"This is unnecessary, Darius. There is no need for you to do all of this. I am perfectly content with what I have."

I scoffed, holding two bits of wood together as I hammered away at a nail, driving it into the wood. Giving the nail one final hit, I took a step back and admired my handiwork. The once… humble shack had been transformed into a small house, stylish enough to even be considered livable. The roof of the house hung over the edge of the house, giving shade to the front porch below it. Or at least, it would, if there was a sun here to begin with.

Either way, the roof gave a good cover for the front porch. Wooden pillars connected the two, providing support for the roof and overall just looming very nice. There were windows this time now, though I couldn't use any glass this time. So I just left them open with the wooden window frame being the only thing inside of there. Sure, it was lazy, but I couldn't be bothered. Besides, the whole house as an ugly cyan blue anyway since the only wood able to last here was the warped wood. So it's not like the style was going to be off just because of the windows.

The chairs that were outside had also gone over a complete makeover as well. I had quickly recarved them, making them less lumpy and more even. I also made them quite a bit smaller, so that the messengers would better fit on them.

"Come now Evetta, you wanted me to stay here while the storm was going on. And right now, that thing is raging. So, rather than mope around, I may as well do something productive with my time."

All true. I was basically bored out of my fucking mind right now. I was talking with Evetta for a bit, but I'm not one for elongated conversations. It's just not my thing. So it was either work on the shack, or go back to tinkering for a few hours. And considering the fact that I didn't have that much privacy right now, I had decided to go with the first option.

Evetta sighed, watching as I entered the house to continue working on the shelves and other bits of furniture. "I see. Then by all means, work on. Though do be careful. I do not wish for any of the fragiles to break. I'd hate it if The Little Ones hurt themselves with the shards. They are awfully curious."

I nodded noncommittally, polishing off the finishing touches on the chairs and tables. For these, I had decided to be a bit more ornate. Floral patterns decorated the wood, wrapping around the legs of the table and ending at the edges of the table. The chair was of a similar design philosophy, though the pattern ended at the back of the seat.

Turning my attention to the actual shelves, I began to empty them out. The ice… silverware? Iceware? Whatever. The ice whatevers were gently placed onto one of the tables as I emptied out the shelves one by one. It was a monotonous job to be sure, but it was more then enough for me.

"I'll have you know Evetta, that I have very gentle hands. I'm used to working with very delicate equipment, so there's no need to worry. I won't drop a thing."

Evetta took a seat on one of the new chairs, wiggling around as she tried to get used to the knew comfortable chairs. She sighed in contentment as soon as she found the spot for her, crossing her legs as she watched me carve into the wood.

A messenger crawled up to the counter, sitting down in front of me as it watch me work. The creature oohed and aahed As I reshaped the wood and smoothened it out. Its hands clapped happily as my own hands roamed it for any imperfections. The messenger was totally enraptured with my work.

"How strange. Normally The Little Ones are a very shy bunch, barely ever going outside of the house to greet strangers unless forced to. And yet, they seem to take a shine to you."

Hm? Oh yeah, that's neat I guess. Honestly, it could be a whole host of things. Maybe it's because I'm not a normal denizen of this damned shithole. Maybe it's because of the whole Aspect of Destruction thing, and what that entails. Or maybe I'm just a special boy that these messengers really like. Who knows?

"Oh, wonderful. Indeed, I'd be heartbroken if one of these… adorable creatures were to not like me, or even worse, give me personal space."

Thankfully, she laughed at that. Though it soon dropped off on a whimper as she looked out the window and into the outside clearing. Her eyes held a pensive stare, and her smile was bittersweet. "Please, do not be offended by this, but you remind me of the son I had when I was alive."

I paused momentarily, my arm stilling as I began to process her words. Slowly, I turned my head to get a better look at her. It was strange, but I could almost feel her emotions. It wasn't a magic thing, or even just some thing. Her body was just so easy to read. "I see. If I may be so bold, may I ask what your son was like?"

