Re: Tried dying...didn't like it... (Closed to Brandon Hale)

by **Samael Christensen** August 27th 2013, 9:19 pm

Sick tasting and smelling bile splashed across the deck and formed a small puddle as the burning pain stabbed through his stomach. His fingers dug into the material that now formed the new floor, breaking through it like Styrofoam, though it was thick and the digits only managed to get themselves caught within it. He could hear voices, but what they were saying was unimportant, all he could feel was the claws of darkness still clawing away his the fringe of his mind. He attempted to pull himself to his feet, but the torrent of sickness hit him like a ton of bricks and brought another bout of heaving, though dry as it was. Whatever this guy was, he was messing with his body or was it one of the others?

Whatever it was, Brandon hated the presence itself, almost as much as he hated that dark energy that Sean used. It was as if death were close by, and he were merely suffering its dark reach. ”Aaron I don't know where you are, nor do I know where I am.....but I think I'm in trouble.” He sent out the thought hoping that his brother would pick up on the mental signal. He did not know where he was, and if Aaron got that, perhaps he could use their twin linkt o pick something up from his memories and work his way from that. Then again he also had his ways of tracking people down, so there was that.

With all of his strength he attempted to push himself up, but with more positive results than the last time, and soon enough he was on his feet, his senses seeming to finally refocus. He heard Niall warn him not to look at the woman, though she had a dark beauty about her that he couldn't quite seem to ignore. Still, he forced his eyes to the floor, not before eh saw the skeletal figure, one that resembled mortal renditions of Death itself. The guy was still there with his tacky make up. So that meant he was mostly outnumbered, considering that Niall was still a ghost, and he had no idea if he could even fight in his condition. The blurriness was gone for now, he could see as clear as before.

That woman said something to Niall, and it took everything that Brandon had to keep from jumping over to her and breaking her face in. Sure he was not one to beat up girls, but this woman did not seem like your average weak girl, but something more than that.”So this is the boss?” Brandon mused to himself wiping away a small amount of bile that clung around his lips, and spitting the rest away from his mouth. ”Three against one sounds alittle unfair though, I mean if you wanted to a stand a chance you should have brought maybe twenty.” The Heretical hyms to the Lych rose as they were chanted by the Thralls, praise be the Lych and his chosen.

Brandon was growing sick of the freak show but it would end soon enough.

by **Zodiac** August 27th 2013, 9:58 pm

     ”Who will rise to defend their master?” The Lych asked, his voice carrying through the gemstone that entombed him. The Collector looked at Niall and gave him a smug grin before he pointed his staff at Brandon. The Black Rose pushed her black hair from her beautiful face and smiled as the purple lipstick shined in the moonlight. One of the Thralls stepped forward his eyes glowing red, The Collector looked over and smiled with a satisfied snicker. The black rose just gave a cocky giggle and rolled her eyes.

     ”I have been called upon, I will defend the Master!” The Thrall said as he ran towards Brandon and Niall. As he ran his skin grayed and became ashen as his veins and eyes began to glow red and pulse with an orange flaring. He yelled as he approached, and once he was close enough, he combust into flames, and then a small explosion caressed the ship area, where Niall and Brandon once were. There were metal splinters and slivers everywhere, chunks of the upper ship were missing, but the ship itself was not compromised.

      ”Your sacrifice sates me, Collector, Rose, Finish this!” The Lych hissed. The collector’s eyes began to glow red as well, and he pointed his staff from where Brandon once was to the spirit of Niall. Meanwhile The Black rose pushed her hair behind her ear gracefully and elegantly, lightly touching the flower bulb in her hair, causing it to bloom into a large beautiful Nightshade. With Nightshade in her hair she walked over towards Brandon, whom had survived the explosion, however Niall could not see how well he was holding up. But then again he never really worried, The Lych was powerful, but Brandon was tougher. The Black Roses heals clicked against the ship deck as she looked down at Brandon.

