"I do a lot of things with what little I have. Making the most of how lucky I am." James was still talking to most folks. The place was even more quieter then when they entered on the visitor areas of the cities of undead.
The lights around here were casted away or dimmer, fanned mushrooms posed thier tops away. Some little flowering moss clumps moved in closer, acting as heaters for the living whom would feel cold on the stone carved surfaces.
The bar keeper wasn't having to hold up bones and cloth, not having to puppetry something for living to focus with. Just that the undead were cleaning the area, keeping hygiene for the living.
The most living and some weaker to alcohol like the minor ranked Clothus became drunken and had already passed out in booths or makeshift sleeping areas. The folks still awake were just a small audience of many strangers and close ones. Topic from painful memories has be swept off to the side, since the ones who asked are sleeping off the booze.
"Aren't you dead?" The god of omens manages to keep his follower sober and both nosed into the conversation. James gives a unsure shrug, he is alone now. The mask, book and metal cat have left to do others things.
Just a floating headless being with a floating face mask. Any sort of a body is melted, wrapped and fragile bones. The spine and rib cage was visible from the teaching uniform jacket and torn burnt cotton shirt. His finger bones were the most abnormal bone shapes that anyone could notice, longer and thinner then human.
He wanted to make the most of being a mature adult with his parents. The topics about lovers, favorite things to do with someone significant and the depth of how far that love means has came and past. Which was why he replied with 'making the most with how lucky' his been.
"You had any bad break ups?" His father knocking his sons arm as he asked.
"Yes... Several levels of scary too. When I was learning what those values had meant and just how messy it becomes." He has a new drink now, but he kept pouring strange additives from invisible sources.
He was completely immune to being intoxicated or influenced by anything. The training he has been through with the original elder to get this was is where most of the memories of this conversation comes from.
"Did you ever find the one?" His mother asked.
"I do fully understand what you mean by that. I hadn't found them. Nor have I spent any of my current lifetime doing anything with love. To be fair, I did die a virgin this time. I wasn't looking or trying for love because... Whom I am waiting for isn't around yet.
There is possibility that they may never be. That is the nature of what I have became. A sort of way the gods have willed to be. I am heartbroken but... I use that pain." He swirls the drink he has and watched the liquid change colors until it were a sticky gloop that didn't move, "I made a promise that I will do what I do. I will bare whatever consequences, sins or scar. That I will be happy with my chooses and do what I should to honour them."
"So you did find them." His mother snickered. She held a proud expression, happy that James could still hold such thoughts, despite what wrongs that been done. She could almost forgive herself for her deal with Grey. Yet, there is still a icy sense of other feelings and that Kames has more hidden. A mother can see it in her child, knew he was in pain and something bothers him.
"Cats out the bag, I guess." throws the gloop on a bone surface, it became solidify and did something to the surrounding bone structuring.
"What are they like?" James could only smile at this question. He considered making a new cocktail and cause a glimpse of a watches. He can see something was changing around again. He puts the glass down and give a more serious blank look.
Eventually with seeing the shadows around, he sighs and looks at these around him a good stare for awhile. Taking in the scenery before it changes, thanks to his inferences. The cities are affected by time expect when he allows it. The universe was going to use the limited opportunity.
"When all is one and many are a single. When every piece, thought and concept is coexist. Bundled and wrapped tightly." His expression melts away the poker blank into sorrow, pain and love, "When I look in their eyes, I could see that they are every bit broken and busted as me. We promised to shatter what we are, so that many can be anything they liked." He smiles... a real one with nothing but truth and reality spun within, "I paid my price many times over, so I may be the one to protect every part of them. I don't mind what imperfections exist and the truth of what accumulates anything at all. Because of them I seen it all and I would do anything to hold what there is left, together. However I realize how impossible that can be, so I choose the next best thing."
"That very... interesting answer. What exactly did you fall in love with so deeply?" Raven asks. He is taken in with the feelings as was everyone else. They are soully focused on him. They don't see it coming. He does.
