes on high heat, or how he had dunked the kernels in a full stick of butter.
In that moment, watching the smoke escape the appliance like winding tentacles, with lungs full of burnt butter, eyes examining the almost alien sight of horribly scorched popcorn, it was almost as if the exhaustion built-up over the week had returned. Or perhaps, it was always there, now only resurfacing from beneath the still waters. But this time, it came with finality. You weren't angry. You couldn't be. At the sight of your lover standing hunched in a corner, anxiously rubbing the back of his neck, stealing glances at you with bleary eyes, your heart melted. The annoyance dissipated. Instead, you felt numb.
Burnt popcorn wasn't a big deal. On a normal day, you'd laugh it off, chalk it up to one of Xavier's many endearing kitchen accidents. But after a week of nothing going your way, the popcorn was the last straw.
You held the tears back. You dumped the bowl into the bin, paying no mind to the charcoal bouncing off the rim. Only then did Xavier notice the grim look etched upon your countenance. Before you could storm off, he caught your hand in his.
"Are you... mad?"
You wiped a few tears with the back of your sleeve.
"No."
He loosened his grip, moving his body in front of you.
"Frustrated?"
He held his arms open.
As the tears rushed to overwhelm you, you buried yourself within his arms.
"It's just!—" you gasped between hiccups, "Nothing has been going our way. It just—"
"Shh," he pulled you closer until the warmth of his hoodie was all you could feel, "I get it."
It was only when your sniffles had died down when Xavier released you from his embrace. He held you by the shoulders, staring into your eyes with a determined softness. "Fate tried to tear us apart this whole week, yet, in the end, it led me to your arms once more."
A soft smile graced your lips. "Maybe she throws tantrums sometimes as well."
"Mm." Xaviier interlocked your fingers with his. "Together, we're stronger than Gods. So," he snatched another packet of instant popcorn from the counter, "Let's reclaim this night and make it ours."
Your smile morphed into a grin. "A movie marathon?"
Xavier nodded.
"I'll let you choose. But, first," he grabbed a bowl, "Maybe you should give me some pointers this time?"
update: i love him your honor and i'm excited to finally meet the newest li ! i am really excited to see what he adds to the story and what kind of personality he has (plus i'm way too excited for the shipping pool to get bigger lol).
I'M SO EXCITED FOR THE LORE UPDATE DJFNSJJEKDS
I've been speedrunning the mainstory (was too busy to finish death and rebirth) just so I can do his main story the moment he comes out.
If he's an LI, does that mean his corporation can be a potential thorn on EVER's side?? Imagine EonTech and Onychinus teaming up against EVER. Prob won't happen but IMAGINE
either way I'm looking forward to the things he might add, though he doesn't really seem to be my type so far.
I'm scared ima fall inlove with the new LI only to bring another financial burden upon myself n waste even more time n money on yet ANOTHER LI, as if Caleb n Sylus aren't already milking me dry.
I think he's mid but that's what I thought about all my fictional crushes until I actually got to know them and then fell head over heels for them. Praying I don't fall for him 🙏
Sylus watched you tick away like a time bomb ready to detonate.
He witnessed the mirth rot within your eyes as the timer counted down. You smiled 10 times a day, then 9, 8, 7, 6…
In the eyes of your self-annihilation, Sylus was powerless.
And then, as the timer approached months, your disintegration began.
You skipped meals. He winced at the disgruntled wails of your stomach as your eyes landed upon the cupcakes he’d baked for you. A battle ignited within your conscience: the hunger fought with the sheer numbness, the desire to live with the desire to decay, and in the end, after the persistent hesitation contorting your face, Sylus watched as you turned away. The nausea outweighed hunger. When even the microscopic globules of fat and carbohydrates sickened you, there was little he could do to ease your disgust.
Sylus lay beside you as the hunger soiled your slumber. For weeks, you hadn’t closed your eyes, and every time his warmth had lulled you to sleep, you’d awake mere hours later, gasping, wide-eyed, with beads of sweat clinging to your jaw.