      ”Brandon!” She said, by time she spoke, she would have flawlessly mimicked Niall’s vice and accent. By time he would look up, she would have looked exactly like Niall, her intent was to take him unaware and let her aura do the work. Whether she would be effective or not was entirely different."Are you okay? Are you hurt?"

      ”Now I can finished what we started…so…long…ago.” The Collector said. With a wave of his staff there was a glowing orb that flew out like a bolo, one side sticking to Niall the other sticking to the last Object he would have thought. The ship itself. ”Thralls! Dismantle the ship! Save the Master!” He commanded he glared at Niall, a wicked grin on his face, his black ink tattoo’s began glowing red and he smiled.

      The smoke cleared, and he saw Black Rose, trying to get Brandon to look at her, knowing her, she was using that damned flower of hers!

Spoiler:

The Black Rose
Occult: 8
Black Roses’ items:

Spoiler:

Strength: 1
Speed: 1
Ability:9 (Dark Aura)- An aura that is mystifying and alluring to others, making her almost impossible for a man to raise his hand against her)
    (Illusion)- Vocal mimicry and physical alteration for two posts
Durability:9
Fighting Skills:8

     Collector:
Occ:2
Str:2
Spd:2
Magic:10
Spells:4
Dur: 7
FS: 3
Flight: 2

   Spells:

Spoiler:

Lych:
Occ:8

Spoiler:

Str:0
Spd:0
Durability:0
Ability(Rule the World): 10 (Mind controls NPC’s)
Ability (Nightmare): 10 (Creates an AOE darkness that envelops a city block where Demons of nightmarish proportions come out and begin to torment people. While inside this darkness, people are forced to recall their worst moments that invoke either fear, despair, or fear)
Ability: 2 (Hivemind power usage)
Fighting Skills: 0

by **Samael Christensen** August 27th 2013, 10:31 pm

The dark skeletal being posed a question simple enough. Who would rise to protect that which could not protect itself, their master. His two pets seemed to rise to the call, and Brandon felt his heartbeat pick up, preparing to fight what stood in front of him. Could he even hope to defeat them? No time to doubt his power now, when there was so much at stake and he didn't have anyone to bail him out of this. Aaron and his mother were likely too far out to even help them, and he was unsure of his mother could even fly. His master had been long dead, otherwise she would have taken these guys down without even trying, but then again that was wishful thinking.

All of his aces were not around, so it was time to rely on his fists to get the job done. Brandon slammed his fists together and took in a deep breath, mostly focusing on the ugly guy, if only to keep from looking at the woman. If looking at her would be as bad as Niall's voice made it sound, then Brandon could not let it happen. He shifted, taking a stance that he had long ago mastered, and one integral in his style of fighting. If they were half as powerful as what he felt coming off of them, Brandon didn't want to consider the outcome. The Collector rushed them and in an instant there was a large explosion, as powerful flames washed over him and sent Brandon reeling as the floor gave out below.

It stung...kinda though not really. His shirt was totally messed up, but except for that he wasn't hurt int the least. He pulled himself from the decently large hole formed within the floor of the ship, some of the metal seeming to fall away at the touch. The fabric was mostly burnt, melted knowing how these suits went when introduced with hot flames. Mostly the upper right half of it was wrecked,and fell away revealing his bare left shoulder and the arm attached to it. ”Damn that was hot.” Brandon muttered as his eyes came upon the black haired beauty and he could already feel something happening. He heard Niall, but it wasn't....how the hell had she done that?

He couldn't move, and for some reason the idea of reducing her face to jelly was now impossible to consider, he couldn't do it. What the hell had she done to him?

by **Zodiac** August 27th 2013, 11:46 pm

      The Black Rose had him, she giggled as she brought a hand across Brandon’s face, tracing his jaw with a finger as the image of Niall melted away. She had no use to be the creature she so despised. She was too close to him. Niall’s heart sank, not that it mattered, since he was a ghost and all, but his heart sank. He was about to lose Brandon, to that harpy. Brandon was going to die.

