A New Struggle Awaits

"How can I atone for a sin I didn't even know I committed!" (Independent Oz rp blog from the anime/manga (though more heavily anime based) Pandora Hearts. Tracking tag chainedoffmemories)

[bravelittle-soldier]

“No need to worry about me, Oz!”

The sentiment was flattering, and even made Armin’s chest flutter a bit. To know that Oz genuinely cared about his well-being, it was quite nice.

“I wish I could say its been boring without you, but it’s been super busy. I’m just glad I had time to come back and see you. And how are you holding up?”

[chained-off-memories]

“You have very interesting friends here.” 

The diversity in this place was astounding. It seemed to Oz that he’d met someone from every walk of life and of every kind of mindset. As out of place as he’d originally felt the first time Armin had brought him to this semi safe place, he’d easily gotten used to the surrounding groups of people. They were all different, in a way, which made them each the same as the rest. 

“I haven’t had such fun conversations in years.”

[demiosking]

Vincent had played countless games in his lifetime, but none with this boy. Playing with someone new was always interesting. Everyone’s mind worked in different ways, and seeing their different moves and their patterns was like glimpsing into their mind.

                     | ♚ | “ Very well, I’ll make the first move. ”

[chained-off-memories]

Every move in a chess game was telling. From the very first agreement to play, everything was part of a strategy. Uncle Oscar had told him once that everything had a purpose and a place, even if the one making the move wasn’t aware of it themselves. Oz didn’t think that Vincent was so invested in a game his host had suggested on the spot, but the Duke couldn’t help but try to observe everything. “Did Gil play this with you before?” Oz wasn’t even sure if Gilbert knew how to play. 

[chained-off-memories]

Without any sort of time spared, Alma flopped across Oz's exposed chest. His full weight dropping on him along with this.

“Omph!” Oz had done something right, he thought as he looked upon the figure who had woken him up. Alma definitely felt more than comfortable enough about the earl to do something like this, which Oz considered a job well done. This was the behavior of a friend, not just a simple servant. “Good morning Alma.” Oz patted his head. “To what do I owe the visit?”

[almakegasutenshikarma-deactivat]

Both hands rubbed over his eyes in order to wake himself up. He really, really didn’t want to fall back to sleep since he could finally spend time with his nice master. After doing this, he hopped off the bed and trotted over to the blonde child. “N-no… No… Almas toootally up. .”

[chained-off-memories]

Oz laughed. Alma was as awake as his master was every other day that included meetings and audiences with spoiled nobility. Which was to say, not very awake at all. Oz had a feeling that the boy would go back to sleep if he gave him half a chance. “I see that. Let’s see if we can’t get you even more at attention with some food. Cook does a mean omelette. Sound good?” 

[endlxssmelody]

chained-off-memories

“Hey, you! You ain’t busy, are you? My friend bailed on me. I’m taking you to the beach instead.”

[chained-off-memories]

“What, beach? Wait--” Oz wasn’t properly dressed for a day out in the sun, which he could deal with just fine because clothes were just clothes, but this was incredibly unexpected. “Really?”

[castleofmuses-deactivated201709]

Black Thorns

[chained-off-memories]

redheartsqueen:

She noted her avoided question but promptly went for it again, “no, i mean, your name is?” Ally was wondering that, seeing has that had gotten previously avoided.With it asked and just awaiting a response, the neko continued to move, feeling at ease with her own amount of held bags.

He was hoping she’d just forget she asked. He already hated the fact that he’d given Kelly his name, and he didn’t want everyone around knowing who he was. “Call me what you want. I don’t feel too comfortable giving out my name so easily. Plus, your sister made fun of me for it when I had no choice but to tell her.”

[chizards]

[chained-off-memories]

chizards:

And untochable

[chained-off-memories]

moonlitwonderss:

Mikizumi sighed as he left, feeling alone in the dark. She continued to search for matches now, in a hurry so she could meet up with him. For once, she actually wanted some company in this creepy house. She rummaged through drawers and in ceramic containers, looking for anything to light a candle with.

