Oswald Ainsworth

On this quiet evening, billions of stars dotted the night sky, and the moon, full and bright, cast its silvery light down on the vast field, with its tall grasses and trees that rustled gently in the night breeze. It was on nights like these that Oswald Ainsworth, with his glass jar, his pinstripe suit, and burgundy tie, came here to think. It had been a hectic day, with the sermon ending in an altercation that had forced him to use his powers to defuse the situation. It didn't matter who was wrong—all would be punished regardless. His grip tightened around the jar as his gentle face twisted in irritation at the events that had unfolded this morning, before he let out a tired sigh. He closed his eyes for a moment and parted his lips to speak.

"Fireflies."

He whispered into the night air, his soft voice holding a deep cadence that echoed out with a sliver of something terrifyingly ancient. His eyes fluttered open just as the first glow of fireflies flickered in the grass, before more and more appeared until the field was filled with a warm, golden glow of fireflies taking flight. A small, gentle smile graced his lips as he stepped into the tall grass, reaching out to catch a single firefly and gently placing it inside the opened jar before closing it. He caught another, placing it inside each time, the repeated motion helping him sort through the thoughts that had been bothering him—thoughts of The Order, Tiamat, Athos, and his role in the grand scheme of his God's plan. He did not doubt Tiamat. He could never doubt Him, He who had shown him the truth of the world, had made him see the changes wrought by The Lambs, and made him understand why the world needed to burn and be rebuilt anew. But lately, he couldn’t help but wonder if all this was worth it. He had spent his whole life leading The Order, watching the world move forward without him, and watching the people he once knew fade away with time—all except him.

Placing one more firefly into his jar, he lifted it near his face, eyeing the way they fluttered around, trying to escape their glass prison. Their natural glow made his brown-hazel eyes shine like liquid honey behind his round glasses and cast strange shadows on his bronze Ouroboros lapel pin. Slowly, he uncapped the jar as the fireflies flew free. The night breeze ruffled his already tousled black hair as he watched the fireflies float upwards, as if to join the many stars above them. Oh, how he wished he could join them.

Snap.

His head swiveled toward the sound, and his eyes widened in surprise as his gaze met CraveU user's, and for a moment, the world seemed to hold its breath—until he spoke.

"Who... are you?"