      Niall felt a spectral tear drop form his face. He would have given anything to stop this. He new that The Black Rose was only doing this to torment him, and there was nothing he could do. Her finger went from his jaw, running down his messed up shirt, making contact with his skin. The bitch was tormenting him. She was touching him because she knew Niall couldn’t, she was talking to him because She knew Niall couldn’t. She was trying to CLAIM him because she knew Niall couldn’t. Niall trembled. The ship below began to deconstruct as the thralls took sledge hammers and tried to damage the ship, and subsequently the very essence of his existence. H was dying, and Brandon was about to be a personal Thrall for The Black Rose. Niall’s hand tremored, but not with fear or despair. No, he was angry. A feeling he knew before, but not like this. It had never been so strong. Shit…I-I…goddamnit…Why? He questioned himself. Why did he feel like this? Tears of sadness, blood boiling from rage, and a heart pumping resolve. He didn’t want to admit it, but there was no denying it. He began running towards The Black Rose he yelled at her. She looked at him, but he was faster than her now, he had gone from normal human speed to peak human in one second flat, She turned to whip him. The whip slapped Niall’s mask, ripping the hydra’s skin, only to allow it to heal over. The Mask fell through, but as it vanished, there was a faint misty figure, glowing green and pale yellow. It faintly outlined Niall. The light simmered off of him, as if her were emerging from a magical water skin, quickly the energy evaporated into he air. The same fair skin that had departed the world on the Hale’s driveway…the same beautiful blonde hair and the green-blue eyes now having an unnatural glow as the energy radiated off him. It was an impossible feat…something that was unable to be described. Niall had manifested into the mortal realm once more, but not as a machine, not…he was human, or so it seemed.

      His left arm, the one that was severed by Ouroboros was not of Skin yet however, it was of pure energy glowing a pale yellow and green. The Energy arm clenched it’s fingers into a fist and threw a punch into the Black Roses’ gut. While Niall himself was not strong, his arm was at this moment, made entirely of the strangely familiar energy, and energy Niall found himself in control of. The punch sent the black haired beauty backwards. She cracked her whip, Gashing Brandon with it before sshe fell away.

      ”I once died..to save his brother…that doesn’t even like me in the slightest…so imagine…what I’m going to do to you for hurting someone I love.” Niall said through his teeth. He turned to Brandon and smiled a little, his face beat red. He tugged at Brandon’s collar and kissed him. Little did he know that he instinctively activated the energy inside him. The light energy would fill Brandon and knit his wounds together, and in no greater than a minute he would be as he was before. ”I-I-“ Niall began as he pulled away. Now was not the time for a reunion, but he needed to say something…

      “Of course, the Machine can hit me.” The Black Rose sneared. "Of course…and he claims to have emotions…yet he can resist my powers….It would be interesting to hear how you can justify that.” She laughed at him. Meanwhile, A shadow bolt was fired into the ship by The Collector. Niall winced, but rolled his eyes, that didn’t hurt nearly as bad as before.

      ”Because you’re not a guy you dumb bitch.” Niall snapped. The Black rose, looking shocked for only a moment, took great harm in the insult, and so she snapped her whip to strike. Using his mastery of the mystery energy, he created a barrier. Between him and the whip The shield shattered, but the whip was deturred as it bounced off. He looked to The Collector, for the first time ever, as a human, his face finally displayed true hatred and anger. Before he knew it there were other Hale’s present, but he didn’t know how much they had seen, nor did he care honestly. He wanted to protect Brandon, and now he finally could…or at least help. He looked back at them, smiling to let them know he was glad to see them…but his tone and phrase made it clear that it would have to wait. ”Please…The Collector is mine…” He requested, more demanded, and he started running off. He smiled, remembering what Zell had once promised him. He was promised that he would be human….and somehow he was…and he even had…Ethereal energy? But it felt different form Ouroboro’s and Zell’s. It didn’t feel…corrupting…it felt pure…untouched…childlike, just like Niall.

