#I stay strapped ; bitch. - ( OOC ).

[dxctorstephenstrange]

OOC: Frustrated Rant Incoming. Strap In.

// Okay, I need to say a few things, because if I don't, it's going to fester and burn inside me, and that's not good for my mental health. If, after you read what I'm about to say, you've decided you've had enough of my shit, find the Unfollow button next to my blog name and click it. I'm too angry right now to get all gooey around the edges and beg you to understand and sympathize. Here goes...

I have posted here several times, lamenting that I haven't found the time or muse to come back fully and write for Stephen. I could've easily quit and peaced out, assuming that neither would come back to me enough to continue, but I stuck with it in the hopes that the stars would align in my favor.

I just need people to understand that there are justifiable reasons for me being absent. To wit: 1. Real life is a bitch, and gets in the way of my more enjoyable endeavors whenever it jolly well feels like it. There's nothing I can do about that except roll with it in the hopes that the clouds will part and the way will be clear for me. There's work; there are household matters; there are medical issues; plenty of things about real life are more than happy to build a road block in front of anyone wanting to kick back and express themselves creatively.

2. My depression rollercoaster has added a lot more dips and curves that I've had to ride lately, so even when I might find a moment or two to sneak in, I've likely been strapped into a seat on that ride and forced to endure it. If you're fortunate enough to not suffer from severe clinical depression, be as thankful as you possibly can, but also be mindful of the havoc it can wreak on others. One day you're as up as you can be, and later - even that same day - you can be free-falling into despair. Also, if you do suffer from depression, be mindful that it affects everyone a bit differently. What works for you may not work for me, and vice versa.

3. If you and I talk outside of Tumblr - mainly through Discord (Shatterhand2049) - you may notice that I'm not too good at initiating discussions. The reason is that I always believe I'm bugging people by messaging them, or that people just plain don't want to talk to me; otherwise, they'd message me. I'd like to believe I'm wrong on both counts, but I don't know that unless I ask, which is a whole other flavor of awkward. Just, please: Do not assume I don't give a shit because I'm not messaging you. Nothing could be further from the truth. If you're wondering what's going on, for the love of all that's holy: ASK. Don't wait until I finally come back and work up the nerve to reach out, and then be pissed off at me or act all aloof and distant. I shouldn't have to go into Columbo mode and suss out of you why you're coming off like you don't care anymore.

It's not like I expected a fucking ticker-tape parade or happy tears and hugs when I finally found the time and muse to return here. It's not that big a deal; I'm back, so if you feel like writing, let's do this.

Just...don't treat me like a schmuck, okay? Don't make me feel like I shouldn't have even bothered. We've all been where I was; it just took way longer for me than it may have ever taken for you. Nothing I can do about that except just keep pushing through the bedlam until I find an open space. Now I've found one. Don't make me feel like I should just crawl back into the chaos and stay there.

And, if you're out there thinking I'm being passive-aggressive or whatever by writing this, well...tough shit. I don't really care how my message is perceived, quite frankly; I only care that it's seen. Again, if you don't like my attitude, you know how to unfollow/block me. I'm not going to beg for understanding. I'm a bit too fed up at the moment to drop to my knees and plead to be spared.

Okay; enough of this horseshit. Game on.

[battlexworned]

* One last ooc post before I get started with replies:

* I vaguely mentioned how in this verse, Ironhide has the iconic arm cannons. Now imma explain em a bit further.

The cannons are attached and hidden under his forearms, so they aren’t visible until those said forearms shift. In other words, this bitch stays strapped AT ALL TIMES

He came up with their concept back when he was at the academy. Ironhide snuck out strong engex and was drunk off his ass. All of a sudden he went “lmao imagine I could install weapons on me, screw having a weapon, I AM the weapon.” So after he graduated, he spent a few years constructing. Then boom, he got them.

Each cannon has their own function, which is why both have different colors (blue and yellow). Yellow is rapid fire, while Blue is charged, long range and can hit like a motherfucker.

Sometimes he flexes with the cannons on, just for shits and giggles.

[gamikilled-blog]

JEN’S THOUGHTS ON OC ETIQUETTE:

     Uhhhhh, as someone who constantly creates and writes their own OCs, whether or not they’re made for another creator’s canon or my own, I always make sure that my children follow canon heavily ( with a few expectations here and there as long as it still makes sense to the original canon ). If when you’re writing your OC and say “ fuck all ” to the canon that you’re placing your OC in, your OC isn’t going to properly fit into that universe until you go back and fix it. Now, don’t take this the wrong way and shove words down my throat and go around saying “ don’t make OCs ”, because that’s not what I’m doing. I’m just saying if you’re not writing your own original canon and you’re placing your OC into a universe that someone else created, you need to make sure that your muse is going to be able to fit into that universe. 

     If your OC doesn’t properly fit into that universe, writing them is going to be complicated. If your OC doesn’t follow canon, writing with them is going to be a challenge. While you’re thinking “ it’s my muse, I can write them as I please ” do take into consideration how your writing partner is going to be affected by how your character is built, especially if you’re writing if let’s say a canon muse from that universe you based your OC in. 

     For example, if you’re writing an OC in the Gangsta universe, a manga series about exaggerated crime life and a series where demons and shit don’t exist, you’re not going to make your OC a vampire, it’s not going to fit in the canon. Now if you’re writing in the Blood C fandom, making your OC a monster of some sort is acceptable because it ( guess what ) fits within that canon. 

      Now if you properly develop your OC in that canon and are well versed in its lore, that’s when you can get a bit more creative with your OC’s abilities and skills. For example, my OC Shini is heavily based in Tokyo Ghoul’s lore, and since I’ve done my research for that canon, I can write things into Shini’s storyline and skillsets that may not be traditionally canon, but still make sense in that universe. For instance, when a ghoul heavily cannibalizes in that universe, there’s a chance they can develop a half-formed or fully formed kakuja, and with a kakuja comes a lot of power and newfound skills. So since Shini took the proper steps to obtain a kakuja, she can now do a lot of things that other ghouls cannot. Since I know enough about what hosting a kakuja means for a ghoul, I can write in other things for her that aren’t official in the series’ canon but still make sense,  like the fact that she can slow down her RC regeneration or produce kagune based things from her body.

     Another example is that you could be writing a Naruto OC and while I’m not well versed in I do understand that in order to learn jutsu the character has to study and then practice it until they master that jutsu, the character isn’t just going to look at the reference they’re using to learn it and then be able to do it just like that. Your OC has to face trial and error before they can do what they’re trying to do. The same thing goes with Fairy Tail, the character has to ever research the magic they’re learning and teach it to themselves or have someone teach it to them.

