Purple Weeds

Damien from Maplestory, affiliated with Isola Radiale. Apartment 307. Non-indie friendly.

[unshackledwolf-blog]

Cat’s Eye

Cat’s Eye: What sorts of things soothes them when they’re worked up?

When he was younger, his brother. Now, there aren’t so many things, but a calming presence, especially one of reason, can get Damien to cool down. Anger naps are also a thing.

[starlitmemes]

Gemstone Headcanons

Another set of questions aligned to gemstones to help develop characters! Send in some gemstones to learn more about the muse(s)!

Agate: What or who will your muse protect with their life?

Amazonite: How do they go about comforting or calming down others? Are they good at it?

Amethyst: Do they have a good intuition? If so, do they typically heed it or not?

Apatite: Do they find it easy to communicate with new people, or do they avoid it as much as possible?

Aquamarine: How insightful are they?

Aventurine: Are they the opportunistic sort, or do they typically let chances slip by?

Blue Topaz: Are they the courageous sort? Do they find they can overcome obstacles in their way with relative ease?

Cat’s Eye: What sorts of things soothes them when they’re worked up?

Chalcedony: How do they consider their allies in regards to themself? Do they reach out to them, or do they typically keep to themself?

Citrine: How open are they to new ideas or cultures?

Diamond: Do they find themselves getting sick often or do they have a relatively strong immune system?

Diopside: Are they a creative person in any way? How so?

Emerald: Do they suffer from any sort of mental illness?

Fluorite: Are they able to concentrate easily no matter where they are, or do they need a quiet space with little distracts?

Garnet: What are they most passionate about and who are they most devoted to?

Iolite: Are they financially responsible or do they tend to blow their money as soon as they have it?

Jade: What are their opinions on luck? Do they believe in it?

Jasper: What do they typically do to relax?

Kyanite: What is their temper like?

Lapis Lazuli: How aware are they of others and of their surroundings?

Moonstone: What inspires them? Why?

Onyx: How do they handle hostility from others, whether verbally or physically?

Opal: Are they the emotional sort?

Peridot: Are they open to new growth and change in any way, or are they resistant to it?

Prehnite: Do they find it easy to recall their dreams or do they hardly remember them?

Rose Quartz: Do they typically hold grudges? Are they the type to compromise as best they can during a conflict?

Ruby: Do they typically keep their heart on their sleeve?

Rutile Quartz: Do they have a habit of looking for the source of a problem? Are they the type to attempt to solve it if they’re able, or do they try to avoid it?

Sapphire: What makes them happiest? Is there a reason why?

Smoky Quartz: How is their physical endurance? Are they the active sort of person or not?

Spinel: Are they a worry-wort or are they carefree?

Tanzanite: Do they heal quickly or do bruises and cuts tend to heal slowly?

Tiger’s Eye: Are they self-confident or wracked with doubt?

Topaz: Are they the type to cheer on others or do they prefer to be center stage?

Tourmaline: Are they the understanding sort or do they have trouble connecting with others?

Turquoise: Do they strive for success or do they typically prefer to go with the flow?

Zircon: How wise are they?

[unshackledwolf-blog]

@usodekatameru // starter call

"Oh, for fucks sake! Not you too, Will?" Damien slurred, crushing the empty beer can he was holding. It was a rather fine evening in Archimedes, perfect for getting absolutely smashed, when Damien ran into the four-eyed mage.

It's raining commanders, because there was no way that within a span of a week he should just by coincidence run into Lotus, Lucid, and now Will. What was his last name again, something that sounded like 'anus'?

Maybe it was all part of the Black Mage's plan, considering he was literally behind everything that happened in Maple World for hundreds of years. Maybe this was what he meant by a 'new world' or whatever the hell he was talking about, not like Damien ever paid much attention to anything his boss wanted in the first place.

At least it was Will and not some freak like Hilla or even worse, Arkarium.

[unshackledwolf-blog]

hylocereusfruit

When was the last time Dragonfruit was thanked for anything? To them what the other said wasn’t lame at all. They smiled a bit more, but their little flutters of their wings showed off how happy they were by the small showing of thanks.

“You’re welcome, I-if you like I could go with you so you don’t get lost?“ While Dragonfruit didn’t know the way by foot as well, they could at least keep checking so they wouldn’t get lost. However it was okay if the other didn’t accept.

