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"She had a...thing for X. More out of pity I'd imagine, but...I'm just afraid she'd try to leave and do something again. I really don't want her doing anything that would get herself killed." he replied.
That was only half of it though. He kind of wanted to make sure she wasn't mad at him or anything. She was one of the very few people he knew and got along rather well with from his childhood. He didn't want...this whole thing to end that. And he'd always had this wierd little sister kind of connection with Cantata. He knew he shouldn't, but he felt like he needed to make sure she was alright and taken care of.

Terragon paused for a moment and looked back at her. The what? He hated it when she talked in riddles like this. But...she was usually right when she said something. So...if the Spectre wouldn't be a problem, then that WAS less he had to worry about.

...still. He certainly couldn't relax too much. "I'd tell you to go have fun then...but I'm afraid of what all I'd have to clean up afterwards."

Terry's eyes widened just a bit. He'd caught the undertone of her words, and he still couldn't get used to the pecks or anything she did that was out of the usual. Plus...it didn't help that he still had...

"Now wait a minute. I said I would tell you to go play, but..." he said suddenly. He wasn't sure if she was still even in the room, but it was worth a shot.

Terragon groaned a bit and became quiet to think. No...but it didn't hurt to try. He couldn't really go chasing after her or anything right now.
Could he? Exo was here, and he'd been here and become friends with Cantata before X ever came into the picture.

"...I suppose I don't." he replied carefully. "But...if you do too much...I'm sure you don't want my father coming after you."

Terragon hesitated for a long beat, and he tried not to shiver. Ugh. What was it with people he had no control over having absolute terrors of mothers? Baara...Zira's mother...ugh.
He paused for another long beat, then sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "He has too much on his plate right now. Just...ugh. Please don't do too much?"

Terragon paused for a long beat. He couldn't tell if she had left, or was just being quiet. After another few moments, he rubbed the bridge of his nose and turned to continue down the hall. He was really, really starting to wish he had the ability to control time. Things were SO much simpler when they were all children.

He glanced briefly into each room as he passed. He found Cantata inside a half closed room. Sitting on the floor, legs curled up against her, a scowl on her face, and...seemingly making random things in the air around her just for something to do. She used to things like this when she was upset as a kid. Just making new things to occupy her thoughts or keep herself from hitting someone.
Deciding to leave her alone, Terragon continued through the hallway and down towards the kitchen. Now seemed like a good time to get himself a drink. A strong drink.

”Where are the remaining children now?” a man with a black crown asked from a corner chair.

”You’re referring to Balancer, Creator, and Lady Chaos, correct? For now, Balancer and Creator are on the planet and safe. Both resting and keeping a distance from Earth. We’re not sure how long it will be before Spectre returns for them, or if he will return for them. The Lady Chaos is…alive but her whereabouts unknown. As per usual.” Libran replied.

”What of our planet? Is it safe?” another asked.

”I believe so. The Spectre seemed only interested in those he viewed responsible for the Games. I don’t think he has any intention of harming our planet. If he does, the Arcanes have agreed to aid us in defending our planet as much as possible.” Libran answered.

”And what of the Games? Its been a tradition for so long…it will be difficult to convince the people that it will no longer exist. Especially at such sort notice.”

”Soleh, the Chooser, is taking care of that. I have…given her a new task. We will still have our games, but she will not be choosing contestants that will be fated to win or die. The planet Earth has something they call the “Olympics”. I believe creating something similar to it will be just as entertaining, if not more so for our people. We can still keep a traditional event, but there will no longer be deaths involved. And we shall try to keep contestants restrained to our planet and allied planets. Unless Sholeh finds contenders from other worlds that she may borrow for a short time, then send back.”

The table finally began to humm with quiet mummers after hours of uneasy silence.



~*~ ~*~~*~ ~*~~*~ ~*~~*~ ~*~~*~ ~*~




Exo didn’t speak to Cantata. Rather he just sat there patiently on the floor beside her as she finished her chocolaty alcohol. One…he didn’t know what to say. Two…he wasn’t sure anything he would say would be heard or anything. He was fine with just sitting there beside her in the dark room…in silence…with random floating objects that Cantata had made out of frustration.

Finally the fluffy head of black and purple hair turned, and a hazy lavender eye glanced over at him. She still didn’t say anything. Just sort of…stared at him. Not angrily, to his surprise. More like she was just kind of…thinking.
”Why do you still look like that?” she asked quietly.

”Look like what? The skull?” Exo asked, not sure if she was honestly asking…or was drunk from just that little glass. He couldn’t remember the last time she had alcohol. So…she might not be able to handle it well for all he knew. And he did put some extra “proof” in it.

”Yeah…” she replied. ”You have a real face…and hair. I know you do. Why don’t you walk around how you should.”

Exo grinned. ”Because there was a petite little girl who thought it was funny looking.”

Cantata grinned a bit herself. ”Exo. That was years ago. I was a child.”

”And it made you smile. Not only did it make you happy, but it kind of unnerved Thorn every now and then.”

The girl giggled and sat up, unbending her knees so her legs were straight out on the ground. ”He was such an a**. And you were always so sweet. Putting up with me until I got older.”

”Of course I did. How could anyone say no to a cute little thing like you. You asked me to marry you when you turned seven.”

Cantata laughed outright. ”I can’t believe I said that. So freaking naïve. You did turn me down pretty gently though. Told me you couldn’t till I got older.” she giggled, then grew quiet for a moment. ”But then…when I did get older…”

”Then Xaio came into the picture.” Exo replied, his tone a little less cheerful.

Cantata grew quiet and stared at the floor. ”What can I say? I guess I just…felt so bad for the guy. Of all the things I can create, I couldn’t make a way for him to get out from Thorn’s thumb. I just…wanted to try to be there for him. Like you and Terry had been there for me. Then when Alcina came back…and X had to deal with the new rule to the curse Thorne had made…I guess I just…”

”Thought you could replace Alcina enough to make it easier for X to deal with.”

”Yeah. Then I guess…we both just got used to the whole thing. I know…I know that it’s not really X anymore. I know that he rejected the better part of himself to try and distance himself from what he was doing and Alcina. I know he’s not the same person I met before…but…I still feel like I need to help him. Yeah, it’s the ‘bad’ X that I’m wanting to run off and defend, and he probably deserves whatever will happen…but I just feel like I’m one of the only people who knows what’s really going on with him, and I can at least try to help him.”

”Right now you just need to worry about helping yourself, Tata.” Exo said gently.

Cantata became quiet again, still focused on the floor. After a moment, a hand reached over and gently laid itself on her shoulder. Cantata glanced over at it, and found pale fleshy fingers rather than twig-thin bones. She smiled a bit and glanced over at Exo. A rather human face was now looking back at her rather than the cartoonish skull with gaudily fluffy plumes. Black eyes were looking back at her, the corners slanted and marked with bright eyeshadow. The large gem was still center of his forehead, but the plumes it had held were now much smaller and hanging from the back of his blonde and green tipped hair. Long beaded strips also hung from his hair, similar to the ones Cantata wore in her hair. His ears were heavily pierced, and long bands ran from the center of his nose, to some of the piercing. His neck was layered with jeweled and beaded necklaces. And under his cloak, was a blue outfit that was made out of fine material only his nobility would wear.
Cantata stared at him for another moment, then smirked. ”You know…I think I remember now why you kept the skull form I made up for you.”

Exo grinned. ”Because people tend to stare more at my nose than they do my wheel?”