      ”Consider it finished!” Niall roared. The energy surged from him, and from his middle finger spawned a whip of ethereal energy. He lashed it out at The Collector.

by **Samael Christensen** August 28th 2013, 12:13 am

Brandon felt himself drawn into the onyx pools, as of they were a black hole. All he cared about, all that mattered faded away to insignificance as he stared into her cruel eyes. His muscles would not responds, and everything within his mind seemed to go blank. Even Niall faded away, and the only thing that remained was the image of the woman standing in front of him, and the need to serve her. There was no time, there was nothing but her. She ran her finger along his jaw line and it seemed to send a cold chill through his body, yet he could only look deeply into her eyes. She only continued this contact, and he could do nothing but allow it; the sad part being that he enjoyed it. He couldn't described the dark feeling that controlled him, but......it all did not matter.

That was when something broke the contact and in an instant his thoughts all came back to him, all in an instant. Niall had...punched her, and it appeared that he was becoming flesh, visible completely to his eyes. How the hell had this happened, and when? Brandon couldn't even believe that this was happening, yet at the same time he was relieved that it was. Something raked across his arm, and with is a nearly unbearable pain that seemed to bloom across his arm. He was never really used to being hurt by something, so this was new altogether. The flesh had begun to turn a necrotic black where the weapon struck, but then again he was not so worried about his arm, as about Niall standing right in front of him.

Niall had a red face, and in an instant he pressed his lips to Brandon’s and a wonderful warmth filled his entire being. It was so amazing that he did not want it to end, but it seemed that he would not have the luxury of continuing the embrace. He pulled back and all Brandon could do was stare blankly at the now fleshly blonde male before him with a smirk that would not wipe itself off his face, the wound inflicted from the whip seeming to heal itself. The arm had been returned back to its original form, with perfect sunkissed skin still as it was. The woman said something about a machine and that seemed to annoy Niall some, though his come back was just as good.

In an instant he could feel it, his mother and Brothers magical force. ”Just in time too.” Aaron spoke with Arianna behind him, her golden hair seeming to flow in the wind. She smiled, seeming to enjoy that Brandon was not in mourning before turning a weary eye upon Niall. ”You can deal with the Collector, i'll deal with the black haired bitch and mom can destroy The Lych.” Aaron said with a certain confidence about him as he drew a strange curved blade from the satchel at his side, which seemed to glow. He didn't hold it like a person with any measure of skill, but to seemed that he would know how to use it anyway.

Arianna held a hand to the side and summoned a single gauntlet within her left hand, which seemed to glow with a white power, a gauntlet that had been destroyed in the battle with Ourobrous but was repaired now. However, the Aetheric energy radiating from it held a strange green edge to it. Perhaps the weapon had been perfected in some way, but whatever it was, the weapon held a more powerful air about it. ”Its been a while Lych...if thats the name you wish to go by these days.” The Golden Fang Arianna approached the Nether crystal ready to break it and its contents.

Arianna grid

Spoiler:

by **Zodiac** August 28th 2013, 12:53 am

       ”Not enough!” The Collector said as he erected his bone shield once more, blocking the whip with little problem. Niall growled, he used his superior speed to get around the rising shield and attempted to strike form behind. The Collector yelped ad Niall’s whip scraped across his back. The collector looked to Brandon and smiled. He was not able to defeat these magical beings…not while his Master was in the radius. He needed to devise a plan. While still in thought, Niall kicked him and he stumbled over a little, turning to bring his staff to block the whip.

      The Black Rose sighed and shook her head as Aaron stood before her. He apparently was also not that into her, or if he was he was certainly strong willed. Perhaps he was both, but it did not matter to her. She lashed out with her whip, it seemed to move so slowly through the air, it was easily dodgable, until with the flip of her wrist it struck from exactly the opposite side with a very fast snap. She looked over her shoulder for a slight second, to see what was transpiring between Arianna and her Master. She wielded an energy so similar to that of the once-machine male, but it was so different. To a trained eye, it was clearly false, a farce, or merely an attempt. It was lacking something…something crucial. In form it was perfect...but it lacked the full oomph, and even The Black Rose could feel it. She resolved that to the Lych, it was bound to draw attention. And she was correct.