“Oh! I’m Dragonfruit… b-by the way.“ He decided to give his name before the other decided if they wanted anymore help. At the very least its good to share names right? Hopefully he would also get the other person’s name, then he would know just what to call them.

"Me? Get lost? As if!" Damien scoffed. Him? Lost? No way. He did not get lost. If anything, this boy should get lost! "I don't care if you want to tag along, just don't bother me or get in my way."

Dragonfruit. What kind of weird name was that anyway, like some kind of food? But come to think of it, Green-haired looked and kind of smelled like a fruit. That didn't mean that it wasn't a stupid name.

And the boy was getting way too comfortable with him too fast. What the hell? He thanked him just once and Dragonfruit was already trying to be his friend. Well, tough luck.

Damien didn't bother giving his own name in exchange, instead opting to head in the direction Green-haired had pointed.

[unshackledwolf-blog]

gravity-lord-rises

“A hundred swords, huh? Well, good luck. I guess… I couldn’t have known. This might be hard to believe, but I think he might have been planning for the present events to happen hundreds of years ago… though it’s no excuse for me.”

Lotus sighs, looking rather defeated… but it’s not like it matters anymore. He’s dead, Damien’s dead. Maybe there’s no use in talking about it after all.

“Sure. I saw that annoying hero with a cute dragon, Evan. But he disappeared a long time ago. I’ve been here for maybe nine or ten months. What do you plan on doing now? I mean… if you want to know more, I guess I can answer. It’s not like I have anything better to do.”

"Evan?" He wasn't expecting that out of all people, the midget mage who made himself out to be the leader of the Heroes would be here. Annoying prick. He didn't know whether or not Lotus knew where the dragon master went, but disappearance from a city that was only 14 miles in radius meant that he was either dead, or he somehow escaped. At least he's disappeared, so Damien wouldn't have to be face to face with his own failure. "Heh, serves the brat right."

Damien naturally had a lost of questions. The laws of the world were weird. So he was dead, but also alive. He'd also had most of his powers taken, and all he could do was summon five measley fireballs, but his body was no longer wrecked from taking the World Tree's power. Whoever was in charge of the city had the ability to not only bring people back from the dead, but also place arbitrary limits on whatever they wanted, without any explanation as to why.

"Do you know anything at all about the people who run this place, or what they want?"

[unshackledwolf-blog]

hylocereusfruit

Dragonfruit wings give another little wiggle when the other speaks again. He can understand most of the words the other was saying, though ‘fuck’ was a new word. Dragonfruit didn’t feel like they should ask about it, seeing as he had a feeling it would count as a ‘bad word’ as he was told when he was younger.

He did quickly wonder if the other was feeling okay when they smiled like that. It seemed more pained or just forced. Dragonfruit tried to give a smile back anyway, but it was mostly because they were proud that they had not gotten spooked off just by someone being a bit rougher with words.

“O-oh! I’ve been there its…. uh“ Dragonfruit paused thinking of what way the village was. He was used to flying there and seeing stuff from the air. “G-give me a moment!“

He didn’t really give the other a chance to answer, as he flew up into the air. He didn’t want to get the other’s question wrong after all so he was going to check what way was correct. Ah, yeah it was more south! He landed about as quickly as he flew up, wings giving some extra flutters.

“Its just that way!“ He pointed the correct way, though if other couldn’t fly they would have to work around a few things. Dragonfruit even smiled a little more when they noticed they didn’t stutter that last sentence.

Damien stood by as green-haired fluttered up into the trees. He was impressed that those wings which more resembled a bunch of leaves rather than typical wings could generate enough force to lift him off the ground. Quite useful really, but Damien had long since stopped wishing that he could fly like his brother. He was tired of cursing his own weakness that stemmed from having human blood.

Green-haired eventually dropped back to the ground, looking more confident that the stuttering mess he had been earlier.

"South?" said Damien, looking in the direction green-haired was pointing in. It looked like green-haired was quite useful after all. Maybe not being so dismissive of others all the time had its benefits.

When was the last time he thanked a total stranger? Certainly his mother didn't raise him that way. She probably watched him for the past few hundred years in nothing but disappointment. What was he supposed to do next, again?

"Thanks. You’re...you're a real help," he said lamely.

Damn it Mom, you'd better be watching me right now—

[unshackledwolf-blog]

foxfiresfancy

She looks from his ankle to his face and back again, concern written all the way into the tilt in her ears.