You refused to fall back asleep. You only rolled away from his arms, ears falling deaf to his desperation, drowning yourself in work.
At work, you fell behind. Deadlines passed like wandering ships disappearing behind veils of fog. Your superiors yelled at you, ending their reprimands with the query—you used to be so diligent. What happened to you?
It was only months before you had been conveniently laid off, carved off like rotten flesh, a hindrance, a thorn by your coworkers’ sides. Sylus watched you take the news. Your reactions were dampened by the numbness; your bloodshot eyes stared at nothing.
You felt nothing because you felt everything at once.
Unable to return to the workforce by the courtesy of your fraying mental health, Sylus picked up the pieces you were too tired to. He could take care of you for your life—no, he most definitely would. But he knew how much you valued your autonomy, how much you enjoyed the fruits of your own labour, how brightly you smiled at your own achievements. You’d be cared for. You knew that much. But Sylus knew all too well how deep a scar that would leave in your heart.
That day, a chunk of you crumbled to the ground, powdered to fine dust.
Everything was meaningless.
Sylus had tried it all. Therapy, medication, his own unwavering love and attention. He had never missed a date, an anniversary, or your birthday. He had bought you everything you had once desired, everything you could ever need. He spoke to you softly, loved you wholly, serving himself on a silver platter for your consumption. And yet, you only fell further; neither faster nor slower, as if his means had had no effect at all.
Sylus watched as nihilism consumed you.
He watched it bleed out of your wounds. He watched it trickle down the gashes in your arms, the slits on your thighs, and the scar you’d left on your face. He saw it in your eyes, the emptiness, the pointlessness, overshadowing the fear in his eyes. As his hands fled to stop the bleeding, your eyes only looked at him as if you were already a corpse.
After that day, the day you nearly bled yourself to death, Sylus was never the same.
Something shifted within your lover. Some of his edges softened, but some of them dug into your skin.
Your meals never went unfinished again.
Meals were constructed with the patience of an engineer. Every meal was planned—the nutritional value was balanced, and the taste was enhanced. Every ingredient was deliberately added for your benefit.
You refused to eat, of course. No matter how enticing the smell, no matter how loud the grumble of your stomach, your body recoiled at its sight.
Sylus would understand and listen. He always had. He had once been patient, never breaching your boundaries, never doing something against your will.
But something within him had rotted ever since.
If only you’d stopped squirming and thrashing around in his vice-like grip, you would have heard his heart shattering as his hands forced your mouth open, gently pushing in a forkful and guiding you to chew.
“I know,” he cooed, prying your jaw open, “I know, sweetie. Just a bite. I'm sorry.” Tears welled in his own eyes at the sight of your own. He patted your back as you retched, rubbed a path down your neck as you swallowed, pressing on the lump until it disappeared down your throat.
Even as he caged you, he held you with such gentleness that the prison began to feel safe.
After every meal, Sylus would place pills upon your tongue and rub soft circles into your back as he held the glass against your lips, urging you to swallow.
In bed, his arms would snake around you with remarkable strength. Never enough to hurt, but enough to keep you still, face firmly pressed against his chest, with nowhere to wander off to besides the realm of slumber.
Every night, he would lie awake, relishing in the gentle rise and fall of your chest, often soothing the dark bags drooping beneath your eyes, other times rolling your sleeves up to caress your scars. They were the remnants of his failure, the proof of his incompetence, and the driving force that led him down this path.
For how much longer could Sylus watch as you ruined yourself? How could he watch you inch towards death, uncaring and dazed, consumed by a force far crueller than any aether core, any greed, or any spite?
How could he let his mate sever her wings and bleed onto the blades of soft grass?
Could he ever forgive himself if he lost you again?
Two days later, Sylus moved you into his place.
On the same day, the people responsible for your layoffs had gone missing.
His room became yours. Though everything of his had always belonged to you. You did not protest as he moved your belongings into his place. You were tired, and you knew he wouldn’t listen.