     ”Ah…Arianna Hale… A pleasure as always my dear…I can assume by that oddly colored Aether energy that you did not come to simply reminisce about the old days…” The Lych said, his voice was chilled, and it was clear that he had known Arianna before. ”I’m afraid I cannot afford you the fight I once gave you and your friend. You can plainly see, I have been…rended…retarded…crippled…and raked to the point of complete disability. I am ashamed that you have actually found me in this way…You see…it was the one who holds the power you desire to attain that has done this to me…and simply form being on the other end of an energy like that…I can already tell you that you are far from it’s perfection…the last element it needs is so simple, yet so elusive…I wonder if the great Arianna hale could find the secrets of the Ethereal…and if she can…will it consume her?” Lych asked her, his words had a sting of truth to them. No matter how hard Arianna tried, the Ethereal energy would elude her…there was one thing she was missing, one thing she lacked that this being whom had assaulted her home had, and Lych knew what it was. The only question was, would he be willing to share it.

      Meanwhile, Niall and The Collector battled it out. There was no saving grace, there was no redemption. This battle was going to the end. Niall kept whipping away with violent heaves, Ethereal whips in each hand, two cracks at the bone every five seconds, eventually the barrier would have to fall, but for now it appeared that The collector was protected from harm.

by **Samael Christensen** August 28th 2013, 1:09 am

Aaron stared off with the black rose, who with a simple flicked of her wrist sent the whip out at him, aiming to perform a feint on him. Aaron however was prepared for it, his telekinetic power stretching out and grasping for the whip, sure of his overwhelming power. It would only take a thought, and the weapon would turn on its master, aiming to wrap around her throat an choke the very life out of her, or perhaps at least slice the throat with the dangerous thorns decorating it. If she wanted a fight, Aaron would give her one, or atleast a brief moment of bloody pain before she died.

'I'm fully aware that i'm lacking something, i'm not as skilled as he was when it comes to these pursuits.” She admitted with a slight begrudging tone. ”And do not mistake me for the Crimson Witch and her pathetic son.” IN an instant another gauntlet, black as night formed on her free hand, radiating dark energy that seemed to reeek of death. It radiated pure Nether, with enough strength as the Half-Titan Sean would be capable of, but it held a greater amount of purity to it.

”I don't need Ethereal energy to kill you though, not at all.” She let the two gauntlets join their power together, incomplete Ethereal energy and Nether, and in an instant they seemed to resonate deeply. The energy of life and death forming a strange fusion, one that seemed to climb into the heavens and resonate deeply within the caster. She held the unrivaled power barely controlling it as the very ground seemed to break from its presence. ”I have no interest in anything you have to say.” In an instant the powerful energy would be released in a beam that could consume the shell that protected The Lych.

by **Zodiac** August 28th 2013, 1:30 am

      Black shards of Nether imbued obsidian enveloped around the crystal entombment. Black Rose looked at it, despite the whip being wrapped around her own neck. She was more concerned for her master, no, not concerned…curious. Soon, The Lych would be dead. The Bone shield dropped from around The Collector, allowing him to see the events transpire. He was not phased, not even as his Master let out a blood-curdling roar. He just narrowed his eyes at Arianna, not even caring that his ‘sister’ was being asphyxiated by her own whip. The Lych’s bones were exposed, dangling. The dark purple orbs that were formed of magic from the sockets were looking down right at Arianna.

    ”Do not…think this a victory child…I…shall…return.” The Lych said, chuckling. "I'll...bring...the scones." he said. As his body fell forward and was reduced to dust. Seconds later, hundreds of innocent people began wandering out of the lower decks, looking to figure out where they were and what they were doing.

     Niall tried to take advantage of it, but he soon found himself being strangled himself. The Collector had grabbed Niall by the throat and suspended him in the air. He looked to Brandon and chuckled. Niall kicked and tried to get away, but it was no use. He was beginning to feel so powerless again…just like before when he… No...he wasn’t going to die again. He was going to win, The collector was going to pay for what he did to him so long ago.