Over the fireplace, she ran her hand over the wooden frame, not exactly tall enough to see over it even on her tiptoes. She felt a box, hoping there was some spare matches kept inside. Turning, box in hand, she hit her elbow on the side of the wooden frame to the fireplace and dropped the box. It shattered, pieces falling everywhere. In a hurry to pick up her mess, Mikizumi cut her finger on a sharp end. She let out a whimper, holding the cut against the end of her dress. However, she did manage to find a small handful of matches. Pocketing them and grabbing the tool once more, she looked around for some candles. It was quicker to find those, since she set a few out that she found while searching for the matches. She struck a match and, with a little trouble, lit the candle. “Where did he go?” She muttered, hesitantly going up the first few steps on the grand staircase.

Oz had managed to slowly make his way to the end of the hallway and that final door. His hand shook a little as it hovered over the doorknob and for a second he actually thought about turning back and never uncovering what he had come to see. Hearing a noise down on the first floor almost made him dash down there and forget what he was doing anyway, because surely what was downstairs was more important, but a moment later he saw what looked like candlelight beginning to rise. 

"Mikizumi?" He stepped back from the door, walking slowly so as to not cause anyone any kind of damage by tripping, and only paused when he got to the top of the staircase. sure enough he thought he could make out his guides form in the light of the candle she must have managed to find a few moments earlier. That must have been what all that noise was about. And she had that tool with her, and it hadn't looked anymore worn, so she obviously hadn't needed to use it. That was a relief at least. "You found candles." he laughed. “That’s a relief.” He indicated to the direction behind him. “Care to take a look at something with me?”

[castleofmuses-deactivated201709]

Black Thorns

[chained-off-memories]

redheartsqueen:

While she was visibly not the talkative type due to her shy persona and how quiet her words sounded, they were still audible.“Sure, i guess”, in no way refusing the aid about her grasped bags, Ally still kept a bunch but the hint of difficulty was less present.“Um, you are?..”, eventually deciding to ask this to him but advanced forwards.

“No problem.” She and her sister definitely shared some similarities. For one thing, they both seemed less than talkative. Though he wondered if it was just this girl’s character in general or if she inherited the bored attitude of her younger sister. He hoped not, but as he followed this sibling as she began to walk, he was relieved that at least this one was more polite. “Consider it payment for helping me find my way.” 

[chained-off-memories]

ask-mineneuryandere:

{♬} She couldn’t help but laugh, face flushing once again when he made a grand show of getting down on one knee and kissing her gloved hand. The aquamarine light from before engulfed her body once again, and her magical garb was gone, replaced with her school uniform. Sayaka smoothed out her skirt and gave him a small curtsey in response. “And I’ll wish the best for you, too–with all I’ve got.”

The blue-haired girl gifted him with a final, almost wistful little smile, giving him a small wave. I wonder if, outside the barrier, he’s survived the wraith’s attacks…I hope he did. I’d like to see him when we come for Homura successfully, once we get out of here. “…I’ll see you around, Oz-kun,” she said softly, beginning to walk away. I hope. {♬}

It hadn’t felt like a dream. That was the first thing that came into Oz’s mind when he felt the first rays of the day hit his face. Confusion common with the morning made his thoughts cloudy for a moment, but once he focused his thoughts he could clearly see a face and blue hair, a smile of a sad goddess with a hard duty in life. As good as his imagination was, he new he couldn’t think of adventures like that on his own. 

“Sayaka,” he said, voice rough with tiredness, “I can at least remember that much.” Which was honestly more than what he could usually remember from any dream that wasn’t a nightmare. Meaning he couldn’t have imagined it, it had felt too real, there just wasn’t another explanation- “It’s too early for this type of thing.” But he smiled as he jumped out of bed and readied himself for the day, the whisper of a promise echoing throughout the halls. 

[gqa1]

[chained-off-memories]

gqa1:

Reblog In 5 seconds for good luck

[castleofmuses-deactivated201709]

Black Thorns

[chained-off-memories]

redheartsqueen:

“Well..”, her gaze switched from him to her held luggages, “i would really like to point it for you but i got my hands full”, if she were to move them, it’ll pretty much get a few bags to fall off.“But i guess i can just lead on to where it is” Ally replied, in the need to keep going now.

