Colin's posts

Yuri responded to this by grabbing Aimee's arm... harder and rougher than expected... and pulling her to her feet.

"Excuse me." he said, his tone low and threatening.

"You are putting effort and time into finding a DEMON?" he asked her.

"A DEMON. A denizen of HELL." he went on, as archangel mana started to form in the hand that was holding Aimee's arm.

"....Dad!?" Zeke exclaimed, sensing it, though Aimee could FEEL it.

"You are actively helping the enemy!" Uriel declared, as the mana in his hand increased in intensity.

Zeke looked hopeful for a moment.

"Really?" he asked.

"Aunt Lilim might be there?" he asked further.

"...wait..." Uriel said.

"Wait, hold on a second." he said further.

"Just... how much time and resources have you put into looking for that demon, Aimee?" he asked Aimee.

Zeke looked ready to break down.

"Angela..." he said.

"I... well... I mean... she's..." he stammered, before biting his lip.

"She's trying to be strong." he said to her.

"But I don't know how bad she really is." he went on.

"Probably pretty bad." Uriel chimed in.

"Filthy succubi always have to leave their permanent mark."

"....." Zeke just silent in response, looking away some.

"Answer your mother." Uriel said, his tone impatient.

"...I don't know." Zeke admitted.

"What... what I did... I can't... I can't ever take it back..." he said.

"My body's fine." he then told her.

"But... but what about my relationship?"

Yuri just growled a little, but didn't say anything, as they entered the room.

They saw Zeke sitting there, and he was looking VERY guilty.

"......." they were all silent for a moment, before Zeke looked at them.

"....hi." he said.

"Guess you heard, huh?" he asked.

"Oh, we heard." Yuri assured him.

"Very well then." Yuri responded.

"Go do what you must." he told her.

He was then silent, before looking at his own hand.

'Hm. Odd.' he thought.

"Anyway." he then said to Aimee.

"Let's go talk to our son." he told her.

Erica got up from the cot as the conversation was being held, and took a few steps forward, before faltering slightly.

Before she could actually fall, though, Yuri extended his hand, and allowed her a grab it, steadying herself.

"Careful." he said.

"Ah, you're Erica, yes?" he then asked.

"Ezekiel's mentioned you positively in the past." he told her.

"Are you all right?" he asked her.

"My son's mentioned that your latest... 'mana acquisition'... has made things a little difficult for you. Are you holding up well enough?" he asked further.

"You certainly did." Ryker replied.

"You've come a long way." he told him.

"If you start fishing again, that'd be pretty cool too, I admit." he then said further.

"For now, what you brought's pretty much done, so we can actually eat some dinner now." he added.

"Indeed." Yuri replied, as they arrived at the med wing.

"Hmmm." he muttered, looking around.

"I can sense Ezekiel." he told her.

"Not sure if he'd be with Angela, though." he admitted.

"Who do you wish to find first?" he then asked Aimee.

"Our son, or Angela?"

Yuri was silent for a moment, before sighing.

"...I do, too." he said.

"Angela, specifically." he said further.

"Being influenced by a succubus is... well, it's not pleasant in the long run. You get one hell of a 'hangover'." he told her.

"Also, it was supposedly Roxanna, which is weirder still." he commented.

"From what I know, she keeps that side of her in check quite well."

Jake looked at the duo, and sighed as his tongue darted out briefly.

"Cool." he said, buzzing them in.

"He's in the med wing." he told them.

"Same with Angela, if you're wondering." he continued.

"Thank you." Yuri replied, a hint of impatience in his tone.

"....something tells me I wouldn't want to be Zeke right now." Jake commented.

Ash just nodded.

"Right." he said.

"Got it." he said further.

Rowena could easily tell he was scared. She'd not seen him THIS scared in a very long time, and it was... a bit concerning. But she needed to concentrate on helping him. He needed to try and control this, somehow.

---

The two of them approached the Unit building, a very familiar male and female... and the male was NOT looking happy.

"I can't believe this." he muttered.

"My son bedding down with a succubus." he grumbled further. "And while he's involved with someone!" he added.

"It's disgraceful." he growled.

Ash almost seemed scared of the idea of her touching his hands, as the earlier warning about not letting anyone touch him echoed through his mind... but he then realised it had been a VERY long time since his mother touched him that wasn't holding his hand or outright hugging him. Her hand had been nowhere near his chest or stomach for a very long while.

So he then took a deep breath, held it for a moment, exhaled, and slowly offered his hands.

"What's going on? I wish I knew." he said.

"But there's a weird handprint on me that I can't see. Not anymore, anyway... and Ilias at the Unit has one, too." he continued.

"Hazel saw them. And Ilias is acting all weird, like a stereotypical gorgon, and this is happening to me." he went on.

"She thinks they're connected."

"I'm... I'm not...!" Ash responded.

"I'M NOT!" he yelled at her.

"Mom, I can't control it!" he exclaimed.

"The rune just wants to break out! And... and I hear a voice!" he went on.

"A whisper telling me that it's meant to come out! It's who I am!" he continued.

"But I don't want the rune to activate! It keeps trying to on its own!" he exclaimed further.

"Mom, I can't stop it!"