     And the thing to keep in mind if you’re writing an OC, especially if your OC belongs to a certain canon is that people who are writing canon muses do have the right to reject interacting with you. Now what you need to remember the fact that they don’t want to interact with you can have nothing to do with you at all, rather your OC. There are both canon and OC writes who state in their rules that they do love OCs but do host the right to not follow you back or interact with you. What you may think when someone won’t interact with your OC is that they don’t like OCs, if you believe that to be the case, you’re ignorant. All canon characters are someone’s OC, someone’s favorite canon character is an OC made by the creator of the series. But if someone is willing to interact with an OC, that OC is highly likly properly developed, their storyline and abilities make sense to that canon, and because that OC is fleshed out. If you want to interact with a canon character but your OC’s storyline, skills, etc. doesn’t make sense in that particular canon, it’s going to make the writer of the canon muse have a really hard time writing with you because what they know about the canon can literally be thrown out the window because when you wrote your OC you said “ fuck all ” to the written canon and just did whatever you wanted to do. 

     From personal experience, not all my OCs followed canon or made any sense in that universe, but that’s before I knew how to write OCs. All my early OCs were shit, but I took what people said about them into consideration and continued to work on them. My best example of such an OC is my old Soul Eater OC, Emakie. When I wrote out Emakie’s lore I literally wrote her out without following any of the canon, she was Asuna’s and Arachnne’s daughter, she was half a witch but also a weapon who was her own meister, she and Death The Kid were in love, and she used magic. As I continued to watch the series I realized that she didn’t apply to canon at all and because of this I ended up making a new Soul Eater OC, properly wrote them out so they fit the canon, and what I did with Emakie is that I wrote my own webcomic ( which I got rid of completely ) and worked out her issues.

     I’m not saying stop making OCs, all I’m saying is that you need to work on them. Not all characters you see in media are the exact version of their first draft, for example Natsu Dragneel from the Fairy Tail series was originally a demon not a dragon slayer, exceeds like Happy in the series had wings for arms, and Gray Fullbuster was going to be an ice dragon slayer. And if you still wanna say “ fuck all ” to canon, find a canon series for your OC where you can do that because there are series’ out there where nothing makes sense and anything can happen, like Fairy Tail.

     Also, don’t take critiques of your OC personally, take what people are saying into consideration and work on your OC. Don’t be afraid to ask questions, do your research on that canon, even ask people to help you with your OCs if you want. And to end this off, if you’re struggling with your OC, feel free to find me and I’ll assist you.

[luna-writes-stuff]

CHAPTER X

A Kili X OC fanfic

Previous chapter // Next chapter

Tw: Oh boy.... Angst, a lot of it. If you thought last chapter was bad, you're in for a wild ride. Use of 'shit' and 'fuck' (both of them used only once), more mentions/hints of PTSD, descriptive violence, injuries, stabbing etc. Mentions of blood and wounds, description of pain - mentally and physically -, Thorin being a bitch, but this might be his worst chapter I'll write about it so strap yourselves down for this one. Taunting of dead family members, Raewyn and Thorin nearly fighting, emotional exhaustion, Bilbo being a bit ooc (he's very confident). Bitewound, arrow wound. Mention of arachnophobia (fear of spiders).

Raewyn just can’t catch a break, can she?

The dwarves scurried around, reaching for their weapons as Gandalf held the attention of the goblins. "He wields the Foe-Hammer. The Beater, bright as daylight!" The Goblin King exclaimed, frightened of the sword the grew wizard now held. Raewyn looked down at her hand, which had now begun to bleed, the bite of the goblin settling into her system.

"Shit." She hissed, inspecting the wound, which would leave a disgusting mark without a doubt. Kili looked at the woman, hesitation filling his face, before running away. Fili knelt down next to her, offering her his arm.

"I thought you told me to stay down." She shot at him, accepting his arm nonetheless. "I know." Fili agreed. "But I do not think we are meant to stay here for the night."

Fili clumsily helped Raewyn onto her feet, dragging her into his side as her leg now left her completely incapable of any form of support. Gandalf ran over to the two, concern written on his face, inspecting the injured woman.

"I leave for seven days." He managed to speak. "Educate me later." Raewyn interrupted, resting her hand on the wizard's shoulder in assurance, though she quickly took it back upon noticing the red stain it left on his cloak.

Just then, Kili appeared back in sight, carrying his own weapons, Raewyn's sword bound around his back as his arms held her daggers. He shot Fili a silent look, gesturing towards the daggers. Wordlessly, Fili turned to the ranger in his arms, almost as if asking permission.

She let out a sigh, nodding at the blond haired dwarf. Gandalf helped Raewyn out of Fili's arm, gently grabbing her arms as he held her steady. Kili handed the Asha's knives to his brother, before running up to the young woman, his eyes set on her hand.

"Lead them, Gandalf." She commanded, pushing herself out of the pilgrim's arm, who was not keen on letting her walk around like that. "You know the exit. You must lead the group. I will follow."

Gandalf knew better than to argue with the woman, and even though he knew she desperately needed help, he knew she was right. He had to lead the company out or they would never escape. So, with a reluctant nod he walked towards the dwarves, ushering them out.

Before Raewyn could even process it, a new arm wrapped around her waist. She was about to lash out, but the attacker was quicker; "It's only me." The ranger seemed to visibly relax at those words, releasing the pressure from her injured leg, using Kili as her support.

"Hand me my sword." She proposed, but Kili shook off the idea, cleaning the way for both of them, throwing down the goblins. "You're not fighting with that wound in your hand."

"Kili, don't be difficult." She argued, trying to reach over his shoulder to grab her weapons, but he swiftly turned, causing Raewyn to lose her balance, nearly tripping over her own feet. Kili tightened his hold on her side, making sure she could not touch the ground as he decapitated the goblin that was about to reach for the ranger.

"You saved my life, now I'm saving yours." The dwarf mumbled, his eyes focused on the incoming crowd in front of him.

"You saved mine already by attacking the Goblin King." The ranger countered. "Are you out of lethal danger yet, then?" Kili rebutted, his eyebrows furrowed.

"Are you?" Raewyn stubbornly mocked.

"Will you just let me help you for once?" Kili asked exasperated, giving her a short look, begging her to stop arguing. Raewyn let out a sigh of defeat, resting her hands at her side again, clinging onto Kili's hand to make sure she could walk. Or as far as that walking could come.

"Thank you." Kili acknowledged, following closely behind his brother, who was having the time of his life with Raewyn's daggers. The two fought their way through the crowds as Raewyn had been struggling to keep up with their steps, her dignity long lost.