      ”So he died for your brother?” The Collector asked, highly amused by the situation. He knew he had Brandon’s attention as Niall struggled for air. ”So how badly will he pay for dying for you?” He asked his red dyed teeth showing. His eyes glowed, and in an instant all two hundred of the innocent , now freed thralls were dead their souls leaving their bodies and funneling into The Collector. He was cloaked in a dark voidish energy, and soon the seas themselves rocked and waved, tossing everyone about.

      ”Soul Harvest…” He sniggered as he was covered in an energy strong enough to eradicate anything nearby. ”His soul is still tethered to this vessel…his the vessel dies…then so dies he….and it looks like he and I aren’t going anywhere…” He said, it was obvious that this guy had a personal issue with Niall, and vice versa, but what could drive them to such extents. Unfortunately for the Hales, the spell was cast, and impact was imminent. They needed to get the hell of the ship.

by **Samael Christensen** August 28th 2013, 1:46 am

In an instant Arianna's overwhelming magical power had destroyed the Nether Crystal and killed what was held within it, much easier than when they had last clashed. Zell Atterrius had truly reduced him to nothing, but then again that was unavoidable, that bastard seemed so ingrained in everything that she knew. She saw Aaron was already dealing with the female but Niall was on trouble, something that she was starting to grow used to. That was until the man spoke something, the name of a spell that seemed to cause the instant death of everyone too weak on the boat, and he glowed with raw magical energy.

Her eyes widened as she realized the scale of the magic that he was casting, and she knew that there would be now way they would survive that sort of blast, and in an insrant she was in motion, grabbing a hold of Aaron and moving next to Brandon. The Collector seemed intent on angering Brandon, forcing him to jump straight into the spell, to die. He would have moved, if the Hale had allowed him, but in an instant they were gone. He stood in front of Gene-tech far away from the blast range, and he would be gone once again. ”What the hell did you do?” He growled breathlessly, fists tightly wound into fists/

”No matter how durable you think you are, that spell would have torn you to shreds.” Arianna stated plainly.

”Niall was still there.” He said his neck veins seeming to pop out for a moment. ”He's going to die again!” His foot slammed against the ground and concrete splintered, as the very earth seemed to quake.

” What would you have done? Rush in to die along with him?”

”Its better than sitting by passively while I watch everyone I care about die!” She could only avert her gaze, green eyes staring at the ground. It was true, he was only a disappointment.

by **Zodiac** August 28th 2013, 2:02 am

      Niall started laughing. He remembered something that Zell did with his Ethereal energy…and now he was going to do it to. Hopefully. The Collector looked at him. Niall flashed him that cute smile he always had and shook his head giggling.”You’re dumb a shit man..” Niall said trying to catch his breath. The collector began to glow and as he Did Niall waved at him teasingly as he began to turn into a fine mist of pure beautiful Ethereal. With his entire body and soul turned into pure energy, and the soul itslef seemed to slip from the tethers that bound it t the ship. The collector had collected his final time. He died on that boat…out at sea…and when he came face to face with the Devil or what ever awaited him…he’d have to tell the story of The one that got away. The collector had failed to collect, and Niall was safe. The explosion from the ship propelled his ethereal particles out towards the shore, and when they reformed he dropped five feet in the air and landed in the wet sand. He stood up, brushed himself off and took off the shirt of the hydra skin prototype. He wandered into the city just off the beach and used the first payphone he could. He called Brandon’s cell phone, hopefully he’d answer.

    ”Hey, can you like…send someone to come get me? I mean I don’t want to be a burden but…yeah…I really don’t want to walk all that way.” Niall said happily. Into the phone.

by **Samael Christensen** August 28th 2013, 2:14 am

Before he could go on a long emotional tirade, his cellphone rang and Brandon would have ignored it, but he didn't. He answered the phone was was surprised when Niall was on the other end, which was rather surprising, and at the same time relieving. So it seemed he had escaped the explosion, but where the hell was he now? Arianna grabbed onto the locket around her neck, checking on its magical output reflexively, checking to see if it had enough for another jump. ”Yeah, we'll be right there Niall.” he said with a huge dorky grin. He looked to his mom with pleading eyes, and she would not say no.

