The Arcana Headcanons | SFW & platonic | Mostly Courtiers

When MC is struggling with depression (courtiers)

TW: depression, mentions of sh

i'm writing this during a depressive episode. pls if you're struggling, too, reach out for help. *sigh* here we go

Volta🤍
• she notices you don't get out of bed as easily as before, seem tired, don't talk much
• but the real warning sign for her is when you skip meals and don't even have the energy to eat
• she's in panic
• will do anything that can make you feel better, just tell her what to do!!
• more hugs than usual
• 24/7 near you so that nothing bad happens. she won't say it out loud, but she is afraid that the Devil will use your despair and trick you into giving him your soul in exchange for a cure you'll never get
• if you can't get out of bed, she'll bring you breakfast
• cares about you as she would if you had flu
• doesn't pressure you to do anything, though it would be good to take a walk or complete a small task
• if you manage that, she's beyond happy, seeing you gradually come back to life makes her feel alive, too.
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Vulgora❤️‍🔥
• at first they think you're weak, or that it's just how mortals are
• when their fist stops less than an inch in front of your face and you don't react at all... they are confused
• why the hell?? what's wrong with your reflexes?? are you dead already? are you sick?
• if you say you are, they will say it's nonsense and violently shake you to "fix" you (the way we shake some gadget that doesn't work)
• they are infuriated that you don't function normally and will not leave you until you feel alright (and after that, too). they don't know how to surrender and won't let you give in to depression, either
• breaks into your house/room at unreasonable hours and drags you out for a walk. running down a badly lit street, screaming whatever's on your mind, chilly night air filling your lungs
• it doesn't matter if you want to live or not, they will make you.
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Vlastomil🖤
• you sound disinterested in everything and your smile is fake. ofc he knows something happened
• when you tell him you suspect yourself to be mentally ill, he asks if it's lethal and if it's contagious for him
• no matter how much you can tell, he will research the hell out of this topic, obsessively like he always does
• gives you advice on how to cope
• he suggests you find a hobby. meaning he wants you to hyperfixate on a weirdly specific topic that will become your only source of serotonin! like mayyybeee you want to learn more about worms?..
• but whatever hobby you pick, he'll be relieved to know you have something that makes you want to wake up in the morning
• if nothing helps, he offers you to make a deal with him or other demons or the Devil himself.
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Valdemar🫀
• they sensed the changes in your neurochemistry before even you noticed the symptoms
• watching the illness slowly drain life from you was so satisfying. seeing you struggle and fight it was unexpected. the fact that you are still alive is... mind-blowing, to say the least
• they are now interested to see for how long you can survive - with their help
• (yes they considered performing lobotomy on you. but.. eh, it would be a pity to lose you like this)
• checks up on you regularly, asking unsettling amount of specific questions while staring unblinking into your soul
• doesn't let you harm yourself in any possible way. they just appear out of thin air and stop you
• but most importantly, they make sure you know that depression isn't your personality. it's an illness just as real as the plague. and, from what they've seen, you absolutely can overcome it.
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