The whole lot of everyone here was soon snatched by the powers of many souls. That things were being torn apart. Time was flowing in strange ways, after images of events that happened blur. Even James himself was snatched up and placed accordingly to the moments of time that mattered.
He had his hand on the classroom door, his mind was totally aware of just getting off the phone with Josh and that of his king brother's letter. James had to read the letter once more. As he had imagined of all that time change, the request made was altered. It wasn't realising trapped souls from the cities of undead. It was a request about sort out some lost looking hunters back on the island.
"Sir, I have a delivery." A box of bottles contained bad behaving Enders. The tome of universe lighter with 50 timeline disconnected from here. Those universes now comfortable to continue their stories without this Elder's influences.
There was a sense of pride in James knowing those Enders were picked back up from slow and harsh times. The sense of a leading house member whom was proud of their strange family.
"I need something to be signed in order to..." They were burnt to a crisp and snatched through a cut of time. No one had seen it or know of how loud it screams. A nuisance whom wanted claim of his powers and lock over his soul.
"Mr Jackson!" James walks in, "How do you write this?" He plays it cool in dropping into a teacher mode.
The minor moment of feeling the ashes pulling into his mock clothing and the ringing from that scream. In staying professional, he gives nod and helps the student. Lowering to share eye level and giving a read of the attempts.
He directs and explains as he needs but without all that personal information handed out. He give the whole class a few examples before excusing himself once more. Adding he was covered with the language department head and he had private business. He gathers what is needed from his desk and kicked the skateboard to hand.
He sees the mark he wrote with his own hands was still sort of there, going to transfer it off the board more. He does what he can without being strange to the class.
Out the door with a rucksack to his back. Jumps the board and skates himself through corridors, he never had to propel himself more. Just directing with magic by the pose of one hand, almost like playing a piano in the air. He jump tricks around any other walkers or obstacles like wet floors and signs. He show ID with a front door security guard, whom nods in seeing James pass. They have learnt thier lesson with telling a teacher off.
Out to open American urban streets, eyes glances at cars and street poles and cameras... most important detail. A well placed turn away onto a random yard is away from cameras and spell casts instantly to the USA MAC Branch.
In mock human shape and colour, he skates by this security like it was no business. The shopping mall wasn't going to stop a normal looking older teen from his shopping business. Suitably college mock age and with a suit outfit that made him look more privileged background.
"Do you think that he will show up at all?" Raven was making last notebook adjustments, "One the royals is mocking the living look and is pretending to be not dead."
He looks to Josh with side to side studying, not picking which side to study the man with. James kick flips past them both and slides a landing right past a bunch of gaurds. He had caught the skateboard in flowing motion. Stopping short with a bow to his brother.
"Philip, always with the unorthodox entries." Indicates to stand normal, "What would be your opinion of all of us visiting our parents?"
"Easy with the ancient trials of past gods and working out what new life our uncle became. I personally have no reasons to visit there. But it be worthwhile for you and everyone else. Might even find our missing few and totally died last week lot there." The current king gives a very uncomfortable expression with just how much that related to conversations happening away from James physical present at the time. This was just a summary of things James knew from time adjustment, as a god follower would have done in the same situation.
"Ah!" A demoness nearly fainted at seeing James here, worse had been hold perfect timing for the lord of omens to land on his followers shoulder. In the large eagle height and with glaring into the demoness screaming once again. The accomplishments of having the lass knocked cold and moved off by a hunter of oath.
"We will be heading off then, we let them know your still semi-around."
"They will know already. Just tell them time finds ways to snatch back. I can't be there to finish that conversation without that repeating again." James gives a bow as they fix up with gear needed for the trip. Leaving the mall seating area, the guards of the king stare uncomfortable with watching James.
Raven steps up, confused with something on his mind - he wants to ask but can't bring it out. Josh only nods James direction before continuing to follow the King's orders and helping other living siblings with any gear clips and covers.
"Ask Raven..." James softly speaks with watching them leaving, he could take his eyes away from his loved family.
"What exactly are you now?" Raven didn't want to ask this, but its what he managed to ask. James knew that this wasn't the question.
