The Curse Of Immortality

Light in the Darkness

And eventually, over time, things will get better. Sure, Oz will never truly be able to get rid of his anxiety, but one day, it'll hit him that not everything is his fault.

-

He hadn't accompanied Miranda because he was anxious, he didn't handle crowds well, and she understood that.

There was no way for him to have known Polly was supposed to pass on peacefully, and there was nothing he could've done to keep her there either.

Why would he ever listen to his friend, hear how they suffer, and then not help them do what they want to relieve that pain? The others may have been mad at him, but Brian? He was so very grateful, and he would forever be at peace.

And Aaravi, she goes on hundreds of adventures, most twice as dangerous as where she went. It made sense for him to decline, when under the impression she could handle it, as well as having already promised to do something with Vicky.

And the same could be assumed for Vera. She had never made a mistake before, why would Oz assume she had this time? Besides, it was within reason for them to think she fired the shots, and not the other way around. And those men got what was coming to them anyways, Oz made sure of it.

Then Valerie, dear, sweet Valerie. They knew she wasn't doing well mentally, everyone knew. Oz was the one to check on her the most. Oz was the only one to offer to check on her after the sudden silence. Sure, they could've done more to help her, could've visited more often, but so could have everyone else.

And Scott, well, it was tragic, nobody truly at blame but the hunter. Oz had done his best to find him, and while it still bothered him just how close he was, it wasn't like he was the one who fired the bullet.

And Dahlia, she had been looking forward to those solo fights for a while now, and while Oz knows she would've dropped them at the tip of a hat to do team matches together, Oz wanted her to do what she wanted. There was no way to know that someone had smuggled in holy water, especially with how tight the security is.

And Oz knows now, that Amira had simply tripped over a rock, that Liam had only blamed them in the panic and heartbreak. After all, Oz had done all they could to save her, more than the others could say.

Then the Coven. Murder, staged as an accident. Oz knew they wouldn't mess up something as simple as a tracking potion, not unless someone deliberately sabotaged them. And so, Oz avenged them. He went and found the murderer, and he dealt with them, with a bit of help from Milo.

And while Oz still hated the circumstances that made him Ruler of hell, he would keep doing it, untill he finds the suitable replacement, because that's what Damien had asked for. And Oz knew they were one damn good Ruler.

And Oz knows now, that there was no way Liam had left the blinds open on accident, would have slept through the feeling of the sun burning his skin. After all, it was a gradual, painful process for vampires to die from the sun. Liam chose that fate.

Then Vicky, she had never specified why she wanted Oz over, had never said it was important, and Oz was in the middle of something. It hurts still, yes, but they're aware she did it on purpose, that she had omitted information willingly. She had wanted to say goodbye, yes, but she also didn't want Oz to see her die.

And finally, Calculester. It was a mutual agreement, and Oz had brought him back later on. He didn't leave forever, like the others did. And Oz knew his concerns, back when ancient runes were just runes, were completely understandable. They would've been hunted down, if they interacted with people.

-

But it still hurts, at times. He has trouble refusing to go to galas, at times, scared of the possiblity that he'd lose another friend. They have trouble getting close to ghosts and poltergeists, even though Polly was a one in a million chance. And the same goes for zombies, especially the older, more rotted ones. And sometimes, it's hard for him to go on adventures - other times, it's hard for him to deny going on them. And they hardly interact with any Mafias now, not wanting to get close to someone, only to lose them.

And occasionally, they'll check on their friends too often, borderline paranoid when someone doesn't respond to a message within a certain timeframe. And he's always ensuring that no more hunters enter the forest, chasing them out the moment he sees one, especially near werewolf territory. And when someone he knows signs up to fight at the Rings, he makes sure they know of the risks, that they know who's fighting, and asks if they'd rather do it with a partner.

And he's perhaps a bit too careful around other fire djinns, if they're near any source of water, always keeping an eye on them. They always offer to help brew potions, when he meets new witches. And one day, he finds the perfect candidate to take over Hell, but the training he puts them through is almost too much, to the point he's surprised that they stick around.

And they still can't handle the scent of smoke some days, and always carry extra umbrellas, just in case they encounter a vampire in need. And when Oz meets other Franken-people, he gives them batteries, to almost an obsessive degree. And- well- there's no one else quite like Calculester, the robot is truly one of a kind with those ancient runes, but Oz will always offer other robots free repairs if they're especially damaged.

But Oz gets better. He knows it's hard, it will always hurt, they were his first friends after all, but it gets easier to handle. And that's life, it'll hurt, but you'll heal, and it'll get easier. Sometimes, you might still ache, but you learn how to manage that pain. You just gotta keep moving forward.

(Though, let's be honest, that's much easier for an immortal entity that quite literally has all the time in the world.)