She turned away from the window, and just gave me a bittersweet smile. "Of course. My little Laurence was a handful, drove me crazy every day. He was bullheaded, and far too stubborn to give up. He was also quite the snark, and had quite a temper with things. That is not to say that he wasn't a gentle person, because he was. He cared deeply about his family, which was just me for so long. A bit of a mother's boy that one."

Playing with the edges of her shawl, Evetta continued. "He grew up so fast, that boy. Found himself a loving wife and fathered and beautiful daughter. My little flower, Maria. She was a delicate child, though just as stubborn as her father. I remember, back before I was too old to move, I used to play with her. She would protect me from the "beasts", and proclaimed herself the greatest hunter to ever live. All this time, and I don't think I ever told her that the proper word was huntress."

I hummed, adjusting the shelves so that they lined up properly. "They sound like wonderful people Evetta. Truly, you had lived a blessed life."

There wasn't much else I could say in such a situation. I didn't know her family in the slightest, especially not for a lonely woman who probably only have had the mute messengers to talk to. Regardless, she must've appreciated it as she smiled up at me one last time. "Indeed I had. It was all I could have ever hoped for, and so much more. What about you? You've told me you had a wife and unborn child, but I don't know much else. Considering I have shared so much, it is only fair you do the same."

Was she really playing that card right now? I mean, it didn't exactly matter either way. My family wasn't exactly a secret or anything, and I had no qualms with talking about them. "Not much to say I'm afraid. Never really had parents, just a mentor, and I actually can't remember the first twenty or so years of my life. So really, the only person who I consider family is my wife- er, fiancé. Her name is Emery, and well… she's just wonderful."

Before I knew it, I was blabbering on about her to Evetta. Talking about the smallest details and some of my favorite moments with Em. It was almost cathartic, discussing such a relaxing topic while I fixed the countertops and polished off any wood bits that fell. Evetta listened with rapt attention, her eyes never dropping and attention never waning as I spoke.

"-and that's how we ended up having to rearrange the entire library. Surprised that meatloaf isn't still around."

Sanding down the last bit of the rough edges, I leaned against the counter and sighed. It was nice to think about so many great memories. But at the same time, it did bring up the worrying part of her condition. If I couldn't complete my mission here, all of those fond memories might become the only thing I have left of her. Something I refused to allow.

"You two must depend on one another greatly."

My thoughts were cut short by Evetta, as she stared up at me cryptically. I furrowed my brows, and tilted my head in a questioning manner. She seemed to catch on rather quickly, and began to elaborate. "Neither of you have much experience with stability in your life. And as such, cling to it when you can. For you, your only sense of stability was your strength, yes? For her, perhaps it was something else? An addiction, mayhaps. Regardless, you two now seek stability in each other. A common occurrence, from my understanding. Should one of you fall, the other would surely follow suit."

…Perhaps. But I have faith that Emery would be able to make it through this without me. I've carefully surrounded her with moral support and distractions, so that should at least soften the blow a bit. Rana and Evanora should be able to keep her steady until she's able to move on. Hypothetically, of course. This is all in the scenario that don't make it and end up dying, which I don't plan on happening.

Evetta cleared her throat, standing up and pushing her chair in. "You have my apologies, Darius. I did not mean to be so somber with you. Perhaps it is just my old age showing? The natural cynicism that one accrues during life. Why don't you tell me about that mentor of yours?"

I shrugged, happy to move onto something else worrying. "Sure thing. It all started on a sunny day. I had been kidnapped from my bed and taken to the woods."

And Evetta listened.

…

Sentimentality wasn't something Daria… did. It was mostly a weak human concept that had no place for a being such as her. To feel such baser human emotions were… unnecessary. She had lived her entire life without such a thing, so having it now was a complete waste of time. One that she would never indulge in.