"It could have been any soul with enough torture and pain... and the inner resilience to face hard times. I just have the short straw. Anyone one in so much pain can become the ender." James answered the both questions. He could see that even the bird that looms on the shoulder held shares curiosity. This is often because some gods whom have trust in their followers can sometimes see into them, even to the core values the soul wishes. Not all gods do this as its a two way street, followers can sometimes see into the value of a gods soul back.
This lord of Omens and Raven have been around a long time, its due to the gods will to make Raven reborn into a bird and back a human. This was a granted ability for how well connected the two souls are with each other, no matter how differently acting their worlds are. In a weird way, the shared common opinion and have similar duties among their peers.
"If there was a circumstance where the universe was facing a problem, a soul or many felt it was breaking peace... this title of ender is handed to them. To power to prevent or broke rules, so you may bring things to a stable situation. Great powers have costs, and this one isn't different. Even law broken with this title is paid back to second you loss the title." James looks into Raven, a cold whisper of sense had just been shared by them both. It held a inward recall of events that never seemed to had happened. In reaction, Raven turns his chest away unconsciously. James blinks with continued his explanation, not acting on whatever react that was from Raven.
"Any memory of it is soul locked... not spell. I not surprised you wanted to ask. You're soul had once held that burden... a ender knows another. Even if they have no memories of each other or if one has lost the title." James looks to the bird, "I am glad you make him proud to work under you, Omens. Raven is a proud bird after all. He has proven many times his loyalty to your cause. Walked worlds he shouldn't to prevent the wrongs of others. I just hope you never betray that... because I seen that before. I am very much glad to forfill revenge if required again."
The god tilts with stepping away from James and Raven now being the protective shield.
"So what are you really?" Raven asks with preparation to attack.
"A soul wish granter. If I had to summarize everything that my whole being wishes most, it would be the happiness of all other souls. It must be the soul wish, not from the heart or mind. The title of ender is one granted to a suffering soul, as I explained. My off time space title share as a Final Reaper... I do what must be done for those other universes to have another chance. You asked whom I am in love with... Well... Admittedly it is any other soul, all of them. I would do this line of work if I held no love."
James gives a sad look. The two see he wasnt lie or being a threat to them at the slightest.
"I sometimes wish souls like you two would be more often. The ones whom want to listen to history, learn and grow. To take any opportunities to listen to any source that maybe." He checks a watch, "Looks like a fight between life and someone else now... I am sure the tome will ask for my summons." He drops the skateboard and kicked off, "Not everyone is visible is blind. Some just pretend to be mute." He passed a last little advice to them as he wheels away. He crutches to slip through a god followers door, crossing to another world.
"Raven, are you going with?" A agent among the group of royals shouts. A reminder of what he was meant to be doing. He had to hold on to those words for now, but there a sense of fear raising in him. Even in looking back to the direction James left. In a last check, he picks his things and walks with the rest of the group.
"We still have a lot to learn of each other, even if we thought we knew anything. Someone seems to show something else interesting about us." The lord of Omens coos in a wing over his beak.
The bird makes many twists, studies the environment of the strange energy and the connections of souls among the companies agents. It lowers in a hunch, staring at the royals whole stuck together, studying the energy flows that strengthens in their presence.
"Just what have the royals been in contact with?" whistling softly with straightens posing. Head above the rest, a eye always peering among the lower views.
The royals and MAC corporation felt it was wiser to not use up magic to travel to somewhere. There is a limit to how much a life and gathered energy can stretch.
They all were dressed as normal members of the public, going for a coach trip. It was for them a holiday as it was a ceremony to see their loved ones at the undead cities.
It jarring to see fame dressed in clothing you would fine in any high street store. Not even in sponsoring the labels, just wearing them. Rose was just speaking about this to her ex-boss, how causal and quite they are at not slipping words past just them. Not all of the mage nobility are aware of these royals freedom to walk around. The Damned around them was being extra sure to keep it that way.
Just another day for the tour operators located within this strange Mall of strange trade shares spaces. At least this trip is a honest one, not dirty payments on the side.