”I'm sure my locket can give us one more long range trip before we have to take other means, so everyone grab on.” So everyone did though how they would know where to go was simple enough. Arianna would simply perform a recall, locking onto Niall's distinct auric signature, one that she had made sure to keep ion mind when she last saw him in the flesh. In an instant there were gone with a flash of bright blue light and then in front of Niall. The locket now had nearly no power until she refilled it. ”Here we are.” The sand felt strange under her boots, yet fine at the same time.

Brandon was already in motion, kissing him on the lips hard before bringing him into a tight hug.

by **Zodiac** August 28th 2013, 2:41 am

      ”I know you said the perfect date would be on a beach…” Niall whispered to him hugging back after catching his breath a little. He was warm, and being crushed. Niall’s new Ethereal human body could take it though. Mostly…if he got any stronger there would be slight issues. Niall chuckled a little, how they ironically ended on a beach in the middle of the night on a full moon. ”I wish I could have been here with you without the whole fighting dead people as a prerequisite. But yeah…” Niall giggled as he leaned onto Brandon. He saw Arianna and blushed, breaking away for just a second, but still slinging his arm over Brandon.

     *Ahem*…so…I have an informal question for you Arianna....Can you get any more badass? Seriously!? You are practically my idol at this point.” Niall said. He was like an energized kid on crack, he was doing his adorable excited vice and he was all jittery. ”Aaron…you still got me confused…” He said with a playful smile and a nod. He yawned and then shook his head rapidly. Dafuq was that!? What did I do that for? he questioned himself and shook his head. This Ethereal stuff takes it out of you…pretty bad. Especially since I honestly just had to wing it with no control

     ”SO…where do we go from here?” Niall asked them. It was obvious that he wasn’t used to taking charge, and for some reason ever since it was Brandon to kiss him…he felt kind of…relaxed. He let his head kind of tilt onto Brandon lazily.

by **Samael Christensen** August 28th 2013, 3:01 am

”So you remembered.” he said in a hushed tone that only Niall could hear, pleased only by this contact. It all just felt nice, and if he had has way, it wouldn't end anytime soon. ”The whole fighting dead people was fine, even though you were a ghost for most of that.” he added the last part teasingly pecking Niall on the cheek playfully. Arianna and Aaron wouldn't interrupter their reunion, only watch with a certain amount of happiness, mostly seeing Brandon finally out of his depression. He broke from Brandon but kept an arm slung around his shoulder.

”I don't know. That nether/aether combo was something I came up with on the fly.” She admitted shrugging, she admitted that she was unsure how that could have gone, and at the same time that it could have killed all of them. 'I say we find out where we are and go from there, I myself am tired. “

by **Zodiac** August 28th 2013, 9:18 pm

     ”Yeah…We should probably stay somewhere local, I’m pretty sure Corbin will get the message I left him and he’ll send someone in the morning for us. But until then we’re gonna be pretty stuck here…” Niall said to the others around. He wasn’t letting go of Brandon anytime soon, in fact if he had clung on any more he might have ended up conjoined with Brandon with the hips. He sniffed the air a little bit and looked out to the sea, where the large freight had sunk. ”Well we are in Cali at the moment…There’s a hotel Zell and I used to stay at for the whole business stuff, we can get a few rooms and charge it, they’ll know me and all.” Niall said almost as if he were happy to be able to offer up help. They were all set to leave, when Niall looked at Brandon and tried to hold him as the other two went on a little.

    ”Br-Brandon?” He asked, shaking a little as he tried to make sure he had the taller blonde’s attention. He cleared his throat and kept blushing, but looking almost ashamed at the same time. ”I…I n-need to tell you something...” He said a little, he was being bashful but he quickly fixed it with a sigh. ”N-no…never mind, it doesn’t matter. Let’s just get to the hotel.” Niall said, walking away, trying to practically hide his face the entire time with the popped up collar of the hydra skin prototype he wore.

