The Story That Went On... (Formerly Death Cut. Completed.)

[GamingLord]

As the days passed, they found that the Lazeranos men needed to grieve all over again. Alzamus continued his work, but he was noticably more tired looking at the end of a day and seemed weary. Galantros himself tried his best to comfort his father, while their friends tried comfort them both. He was also dealing with frustrations at times, wondering if he still couldn't have saved us mother, and forcibly telling himself he wouldn't have been able to. He almost started to withdrawl into himself, but his father and cousin encouraged him to seek out his friends more now than ever. He spent more time at THoR than ever, basically only leaving to see his dad or friends in Limbo for short visits.

Harold, Abigail, and Fal'Jenul had sympathy for Galantros and his father, and though Harold and his surrogate daughter hadn't know them for very long, they seemed like very kind people. They grew comfortable in the world of Gaia, and Limbo certainly fascinated them. One day, Harold announced he would make Gaia his permament home, asking if he could stay at THoR temporarily until he could make the funds to find a home for himself.

Malos and Willow continued to explore their relationship, with Malos keeping his promise not to go to far.

During one of GL's troubled nights of rest, a man came to him in his dreams. He seemed like a kind, elderly gentleman, with beautiful white feathered wings behind him.

Gentleman: "Galantros... Poor Galantros... suffering as you are."

GL: "Who... who are you?"

Gentleman: "I'm known by many names, you could call me whatever you feel most comfortable with. What's important is that I'm here to help you, son."

GL: "How exactly?"

As the gentleman continued to talk to Galantros, he revealed that basically, if Galantros sacraficed himself, he could save his mother, and ensure protection for his loved ones for the rest of their lives. Normally, Galantros would have been able to refuse outright, but his grief stricken mind, plus the fact that it still felt so dream like and unusual to him confused him.

During this time, Rosemary felt bothered by something. She tried to shake it off at first, but suddenly, her wings emerged, and a quiet, faint voice entered her head.

Go to him. Quickly, before it's too late!  

[GamingLord]

Post for BlackMN:

Harold was told that they didn't mind if he decided to actually live in the house because it meant another able body in times of crisis. Malos would soon find out from either Veni or research that Willow's "life span" was much shorter than his and he'd have to be more grown up than his father with his choice in having a more serious relationship faster. She didn't really die, but would fall asleep after a little less than a human's life span and several year's later when she'd wake up she might not remember him.

The forced angel mode was a start. At least it didn't hurt like when Coatli did it. She vanished from the sight of the three men she was with without a word. This sudden action most likely startled and confused them as she went to Galantros because he popped into her head first as to who the 'him' could be.  

[GamingLord]

Rosemary found Galantros in his office, shifting about on the futon as if struggling with something. He kept murmuring words like "Do I have to?" and "But I DO want to protect them!".

GL: "Big decision.... now? But..."

The urgency in Rosemary grew, and she felt forced to shake Galantros awake violently. Something about what he was dreaming of was all wrong somehow.The reaper demon woke with a start, surprised at seeing Rosemary in his office.

GL: "Wha? ... Rosemary? What are you doing in here? ... I ... I had the strangest dream, and it was getting... odd feeling near the end there. I'm kind of glad you woke me up..."  

[GamingLord]

Galantros leaned into Rosemary's comforting embrace... He'd been tricked, and he almost fell for it.

Galantros: "The dream messed with my mind, made me feel so confused. Now that I'm waking up, I can clearly see that it was a trap of some sort. Thank you Rosemary."

He clenched his hands, his eyes shut in frustration. His aura pulsed for several feet, filled with annoyance and frustration... it felt restrained though, both a combination of his training with his mother, and of his old bad habit of holding it in. He didn't want it to shockwave out of control. Finally, it died down to a hum again, his shoulders sagging from the effort. His thoughts weren't exactly happy.

It's always something! Always! It feels like trouble has followed me and come to everyone I care about, and.. no, stop thinking that way. C'mon, snap out of it, Galantros. But isn't it true? Ever since you were little? Things only got worse, especially around ten or so years ago. Never should of taken Githar's advice of realm traveling, then nothing bad would have ever happened he... STOP IT!!!

