#malady!ryu

Intro

A long time ago, she was a part of Khaenri’ah’s nobility, but her name was smeared more often than it was praised. Though such tales painted her heart fickle, they rarely ever captured the truth. Most of the truth, at least. When the Cataclysm shattered her nation, she was believed to have perished with it, yet she walks again as a paradox. A gentle voice and an imperious face that belie a vicious temper that never softened over time. They say to meet her gaze is to feel both comfort and dread.

Hello

Ah… Hello! So you’ve come to see me at last. Don’t be shy, stand a little closer! Few dare to approach and even fewer linger when I lift my veil. I will not harm you. Hm, not unless you give me a reason. Since you’re here, would you like to sit with me a while? It has been far too long since I’ve welcomed a guest in these quarters.

Something to Share

Time teaches much, though few care to listen.

Birthday

A day to mark life... Let us not dwell on the years lost to follies but on the moments we have yet to claim. May you endure the years with grace. Happy birthday.

“When two hearts are bound by fate, they are stronger than the mightiest shield. While I can’t fathom Lady Ryu’s decision to follow an archon, I can understand following the person you love into the heart of the Abyss. But, it is a comforting thought to know that she can stay true to her heart and her values even after all this time.”

— Aeris, Princess of Khaenri’ah.

“Ryu? She’s so pretty, isn’t she?! You’ve not met her yet? Well, when you see her, do tell her I said hello. Oh, and don’t look into her eyes for too long. Their beauty will hypnotize you into forgetting the entire conversation! She may even tease you about it, haha.”

— Amira ████, Snezhnaya’s Pearl. (@/luffysprincess)

“You want to know about The Jester's wife? I sometimes invite Ryu for tea, or she invites herself. It's best not to refuse. Besides, she's amicable to answering questions about old Khaenri'ahn arts, so I won't complain about an opportunity to have her for myself.”

— Celeste Beauregard, Assistant to the Doctor. (@/crowttore)

"While I've never had a one-on-one with Miss Ryu, I will see her in passing, talking with Celeste or Miss Ursula. I think Regrator fears I will embarrass him and so he holds me back from meeting important people.... But Miss Ryu is so pretty, and the stories I've heard about her are so mysterious and fascinating... I'll meet her one day.... I just have to be sneaky."

— Moonlily, the Regrator's Ward. (@/lilywoof)

“Love is a foolish indulgence. Tenderness is a liability in matters of war. This would’ve remained my stance had I not met her in the old world. She was… everything I should have turned away from, and yet the one thing I could not. But if I am a man who is absolved when she is near, and if the hammering in my mind subsides when she calls my name, I’d willingly call myself a fool than forsake her.”

— Pierro, the Jester.

"So you’ve met my father’s beloved. She’s very kind, isn’t she? Being the wife of a harbinger isn’t easy, but if my father is happy to have Lady Ryu by his side. I am happy for them both, as I enjoy her company when I do see her. But don’t…tell her I said these things. She has an art for remembering things."

— Ursula Tilthos, Enchantress of Umbras. (@/jasuntodds)

“Ah, Lady Ryu. Half-mad, wholly magnificent. She is exquisite, isn't she? Fractured, yes, but all the lovelier for it. People only cut themselves on her edges because they don't know to hold her properly.”

— Winter, the Argent Thorn. (@/sylure)

“There are moments when she manages to convince you, if only for a second, that she could never be the monster her moods make of her. And her face, her bearing… perhaps that is why he keeps her near, even if no one else dares to.”

— Servant at the Palace.

About The Jester

When he allows himself a couple of hours to rest, I watch him. His face softens when he sleeps, and for a moment, I pretend that the Cataclysm never came. He was my mentor then, but I found it difficult to cling to the words he offered because I knew I was being conditioned to serve the Vinster King. I think it eventually hit him that it mattered not what the King wanted. So he broke every rule and blurred every line and then showed me enrichment beyond the pages. When he sleeps, I still see that man within him.