“Let me help you with those.” Oz reached out his hands, motioning to the various items in her hands. Those were no doubt heavy to hold onto, and things would be much easier if they shared the weight. “And then you can lead the way to the kitchen. I’ll try to pay better attention this time.”

[chained-off-memories]

Hush, Hush

[chained-off-memories]

lieateer:

✖; Through a screen of leaves, Efina could see a group of legs stopping just in front of her hiding place. Heartbeat resounding in her ears, she shrunk further into herself, hugging her knees even tighter. Closing her eyes, she wondered if her father would be able to find her hiding in the bush. She wondered why it was so scary. Without a hand to hold for reassurance, Efina settled on thinking of something else. Donuts came to mind then cakes. The fear started to recede with her hunger.

At the sound of the stranger’s voice, Efina opened her eyes. “Okaay!” Her voice sounded oddly cheery for the frightening situation but with enough vivid images of treats running through her mind anything could seem less serious than it was. The girl tilted her head up at him. She was made of muddied hands, dirtied knees, and scratched arms. Her fairly new dress now had a lovely layer of brown and leaves. Even so, Efina smiled. “Boy, mister, that was scary! Are they bad guys?”

“I wouldn’t call them bad guys, necessarily. They just take their jobs far too seriously when the need doesn’t call for it.” Oz had a feeling that the only reason why they were chasing her with so much vigor was because she had wounded their pride by slipping past them. She was such a small little thing, though, so anyone could be forgiven for not noticing her presence right away. But she seemed so young, just a child really, so chasing hr around like a criminal was something he couldn’t stand idly by and watch. 

Oz would need to have a talk to head of security about this later on. 

“Are you okay?” If there was one thing Oz hated to see, it was a child crying or cowering in fear. She shouldn’t have to be shared of anything while on his property. “They didn’t scare you too much, did they?” She seemed to have recovered from it quickly enough if they did. He had to smile at her energy. “I’ll get them to say sorry later. They can’t go around making guests feel unwelcome.”

[chained-off-memories]

moonlitwonderss:

Mikizumi took the tool, looking it over before looking up at Oz. she felt a little ashamed that he was so worried about her and it irritated her a bit. Before, she felt like she could handle it, but now that she stood in the dark, she understood why he was worried for her. “I’ll be fine okay. Don’t worry about me. You be safe okay.” She pat his shoulder softly and squeezed her ‘weapon’. “Just go get what you’re looking for.” She let her eyes stay on him for a moment longer before turning away.

“I won’t run away. I’ll find some candles and meet up with you. That’s that and dont try to change my mind.” She gave a curt nod and resumed looking for some matches. It was a bit harder now that she wielded the tool but she managed. “Be careful.” She repeated, looking up at him once more.

Oz only needed encouragement once. Slowly, and as carefully as the dark would allow, he stepped forward once, twice, and then was walking out of the room. It was almost impossible to navigate the manor in the dark. Hallways were long and he almost fell down a grand staircase about ten minutes after he’d started fumbling about. But the blond was eventually able to get up to the second floor without incident. That was the good news.

Oz was able to breathe a lot easier when he reached that second floor. Dust wasn’t as heavy in the air, and he thought that the bit of light from the outside was helping him see in the shadows of this hallways. He could clearly, or rather he could clearer than he could before, six doors. The one at the very end of the hallway was what caught his attention and made him start walking. “I hope she’s okay down there.” And he hope he could hear her if she called to him for help.  

[chained-off-memories]

resonantia-silentium:

(( ♟ )) “ In the sky ? “ Echo inquired curiously. Was there something special about the sky tonight ? She had not bothered to ask nor notice any signs of it changing throughout the day. The briefest of smiles crossed her lips as she imagined a much younger Oz lighting up brighter than any star as he gazed upward in awe at whatever it was in the night sky. 

“You’ll see.” The group hurried along, stepping aside and dodging people they met along their way as the sun began to set. Occasionally Break, the one at the head of the group, called behind him to ask Oz for directions but there was very little incident. 