“Uh,” she has to think for a moment, remembering that she doesn’t really use the city’s public transportation much. “I’m not sure about the bus system, and the taxi service is call-in only…”

She glances back to his ankle. She’s had glass stuck in her legs before. Not to mention she just recovered from taking a bullet to her leg. It hurts like hell to put weight on an injury like that, and she can’t help the pang of sympathy.

“Are you sure I can’t do anything to help? There’s a drug store around the block, I can grab the supplies to get the glass out at the very least!”

"You're really willing to help?"

Damien was a little shocked at how easily she offered her help. If he were in her place, he would've just walked on, maybe even cursing out the other for blocking his way. The business of others were of no concern for him. Did normal people...really help random strangers just like that? Or did she want something else from him? He didn’t know whether or not to trust her. Why would she be so nice to someone she never met?

Spending so much time operating in the shadows, he didn't really know how to interact with normal people. And after leading a full scale invasion against Maple World, even going so far as to almost corrupting all life, he doubted anyone there would have treated him with anything but hostility.

"If it doesn't bother you, then sure. But if you're doing this because you want something from me, just say it."

[unshackledwolf-blog]

(PSA: If anyone is getting weird random likes on posts from me, don't fret: it's just an issue with browsing on mobile.)

[unshackledwolf-blog]

gravity-lord-rises

“Yes. I remember him, but I didn’t care about much at the time.”

But Damien’s dead too, huh? That leads to some questions… wait, this strikes up a memory. What did Evan tell him that one time? Something about Damien taking the World Tree’s power and almost corrupting the world? They’re both such massive screw ups, it seems.

“You probably think this is the afterlife, don’t you? That’s what I thought, but it isn’t actually the case… unless you believe everyone else is lying. Lots of dead people here, but alive people too. If you’re going to ask why that is, I don’t have that answer.”

…Lotus wants to dig a bit deeper, though. He’s not sure if he’ll regret dredging these things up, but he hasn’t spoken of it at all since he appeared here last summer, not even to the friends he’d managed to make. He’s tried to pretend it’s all gone, even if it follows him in his mind. But Damien was probably much the same as him…

“You saw that we were nothing but pawns. Didn’t you? I’m angry. But it’s too late to do anything.”

"So he used you as well, huh? Maybe it'll never happen, but I ever see the Black Mage again I swear I'm gonna stick a hundred swords up his ass!"

A pawn. That was exactly how Damien felt. It was the Black Mage who told Arkarium to attack his home. It was the Black Mage who lead him to believe that he killed his mother. It was the Black Mage who gave him that corrupted power, never telling him of the Spirit of Vengeance that lurked within. And all that time he did the Transcendent's dirty work, just for the lie that he could ever make his family whole again.

It made him seethe.

Damien wondered about Lotus' side of the story. He was a spirit of darkness just like his sister, Damien knew. Orchid once mentioned something about being given bodies by the Black Mage, but for what purpose, he had no idea. He could easily imagine the mage having ulterior motives when he came to the twins, though, given what happened with Gelimer.

"How long have you been here anyway? Met anyone else from our world?"

[unshackledwolf-blog]

hylocereusfruit

Well Dragonfruit didn’t have any problem leaving the other when they gave sharp words like that. Honestly it was better that trying to get too close, even if he just wondered if the other was tried more than angry. They backed away a bit, their mind telling them to fly off but they couldn’t help but still be curious.

Though when the other got up he couldn’t help the little hop back he did, as he just wanted to make sure there was a safe distance between the two of them. His wings fluttered a bit more softer as he studied the person.

“D-do you want to go somewhere quieter? I… I know a spot thats quieter to be at.“ His words were soft, but he was able to keep down his stutters a bit better this time. If the other asked any other question though, he would do his best to answer. Yet if he was told off again, then Dragonfruit would just fly away this time for sure. You don’t poke wolves, or at least thats what he thought the saying was.

He was about to give a scathing reply telling the boy to mind his own business, but he stopped himself shortly when he realized there was no reason to be rude to someone who was trying to help him in this forsaken city.

C'mon Damien, would it really kill you to not be a dickhead for once—

"Nah, just... Ah, fuck it. I was about to get up anyway."

And the boy was actually offering to help him. It would be pointless to waste an opportunity to get what he wanted. Green-haired also looked like the type of person he could take advantage of; maybe not, but Damien had nothing to lose in the first place. Besides, if the other turned out to be useless, he could just lose him.