And yet…

This whole situation had her in a tizzy. Even if she wasn't exactly friends with the girl, Emery was still a decent enough human. It was easy to pity her. The girl was like a small puppy. And while Daria hated many things, puppies were not one of them.

Perhaps that's where this newfound sense of sentiment came from? Emery was just one of those people who managed to tug on your heartstrings. Perhaps it was her kindness, or puppy dog eyes. Whatever the case, it was a sad sight to behold.

Not that Daria would be overly hurt by the girl's death. It'd be a mere passing moment of slight sadness for her, before moving on with life. Whatever the case may be, if or when Emery dies, Daria will pay her respects and move on. She wasn't close enough to the girl to prevent her death, even if she could have. Thankfully, she couldn't, so there was no need to justify her actions.

Was that callous? Possibly. But after everything she has been through, everything she has done, what did one more body to the pile really mean? When such a pile is the size of a mountain, what does a single face matter?

That being said, she wasn't totally unfeeling.

Daria floated within the shadows, watching as the girl work her needle. Emery seemed to be resizing a few of her old clothes, increasing the size around the stomach. Maternity clothes, something which Daria never had to worry about. Even back before her powers had awoken, and she was carrying Cthulhu-Chan like a normal baby, maternity clothes were never a concern.

She stepped through the shadow, the lights flickering and dimming as a portion her presence began to weigh down upon the world. The shadows around her clung to her voluptuous form, wrapping around her curves and flowing into a sequin into a pitch black evening gown. A large wide brimmed sun hat sat on her head, and her hair fell loosely behind her.

Emery didn't even flinch, simply turning to face her with a gentle smile. "Daria, it's good to see you. I'm guessing Darius is already… in that place. Do you think he's alright? Oh! Why don't you sit down? There's a chair right over there, so you can pull it up if you want."

Oh? How kind of her. Daria's lips quirked upwards slightly, and she sashayed over to the aforementioned chair. Pulling it out, she turned the chair over to face Emery, and sat down. "In order of how you asked. I'm doing wonderful, he is, I don't know, I am, and I did. How are you?"

Emery gave her another smile, head twitching as she gently placed the shirt she was working on down. "I'm doing… okay. There's only so well you can do when in this kind of situation after all. But, I'm going to stay positive. There's no use in moping around being all sad when I could be doing something productive, you know?"

Hmm… perhaps. It's been so long since she's really had to worry about something of this significance, so she really couldn't say. "Well now, that's a wonderful way of looking at it. Truthfully, I wouldn't have stayed long if you were mopey. Misery may love company, but I for one dislike it greatly."

That got a laugh out of Emery, and she shifted around to better face Daria. As she did so, her stomach came into view, and Daria's voice hitched slightly. "Oh my. It appears that you're beginning to show. I… that's wonderful."

The fir looked bashful for a moment, before pride filled her features as she began to gently run her hands against her stomach. "Y-Yeah, I am. I feel like it's going by so fast, you know? I thought I'd have a little bit more time to fix up some clothes for it, but apparently this little one is a bit impatient. Not that I'm mad or anything! Truly, I love it. It's just… I'm starting to look a little… you know… "

"Fat?"

Emery blushed heavily, subconsciously covering herself with her arms. "Y-Yeah. That."

Ah, to be young again. Daria smirked as she stared at the younger woman. The girl made her discomfort far too noticeable, but she didn't back down, to her credit. "Well now, that's perfectly natural sweetie. Why, I know after having my first darling, that I felt fat for far too long. Though I suppose I was being a bit dramatic at the time, much like you are now."

There were a few other things that she was feeling concerning her pregnancy at the time, but Emery didn't need to know that. Instead, Daria kept quiet as the younger woman cleared her throat. "R-Right. And, how many kids do you have now? I remember you saying something about having a lot. Is it like, eight? Ten even?"