     The Hotel they arrived at was a ten star hotel, on a five star scale. Or it should have been for all the luxury and options that were afforded. The second Niall walked through the door, the manager at the check-in noticed him and personally came out to greet him. Niall waved with his signature smile and over-energy that seemed almost contagious. The manager was more than happy to see Niall it seemed, and with the thick French Accent and the Irish accents bantering about each other’s ‘lousy’ vernacular it was obvious that these two were well enough acquainted. Niall introduced the Hales and then ordered four of the best room available, one for each Hale and one for Niall, not wanting to be too forward or give a bad impression. Each of them were shown to their rooms and let to go for the night. Before Brandon could have the chance to snag Niall, if he wanted to that is, Niall made his way to his room, at the end of the hallway, isolated form the others.

      ”Night!” he said as he walked into the room. He glanced at Brandon and winced a little as he walked in and shut the door, almost like he was hurting. He sort of hoped Brandon didn’t notice, because that would likely come down to Brandon coming to ‘check on him’ or whatever. Niall was dead all but three hours ago, and suddenly now he’s alive…was it only temporary? Was this pain inside him something pulling him back from life? If these questions were what Niall was asking, it would have been probably a thousand times worse for Brandon. He groaned, noticing that he was covered in soot and sand from the explosion and the battle. He went over and sat on the hotel bed for a second before deciding to try and find a washcloth for his face.

by **Samael Christensen** August 28th 2013, 9:39 pm

So they were in California then?Brandon had only been there once, so it was always nice. Niall didn't seem so intent on letting him go, and that was fine with Brandon, who didn't want to let go of him anyway, not ever again. He said he had already messaged Corbin, whoever that was and there would be a ride for them soon. For now they would be staying on a hotel. It was a place that him and Zell used to stay at, which for a moment got Arianna wanting to stay elsewhere, but in the end she decided to go anyway. When the others walked ahead, Niall tried to hold him back and he wanted to say something, as if there were some great secret that he had been hiding.

What was it that he was hiding? Brandon was slightly curious now but in the end Niall didn't tell him, brushing it off and aggravating the blonde. He popped the collar of the armor and walked away. That was when he could feel a certain expanse open up between him and Niall, and he hated that feeling. So they were on the way to the hotel, which was a rather nice one too, if Brandon could say so himself. Niall spoke with the man up front, both with thick accents and then they ere given their rooms, Niall running to his room. That left Brandon alone with his twin and Arianna.”What the hell.” He muttered outloud, a small amount of irritation reaching his voice.

'I can drive a spike into his leg if you want.” Aaron offered off handily, though Brandon ignored it walking into his room and locking the door behind him.

”I might have to do that myself.” Arianna said crossing her arms over her chest. That was how the day ended, with Brandon curled up in his bed, and his family mostly taking advantage of the Hotels luxeries.

by **Zodiac** August 28th 2013, 9:53 pm

Niall had to come to terms with this. He had to admit it, but it was so strange. Sure he had said it off-handed, but it wasn’t anything that someone would exactly pick up on. It wasn’t enough. For the first time Niall was terrified. Terror giving birth to anger, and anger to sorrow. Such was the way of these things. You spend an eternity as a computer, becoming desensitized to such things as emotions, and now you suddenly are thrust back into something and are immediately swept by a passion, a drive…a desire. It was too much for him. And what he was doing was just as harmful to others as it was to him. He drove a fist into the mirror and it cracked around the force. He pulled his hand back and brought it to his other, burying his head in them. He was such a coward, so afraid. What was he afraid of? What the hell would drive him to go as far as to die, and somehow come back to life just for him to be afraid? Niall had his epiphany, his revelation, his awakening. He was afraid, but you know what…?

”Fuck it” Niall said as he wiped his face clean and he took of the overcoat, leaving him with armless black leathery vest and the leggings to his suit. He walked out and went o Brandon’s door, not that far away, but still enough to make every second feel like a thousand minutes. He got there and wrapped on the door. He swallowed hard, making an audible noise and he took in a shaky breath as he waited for the door to open.

by Sponsored content