He forced himself to smile (which turned out more like a grimace) and asked the other, "You know what you can do for me? I hear there's supposed to be a fox village somewhere around here. Do you have any idea of where it is?"

[unshackledwolf-blog]

foxfiresfancy

To be honest, Aysha had been only wanting to get past. That is, until this guy started kicking the vending machine. Now, there are only two logical conclusions to this situation, either he gets frustrated and leaves, or he breaks the machine.

And she’d be lying if she said she hadn’t hoped it would be the latter. She picks up a bag of chips that fell by her feet, opening it up and popping one in her mouth.

“Well, that’s one way to get what you paid for,” she remarks. “Plus some other things if you’ve got deep enough pockets.”

She kneels down, quickly picking up a few more things –mostly sweets to add to her stash– and stuffing them in her bag.

The fox girl is about to give him a polite smile and walk past with a swish of her tail, until she notices his foot, still in the glass window of the broken machine.

“Hey, is your foot gonna be okay?” Ever the big sister figure, isn’t she….

Damien watched in fascination as the woman started to gather the scattered snacks without restraint. He shrugged, carefully removing his leg from the broken window.

"Yeah, you're right. Might as well just take what you—ah, shit."

He winced as he set his foot down. Several shards of glass had managed to embed themselves in his calf. It wasn't anything he couldn't deal with; he'd just have to remove them once he got back to his apartment. Which was all the way in Golden. Supposedly he could take a taxi or a bus, but there was a possibility that they wouldn't let him on because he'd track glass or bleed all over the place, and he was rather reluctant to use the last of his dust, but he didn't really have a choice. In the worst case scenario, he'd just hobble back on one leg.

"I'll be fine," Damien replied as he bent down to cram all the food he could into his pockets, enough to last him a few days. He'd been in way worse situations than this, and was sure he'll manage somehow. "You know if any taxis or buses run this way?"

[unshackledwolf-blog]

@osowareru // starter call

Damien was returning back to his apartment in Golden after a particularly long day when he spotted her. He was in complete disbelief at first, because there was just no way. But it was her, on the street opposite to him—pink hair, pointy ears, and a black gothic dress, just as he remembered seeing her last.

Elegant and beautiful Lucid. Also totally fucking nutters Lucid.

Was she also dead? Lotus had mentioned that a lot of the city's residents were living when they were brought here, but given the state that he and Lotus were in, the Maple Alliance had probably got to her, too.

Honestly, Damien never knew what to feel about her. She was difficult to talk to, believing in her own delusions, but were many times when she was normal enough.

At the same time, he often cared about her against his own better judgement. He didn't know why she made him feel that way. Was it because they had become commanders at around the same time, and he had no other peers?

Damien briefly considers going the opposite way. He doesn't know if he wants to see her right now, not when he hadn't sorted out his own troubles yet.

But seems like she's already spotted him, too.

[unshackledwolf-blog]

@foxfiresfancy // starter call

Damien needed a job, and he needed one yesterday. It didn't matter if it was a shitty dead end job, as long as he got some dust. Not only was he tired of bullying vendors into giving him stuff and looting unsuspecting stores, but he knew if he kept it up, he'd eventually have some form of authorities coming after him.

So it pissed him off that the one time he decided to actually pay for his food from his dwindling dust reserves, the vending machine got stuck. The packet of chips he tried to buy taunted him from the other side of the glass, painfully close to falling off the rack and down into the hatch, but snagged by the end of the coil that held it in place.

He gave the vending machine a forceful kick, but the chips didn't budge. Another kick, and still nothing. He shook the machine forcefully, and yet the chips would not fall.

"Won't you just—fucking—fall already!"

Damien gave the machine one last kick which sent his foot crashing through the screen, sending a shower of glass and food packets onto the sidewalk. A sidewalk he only now realized he was blocking as he noticed a woman with furry ears looking at him, who probably only wanted to get past.

"Er," he said dumbly, his foot still stuck in the glass.

[unshackledwolf-blog]

gravity-lord-rises

It’s been a while since he’s visited the library, but Lotus hadn’t forgotten his friend’s recommendations from before. There’s just too much fiction to ignore, now, and as long as it takes him away from the world…

Yet, it only takes one presence, one name, to bring him back to a world he wanted to think about even less than Spirale. The boy drops the book, staring shocked at someone he’s only got vague memories of. But he’s obviously the perfect image of the demonic commander. Even though it was possible, and he’s even seen Evan before, he never expects this.

