Colin's posts

"Ah... ah..." he stammered, tears flowing down his cheeks.

"NO!" he screamed.

"NO, STOP!" he yelled.

"YOU STUPID MANA!" he shouted.

"GIVE ME BACK RYLIE!!!" he yelled further, clutching at the chain link.

'No, no, no, no, no, stop. Stop, don't do this.' he repeated in his mind.

'Just go away, chain. I don't want you! I want Rylie back!' echoed in his head, before he threw the chain link against a nearby boulder.

"Ah... ah..." he stammered.

"RUN!" he then yelled.

"RUN! BEFORE IT HAPPENS AGA-" he started to warn her, but it was too late.

A violent black aura erupted from around him in a flame-like pattern... and runes started to spread out from him.

The same as before.

Although they only went a few meters out this time... she was right there.

Right beside him.

And they felt stronger than before.

".....I see." Ash replied.

"Okay then." he said.

"Then I guess-" he started to say, before pausing abruptly.

He then clasped at his sides, and fell over onto his back.

He groaned and moaned, obviously in pain, before rolling over onto his front.

"Agh... no.... no, what... no..." he said, still clutching at his sides.

Ash was silent for a moment, staring at his reflection still, and then putting his finger in the water, causing ripples to spread out, and breaking his reflection.

"...yeah." he said.

"You're right." he told her.

"Guess I just need to keep on living." he said further.

"But finish her off?" he then asked.

"I don't think I can do that." he admitted.

"I'm so weak, and she's so powerful..."

"I understand." Azazel replied.

"Take as much time as you need." he told her.

---

Ash sighed, looking at his reflection in the water.

"Yeah." he said.

"I guess." he told her.

"...still can't believe he's gone, though..." he mumbled.

"Again, neither of us do." he said.

"Just be there for him." he told her.

"The last thing he needs now is to be alone." he went on.

"He might feel alone, but he needs to know he's NOT alone." he continued.

"Beyond that... I just don't know." he sighed.

"Take every day as it comes, Rylie." he told her.

"It's how we've lived our existences thus far."

".......indeed." Azazel said.

"That's... that's going to be a tough pill to swallow." he lamented.

"And so young as well." he sighed.

"...makes me wonder how Rowena took it." he went on.

"Because I know she left. And I know she mana'd out." he continued.

"But odds are she left with a chip on her shoulder..."

"Yeah." Azazel replied.

"That's probably it." he said.

"Same as ME not being human." he went on.

He then sighed, and shook his head.

"That was nerve-wracking." he muttered.

"I was quite worried something was going to happen when she showed up here." he admitted.

Aly just sighed.

"I think this is something that the boys have to figure out for themselves." she lamented.

"Anything we try and do might possibly make it worse." she reasoned.

"If you try and do something, he might see it as further interfering. If I say anything, he may see it as my taking sides." she went on.

"I don't know." she admitted.

"1 or 2 people have." he replied.

"But I think they have a smidgen higher mana count in them than most, but not enough to make them a passive user." he explained.

"Rare. So yeah, not something people can handle." he smirked.

"Also, feel free to have as much as you like whenever you're here." he told her.

"I always have it stocked, and it doesn't move a lot." he laughed.

He just smirked.

"87 and 13." he told her.

"I can get away with serving it, as long as I tell them the numbers, and have them sign something saying there's no recourse against me." he said.

"It's great." he chuckled.

"As soon as the first number hits 100, I'm puttin' a sign up." he went on.

"I'll bet it'll be a challenge in time."

Aly just sighed.

"I'm not sure." she said.

"But I think Eke might be jealous." she told her.

"For the longest time, Ryker's attention has been completely devoted to him, and now there's another loved one in his life." she continued.

"I think he might be a little jealous." she reasoned.

"Odds are Eke gave Ryker a little lip, and he's off to blow off some steam."

Azazel just laughed.

"Ah!" he exclaimed.

"Perfect!" he said.

"Yes, that IS my intention with the name. Like the equivalent of it, yes." he confirmed.

"However, I also know that nectar can refer to something very sweet." he added with a shrug as well.

"But it's tasty? Good." he said.

"I'll have to remember that mix, then." he commented, before smirking.

"Do you know how many mortals have tried it, thinking they could handle it?" he then asked with a bit of a cruel smirk.

Azazel raised his eyebrow when she said the last part.

"Oh?" he asked.

"In what way?" he inquired.

"I'm trying to find the right balance between sweet and spicey." he continued.

"But I think I may have overdone it with the sugars." he then admitted.

"But yeah... just... do your best, Rylie." he finished quietly.