In his haste, Kili lost track of where he was stepping, falling over a pile of dead goblins. Raewyn was too late with reacting, not letting go of the dwarf, now reaching the ground with him. The ranger held her hands out in front of her, trying to shield herself from the fall, yet when the rough wooden structure came into contact with her wound, she flinched, immediately taking her hand back, keeping her arm under her stomach to hold her up only slightly.

"This feels awfully familiar." She managed to speak, turning to Kili, who had fallen on his side, already turning around to stand up.

"Sorry." He mumbled, before walking up to the fallen ranger, kneeling down beside her as his hands found her sides, pulling her up carefully. Raewyn shot him an annoyed look, though she quickly wiped it off upon seeing his concerned face.

"It's fine." She assured, wiping her hand clean on her pants. "But we should really get moving."

Kili nodded at the woman, offering her his arm again, which she swiftly accepted. She was not a fan of letting others assist her, but at the moment, arguing with Kili would cause both of them to end up dead. So she decided to remain silent.

"This way! All of you!" The two heard Gandalf exclaim from the front of the group. The dwarves all disappeared around the corner, creating their own path, cutting down beams and jumping on dangling platform. The grey pilgrim stood tall in front of them, every so often checking whether everyone was still on his trail.

Multiple goblins had started using their arrows now, trying to hit the dwarves from the side. Kili stopped in his tracks, pushing Raewyn to the side as he held out his sword in front of him to deflect the incoming shot. When it actually managed to work, he and Raewyn looked towards each other, a look of shock and surprise passing both of their faces.

"Do it again!" Raewyn urged excitedly, pointing towards more aiming creatures.

"Don't linger." Fili interrupted, grabbing Raewyn from Kili, dragging the Asha with him.

"I'm no ragdoll!" She complained. "So do not toss me around as one."

Fili ignored her shouts, looking behind him to check on his brother, making sure he was following them. In front of them, the company had halted, though Fili did not see it yet. Raewyn stopped immediately, pulling Fili with her, who nearly fell on his back.

"I'm not ending up on the floor again." She wheezed, letting go of Fili as she tried standing on her own.

"You thought you could escape me?" She heard the Gobling King taunt, looming over the dwarves. "What are you going to do now, wizard?"

Raewyn pushed her way through the crowd, grabbing one of her knives from Fili's arms. She saw Gandalf slice his sword through the Great Goblin's stomach, making the creature kneel over. And that is all she needed. She threw the dagger up, turning it around in the air as she caught the handle swiftly. Without a moment of doubt, she launched the dagger towards the Goblin King, the knife lodging into his eye, making him growl in pain.

"That'll do it." The monstrosity announced, before falling from the platform, making the dwarves cheer in victory. Their victory, however, was short-lived. The bridge underneath began to creak, budging only slightly. Raewyn shared an anxious look with Gandalf.

"You've got to be kidding me." She mumbled, before the structure gave out, falling down, pulling the company with it. The dwarves gave out shouts of fear and confusion, trying to grab hold of anything near them. Raewyn ran to the nearest fence, clutching onto it, ignoring the screaming pain in her hand.

After only a short while, the falling seemed to slow, grabbing hold on the inclosing walls, making sighs of relief sweep through the company. With a few stutters, the bridge finally met the ground, the damage less than had been anticipated.

"Well, that could have been worse." Bofur exclaimed in relief. And at that exact moment, the corpse of the Goblin King fell onto the structure, squeezing the dwarves together.

"You've got to be joking me!" One complained, as the group began untangling themselves from the bridge. A hand came into Raewyn's view, though this was not a hand she recognized.

"Come on, lass." Balin spoke kindly, extending her hand towards her even more. She let out a grateful smile, grabbing his hand with her one hand that had not been injured. The old dwarf pulled her up with a jerk, making sure her leg was properly supported.

"Ehm, Gandalf?" She heard Kili question. She followed his gaze, looking up at the approaching goblins, climbing down from the walls as little upside down spiders, making her shudder at the thought, goosebumps erupting on her skin. Goblins she could handle, but spiders had been a different story.

If anything terrified her, it had been spiders.

"We need to move." Balin whispered.

"Only one thing will save us. Daylight." Gandalf explained. "Hurry now!"

The dwarves nodded at the grey pilgrim, running after him as he went in search of an exit. Kili ran towards the ranger and Balin, offering his arm to her.

"She'll be quicker with me." Kili spoke to Balin, who merely nodded at the younger Durin.

"Aye." He agreed, letting Raewyn move towards Kili. In her head, she tried convincing herself that she did not need help; it would only be more intention for Thorin to believe she was weak, but she knew that she would not escape these caves alive on her own. No matter how much she hated the thought, she needed Kili's help.

Raewyn accepted Kili's arms, telling herself that the minute they were safe, she would forget about this. It was humiliating to say the least. And all in front of Thorin's eyes.

All in front of Thorin's eyes, she realized. He who had stood by and did nothing as the Goblin King was squeezing the air out of her lungs. He who had been willing to let her die inside the mountain, surrounded by rotten goblins where no one would ever find her. Only now she realized how close her meeting with death had been. And the though of it caused her to turn to Thorin, disbelief written on her face. Even though he was walking in front of her and he could not see her, she had hoped he did. He deserved it.

Wordlessly, she now limped beside Kili, not finding the energy to make any more stupid retords. From the end of the hall, she could see the familiar flares of daylight, but it did little to soothe her anger now.

Perhaps she should have walked back to Rivendell with Bilbo. They'd be in bed now, having eaten a full meal. Bilbo would ask her stories about her adventures or family.

Bilbo. Bilbo had yet to show up.

Raewyn's eyes suddenly widened, pushing Kili off of her, looking around desperately.

"What's wrong?" The dwarf asked, worried for his friend's behavior.

"Bilbo." Raewyn uttured. "Where is Bilbo? Bilbo!" She shouted, hoping that he'd still be in the caves, safely hidden.

"Bilbo!!" She tried again, looking around for any form of response.

"Raewyn, we need to leave." Kili tried to soothe, but the ranger pushed away his words.

"No! Bilbo is still out there. He won't be safe here." She explained. "Bilbo!"

"You need to get to safety first." The dwarf began again, grabbing Raewyn's arm.

"I have had worse, Kili. I think I can deal with being shot in the leg." She argued, trying to escape his grasp, but it had almost appeared iron.

"You need to get out first!" The prince commanded, now pulling on her arm. Raewyn planted her feet on the ground firmly, leaning back against his hold, trying to escape his grasp. Pain began to shoot up from her leg, alerting all her senses, but she was firm on her decision.

Kili frowned at the ranger, before slowly lessening his grip, telling her to stop fighting. "I will go look for him." He tried to compromise. "You-"

"No!" Raewyn quickly shut down, looking towards the dwarves to make sure they were still close. "I know goblins better than you. I know how to kill them best."