Composing himself, Lotus finally answers.

“…Yes… I’ve seen you before. Haven’t I? You’re from my world. So, uh… What are you doing here?”

Awkward. He’s got barely any idea of what he should say, let alone what he should think.

Of course Lotus wouldn't remember him. After all, he'd been no more than Gelimer's brain-dead pet at the time. But he'd probably remember his brother, right?

"We haven't really talked, but you probably know my brother, Demon."

It was hard to judge what kind of person Lotus was at first glance, but so far he seemed more reserved than his sister. Damien hoped that he wouldn't turn out to be as irritating as Orchid.

And boy was Orchid irritating. While Damien had to admit that she was competent at what she did and sometimes even fun to hang around, the bossy rabbit-obsessed commander was also one of the most annoying brats he had ever worked with. But now, Damien also held some empathy toward her. At least, he knew what it was like to waste hundreds of years of his life trying to revive someone he loves, only to be betrayed at the end by some old shithead.

"You're dead, and I'm dead, so I’m probably here for the same reason you are, I guess."

[unshackledwolf-blog]

hylocereusfruit

Dragonfruit knew were he liked to spend his afternoons when it was sunny like this, but today someone else was in the spot. They didn’t really look human as well so Dragonfruit couldn’t help but be curious. Besides it wasn’t like they had anything else they wanted to do until the sun started to go down.

Their wings fluttered a bit as they got closer, but it seemed to be enough to wake up the other if they had been napping at all. The glare also made him hop back a bit, both out of surprise and a little bit of fear.

“O-oh i j-just… this s-spot its uh, g-good one?“ While he got the vague idea that this spot was a good one, it was rather cut up in his words. He took a breath as he tried to calm himself since it wasn’t like the other had done anything but glare at him right?

“I-i mean, This spot is good for getting a-a lot of sun… I-i didn’t expect someone else h-here is a-all.“ his little wings gave a few more flutters, clearly being the source of the rustling noise as they sounded like leaves in the wind.

Damien rolled his eyes. It hadn't even been a minute but he was already irritated by this newcomer. He just wanted a nap, not a whole damn conversation, especially not with a nervous wreck of a walking noise maker.

"If that's all you have to say, then scram."

Damien folded his arms and settled back into the grass, when shrieks of laughter pierced the air. He glanced over to see a group of picnickers enter the area. It was like the island was conspiring against him from ever getting any rest.

He got up from the ground and crossed his arms, huffing. "...Whatever.”

He was planning on visiting the fox village he’d read about a little later that evening, but now that he was up, he might as well just head there. Problem was, he wasn't exactly sure where it is. It was possible that the green-haired one knew where it was located, but Damien was reluctant to ask for help, especially from someone he had just told off. 

[unshackledwolf-blog]

@hylocereusfruit // starter call

The cherry blossoms rustled in the warm afternoon breeze. Damien had never stopped to look at the flowers before, but there was something oddly calming about them. After spending the past couple days exploring the city, he was tired. He had just finished his rounds around Cotes Ward, and the cherry blossoms offered a nice shady area perfect for an afternoon nap.

It was strange, being so directionless for once. For the past few hundred years, Damien had dedicated his life to chasing the futile dream of reviving his mother. He hadn't had time to really experience the world for what it was. There was something freeing about being able to wander aimlessly. Was this the appeal of being an explorer?

Damien was just beginning to doze off when he heard a rustling noise. He cracked open an eye to see a weird boy with green hair. Great, just someone to ruin my nap.

He sat up, glaring at the boy. "What is it?"

[unshackledwolf-blog]

@gravity-lord-rises // starter call

Damien figured the library would be a good place to start looking for information about wherever the hell he was. But for the sheer size of it, there were not very many books detailing about Isola itself. He was just setting down yet another totally useless book when he caught sight of a mass of silvery hair.

No...it couldn't be.

And yet there he was, the splitting image of Orchid just a couple of meters away among the books.

Orchid had prattled endlessly about her twin brother in the past, but Damien had only met Lotus a few times. And in each of those encounters, the boy was in a zombified state, floating behind Gelimer like some creepy puppet. The Lotus in front of him looked more alive and hale than he had ever seen before.

So I really am dead...

Damien walked right over to the boy and grabbed him by the shoulder.

"Hey, it's you!" he exclaimed incredulously. "You're Orchid's brother!"