ANOMALY DETECTED

to: ALL CONTACTS from: Eiden Itadori ✨

Send a symbol, receive an answer. For multimuses, specify muse:

a collection of dialogue prompts for or about characters who have been treated or trained as weapons by others, valued only for their capacity for violence, destruction, and harm. trigger warnings for mentions of murder and violence. change & alter as needed.

THE WEAPON:

"I'm not proud of the person they've turned me into. But it's all I know. And it's too late for me to change now."

"If there was ever any good in me, there's none left anymore."

"I don't know where the blood ends. Where my hands begin."

"I do what it takes to survive. And I don't care if that makes me a villain."

"I'm good at hurting people. I'm not going to apologize for doing what I'm good at."

"I'll never know who I could have been if they hadn't made me into this."

"This is your fault! You did this to me! You're the reason I'm like this!"

"Don't try and get close to me. You'll just get yourself hurt."

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm... I'm not very good at being good."

"I don't really know how to be gentle."

"I'm not nice, and I'm not going to pretend to be. Deal with it."

"They made me a monster."

"They're all afraid of me. And they're right to be. You should be, too."

"I know I'm a villain. I don't need you to tell me that."

"Look at what they did to me! Look at what they made me into! It's their fault! They ruined me!"

"I wish they'd just killed me. I wish they'd just killed me instead of turning me into this. Being dead is better than being a monster."

"I know you're scared of me. It's okay. Everyone is."

"What does it matter whether I feel guilty about it or not? I still did it. Being sorry doesn't change that."

"Who am I if I'm not a monster?"

"No one could ever love me after everything I've done."

"Why aren't you afraid of me? How can you not be afraid of me?"

"I don't even know who I am without them pulling my strings."

"You want me to be the villain so bad? I can damn well provide."

"I don't want to be like this anymore. I don't want to hurt people. I want to be gentle. I want to be good."

"Who am I if I'm not what they've made me?"

"I don't need a weapon. I am one."

"Do you think I have it in me, to be good?"

THE WIELDER:

"You look so beautiful covered in somebody else's blood."

"And where did this little crisis of conscience come from all of a sudden?"

"You don't get to say no to me. Not after everything I've done for you. You owe me."

"You belong to me. You're mine."

"Where would you be without me? Who would you be without me? ...That's right. So let's try and be a little more grateful, hm?"

"I gave you everything, and this is how you choose to repay me?"

"I made you! You're nothing without me!"

"You don't make the rules, darling. That's my job."

"You are a dog, and I hold your leash. Never forget that."

"I didn't make you a monster. I just brought out what was already there."

"Look at you, coming when I call, eating out of my hand, doing everything I tell you... such a good dog, aren't you?"

"You think you can just walk away from me? Where are you going to go? Nobody else could possibly love a sick thing like you!"

"Monster is such an ugly word. I prefer to think of it as... helping you reach your fullest potential."

"I've got you trained so well, don't I?"

"I thought you knew better than to disobey me."

"Do you really think you can be a hero? After everything you've done?"

"Well, then, if I really ruined your life like you say, why don't you just kill me? We both know you're good at that."

"This is all you're good for. Don't go getting delusions of grandeur on me now."

"You couldn't survive without me. Don't ever delude yourself into thinking otherwise."

"I give the orders. You take them. Not the other way around."

"Destruction is really the only thing you're good at, darling. Take that away, and what's left?"

THE OBSERVER:

"You don't have to be what they tell you to be, you know? You're not stuck. You can change."

"You're not a monster. You're my friend."

"Being gentle doesn't come easy to you, does it?"

"You're a good person. I'm sorry they made you think you aren't."

"You kind of have a little... blood... on your face. ...Don't worry, I'll get it for you."

"I'm not scared of you."

"So, have you ever... you know... killed somebody?"

"You're sick, you know that? You're really sick. I can't believe you seriously do this kind of shit."

"Look, I know who you are. I know what you've done. And I'm not running away from you. You can't scare me off."

"You really are a monster."

"Why do you listen to them? Why do you take orders from them? You don't have to obey everything they tell you."

"So, let me get this straight: you know how to kill a man fifteen different ways, just with your bare hands, and you wouldn't even break a sweat... but you don't know what to do at a party?"

"You're not as mean as you want everyone to think you are."

"You say you're not a dog. So why do you blindly follow orders like one?"

"You don't have to do this. You don't have to be like this. You can choose your own path."

"You really are as bad as they say."

"Don't touch me. You have blood on your hands."

"I know you won't hurt me. I trust you."

"No! Stay away from me! Don't come any closer!"

"The world isn't just heroes and villains. You don't have to be one or the other. And just because you've been one doesn't mean you can't be the other."

"You don't have to listen to them. You don't have to obey."

"THIS IS A SUITABLE ARRANGEMENT."

"I can't be certain, but if the Star's experiments are to be considered, I would consider them the ones to blame for this." Of course if it wasn't their fault, she would apologize. However, she could not imagine it being a natural occurrence either.

"THE 'STARS' ARE FLORISTS?"

It barely gets the sentence out before having to throw its hands back over its mouth as another sneeze threatens them - and then wanes, leaving their airways itching for relief without being cleared.

"THESE- THESE HORRIBLE - HAAH - HORRIBLE PLANTS MAKE AN UNREA-REASONABLE AMOUNT OF POLL- POLL-"

Finally, a shudder runs through their body, and they have barely enough time to hide their face in their hands, before -

"AH-CHOO!"

WX-78 wipes their face, mostly off of reflex, with nothing but pollen expelled, sniffling - with an unpleasant sound, of course - once more before peering back up at her.

"Y-YOU ARE TOO KIND."

They accept her hankie without even noticing their uncharacteristic gratefulness.

Yuri smiles nervously, her gaze constantly gravitating to the visual novel despite her polite attempts not to. It reminded her of the manga Natsuki liked, but she had never seen one so... charged.

The fact it stood out so starkly against the rest of the stack did not help matters at all.

"O-oh good, thank you! I'm glad. I was worried I might have, um, made a mistake." Her eyes once again drifted to the last book in the stack, before forcing them back to her patron.

She is definitely aware of it as more than a fleeting thought.

She is definitely aware of it.

"IT'S FOR RESEARCH PURPOSES"

They blurt out, without a thought. Research on what, exactly?

There is no way that she's not judging them. Why, oh why, had they placed a reserve on that book? Why not just come in and find it themself without anyone having to see!? Not like no one would have been able to see the digital record of WX taking it, but... Still! It would at least feel more private!

The longer they dwell on it, the more audible their fans become, and now they quickly accept the books handed to them (perhaps a bit too quickly) and scurry away with a mumbled word of appreciation, face burning hotter.

Don't look at me don't look at me don't look at me-

...In their rush to get away they trip over nothing at all and faceplant into the floor, books held safely aloft keeping their hands occupied and unable to catch themself.