Soon they stood on the bridge that was directly in the center of this small town. No one was out at this time, most likely having dinner with their families, and Oz practically danced at his feet as the seconds ticked by. “Thanks for coming with us.” he told Echo after a short moment. “I’m glad you’re here with me. With us.”

[castleofmuses-deactivated201709]

Black Thorns

[chained-off-memories]

redheartsqueen:

So this was all about her sister as to why this guest was here?, she sure missed alot but would ask the whole story later, for now, Ally shook her head.’’I just got home so i haven’t seen her but its morning and therefore breakfast time, the kitchen isn’t too far’’, trying to keep her held bags in grasp, though she really had to move, to her room first.

His stomach growled at the mere thought of food, and he found his throat was a bit parched as well. This place was messing with his senses more and more, but it was a comfort to see basic things like hunger and thirst hadn’t been messed with. “Can you point me in the right direction? I didn’t pay enough attention to the way this manor was laid out, it seemed.”

[chained-off-memories]

Hush, Hush

[chained-off-memories]

lieateer:

✖; The rough tone delivered an order Efi could find no sense arguing against. Young as she was, the dragon had learned to tell apart the sound of reprimanding and the sound of fear. Perhaps, wandering in her lost state had been a bad idea but the sentiment was left unvoiced as she ducked into a prickly bush. Crouching amid the green, she ignored the scratching twigs that dug into her back. This was a dangerous game of hide and seek.

Rough footsteps indicated that a chase was just getting enough momentum, that the ones chasing were feeling justified enough to gain speed. When they came upon Oz, the duke counted five in total, it took them a moment to remember who they were speaking to. These particular guards favored Oz’s father over the young heir, but they still had to grit their teeth and ask if he was alright. A perfect opportunity.

“I saw a stranger dash that way.” he sounded frightened, a bit of an actor in his own right when he wanted to be, and pointed off some out of the way direction. “You didn’t let anyone slip past you, did you?” They didn’t dignify him with a response, instead dashing off to where he had pointed. He waited a while before ducking down and checking to make sure that girl was still there.”You can come out now.”

[chained-off-memories]

Shake It Off || Closed

[chained-off-memories]

tenacious–quaintrelle:

      Lips parted slightly as she watched the young blonde’s response from his (rather incomplete) explanation of what transpired in the last few days. Ah, even if he was the boy that came back from the Abyss.. and the man who carried the spirit of the Hero of Sablier, he was still a child, yes? Even so, he must not have been mentally prepared for any of these situations. Brows furrowed at the thought– yes, she still had something similar happen to her when she first joined: but it was years ago. By now, Asha had a more pragmatic approach to death and illegal contractors.

And the Vessalius was no where near that point,

“I see..,” Voice trailing as she glanced down at her notes. The Rainsworth, Asha had already spoken to– seeing as she was a superior of the Ballantyne’s in terms of intelligence governing in Pandora. Lips pursed, unable to just leave him like this. No.. she would feel guilty doing so,

           “Hey, if you want– I can get you out of Pandora for an hour or two after I file this report. You look like you could use the exercise and fresh air,” Now, a small smile appearing on her visage, “I’ll even buy you something to eat, if that makes it any easier on you,”

Pandora agents were an anomaly to Oz. The way some spoke you would have thought he was the worst thing to ever pop back up into the world, someone to be respected but more so for a cautious air than a trusted presence. Others seemed to worship the ground he walked on because he looked like someone who saved an entire country years back. Neither group of people looked at Oz for Oz, but because he was a husk for some idea they stubbornly held onto. 

That made it hard to trust a lot of them. Unfair as it sounded, one personality in that organization could sometimes be too much like another for his tastes, and it was often better to avoid being around them too much. they asked too many painful questions, expected too much out of him, and that was a pressure he couldn’t always handle with a smile. Sometimes his expressions cracked and it felt like showing off a weakness they would scoff at. 

Oz didn’t know how to take her kindness. “Thank you for the offer,” Was it sincere? Was she trying to get something more from him? “I guess I am a little hungry.” He averted her eyes and took a long look at the floor. He scratched at the back of his neck and tried not to look too awkward. “I wouldn’t want to keep you from anything important, however,”