"Bilbo is a smart hobbit." Kili now began. "I promise you, he got out. And if he didn't, I will run back in. But you need to rest that leg." The Asha seemed reasonably eased at his words, though anxiety still flooded her senses.

And Kili knew. He could tell.

"We will find him, Raewyn."

——

"Bilbo!" The hobbit's ears perked up at the familiar sound of his friend's voice.

"Wait! My precious!" He heard the awful creature yell from a distance. Bilbo tried to cancel out the noise of Gollum, instead focusing on Raewyn's voice.

"Bilbo!" It sounded again. He quickly ran towards the sound of the call, now coming face to face with Gollum, who was quiet, different than only a few seconds prior. He was hiding behind a rock, having spotted the company of dwarves.

Bilbo sighed upon noticing the creature, now drawing his sword. But instead of his usual psychotic expression, he held one of fear. Something began to stir in Bilbo's stomach. Something he had not expected; compassion. Compassion for a creature so obsessed with an object that allowed him to behave so inhumane. Surely, he had not wanted this at all. Under all that, he had been a normal man, perhaps even hobbit once.

"Bilbo!" Raewyn yelled again, a hushed voice following her call. Bilbo swallowed thickly as his eyes landed back on Gollum. He had a choice now. He could kill off Gollum and save him from his misery, or he could let him live, leaving him on his own to figure his business out.

All of the sudden, the dwarves ran past Bilbo, now not spotting him thanks to the ring he found. The hobbit sighed at the thought of running with them again.

"Bilbo is a smart hobbit." He now recognized Kili's voice. "I promise you, he got out. And if he didn't, I will run back in. But you need to rest that leg."

Bilbo now looked at the two standing in the hallway, Raewyn staring down at Kili. Bilbo's heart nearly froze as he took in the ranger's state; an arrowhead had been lodged into her thigh, blood still dripping from it as one of her hand had appeared red, obviously injured as well. She looked tired, a look he had never seen on her before. It was obvious she was panicked, but there was something her eyes were hiding. And he could not quite place it.

"We will find him, Raewyn." The dwarf assured, to which the Asha hesitantly nodded.

"Raewyn." Bilbo mumbled, before sheathing his sword, preparing to run out of the cave.

As Raewyn and Kili left the hallway, Bilbo took a deep breath. He looked at Gollum, who had slowly begun to turn back into his old self. The hobbit frowned at him, running towards the creature at full speed as he used him to jump over the rock.

"Baggins! Thief!!" Bilbo heard as he escaped the cave. "Curse it and crush it; we hates it forever!"

——

"Five, six, seven, eight." Gandalf counted. "Bifur, Bofur. That's ten." He resumed, pointing at the dwarves. "Ah, Fili, Kili, that's twelve. Raewyn, thirteen." The wizard went on, his face quickly shifting as Raewyn nearly fell down to the ground in order to find comfort.

"And Bombur. That makes fourteen." He announced, though he quickly noticed the missing person. "Where is Bilbo? Where is our hobbit?"

Raewyn looked around, hoping Kili's words were true, but Bilbo's face was nowhere in sight.

"Where is our hobbit?!" Gandalf commanded.

"Curse the halfling! Now he's lost? I thought he was with Dori." Gloin complained, throwing his hands up in frustration.

"Don't blame me." Dori defended.

"Well, where did you last see him?" The wizard asked, looking around for anyone who could answer him.

"I think him slip away when they first collared us." Nori offered, trying to help Gandalf.

"Then what happened exactly? Tell me!" The wizard urged.

"I'll tell you what happened." Thorin began, directing all attention onto himself. "Master Baggins saw his chance and he took it. He had thought of nothing but his soft bed and warm hearth since first he stepped out of his door."

Raewyn's blood began to boil at his words. She had already been relatively pissed off, but this topped the pot.

"How dare you speak like that?" The ranger mumbled, holding onto a nearby tree as she slowly managed to stand up, stumbling over her feet slighlty. "Bilbo has given you nothing but his loyalty and dedication. He has done nothing to wrong you. If there is anyone we should be angry at, it is you!" She accused.

"You were fine with letting me die in there! You did nothing to help, but stand there and watch as that maniac pushed all air out of my lungs!" Gandalf now looked at Thorin with an accused look, all this information new to him.

Raewyn stumbled up to the leader, pointing a finger in his direction. "What did I ever do to make you hate me so much? Because this cannot truly be for burning down your infantry!"

She let out a frustrated laugh, nearly mocking Thorin. "For once, you had the chance to prove to me that you weren't the monster I thought you were. I actually held hope you would be able to change. That I was wrong!" The ranger's voice breaking slightly.

"Do something!"

"Find the girl."

"I need your help!"

"Had it not been for your nephew, I would have been dead. Dead! And you would have let me die with no remorse. You don't play with life like that, Oakenshield. I know it is something you are really good in, but it only makes you more despicable." She hissed, tears welling up in her eyes, but she would not let them spill.

"Raewyn-" Gandalf tried to soothe, but the woman ignored her, staggering up to Thorin even more, their chests nearly touching.

"If I knew what you did today, 31 years ago, I would have let you burn. Just as your stupid mountain did." Shouts of disagreement and anger were heard throughout the company, but yet again, Raewyn ignored them.

"You don't deserve your name, you don't deserve your throne and you most definitely do not deserve my allegiance!" A stray tear rolled down her cheek, but she decided to show it off with pride, not letting it bother her anymore.

"Imrid amrad ursul, Thorin. You can go fuck yourself." She choked out, shoving the dwarf rather rudely before stumbling over to Gandalf.

"I'm going back to Rivendell." She announced. "I can manage the trip until there. Lord Elrond will help me further."

"You speak of your allegiance as if I want it." Thorin countered, not letting Raewyn go just yet. "I have had a long line of alliances with your kin and I know better than to trust them. You are no different from your father!" He yelled at her, stomping over at her, Gandalf now growing concerned at the growing hostility.

"Yes? That is a compliment, Oakenshield. My father was an honorable man, one who loved family above all, his strength unmatched!" Raewyn argued.

"Your father was a traitor!"

"You speak like that of my father again and I will cut your tongue off right where you stand." The woman threatened, her eyes still spilling tears, though they were slow instead of desperate.

"Your father deserved what happened to him." Thorin hissed, his voice low as his eyes stared deeply into hers, meaning every word he said.

And that was enough for Raewyn to finally lash out. She drew one of the daggers Fili had given back, advancing towards Thorin. He responded quickly by drawing his sword, no hesitation shown on his face.

"Raewyn!" Gandalf commanded, urging her to stop with his words. But she paid him no heed.