Oh my! How precious! Daria held in a chuckle as she fixed Emery with an amused look. "Well dear, I can't quite remember. I lost count quite a long time ago you see. I think it was somewhere around fifteen thousand or so? Hmm… might've been sixteen thousand now that I think about it."

The look on Emery's face was priceless. She gaped comically, blinking like a goldfish and tying her tongue whenever she tried to speak. Finally, she managed to take a deep breath in, and formulate a response. "O-Oh my gods! Sixteen thousand?! Oh my, and here I am struggling with just one! How do you do it? Wait, is it because of your… you know… Aspect of Destruction powers?"

Ah, those. Daria shifted in her seat slightly, pursing her lips as she did her best to try and explain. "In a sense. Truthfully, that's just how my powers manifest for some reason. Irony, perhaps. After all, if our powers love anything, it's irony."

Indeed, it was as if the universe was constantly laughing at her. She wielded the power of monstrosities, and yet her body would always naturally be human. She could summon unyielding insanity from the depths of someone's mind, and yet she would always be forced to hold her humanity close to her. Never able to let it go and be free of the pain that it entails. It was maddening.

Emery just blinked, raising an eyebrow and tilting her head to the side questioningly. After a while of not getting a deeper answer, she moved onto a different question. "Okay then…? Well do you have any advice about how to handle your first pregnancy? You know, since you've done it so many times. What was your first pregnancy like?"

Her first pregnancy…

Cold. Everything was always so cold. The rough and hard stone floor under her bare, twelve year old form. The heavy and sticky metal collar chained around her slender neck. The very air of the dungeon, tainted with the scent of blood and stale with sweat and cum. Much like her. The swell of her belt made lying down more uncomfortable than usual. Why? Why did it have to be her? Why did she have this… MONSTER spawn in her stomach? Why-

"It was boring to be honest. Not quite as exciting as this whole situation. Truthfully, I've no clue how to help you. My body was simply… built differently than yours. Aspects of Destruction are a very hardy group, and we will adapt to any situation, given time. As such, the child within you may begin to grow far quicker than the average child. At least, in the womb. Perhaps it will take half as long as the average child? Who knows?"

Emery's eyes widened once she realized that she could give birth in less then a quarter of a year. Her eyes lowered to her stomach, and she gently caressed the bulge where the child was. "Woah. Darius is totally going to freak out when he hears about this. All this time he was preparing for half a year at least. Maybe he'll faint? That'd be kind of funny to be honest."

A chuckle left Daria's lips as Emery snickered, the older woman resting her head on her hand. "It would be amusing to see him so flustered. I don't ever get to see my handsome little brother embarrassed, and that's a travesty. Perhaps you'd be so kind as to- "

"I'm not helping you seduce my fiancé. Your… brother."

Gah, spoilsport. Daria pouted as she crossed her arms, giving Emery a displeased look. The girl stopped petting her stomach like a dog, instead looking up and asking another question. "Hey Daria, I was wondering something. Darius said that you helped him, but for a price. Something that you had wanted from him since day one. He wasn't specific, and kind of avoided answering what it actually was. So… can you tell me? He seemed kind of uncomfortable with it."

Hm, the girl was worried. The right reaction, to be sure, but not for the right reason. "I'm surprised you've forgotten what it is that I've wanted from him all this time. I've never been exactly subtle with my desires after all. But I suppose it has been a while since I've really spoken about it with you. We really don't talk as often as we should, especially if you're to be my sister-in-law."

Taking a deep breath in, Daria leveled her gaze with Emery, and spoke. "Should he successfully save both you and the child's life, then once the child has been born and the short grace period is over, well, how do I put this. Ah, of course. He is to take his throbbing cock and shove it in me, in an orgasmic and sensual ritual to impregnate me and give me a child. Yes, that's a wonderful way to put it."

It was surprising how well Emery could pull of the absolutely livid look. Her teeth were clenched, eyes narrowed and twitching. Her hands clutched at the sheets of her bed hard enough to turn her knuckles white, and her body shook with rage. The sheer loathing aimed at her by the younger woman was almost impressive.

