Colin's posts

"You saved ME." Zeke replied.

"It's clear you have the skills and mana to do it." he reasoned.

"You don't have to fight her if you don't want to." he then assured her.

"But if you want a future without her shadow looming over you, join us." he said.

"Join us in our fight against her." he continued.

"Even if just helping us with resisting her control."

"We intend to." Zeke responded.

"Not just us." he said.

"The Unit, The Council, The Triad, all those in Kiah's family and friends' circle... we're all going to do it." he told them.

"We've been planning this for a very long while, to be honest." he continued.

"Vanessa's been a thorn in all our sides for far too long. We're actively trying to find the right plan of action." he then said further.

"But we'll do it." he told her.

"If you would aide us even further, then it would be greatly appreciated." he then added.

Zeke was... stunned for a moment.

"...well... you're welcome." he replied.

"And thank YOU." he continued.

"You saved me from Encrae's clutches, AND convinced me to talk to Angela again." he told her.

"You've done so much for me." he went on.

"...this was the least I could do." he added with a warm smile.

Zeke was confused for a moment, but then nodded.

"Ahhh, I see." he said.

"That makes sense." he said further.

"And I didn't find him. Talon did." he then told her.

"See... when you helped me out, and cleared Encrae's influence, it seems like it was a two-way street. When you freed ME, you freed TALON as well." he explained. "And when he was freed, he made to escape... but saw Skylar there as well. And it was clear he wasn't happy, and that he was managing to fight off her influence... probably because of yourself." he continued.

"So, he managed to release him, and he escorted him back to the home that Angela and I share." he then told her further.

"He explained what was going on, who Skylar was connected to, so I figured I would bring him here." he finished with a smile.

"After all, one should never be separated from their familiar."

Aly just smiled, and made her way over.

She got onto the bed as well, and kissed Eke's cheek.

"It's all right." she said quietly.

"We're all here." she told him.

"Want someone to snuggle with?" she then asked.

She made her way through the building... almost on homing instinct... before bumping into someone.

Literally.

When she looked, she saw it was Zeke.

On one of his shoulders was a bird of prey, clearly his familiar.

On the other... another bird.

One that she recognised.

"Ayla!" it exclaimed, before hopping off of Zeke's shoulder, towards her.

Zeke blinked a couple of times.

"I... hm." he mumbled.

He then started to talk with Talon, before he paused.

"Oh?" he asked.

"Ohhhhh." he said.

"Ohhhh, interesting." he said further with a light chuckle.

-Some time later-

Ayla was in her dorm, doing something, when she suddenly stopped.

She felt something.

Something VERY familiar.

And it was VERY close. As in, she could sense it was in the building, close.

Zeke responded by making his way outside and looking around.

He narrowed his eyes, before raising an eyebrow.

"It is!" he exclaimed.

"It IS Talon!" he told them.

"...and... what...?" he then mumbled quizzically.

"There's something else." he said.

"He's got someone with him."

"She's got a point." Cain said.

"I know." Zeke responded.

"WERE you a willing victim?" Cain then asked.

This seemed to anger Zeke a little.

"I would NEVER be!" he demanded, sounding FAR more like his old self now.

Cain just chuckled lightly.

"Then there you go." he said.

"Looks like there's nothing left to do now, other than try and move on." he told him, shrugging slightly, shaking his head lightly, and smirking knowingly.

"....." Zeke was stunned silent.

And Cain just sighed.

"I shouldn't be surprised." he said.

"...come to think of it, neither should I." Zeke mumbled.

"...but all right." he then said to Liv.

"So you know." he said further.

"That's it? That's your response?' he then asked her.

"You're not... uncomfortable or scared to be around me, knowing what you know?"

Cain just laughed a little.

"Oh yeah!" he said.

"It's something I've been learning in my spare time." he told her.

"While I may not be able to experience eating as fully as... well, others... the act of making food is rather enjoyable, AND I can still appreciate the aroma of what I make, too." he explained.

"And if it makes others happy, even better." he added.

At the same time, Liv referred to Zeke as 'Dad' sent a metaphorical arrow through the nephilim's heart. How could he be called 'Dad' after what had happened, how he had been behaving?

"Ah... yeah..." he finally managed to get out.

"Sorry... sorry about not being here..." he apologised quietly.

Zeke just looked ashamed of himself, before they heard the door, and the footsteps.

And then he looked frozen with fear.

Absolutely terrified.

Cain just sighed lightly.

"Right." he said.

"I'd advise not looking like a deer in headlights in front of her." he told Zeke.

"Seriously. Poker face. ON."

Zeke's eyes widened when she asked that.

And he almost looked ready to die from fear at that point, before he collapsed on a chair that was nearby, and started to shake.

"...things." he said. "Indescribable things." he went on.

"Painful?" Cain asked.

"You can say that." Zeke responded.

"Mental, physical, emotional, what?" Cain asked further, trying to get information.

"...existential." Zeke told them.

"Eh?" Cain mumbled.

"Have you ever experienced being unborn?" Zeke asked him. "Which is to say, the sensation of being unmade? Of having your essence unwoven from your very core, your very being?" he asked further.

"...he... did that to you?" Cain asked in response, his tone quiet.

"He simulated it in my mind." Zeke corrected him. "It was as real as could be, without actually BEING real." he went on.

"And that was the FIRST thing he did..." he then mumbled, trailing off some at the end.

Zeke was stunned for a moment, the thought of that running through his mind.

There was no way Angela would attempt such a thing knowingly.

...right?

Cain, meanwhile, just shook his head.

"Nuthin'." he replied.

"But knowing you, you'll insist on something, so... I dunno, enough to order a pizza, and we're good?" he suggested.

"...I'm sorry, Cain." Zeke then apologised to him, out of nowhere.

Cain was silent for a moment, and looked at the man.

"Meh, s'cool." he replied with a shrug.

"I'm here, I'm alive, and it's like it never happened." he reasoned, thumping where he'd been injured with his fist.