"My father fought bravely at your side for years! Do not speak of him as if he was some sort of lowly servant!" The ranger warned, raising her dagger as she prepared to strike.

"He was a snake and a deserter!" The leader provoked, scanning the Asha's every move.

"Would you not speak his name?" Raewyn shot back, pain hidden in her voice.

"Say his name." She commanded, pointing her dagger in his direction. Thorin just kept his eyes on her, barely any emotion shown on his face.

"Say his name!" She shouted, before two arms wrapped around her from behind, pulling her away from Thorin. Her dagger was shoved out of her hands as Gandalf held onto her, a mixture of both anger and sadness on his face. Anger, for Thorin, for leaving Raewyn for dead, but also for Raewyn, who once again, let her past determine her temper. And her temper would lead to hasty decisions.

But also sadness, for he knew the pain the young woman held. He was aware of how much this was hurting her and he would not allow her to be in pain for much longer.

"I hate you, Thorin Oakenshield." Raewyn cried from the wizard's arms, a look of heartbreak and malice shown towards him. "I hate you so much."

Thorin scoffed at her, nearly tempting her to break out of Gandalf's hold, just to charge towards him again. "You will leave, and you will leave now." He spoke lowly.

"No, she cannot." A new voice suddenly decided. "She made a vow to protect me. When I would enter the mountain. It's on the paper she signed, is it not?" Bilbo wondered, appearing from behind a tree as his eyes sought Balin's in conformation.

"Aye." The old dwarf spoke defeated, torn between the choices he held. "It is."

"You would want this burden to travel with you?" The lost king taunted, looking down at Bilbo.

"Yes." The hobbit answered honestly. "Raewyn saved my life more times than I can count on my fingers. She makes me feel safe, and I will not be walking into the mountain without her. And you will not get whatever it is you need in there if I will not go."

The company remained silent at Bilbo's words; not expecting him to show up in the first place, but even less expecting him to speak up against Thorin.

"She saved my life too. Three times." Kili decided.

"You would pick a wild ranger over your own kin?" Dwalin scolded.

"I am not picking anyone above anyone." The young dwarf confessed. "I am merely saying that if it had not been for Raewyn, you would have already lost two companions before even escaping Goblin Town."

"He's right." Fili joined. "Raewyn helped me out on multiple occassions. I'd rather have her with us than against us."

"She's a threat!" One of the dwarves shouted, to which multiple agreements were heard throughout the crowd.

"Threat or no, if she leaves, so will I." Bilbo concluded, slight hesitation in his voice. Yet, when he turned to Raewyn and saw the tearstreaks down her cheeks, he became more confident, knowing he had made the right decision.

"Fine. Both of you can leave." Thorin agreed, before turning around to face the rest of the company.

"Both Raewyn and Bilbo will stay with us." Gandalf decided, making Balin look at him with a surprised expression. "I will keep a watchful eye over Raewyn, but she will not leave until I say so. Even as she herself decides to leave."

Raewyn knew the last part was directed towards her and she frowned at the thought, knowing she would have to put up with Thorin even longer. And the tension between the two of them had nearly become too much. One more word could make her kill him on the spot. So she was thankful when Thorin reluctantly agreed.

The company began exchanging mumbles over Thorin's decision, their eyes shifting between Raewyn and Gandalf constantly. And the ranger did not appreciate all the eyes on her. Most certainly not when she had just almost attacked their king, tears slipping past her eyes as her cheeks would surely have turned red. If she could sink into the floor, she would.

But she could not dwell on her thoughts for too long. Not when a haunting howl passed through the air, alerting everyone.

"Out of the frying pan," Thorin muttered.

"And into the fire." Gandalf continued. "Run. Run!"

——

Imrid amrad ursul: Die a death of flames in Khuzdul (Dwarvish)

——

Taglist: @errruvande @justnerdystuffs @fallenangeloflight @radbarbariancupcake @spidergirla5 @m-sterboggins @deathofafangirl01 @writingawaymylife

[dirtyoatmeall]

Secrets (Shigaraki x Reader)

A/N: I know I said I was working on a summer camp wip and I am but then I got this idea and as usual here is a random fic that could be a series? n e ways enjoy ooc shiggy

Pairing: Shigaraki x gn!reader (p sure I dont use pronouns) (established relationship) 

Word Count: 1.6k

Warnings: Cursing

~

“Fuck”

“C’mon you’re almost there”

“I don’t know where it is!”

“It’s literally right in front of you, how can you not find it.”

“Shut up before I kill you.”

“I’m on your team you can’t kill me.”

“Watch me.”

“(Y/N) What the fuck!”

“I told you not to bully me this is your fault.”

“Oh my god you are such a baby how will you survive without me, stay put until I find you”

“I think you meant to say “(Y/N) I’m sorry I’m such a meanie face I promise to make it up to you.””

“No I did not.”

“Fine, remember you did this to yourself.”

“(Y/N) STOP SHOOTING AT ME”

“Stop being mean to me”

“Are you serious? Fine I’ll stop being mean to you, just stop shooting me we are literally not going to progress at all if you keep killing me.”

“I don’t know, that didn’t sound very convincing.”

“Are you fucking kidding me stop shooting me I swear to god.”

“Why bring God into this? We all know he’d take my side in this Tomura, now until you stop being a meanie I will simply not let you live.”

“Why do I put up with you?”

“Because I’m hot and will kiss your crusty lips.”

“Not for long if you keep this up.”

“Shigaraki Tomura are you threatening to withhold kisses from me? I think we both know you would cave before I would.”

“…Shut up.”

You snorted as you looked over to your boyfriend, who had a slight blush coating his cheeks. He refused to look at you, keeping his gaze on the TV, pretending to focus on the game. You rolled your eyes and set your controller off to the side before doing the same to his. He weakly protested but it was cut short when you placed your lips on his, his hands immediately going to your waist and bunching up the material of your shirt in his gloved fist. You cupped his cheeks, moving to straddle his waist to get more comfortable.

The two of you didn’t separate until you absolutely needed air, panting slightly when you broke apart. Your hands softly skimmed over his shoulders before encircling his waist, your cheek resting on his shoulder. He nuzzled into your neck, squeezing your hips as he sighed into your hair. You were content to sit there for the rest of the day, until an alarm went off on your phone. You groaned and slid off of Shigaraki’s lap to silence it. Your shoulders slumped as you realized you had to get ready for work. You had forgotten you agreed to take your coworker’s late night shift. You quickly got ready, Shigaraki watching you from the bed before betting up when you were putting on your shoes.