After a few minutes of Emery going through the stages of grief, her body loosened and she just sighed defeatedly. "…Fine. But only if I'm there too."

…Eh? Daria blinked, squinting her eyes as she tried to find the hidden meaning in Emery's words. "Er, excuse me? Come again? I don't believe I heard you properly the first time. So it would be highly appreciated if you could repeat yourself a bit more clearly."

Emery's gaze pierced through her, eyes challenging her to object. "Darius and I haven't had the opportunity to talk much about it, but it's clear that neither of us are against having more partners in bed. But at the same time, I don't feel comfortable not being involved. So, I'm going to be there as well."

Huh. She uh… huh. This was… unprecedented. Daria cleared her throat, quickly trying to regain her composure as she forced a cockpit smirk on her face. "Oh, I see how it is. You want to be a part of some sibling action. I can see the appeal of course. After all, I'm me, and I'm absolutely stunning. And Darius looks like a male version of me, so it's obvious that he'd be just as handsome as I am gorgeous. You want to be smothered between the two of us, writhing in ecstasy as two versions of the same face make you scream in ecstasy."

Her words forced a blush onto Emery's face, but the girl didn't back down. If anything, she held her ground and pushed forward. "Y-Yes. Exactly that, and more. Is there a problem with that Daria, or are you willing to follow the rules?"

This- she- what?!

They stared at one another for a while. Emery digging her metaphorical heels in and meeting Daria head on, and Daria just unable to fully comprehend what the fuck was going on. Finally, she conceded to the younger woman and stood up from her chair. "Of course. I'm going to… I'm going to go now. Have fun with… whatever it is you do."

She barely caught it as Emery waved her goodbye, instead choosing to sink into the nearest shadow and contemplate her life choices. Maybe she should spend more time with the kids? Invite Cthulhu-Chan over and all that. Indeed. That should help heal her bruised ego.

…

It's kind of weird walking with a companion after all this time. I mean, I'm usually alone during my missions to kick ass and take names. The last time I was with someone during a time like this was uh… huh. I honestly can't remember. Maybe it was with Mason? God, that feels like it was so long ago.

Either way, I'm not exactly sure what the proper etiquette is for having travel companions. Closest thing I've ever had was when I was with Brynjar and the gang and heading to Spudnik. Good times.

I adjusted my helmet slightly, thankful that it obscured my face from view. Otherwise, Evetta would've noticed my mildly uncomfortable expression. Ah fuck it. Might as well bite the bullet and start conversation. "So uh, where are we going exactly? Is there a specific destination you have in mind? Or maybe it's more like a somewhat vague direction to go in before eventually getting where we need to go?"

The Frost Maiden in front of me hummed, her hands clasped together as she walked. She somehow managed to maintain an elegant demeanor, despite walking through the uneven snow and slippery ice. "Well, if you must know, we're going out to meet a… friend of mine. I'm not quite as familiar with these lands as I should be, and as such, I am hoping that my friend will accompany us. He knows the land very well."

A third companion then, eh? Heh, the three of us walking through hostile territory and facing the horrors they come with. Does that make me Captain Walker? Whatever, so long as we find our Konrad in time, I'm happy. "Right. And what's this friend of yours called again? I'd hate to not know his name when we first meet and all that. It's just bad form after all."

A chuckle, before she grew pensive for a moment. She glanced back, staring at me for a second. Almost as if she were contemplating her answer. Finally, she turned back ahead, and spoke. "He had gone by a few names. The Pale Rider. The Ghost of the Wastes. The Embered Soul of the Wastes. But he is best known for his moniker of The Ashen Rider. A fierce warrior, who can wield fire almost as if it were a part of himself. A brutal man, but also a gentle man once you get to know him. His reputation does not do his soft kindness justice. Though I suppose these things never do."