Every gun had been sealed behind glass. Every weapon was kept out of reach, every sharp end dulled, every knife locked away in the kitchen. He trailed you throughout the house silently, just happening to emerge in spots you ventured to, coincidentally bumping into you as you strode through the hallways.
The rooftop had been shut off with large metal locks that wouldn’t budge. The windows had been locked. The glass was already bulletproof and unbreakable.
Sylus’s defences were impenetrable. Or so, he thought.
Every day as you slept, he rolled up your sleeves.
Not a day had gone by when he hadn’t discovered a new cut, a new bruise, or a new nick.
Each time, he bandaged it with care. His confidence decomposed. Slowly, Sylus found himself inching towards a madness none had returned from.
And the last straw, he found, was when you’d sauntered to the rooftop; feet planted upon the edge, peering down at the world through lifeless eyes.
That day, Sylus almost lost you again.
Whatever restraint remained died on that rooftop.
The windows were barred. The curtains were drawn. The doors were locked behind a code. Sensors lined every doorway. The cameras, some only accessible to him, granted you no privacy.
And the cruellest change of them all was not how his grip tightened, not how his voice softened despite the abuse, and not how his mere presence made you shudder beneath his warmth. It was the chain you didn’t notice softly slipping onto your ankle, shackling you to your room.
Sylus had lured you into a gilded cage, and you had walked in willingly, allured by its gleam.
You could no longer tell whether the restraints were real or metaphorical.
All you knew, all you saw, and all you breathed was him. His affection is now akin to a beast of voracity. His obsession, now submerging your head beneath the cold, unmoving waters. His possession, now you.
If your hatred, your tears, and your fear were a necessary consequence, Sylus would be willing to pay the price.
If that’s what you wished, he’d beg for your forgiveness for all of eternity.
But the shackles would not disappear. The control wouldn’t soften.
For a corpse cannot love or be loved.
And you would realise, of course, you would, one day, that all he did was for you.
But until that day, nothing would change.
As your lover cradled you in his arms, wiping away the tears rolling incessantly down your cheeks, grieving the freedom you once had, he pulled you into his chest and whispered, “I have clipped your feathers,” a kiss to your forehead, “I have broken your wings,” one to your jaw, “And I have bound your soul to mine.”
Sylus’s lips ghosted over yours.
“Don’t… leave me, my dove.”
And then, he captured your lips in a soft, devouring kiss.
“In every lifetime, stay with me until fate consumes our souls in its cackling flames.”
Your wings are gone.
There is nowhere to fly.
YAYYY I'M FREE TO WRITE AGAIN!! Not proofread btw so ignore any mistakes <3 I've been meaning to write yandere!sylus due to my fascination with yandere content, but I just can't imagine him as a natural yandere like i can with caleb ughhh. so i had to give him an excuse to turn into one. I settled on a self-destructive reader as a) i relate obv and b) genuinely what would he do if nothing works?? So, yes. this idea was born.
Opening requests! Updated the request rules, so please check before requesting. I haven't put pen to paper (or rather, keyboard to word document...?) in a while so I'm excited to be working on requests again.
If you have requested something in the past that may have gone overlooked, feel free to make that request again.
synopsis: sylus has no fears. what? what do you mean, needles? that makes no sens—
alright, scratch that. sylus has one fear.
tags: fluff, needles obvs, vague description of vaccination process, reader is adamant that sylus gets this shot, he’s a chicken, resonating, domesticisms at the end
word count: 900
to combat a virus that seems to disproportionately affect evolvers, all eligible individuals have been given a new preventative vaccine.
almost all of them, anyway.
“come on!” you huff, pushing with all your might. “it won't be that bad!”
“why don't you try again, kitten? you almost moved me an inch that time.”
this early in the morning, the pharmacy parking lot is mostly empty. but by the time you finally manage to drag sylus inside, you fear they'll already be closed for the day.
you'd gotten your shot weeks ago, the only side effect being a bit of soreness. but every time you asked sylus how his shot went, he always found a way to dodge the question. after days of back-and-forth and a 30-minute interrogation, you’d reached a harrowing conclusion:
sylus was afraid of needles.