“I’ll walk with you, it's getting dark.” You coked an eyebrow at his words. “Are you sure? I’ve taken this shift before and you didn’t feel the need then, and besides, I think there are more heroes out than usual you might be spotted. He simply rolled his eyes and put on his shoes, grabbing your hand and leading you out the door, his hood pulled up to slightly obscure his face. “Shut up, let me walk you to work.” You giggled and walked beside him, hands intertwined. You talked about the new stuff going on at work, the new shipments of books coming in, catching him up on workplace drama, and anything else he missed since the last time you talked about work as you walked down the street. Shigaraki listened diligently, chiming in with “oh nice”, or “that bitch” when appropriate.

When you arrived at work you kissed him and promised to make up your game mistakes when you get home. He rolled his eyes but the smile was still on his face as he turned to leave. You turned to enter your work when a pair of green eyes caught your attention. There was a hero, most likely on patrol, and a sidekick? Or kid, you weren’t quite sure but something seemed familiar about them. The hero wasn’t paying attention to you, talking about something as they gestured to the building. But the other person's eyes were locked on your own, you couldn’t distinguish the look on their face, and you furrowed our eyebrows before going into your work, clutching your purse strap a little tighter.

You shoved the uneasiness to the back of your mind as you focused on your work. You stocked the new shipment of books, occasionally checking out a customer that wandered in. A few hours into your shift you were behind the counter organizing the specially ordered books, getting ready to call the customers who ordered them when the bell above the door jingled, signaling another customer came in. Without looking up you greeted them. “Welcome in! Let me know if you need any help, books with a blue sticker are 50% off.”

“I do have a few questions, though not about books.” You furrowed your eyebrows and looked up to where the voice was coming from, eyes widening slightly when you noticed the kid from earlier. “I’m sorry?” You said, not sure if you heard him right. He took a step toward the counter, his eyes nervously flitted around the shop, as if he was making sure no one else was in it. “Are you with him? Do you know what he’s done?”

Your blood ran cold at his words. You tried not to let it show, steeling your stomach that had dropped to your feet. You furrowed your eyebrows and cocked your head slightly. “I’m sorry, I’m not sure what you’re talking about?” He sighed and stepped up to the counter. “I saw you with him, you’re dating Shigaraki Tomura right? Do you know who he really is? What he’s done to people?”

Your fist clenched and you gritted your teeth, how did a kid know so much? Unless- fuck. He must be a hero student. Shigaraki mentioned his master had some plans with them, but he didn’t delve much into his work with you. This must be one of the kids. Even so, you’ve practiced for situations like this, though you never expected it to actually come. “I don’t know who that is, You must be mistaking me for someone else, and we are closing soon so if you’re not going to buy anything I’m gonna have to ask you to leave.” His face twisted into one of disdain briefly before quickly being replaced with a smile you were sure was fake. “I must have. Sorry to bother you.”

You let out a breath when he left and you quickly locked the doors and turned off the open sign. Your boss wouldn’t be mad if you closed a few hours early, right? You counted the till and finished closing everything up, texting Shigaraki that you were closing and asking if he or someone from the league could come pick you up. He said he was on his way and you bite your lip, trying to figure out if you should tell him or not. You mulled over it shortly before deciding it was best to tell Tomura. The two of you haven’t kept anything from each other, and you didn’t want to start. You waited in the staff room in the back until he texted you he was here.

You met him at the back entrance and hugged him as soon as you saw him. He hugged you back but moved you back after a moment had passed, confusion and worry evident on his features. “What happened?” You gripped his hand tightly as you took the back way to the hideout, worried someone was watching. You recounted your experiences earlier, and Shigaraki’s grip tightened when you described the boy to him. He didn’t say a word until you were back safely to the hideout. Not paying the others mind he led you straight to your shared bedroom, closing the door softly behind you.

You looked at Shigaraki worriedly, you knew he could get overwhelmed easily, but he wasn’t scratching at his neck, just standing in the middle of your bedroom, facing away from you. You stepped closer and rested a hand on his shoulder. When he didn’t flinch or push you away you slid it up to his neck and walked in front, hugging him tightly. “Tomura? What’s wrong?” His arms snaked around your waist, hugging you back just as tightly as you buried his face into your neck, inhaling and kissing the skin softly before bringing his head back to look at you. He sighed and cupped your face with one hand, thumb softly caressing your cheek. “Nothing. I’m sorry (Y/N), are you okay?” The corners of your mouth ticked up at his words, he was being unusually soft, he must actually be listening to Kurogiri.

“I’m fine Tomura, he was just being nosy, I’m more worried about you, obviously you recognized his description. Is he one of those students from U.A. you mentioned?” He exhaled and nodded, gaze cast to the floor. “Yes, he’s inherited all for one.” You nodded, Shigaraki had explained the quirk of all might and his master to you before. Though he obviously wasn’t telling you all of it, you didn’t press the matter, he either couldn’t tell you, or it was something you didn’t want to know, either way you’d accept what he told you.

You could tell it was bothering him, so you led him to the bed and laid down, tugging him down with you. He hugged you stomach, laying his head on your chest as you curled into him and ran your fingers through his hair absentmindedly. You felt his shoulders sag, he exhaled deeply as he tightened his hold, nuzzling into your chest. After a few minutes he fell asleep and you soon followed, green eyes still fresh in your mind.

[fromthedeskof-darkiplier]

Ik you and the other mun aren’t dating but I’m curious lol do you have a favorite memory with them?

(OOC: okay so it’s about to get Really Emotional up in this bitch, so strap in:

it was last Summer. i had just been properly diagnosed with Autism, and very soon after began a job, ironically, as assisted living for other people with Autism. Autism was becoming a big part of my life, especially since it was helping my family and i piece together why i’ve been so shit at making/keeping friends. the closest friendships i’ve made by far were with penpals that live hundreds of miles away, and @fromthedeskof-warfstache is no exception... but i digress. IRL friends are so flighty and unresponsive, the smallest mistake on my part has caused them to vanish; sometimes i wish one could stay behind just long enough to tell me what i do that causes everyone to disappear.

i remember the setting very well: my client and i were at the library, where she usually wanted to go to practice math and grammar on the computer, and i was behind her fucking around on my phone. FTDOW and i were talking, naturally, and very quickly the conversation turned into one about soulmates. i won’t disclose the details for privacy’s sake, but it struck a chord with me in ways that almost nobody had before.

this person, who has had so much shit happen to them and yet is still one of the most genuinely kind and sympathetic people i’ve ever met, called me their soulmate. this is a person -- as far away as they live -- that tells me they care about me and i believe it.

long story short, i started crying tears of joy in the middle of the library alsjdfhlahsdflakjsdfhlakjsdfh but it’s a really meaningful conversation we had, and i’m really glad it’s still in our conversation history so i can look back and cry about it all over again.)