Oh? I raised a brow, noting the fondness in her voice as she spoke. They must be rather close. "Sounds like an interesting guy. Though the whole fire thing must make hanging out a pain. You know. Since you're ice and he's fire. Shit, is that offensive?"

She snorted, covering her mouth as she did so. The motion gave me a better view of her puppet-like hands, something which she had did her best to hide back on the sanctuary. They were strange, being both organic and artificial looking. I could only assume the rest of her matched her hands, looking like a puppet. Or a doll.

"It may be a mite bit offensive, but you'll find that I don't care much about such things. I had a whole lifetime to be offended at what didn't matter. Now that I have the rest of eternity to live, I don't believe using any of it to be offended at such things would be worth it. Funny. We do so many uselessly menial things when we are alive, and yet once we have died, we can't help but regret it. How times can change."

…Was I getting lectured about wasting my life? Or was she just thinking out loud to herself? I honestly can't tell, and I'm not sure how to feel about it.

Whichever the case may be, it did serve to bring the mood down by quite a bit. Definitely not something I want to have, since that just makes a long trip like this one super awkward. So instead, I decided to go with the age old tactic, and learning about the other person. "So uh, you're a Frost Maiden. What exactly does that mean in a practical sense? Do you have special ice powers? Do you have a sort of link to the messengers that others do not? Is it just a cool name or something?"

Another hum, as she continued to walk forward unimpeded. "I suppose saying that I have "special ice powers" wouldn't be too far from the truth. Though it's a bit more complicated than that of course. Much like any other ice oriented being, my affinity towards ice sorcery is incredibly high. It is so high, that I'm afraid it is my only affinity. As such, I will only be able to use my ice sorcery. Other than that, I find that we Frost Maidens seem to be a source of comfort for the Little Ones. Perhaps they see in us the mother they never got to love?"

Ah, right. The messengers are basically babies that got trapped here. Fucking hell, this place is just a series of depressing thoughts. It's either eternal life in this place, or dying enough times that you go insane and frenzy. The innocent can fall down here, and apparently babies aren't exempt from all of this. Because of course they aren't, that would just be too much to ask for.

Before I could try and move the conversation past dead babies, a series of unfamiliar voices rang out a little bit ahead of us.

"Fucking hell, these little shits are fucking useless! Send my message you ugly cunt!"

"Told you they were a bad idea Kenny. I prefer to just stick my dick in their mouth and call it a day."

"… What is wrong with you?!"

"What? We're already dead. I don't think it really matters all that much."

"I think it does! Alex, back me up on this shit!"

"I don't care."

"Gods damn it Alex!"

The people here are fucking idiots. Regardless, I motioned for Evetta to hold behind me as I hid behind the trees. There were three of them, each one looking like basic bitch mercenaries. The only main visual difference between them were the several different stages of emaciation and wrinkled skin. One of them was kneeling by a small group of messengers, offering them some kind of fungus thing. The second guy was staring at the messengers, a single hand in his pants as he scratched at his balls idly. Gross. The final guy was just standing to the side, picking his nose as the other two bickered.

"Just because we're dead, doesn't mean we should stick our dick in literal babies Frun!"

"Dude… it's not a big deal."

"Bullshit!"

Well, at least I won't have to worry about this being a serious fight. Fucking hell, what was this clown trio even doing here? Ah, whatever. I could probably scare them off fairly well. Wouldn't even need to fight. Turning my head to relay my plan to Evetta, I blinked. There was no one behind me, so where-

"Who the fuck are you lady?"

Oh god damn it Evetta. Holding off from immediately rushing in, I kept a hand on my holstered super shotgun and waited to see how this panned out. The three of the stooges surrounded her, hesitation and lust in their eyes. And yet, Evetta didn't back down. What the hell was she planning?

"Does it matter Kenny? She's pretty hot, so why not have fun?"