“it’s not as odd as you think,” he’d said while you gaped at him. “believe it or not, i value my life. why should i let a stranger skewer me and thank them for it?”
you’d booked his appointment at the store nearest to you the very next day.
“stop being a baby!” you groan. “it’ll literally take ten seconds.”
“i don’t know, sweetie.” planting his heels further into the asphalt, he halfheartedly picks at his nails. “i could get used to the sound of you calling me ‘baby.’”
“what if you get sick because you didn't get the treatment?” you change tactics, putting your hands on your hips. “i’ll be so sad and lonely.”
“you can set up a lawn chair next to my grave. be sure to wear sunscreen.”
your hands leave your sides to fly up in the air. ugh. “you—” ugh. “you…” ugh!!
sylus blinks lazily. “can we go home now?”
“no.” you breathe slowly through your nose, a slight wheeze blowing through. “you leave me no choice.”
snatching his arm into a crushing bear hug, you feel the familiar rush of resonance flow through your body. once you’ve adopted his evol, red and black ropes coil around his wrists.
mustering all your energy, you brace yourself and pull with all your might. in slow motion, your boyfriend torpedoes through the pharmacy doors.
despite his protests, you don't look back until you’ve made it to the reception area.
“there.” you stop resonating, and the ropes disappear. “now tell them you're here for your appointment.”
sylus only scowls at you, a slight growl rumbling in his throat.
if you weren’t in public, you’d growl back. instead, you cross your arms. “i can do that part for you, too, if you're feeling shy.”
as seconds pass, his hackles drop, and his figurative ears lay flat on his head. warily, he stalks toward the check-in station.
──────
the heat ripples off him in waves.
after fifteen torturous minutes of waiting, the short brunette pharmacist finally calls sylus to the back. when he hears his name, his body tenses. then, slowly, he slinks out of his seat.
“good luck!” you call from the comfort of your chair, flipping absently through a lifestyle magazine.
when you make no move to follow him, he stares at you in unease. “you’re not coming?”
“do i need to?”
his jaw clenches. “it would be nice.”
at that, you suppress a laugh—he doesn't need to be any more agitated right now. shrugging, you flip the magazine closed and follow him to the side door, where the pharmacist ushers you in with a warm smile. at least this way, you can keep an eye on him.
──────
it’s funny how a man with so many battle scars winces at the sting of a tiny needle. he nearly crushes your hand when it pierces his skin, squeezing with the force of an embattled legion. you only reclaim the feeling in your fingers once the needle is removed, and sylus’s deep exhale fills the room.
“alright, sir, you’re all done!” the pharmacist chirps. “we recommend you hang back here for around twenty minutes so we can monitor potential side effects, but after that, you're free to go.”
minus his twitching eye, sylus looks like he's frozen in time. ever the caretaker, you step in for him with a smile. “thank you!”
──────
the next morning, you attempt to roll out of bed and start your day, only to find that you can’t.
sylus can get touchy in his sleep, but usually not to this extent. this morning, his entire right arm is draped over you, its bulk anchoring you to the bed.
after several unsuccessful attempts to wriggle free, you trail your eyes up his topless body, all the way to his face. he’s gazing back at you, a slight smirk on his lips. because of course he is.
“after yesterday, i can barely lift it. so i guess we’re stuck here, just like this. for hours, maybe. who knows?” he yawns exaggeratedly and nuzzles into the crook of your neck, nipping gently at the skin. “these are just the consequences of your actions, i suppose.”
“oh, yes. it’s my fault for trying to keep you healthy.” grumbling, you try to lift his leaden arm, to no avail.
with a low, victorious hum, he soothes the sting on your neck with a kiss.
“fine,” you grunt. yesterday, he let you win. you suppose you can return the favor. “go back to sleep, then. you big baby.”