Galantros took a deep breath, and then exhaled. He had been wide awake after Rosemary disturbed his sleep, saving him from his "dream", but now he exhausted... Not sleepy, but a bit worn out. Technically, being reaper, he didn't even need to sleep but for a few short moments anyway. Sleep's embrace didn't feel too welcoming right now.

Galantros: "Could you excuse me for a moment, Rosemary? I want to check on something..."

He hugged her back after Rosemary released him, then teleported out of the room. He reappeared in Black's room, silently moving to the side of her bed... he gave a faint smile expression, pulling the blanket up over her shoulder again, and giving her a gentle kiss, before teleporting back downstairs. He had been worried that she might have had the same dream visitor he had, but she was sleeping peacefully. Smiling even, mumbling something about candy.

Back in his office, he sat down at his desk, playing idly with some small goofy toy-like object. It was easy to tell he was doing it just to keep idle hands busy, and to keep idle thoughts away... his heart wasn't really into playing with the thing.

"Squaaaaark"

Sighing, he tossed the octo-duck behind him.

Galantros: "Do you mind if I go and hang out with you guys? Unless you uh.... uhm.... need some private time."  

[GamingLord]

Galantros flushed a bit, and gestured wildly.

Galantros: "OH! Nonono, no, I meant... Ah, I didn't want to ruin any plans is all."  

[GamingLord]

Galantros: "Well, my mind's running a blank really since I'm usually not too much of a night person."

Malos: "Well, I'm sure Rosemary could help you out with that... I know a little about the night life myself, though I'm not sure how you feel about clubbing."

Malos stood in the doorway, his hair a bit of a mess looking as if he had hurried over. To the more observant eye, his shoes were even on the wrong feet.

Galantros: "Malos, what are you doing here?"

Malos: "Eztli gave me a call while he's been out demon hunting, told me to hurry and find you for some reason. Said I need to wake you up, that it was important. I see Rosemary got to you first though. He made it sound like a big deal, so .. I guess I'm glad you're okay. What was going on?"

Rosemary and GL debriefed him on what they thought had happened, and Malos just shook his head and sat on the futon.

Malos: "It just seems like he's going after all my friends... Eztli was possessed by Heegh long ago, back when we were best buds. He made him do horrible things. Really glad he didn't get to you."

GL: "Thanks, so are we...Well, we're going to head out of here, since I won't be able to get back to sleep easily."

Malos: "Oh... Well, uh... do you mind if I tag along? I've been thinking a lot lately, and it's been wearing me down a bit. Sort of been isolating a little."

GL: "Willow?"

Malos: "Yeah... Something kind of funny, I've been going to this guy of all people for relationship advice a few times..."

GL: "Hey! Well, seriously, just keep in mind what I've told you I guess. You said it seemed like good advice, even though it was cheesy. Anyway, I don't mind if you come along, but that also depends on Rosemary. Is it okay if he comes with us?"  

[Rosemary Mori]

"Don't like clubz unless it iz for food."

Rosemary frowned when Malos said that Eztli knew something was up and called Malos instead of coming himself. It would have been quicker than seeking someone else out. He was probably meant to do it himself and when he failed to do it, she was called. Why did he not do it? Out of fear of Heegh or was Malos supposed to be there? Maybe the fire angel's faith was lower than she thought and closer to hers. Was she doomed for obsessive demon hunting like the rest of the elemental angels when she died?

"Not zat I am trying to defend Heegh, but a third of ze original angels fell vith Lucifer und delight und are capable to do tricks like zat to us az vell."

Rosemary looked at the two of them confused. She knew that Malos was going out with the pixie and that their time frames were different, but that last bit confused her and then she bet she had figured out GL's advise and she cleared her throat and did her best to impersonate Obi-Wan's voice, "Trust your feelings."

"I don't care eef he comes, but ve really are mostly reading right now." She teleported the two of them to BlackMN's room first, which probably confused them, and picked up the girl and took her with them.

Before anyone could ask her what happened when she returned, she said, "Vhy do ze other elemental angels always go demon hunting? Iz zat really zeir calling? Don't zey haf other duties? Iz it zo important zat they cant stop in ze middle of it to go zomewhere else zey feel zey need to be?"  