"Is everything rape with you!?"

"I prefer to call it non-con."

Evetta stared at the three of them, her poker face refusing to break at the downright comedic show before her. Her body remained deathly still, and her hands were clasped together tightly. Almost shaking. Finally, she spoke to the trio. "What were you doing with those Little Ones?"

Ah… shit that explains a lot actually.

The rapey one shrugged, jabbing a thumb at the loud one. "He wanted to tame some to sell. I was just hoping to get a suck job without paying for it or dealing with a fight. This other guy kinda just followed. He brought food though, so he's chill."

… What a strange day.

Evetta hummed, closing her eyes and took a deep breath in. "I see. Well then, that cannot be allowed. I'm afraid that you will have to take this next lesson to heart, and I pray that you do not make the same mistake twice."

Finally, this is what I was waiting for. I leaned in, eager to see what Evetta could do. My hand never left my super shotgun, even as the fog began to roll in.

The loud one spoke up, clearly frustrated with the whole affair. "Look lady, why don't ya go on and skeddale while the three of us do our thing? Ain't no one gots to get hurt, and we can all end the day without having to reform. That sound good?"

Evetta's expression finally changed. Her passive stare faded into a cold and wrathful glare, making the loud one take a step back. "No, it does not sound good. Not in the slightest."

The snow began to creep up the loud one's leg, wrapping around the limb and holding him still. The rapey one began to rush forward, fists at the ready to attack Evetta. But the cold wind grew several times stronger, and hail began to fall into him.

The third guy must've seen enough, as he quickly booked it in the opposite direction. Or more accurately, right into my waiting arms. I grabbed him by the neck, lifting him up with my hand as my opposing hand reared back. Jabbing my hand through his chest, I gripped his core and ripped it out of his chest, watching as he began to panic. The core shattered in my grip, and I watched as the man's struggling stopped almost immediately.

I dropped the body, wiping my hands on a nearby tree as I turned to walk towards Evetta. I wonder how she's doing so- oh my. The small clearing had been transformed into a cold wasteland, with ice covering every inch of the area and a small blizzard buzzing around. The loud one had been completely frozen solid, before a stray piece of hail struck the guy and shattered him. The rapey one had been beaten in by the hail, his body looking more like lumpy meat Play-Doh than person.

And in the center of it al stood Evetta, having not moved a single throughout the whole exchange. She simply knelt down, caressing the messengers as they clung to her for comfort. She spoke in quiet whispers, soothing the creatures. Gradually, the miniature storm began to fade, and all that was left was a slight frost over the whole area. She tilted her head, smiling gently at me as she spoke. "My apologies on delaying us, Darius. I was simply concerned for the safety of these Little Ones. I do hope I have not upset you with this delay."

Upset is the last thing I could be right now. That whole display was fucking cool. "No need to worry Evetta, I understand. Let's just make sure those… little guys are alright before moving on."

She nodded, smiling gently as she continued to comfort the messengers. I'm only liked, ninety percent sure I know what happened, but I don't think I actually care. At least Evetta can handle herself. Takes the weight off of my shoulders in that sense.

Very cosmopolitan.

…

I basically had to write this all Sunday since I was lazy most of the weekend, and then accidentally forgot to save my fucking draft to the OneDrive, and lost the entire beginning scene, and I'm still kind of pissed about it!

Anyway, stuff happened this last chapter, I was a wee bit bored and made the three stooges, and that's about it. If you haven't noticed by now, this is the segment where I take the piss out of my writing for fun.

And this is the Review of the Chapter segment, where my segues aren't nearly as smooth as the one I just did:

"Female villagers, really? How starved author san is."

Been a while since I've had a joke review to bounce off of, and that's almost disheartening. Though I will say, that I had a wonderful sandwich the other day, so I am perfectly content. No starvation here, no sir.

This has been A Decent Hoonter, and I swear these segments will be semi serious at some point.