About The Doctor

Hm. I do not care for him, nor his segments, but his intellect is unavoidable. Maybe I am biased, but the only thing of merit from that man's endless grandiosity is his assistant. There is… something between them that is difficult to miss, though I doubt it hinders her work.

About The Knave

If only I had a friend like her back then, her fierceness would've inspired me to act against my family earlier. And though her methods of conviction are… severe, I cannot deny this truth: she sees the world as it is.

About The Regrator

My father once told me that the cleverest among us do not rely on titles or charm. They rely on foresight and understanding the value of every advantage. The Regrator reminds me of the men my father used to surround himself with. Everything is carefully considered for leverage, and every word is extracted for gain. I don’t particularly admire Khaenri'ah's nobility, but this tactic has always been flawless.

About The Fair Lady

The world always devours the loveliest first.

About Aeris

We survived the fall of Khaenri’ah, but not together. She chose a path I could not walk, and well… Perhaps she says the same of me. Do I miss her? Yes… And do I miss dreaming beneath the shadow of eternity? Also, yes. If only fate were just, maybe we would still be sharing candlelight.

About Amira

I don’t think she realises how precious she truly is, to me at least. She always knows to take my hand when the night grows long and I’m convinced she tries to butter me up with my favourite dessert whenever she gets a chance. I swear to her it never works yet when the time comes, I find it rather difficult to take my leave.

About Celeste

We meet often over tea, though half the time I wonder if she’s secretly experimenting on me with the leaves. Hahaha. Celeste is a delightful conversationalist, but don’t be fooled. She’ll dismantle your argument and your pride, all before the tea goes cold. I feel honoured to have found a friend in her.

About Moonlily

I have not yet met Moonlily properly, but whenever I see her, she is usually in the company of the Regrator. She appears quite gentle at first glance, but her eyes tell a much different story. I see threads of pale silver amidst her ocean blues. What trials has she endured for them to flicker this way? Moreover, how did she become the Regrator's ward? I can't shake the feeling that she is more than that. And also, where does she get her dresses from? Wow, I had more questions than I thought. Perhaps it's time I arrange a proper rendezvous.

About Ursula

Perhaps it’s because I, too, have been misjudged or misaligned that I don’t see Ursula as just a troubled soul. We are both scarred by what the world sees in us, and that’s probably why I feel so at ease in her company. If you take a second to listen to her, her words are as soft as silk… Until they aren’t.

About Winter

I have no intention in playing the voice of reason. I call it artistry if someone is glittering with enough jewels to blind the room. There are those who accuse her of vanity and greed, and while they are not entirely wrong, she is also fiercely loyal and she does not pretend to be anything but herself. In a world of lies, her unapologetic excess feels more honest than most people’s virtues.

“𝐈 𝐜𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐧𝐚𝐦𝐞 𝐚𝐜𝐫𝐨𝐬𝐬 𝐚𝐧 𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐥𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐢𝐧.

𝐒𝐡𝐞'𝐥𝐥 𝐚𝐧𝐬𝐰𝐞𝐫 𝐦𝐞 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐬𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐚𝐲 𝐛𝐞.

𝐒𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐚𝐜𝐫𝐨𝐬𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐞𝐚 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞, 𝐚 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐢𝐦𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐚𝐥 𝐬𝐮𝐜𝐡 𝐚𝐬 𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐦𝐞 𝐞𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲.

𝐈𝐦𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐚𝐥 𝐬𝐡𝐞, 𝐫𝐞𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐧 𝐭𝐨 𝐦𝐞.”

omg i cant believe i have a fatui(?) insert comm before my sumeru insert but i promise it’s on the way! i had a lot of fun brainstorming ideas for lady ryu hahah. thank you to the friends who were willing to play dolls with me and for coming up with such sweet lines for malady!ryu 🤍

art is by @/thatlazybones on vgen, tumblr and twt. i’ve gone to them quite a few times throughout the years and they’ve constantly been so wonderful to work with. i hope you check them out c;