[GamingLord]

At the mention of disliking clubs, Malos grinned.

Malos: "I can see why, but there's a few clubs that are called "clean clubs". Just purely for the fun of dance and music, no substance abuse or anything... they got a few officers making sure everyone's safe. You'd think it'd be kinda of boring like that, but not really. It's actually really fun, and I've seen some parents bring some of their older kids. Nothing's cuter than a kid and his first time with E-wave spheres."

When the question, 'do elementals have other callings' came up, Malos and Galantros basically shrugged.

Malos: "....Well... Eztli sounded like he was in the middle of a fierce battle, and he did mention something about being unable to get there himself. Maybe there was some sort of anti-teleport field up or something. Otherwise, I'm not entirely sure... Except for a few certain occasions, Eztli and what seems like the other angels don't talk much about what they do. I've seen one though, as a real little kid. I'm pretty sure her element was ice, because I remember being afraid to go near her. There was a collapsed abandoned building with a lot of hurt people there, and most of the High Council didn't want to do anything because they consider the Black Merchant Center a useless place full of criminals... ...not your father though, Galantros... I'm pretty sure he did everything he could to help us... uh them."

"So there was this angel, and she was using her abilities to move away chunks of building. She mended as many as she could, but I think what scared me even more because I didn't understand at the time, was that she was more an angel of mercy... those who were too close to death, she froze to numb the pain until they passed away. She worked with a group of rogue military soldiers that went against orders to help with the building, for several days straight.

She was really weak one day, and that's when Black Merchants came in a huge group. They killed the soldiers, stole their gear, and captured the angel. She screamed at them to let her go, just so she could go back to the building and help anymore survivors. Then she just stopped, and looked straight at me. She whispered something, and I knew she was telling me to run. Something in my heart told me to run."

Malos gave a kind of odd smile, and sighed.

Malos: "She was dying. Even though I was scared of her, she found me when the building collapsed, and told me she would find my parents in there. Promised me that she'd do God's work, and try everything she could to make sure me and my parents were together. I guess I didn't realize then that she meant one way or another. Of course, when you're only a little five year old, it's hard to understand that.

Anyway, as soon as she got quiet, the sky turned dark around the building, and a beam of bright blue light shot out from it and into her body. I remember her cage exploding, some of the merchant members running and screaming... and then a lot of ice. All over the place, ice and snow, completely covering the building remains and any dying survivors that might've been in there, as well as turning those criminals into statues. ... I'm.. I'm sorry, why did I even tell that story? You guys didn't even ask for it."

Galantros: "I think it was a long winded answer as to if elemental angels have other callings. A simple yes would've done the trick, but I don't think it hurt to hear it. I take it it's something you still don't talk much about?"

Malos :"Not really... I probably should. My parents were found in that building, holding one another, and also grasping a locket. I have that as a keepsake, something to remember them by. There's a picture of them in there, and they looked really happy. Later on, the soldiers said that if they weren't frozen, they would have died a slow... a very slow death. And those Black Merchants, even if they had bothered to pull them out of the rubble, they would've only sold them into slavery. I've also been thinking... since Eztli and Thas came back from death, I wondered what happened to my ice angel..."

Galantros: "Ever figure it out?"

Malos gave a more genuine smile as he stretched and put his arms behind his head.

Malos: "Yeah, yeah I think I did a little while ago. Although I've never seen her again, I think she stuck by me while I was growing up, at least up until I met Githar. When I think about it, bad things kept happening, but not much bad happened to me after my parents died. I was being protected.  

[Rosemary Mori]

"Actually the story is better than a simple yes because I would have started to doubt your yes after a short time." Rosemary took them all to her second home, and put BlackMN to bed there. She stayed with her until the girl let go of her neck which she was nomnoming on. Silly candy dream.  

[GamingLord]

Candy, candy, everywhere. The streets were made and paved of candy, the lamps and sidewalks were candy. Even the people were candy! Oh, look at that! A tree made of candy! Black instantly glomped onto that and started nomnoming on the trunk.

Back in reality, Galantros and Malos stifled chuckles at the reversed roles Rosemary seemed to have taken on.  

[Rosemary Mori]

"You two are ones to laugh. You both taste like candy."