Ilias bit his lip and looked away slightly.

"...damn..." he mumbled.

"Just... damn..." he sighed.

Meanwhile, Hazel was waiting at the door for about 5 seconds, before she heard him.

"It's open." he said, his voice barely audible.

When she opened the door and stepped inside, she could sense that there was an air of... despondence, once again.

"Turn on the light if you want." Ty told her, her being able to pinpoint his location, and deduce he was on the hideaway bed Hal had in the room.

"...right, ambient light means crap to you." Ty said.

"I... knew that." he mumbled.

"And thanks for bringing the stuff." he told her, before shaking his head at her statements.

"At my beck and call, huh?" he asked.

"Well... sorry that you have to deal with me." he apologised.

"I know I need all the help I can get, but... not sure HOW anyone can help..."

Ty flopped back down onto the bed, and sighed heavily.

"Right." he said.

"So." he muttered.

"How've YOU been?" he asked.

"How's life been for you recently?" he asked her.

"...recent developments aside."

Ty thought about it for a moment, scratching his chin slightly.

"Hm." he mumbled.

"What about one of the Fyrane boys you're friends with?" he asked. "I'm certain they'd be able to stop by from time to time and check in on them." he told her.

"There's also Miki, she might be able to." he went on, continuing to think about it.

"Both Jake and Ilias are on site, so they're out, sadly..." he mumbled.

"Oh, Azazel's been on vacation for a few days. Odds are HE'LL help with that." he then remembered.

"That's good, at least." Ty mumbled.

"And I don't know what's going on." he said.

"Everything's just crumbling, suddenly." he lamented. "Out of nowhere." he went on.

"And I don't know what I can do here." he continued.

"Or if there's anything that I even can do." he then said further.

"It's disheartening, to understate it."

Tyson sighed. Again.

"I know." he said.

"To say it's not easy is an understatement." he then mumbled.

"I'm frustrated, I'm anxious, I'm... ugh." he groaned.

"And I get the feeling it's just going to get worse." he went on.

"...for... various reasons..." he then murmured.

"...." Ty was silent for a moment.

"Ah... well..." he stammered.

"Just... I mean... reasons and things..." he went on.

"...all right, look you know I love Miki, right?" he asked.

"And I love her. With all my heart." he continued.

"But we cannot be together in ways that satisfy our physical needs... not without hurting her and causing her trauma from her emotional capabilities." he explained.

"And... I get lonely sometimes."

Ty paused again.

"I... I..." he stammered.

He then started to chuckle for a full 10 seconds, before sighing.

"You want to know something?" he asked.

"Miki was telling me the other week that, if I were to be with someone for physical needs, then it should be someone that we both like, are both friends with, and we trust, and would be willing to do so." he told her.

"You fulfilled every criteria, except the last one. And now you just filled THAT." he said further.

"...wait..." he then said.

"Wait, is... are you joking again? Or... or was that serious?"

"Oh, for the love of..." Ty muttered.

"Figures I'd screw this up. I always do." he said.

"I'm trying to say that if you are serious... and you WANT to... then... I would most certainly be willing to." he told her.

"And Miki would be fine with it, too." he continued.

"But only if you want to." he stressed.

"If you truly feel you could... be with me." he continued.

"And... be aware that my heart belongs to Miki, no matter what."

"...well, then." Ty responded.

"I think... that's all I need to... move forward." he told her, clearing his throat.

---

Zeke sighed as he finished running things around the medical wing, and then went to Angela in her office.

"Everything's been organised." he told her.

"Have you told the lab yet about what's going on?" he asked. "Maybe they can help." he reasoned.

"Or... have you already? Should we not?"