Colin's posts

Ryker paused for a moment as Arissa ran her fingers through his hair... and both women saw him practically melt into a puddle of contentment, making weirdly happy gurgling noises.

"OooHhhHhhhhhHhh yeah..." he murmured.

"Yeah, that's nice." he said.

"That's REAL nice." he mumbled further.

Aly just giggled.

"Turned to butter." she said to Arissa.

Their conversation was ended, and Hal was notified about this.

Sur enough, within 5 minutes, he and Ayla were in the room, and Hal had gathered what she needed. Before she could really ask him how, if she wanted to, there was a burst of white mana, and an unconscious Zeke was now there.

And looking a bit worse for the wear, to understate it.

"...looks like his father gave him a right thrashing..." Hal mumbled.

"So. Let's see if you can help." he then said to Ayla.

"........" Uriel was silent for a moment.

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

"And he IS still alive." he confirmed.

"I'll send him there in about 5 minutes." he told her.

"Please let them know." he went on.

"....she just won't stop finding new ways to mess with us."

Ryker nodded.

"We did." he replied.

"We lived outdoors for the longest time, not knowing where we'd sleep next." he continued.

"For better, or worse..." he mumbled further.

"At least with THIS journey, it'll be more on OUR terms..."

Hal was confident he could get whatever she needed. He was himself, after all. Not much was outside his grasp.

---

Angela was waiting for about 7 seconds, before she got an answer.

"....yes?" Uriel responded.

"What is it?" he asked.

"Something more come up on this... son... of mine?" he asked further, venom in his tone when he referred to Zeke as his son.

"I will do that." Hal replied.

"Give me 5 minutes, and I'll make sure Interrogation Room A is ready." he told her.

"You remember where that is, I assume, so you can tell Uriel where to bring Zeke." he went on.

"Good luck." he then finished, before they ended the call.

Hal then looked at Ayla, and sighed.

"Come on." he said.

"We'll head to the room, and you can tell me if you need anything specific for this." he told her.

"I... well, to make a long story short, I have reason to believe that Zeke is acting the way he is, because Vanessa Encrae has his familiar, and is using it to influence and control Zeke." Hal immediately said.

"Ayla has said that she may be able to help, and get Zeke back to the way he was." he went on.

"But he needs to be brought here." he continued.

"Is there any way for you to... er... contact his father, and let him know?" he asked.

"Assuming Zeke's in any condition to even be... well... around?"

Hal did not like that idea, and it showed.

"Hm." he mumbled.

"I'll see what I can do." he told her.

He then picked up his phone, and called Angela.

"I don't rightly know where he is at the moment." he admitted to Ayla.

"But I know someone who might."

"...........hmmmm." Hal mumbled.

"I see, I see." he said.

"Interesting..." he muttered further.

"Now... that leads me to another question." he continued.

"Are you willing to try and help him?" he asked her.

"Hm." Hal mumbled as he read the tablet.

"It's true that there exists a very special bond between familiar and charge." he admitted. "It's feasible to think that mana could be involved in it." he admitted further, scratching his chin a little.

"So if we amplify it, you're saying there's a chance it could override Vanessa's invading connection, and restore the normal flow between them, thus eliminating the interference, and purifying them?" he asked.

"How would we do that?" he inquired.

"Is such a thing even possible?"

"I think that that might be for the better." Ryker responded.

He then gently held onto her hand a little more tightly, but it was nothing really noticeable.

"Hey." he said.

"I'll still keep in touch, though." he told her.

"WE will. BOTH myself and Eke." he assured the both of them.

"Even if just a few times a week." Aly commented.

Hal's expression darkened when he read this.

"Oh, no..." he said.

"No wonder he's been acting the way he has." he went on.

"He's become a puppet for Vanessa, via his familiar." he mumbled.

"Can you think of any way to help?" he asked her.

"Is there anything we can do?"

"A familiar?" Hal asked.

He then thought for a moment, before snapping his fingers.

"Ah!" he exclaimed.

"Yes!" he said. "He does!" he told her.

"An avian. A bird of prey. I cannot remember precisely WHAT, but it IS a familiar." he confirmed.

"Why?" he then asked her.

Hal made his way over and sat across from her.

"One of my agents has been acting... off." he said.

"Acting violently, and he's been conspiring against the Unit, compromising security and such." he told her.

"Some fae that a friend of mine knows said that there is elven mana in his system." he then went on.

"Tell me, is this something that Vanessa can do?" he asked.

"Which is to say, can the presence of her mana warp a personality like that?"