in the churchway paths

“you know,”   the wizard said in response,   “if you did,   i already forgot.”   because he was losing his fucking mind.  the more time he spent on this plane,   the more he was losing his fucking mind.  the thought hit him like a sword hilt to the face.   it was absolutely mad,  and yet somehow it felt even less absurd than reviving a man who had just been drained to death by a vampire who walked in the sun.  “but,   yeah,   well enough.”   not as good as a dead man,   but pretty good.  he slept pretty soundly for a man a little unused to sleeping outside.   he went to the slab of rock where the rest had been eating earlier,  relieved when he found a couple of leftover honeyed buns squirreled away in a basket.  “wish they'd waited for us,  but i think everyone else went to trade with the grove.”   lae'zel had been adamant about getting more arrows.

he serves breakfast, and is privately glad he was too dead to get up earlier in the day. glad he was left behind. glad, too, that lex is the one who stayed with him. he finds himself smiling at lex, and then realizes he may need to come up with a reason to justify that smile. it falters. " your eyes look- good? " he blurts out, and then wonders where in the hells that comment came from. not that lex's eyes don't look good - whether or not they do is besides the point. why can't he hold his tongue?

“i’d said nothing because i didn’t think it my place to,”   he said slowly,   unsure if it was honesty nathbryn looked for.   still, his response would likely be what she would have expected.   minthara’s special brand of condescension vexed him,   never failing to make him gnash his teeth.   it was clear how little care he paid her.   “but i don’t like having to civilly share any space with a heretic.   still, even i can’t deny she has her uses.”   though it grudged him to admit it,   minthara was a fine warrior.   alas how much more she could have been.   a fine warrior but a blight on her house's name after all of the favors lolth had heaped upon them.  that it hadn't been enough for her stunned him.   “that's what matters for now,   isn't it?”

she ground her teeth. to give voice to the questions now swimming in her skull would betray an uncertainty not for- well, she would not call it polite company. these questions were not for faithful company. though that thought, when examined, seemed to nathbryn ridiculous. she had nothing to be afraid of. she would not stray; if sol'rys questioned that, she was free to cut him down. and so, the questions, voiced in a way that denies ( and overcompensates for ) uncertainty: " what would you propose we do with her? "

❝ Never thought you’d save my life. Guess that makes us even now. ❞ ❝ I’m never wrong. I thought you’d have learned that by now. ❞ ❝ We can argue over who killed who later. Right now, we have a job to do. ❞ ❝ This is going to be one tough son of a bitch to take down… ❞ ❝ I’m still human. I make mistakes like everyone else. ❞ ❝ Things explode around you. You can’t blame me for wanting to keep an eye on you. ❞ ❝ If you’re looking for weapons, you’re not doing a very good job. ❞ ❝ I always liked you. You’re as likely to heal me as you are to shoot me. ❞ ❝ Do try not to get killed too fast. You’re only a distraction as long as you’re alive. ❞ ❝ You’re a tough son of a bitch. I didn’t think you’d be up yet. ❞ ❝ If I’m walking into hell, I want someone I trust at my side. ❞ ❝ Never thought I’d say this, but I’m glad it’s you shooting up the place. ❞  ❝ This what passes for food out here? My tastes run more along the lines of edible. ❞ ❝ Just once I’d like to ask someone for help and hear them say, “Sure. Let’s go. Right now. No strings attached.” ❞ ❝ I’m sorry, I’m having trouble hearing you. I’m getting a lot of bullshit on this line. ❞  ❝ You’re about to find out what happens when you piss me off. ❞ ❝ You seem like the strong sensitive murdering type. Always good to have around. ❞ ❝ I’m good with our current amount of headbutting. I’d say we’re at headbutting capacity. ❞ ❝ Thank you. You gave me purpose…Now, let’s find something big to kill! ❞ ❝ What idiotic bunch of hormones thought that now was a great time for love? ❞ ❝ Good deeds are like pissing yourself in dark pants. Warm feelings, but no one notices. ❞  ❝ The universe is a dark place. I’m trying to make it brighter before I die. ❞ ❝ I’ve taken many bad things out of the world. You were the only good thing I ever added to it. ❞ ❝ Time for me is short, but any I have is yours to take. ❞ ❝ Dead is dead. There’s no such thing as a good way to go. ❞ ❝ ____ tried to kill you once, and all it did was piss you off. I can’t imagine they’ll stop you this time. ❞ ❝ Remind me to never get on your bad side. ❞ ❝ We can disobey suicidal orders? Why wasn’t I told~? ❞ ❝ I will fight and struggle all my life; that is my fate. When I die, it will not be in bed. I am at peace with that. ❞ ❝ If you are worthy of your command, prove your strength and try to destroy me. ❞ ❝ I’d never stab you in the back. Warriors like you and me: straight to the face! ❞ ❝ I.DO.NOT.GET.SICK!!!!! ❞ ❝ I’m not complaining, but you show up at the strangest times… ❞ ❝ That may go down in history as the shortest interrogation ever… ❞ ❝ You can either fight by my side or get crushed under my heel, but you will not get in my way! ❞ ❝ I’ll only relinquish one bullet. Where do you want it? ❞ ❝ Every time you order us to face impossible odds, I have to remind myself that I volunteered for this. ❞  ❝ Thanks for taking care of ____. Saves me having to beat him to death with his own spine. ❞ ❝ I’m tired…I’ll nap. Destroy the universe later. ❞ ❝ Everyone was always ignoring you and hitting on me. At least now this gives you a fair shot. ❞ ❝ Okay, that makes my legs hurt just watching it, and my knees are meant to bend that way. ❞ ❝ You just had to give the enemy tactical advice, didn’t you?! ❞ ❝ The way you move…it’s incredible! You’re like a dancer, grace and power in constant motion. ❞ ❝ I’m not going to die from an infection in the middle of battle. That’s just insulting! ❞ ❝ You know, for a bunch of cheap touristy crap, your prices are pretty high. ❞ ❝ I’ve seen so many things go wrong…I want something to go right, just this once. ❞  ❝ You do realise this plan has me walking into hell too, right? ❞ ❝ You sure as hell know how to make enemies… ❞ ❝ I’ve spent too much time and effort on this to let you get killed now. ❞ ❝ Look into my eyes and tell me you want me. Tell me you’d kill for me. ❞ ❝ If I have to fight through guards, I’ve made a mistake. I rarely make mistakes. ❞