[the-obsession-ship]

Got a light? (Daryl Dixon x Reader)

Author’s note: I’ve been on a Walking dead marathon lately, and it’s inspired me to make a Daryl Dixon x Reader fic. Sorry if he’s a bit OOC but I might make him a bit fluffier in certain parts just to keep the story going. I’m starting from season one and ending whenever I feel like it. I’ll probably go off the main story for most of it and then change it a bit for certain parts. Enjoy!

Warnings: Language, violence (It’s about the walking dead so, you know) Drinking and smoking.

When you found out about the whole “the dead are walking again” thing, you weren’t entirely sober. It was a Friday and you’d just gotten off work, your hair was thrown up into a bun, a clay mask on, and you had a couple of shots of tequila and were now washing it down with wine, romance movies, and a couple cigs; it’s Friday which means no work tomorrow, you could do whatever you wanted, within legal limits of course. you weren’t 21 anymore, you couldn’t just do anything, but you still had your fun.

Right in the most climactic scene of your movie, a news flash popped up in bright flashing red with a high pitched siren going off. You had to cover your ears just to read the warning “A state of emergency has been initiated by the federal government? Take necessary precautions and follow your local news station?” confused and very buzzed you do what it says and switch to your news station and immediately your greeted by burning buildings and cars, as well as sick looking people limping around. Your gut tells you this isn't good, but that could just be the alcohol.

A pretty blond news reporter appears she looks distraught maybe more than that, something in her eyes tells you this is worse then they can even explain on live television “T-this is a state of emergency, please remain calm in this situation. Take care of your loved ones and do not leave your homes until further notice from the military. I repeat do not leave your homes. Oh, Jesus, I can’t keep this up. The dead are walking! I repeat the dead are alIVE AND WAL-” just as she starts screaming at the camera, she get’s pushed off by another reporter and the feed cuts off. 

You jump off the couch and run to open your window shades, only to be shocked by the sight, a hoard of them are feasting on a deer just a few feet from your window luckily your apartment is three stories above them but, it's still unbelievable. You fall back onto the floor in shock “Son of a bitch!” 

Sobering up now after chain-smoking a bit on the floor, where you're currently curled up into a ball, your not sure how long you’ve been sitting here but you had your time to contemplate how the hell you managed to fall into a horror movie. but it’s not a Hollywood production starring you and Ryan Gosling, no quite the opposite, it’s real and you need to figure out what you're going to do now. You’ve decided that not once in your whole life have you ever seen the news go down, and after sitting on the floor for what feels like hours, the chances of it coming on anytime soon were slim to none at this point.

Getting up and heading towards your front door, you had weapons lying around due to the fact you live alone in an apartment by yourself so you thought it would be smart to have some things on hand, but Instead of fgrabbing your .22 or bowie knife you picked up a baseball bat, you weren’t going far, just down the hall to your neighbor Earl, who you would trust with your life. You see, Earl was ex-military in a situation like this he would be the person who knew what to do. Holding your bat close to you and slipping your shoes on before taking a deep breath and heading out the door.

Making your way slowly down the hall, it's way too quiet for this place, there was always a dog barking or children playing, something making noise and this eerie silence is what sent a shiver down your spine and fueling you further towards Earl’s place. “Please be okay Earl, please” you whispered making your way around the last corner before his apartment, only to find a note duck taped to his door which states “Y/N, I hope you find this, something’s wrong I don’t what yet but it’s something big. An old Army buddy called me a few days ago, said they were moving the military to Atlanta, they know something and I’m going to find out what it is. I’ve left you a walkie-talkie just in case the phone's get cut. Head to Atlanta, I’ll try to contact you whenever I can. Stay safe- Earl” picking up the small radio device off the floor and folding up the note “Dammit Earl, you couldn’t have waited a few hours? Ugh” putting a hand up to your forehead just now realizing you had never taken your mask off, you must look insane; wondering the halls with a green face, or then again you might just fit right in. Besides doesn't sound like anyone’s here anyway.

Heading back to your apartment wondering what you're going to do next, you decide your only option is to listen to Earl and head to Atlanta. Pushing the door to your apartment open, your best decision now is to check on your water and food supply, your pretty sure the electricity will go off soon as well, your willing to stake money that this dump doesn't have much of a backup generator. Opening your cub boards to a few packs of ramen noodles and a can of Vienna sausages "Damn, why did the apocalypse have to happen before shopping day. Checking your fridge to be welcomed by bottles of bud light and wine but not much else. "Maybe the Atlanta idea was a pretty a good one" sighing you head into the bathroom to take what might be your last hot shower for a while.

Staring at yourself in the mirror, deciding not to worry about your appearance, you highly doubt the dead care about your hair or lack of makeup. Putting on the most tactical clothing you own; it's mostly gifts from Earl from Birthday's and Christmas's, he always felt obligated to fill the empty hole your parents left, not even attempting to visit you for the holiday's, you could say Earl was the only father figure you ever truly had. Pulling on your camo jeans and a tank top knowing full well how hot Georgia was today, you'll be lucky you don't die of heat stroke instead of anything else getting you. Tightening the laces on your military boots. 

Getting up and searching around for your weapons and ammo; shoveling them into your backpack, you found your .22 and its holster, strapping it to your thigh. You also packed the little food you had and a few bottles of water, as well as any extra clothes and blankets. Once you were sure you had everything you could carry slung onto your shoulder, you grabbed Earl's walkie-talkie and clipped it onto your belt, and pulled your favorite red hat on. Before leaving you stopped in front of the floor, looking around at the only place that ever felt like home, though it strangely felt cold to you now, maybe it was because of Earl being miles away or maybe it was “end of the world” blues taking over you. You nodded your head confident that you were doing the right thing, stopping before you turned the doorknob, you walked over into your kitchen and pulled out two bottles of wine. "I could never forget you, beauties" making room in your pack for them, pulling it back over your shoulder and, finally headed out.

(Hey! I hope you enjoyed! This is mostly about your start and not much else but I swear we'll see Daryl soon. Love Ya)

[namiyamami]

Oath of Blood

///This is ooc af. I just had this in my head for a while decided to write it out.

Darkness was emerging. 

Unlike the kind where the sun innocently kissed the moon goodnight, this was born and bred from the depths of the underworld and had no intention of behaving innocently. It was suffocating but alluring, draped in sin but promising in worth. Because these creatures of the night were quickly manifesting and terrorizing those on the outer crust, students and alum of Everton School of Combat Mastery were called to protect and defeat the evils that made their permanent residence in their world. 

The war waged on for months, killing some, controlling others. It was made clear that fighting to the death was the only way to see the war through. Soon enough teams of four were disbanded, some went missing, some went rogue. It was all too much and not enough at the same time for those that waged their alignments in their hearts. Team MANZ was no different. The blonde aristocrat and his cold hearted damsel remained at each others side, fending off evil, while the other two chose a path much more dominant to their nature.

One night in particular, the all too big headed Mathias Sinclair was making his rounds around Cantabria. He and his partner were ordered to complete a quest where they would shadow an important merchant from Eshenlin to their current location. As the deal went on, Mathias decided it would be best to check the perimeter. His partner, would stay at the side of the merchant, in case anything were to head south. His partner was hesitant at first but decided to let the heroic idiot trot about, being that it was his hometown and all.

In the midst of his rounds, he felt a presence stalk him. After a few blocks, he turned around quickly but didn’t catch the perpetrator in time. He drew out his sword and heard a feminine laugh come from behind. He turned again, shoving his sword in front of him. “Halt, who goes there.”

The pink elf wandered from the shadows and into the moon’s light.  Her smile was wider than that of the cheshire cats. She cocked her head to the side while waving her hands in the air. “Just a fair maiden who’s new to the town.” 

The smell of cannabis and alcohol tickled the nose of the blonde as the woman spoke. He shook his head, keeping his sword in her direction. It had been months since they had seen each other — months since she had turned. “Hardly fair she is, as she be a maiden.”

She walked up to the sword, stopping as it poked lightly at her chest. She looked down at the metal then into the hero’s blue eyes. “That may be but,” she then forced the sword downward and to the side, walking even closer until they were chest to chest. “Alls more to love a maiden the same as one would love a whore, no?” “I reckon you think you got both parts,” he took a gulp, feeling his face heat up a bit, “but that all be a ruse.” She gently glided the back of her hand along the side of his face. “I reckon that tongue of yours will get cut faster than the next word that falls off it.” He grabbed her hand but instead of slapping it away, he held it in place. She smiled.

“Why did you —“ He began.

“Leave him be, bitch.”

Nami closed her eyes and took a deep breath. “ The only bitch here is the dog barking back at me.” She turned her back to the prince and faced his partner. “Don’t you have something better to do?”

“You have no business here.” She conjured her scythe. “Leave.”

“Aya, don’t —”

“No, your dog wants to play.” She grabbed the daggers from her thigh straps and motioned for her to come closer while licking her lips. “Let’s play.”

Before Mathias could stop the two, they were already headed towards each others neck. It was all happening in a blink of an eye, the only physical contact his eyes could catch were the clashing of their metals. At one point, Aya used the bottom of her scythe to knock Nami off balance. She then dropped her scythe and head butted her in the stomach. Nami got the wind got knocked right off of her. “You bitch!” Nami wrapped her legs around Aya and over powered her, getting on top. Before Aya could conjure her scythe back into her hand, Nami pressed her hands against her old roommates and recited a spell under her breath. Suddenly the shadows, held the tiefling back. 

The elf then whispered something into the tieflings ear and just as Mathias was about to throw his sword at the rogue, Aya yelled out, “Don’t!”

Mathias was confused until he heard a voice from behind. “You really are no fun.” He turned around and there stood his own roommate, green eyes that lacked luster holding up a bow and arrow aimed at him. “Come on, Nam. Enough playing.”

“But we were just getting to the good part, love.” She then went down to hold Aya.

“Get off of me!”

“We got what we came for.” He threw his bow over his shoulders, and grabbed a jewel from his pocket.

Mathias’ eyes widened. “That’s the jewel the merchant had. You fiend! You took that! Give it back this instant!”

Zaos’ furrowed his brows. “Are you an idiot? This is a dupe. Your merchant didn’t have the real one.”

Nami’s eyes widened. “He didn’t?! Then what the hell did we come here for!”

“The real question is why are you still on me!”

“That is no dupe! It can’t be.” The blond interjected.

“But it is.”

“What do you know about jewels? You’re a no good thief.”

“A no good, lousy thief!” The other elf added.

“Shut up, you!” Zaos growled.

“What? It’s true.”

“Get the hell off of me!”

“Alright, you lost your privilege. Shadows, shut her up.” Before Aya could protest again, the shadows masked her mouth.

“Here, if you don’t believe me.” Zaos tossed the jewel over to the blonde. He looked at the jewel. Honestly, he couldn’t tell if it was real or not. “We got what we came for.” He repeated. “Get off of her and let’s go.”

Nami rolled her eyes but did as she was told. She got off of her old roommate and hopped over to her partner. When she turned to her old team leader, she shot him a smile. “Her restraints will release within the next few minutes. Can’t say the same for her mouth.”

“Think of this as a truce. You let us walk away free, we won’t tell anyone you failed your quest.” Zaos said while patting the dirt off of Nami’s back.

“But we didn’t fail our quest.”

Nami and Zaos both looked at Mathias and then at each other. Zaos was about to say something but Nami put her finger over his mouth to silence him.

Zaos nodded and closed his mouth.

“Sorry to be the bearer of bad news love, but you did.” Nami said after putting her finger down.

“That’s preposterous. The Aya was watching the merchant.”

“But she left her post to check on you.”

“And last time I checked, he didn’t have a pulse.”

 Mathias’ eyes widened. “You… You killed him?!” Mathias grabbed Zaos by the collar and made him airborne. “You killed him!?”

Zaos laughed. “You’re kidding right? Do you know how much effort that takes?”

“Someone’s been watching you, love.” Nami added, poking a pressure point on Mathias’ neck that made him cringe and let go of Zaos. 

Mathias’ brows furrowed as he looked back to her. “What?”

“The darkness wants you but we lured it away...”

“You can believe what you want,” Zaos added. “She did help in a way.”

“At the expense of the life of an innocent! What of my life makes a difference? That man had a family. He had a calling. He had a —“ Nami slapped him across the face.

“We are in a war.” She growled at him. “We may never have another cordial moment like this ever again.” She then turned her back to him and looked to her partner. “Let’s go.”

“Lead the way.” 

She nodded and walked off.

“You can still come back…” Mathias said lowly as Zaos made his way towards Nami.

“Honestly… We can’t.” 

“If we continue on like this, there will be a day where — “

“If we continue on like this, Nami will live. Remember why you’re still here Mathias. She took that oath for you and Aya. I’m not leaving her side until it’s seen through. There’s no coming back from this.”

Mathias was shocked at the words he heard. He dropped to his knees and  hit the ground with his fist. “Don’t be too hard on yourself.” He looked up. It was Aya.

“The Aya…”

She smirked and dropped herself at his side. “She knew what she was getting into when she made that oath.”

“I know…” His voice trailed off.

“But I think Zaos is wrong…”

The broken prince looked into his partners eyes. “Yeah?”

“I think there’s one person that could help with the oath.”