Colin's posts

"...." Alex was silent as he saw this.

"Right." he said.

He then got closer and grabbed the clasp in his fingers.

'...here goes...' he thought, before putting his mana into it to try and break it.

And he did. Easily. VERY easily, in fact. The whole thing just crumbled and dissipated as soon as he put his mana into it.

He would have marvelled at how easy that was... but Madison's presence was now even MORE overwhelming, and it startled him.

'...oh.... oh wow...' he thought.

Alex's jaw almost dropped when he heard that.

"I... what?" he asked.

'All right, I don't know what that thing does, but it has to GO.' he thought.

"Right then." he said.

"I...yeah, I don't like that." he told her. "Just the thought that you're being forced to wear that is awful." he went on.

"Do you want it off?" he asked her.

"And if so, will you let me try and help you take it off?" he asked further.

Alex just smiled.

"Don't apologise." he said. "There's nothing to apologise for." he told her.

"I know this world is filled with people that hurt others, or people that don't care about others, or wouldn't lift a finger or bat an eye towards people in need, but you've been lucky." he continued.

"You've stumbled upon someone that genuinely cares, and is willing to do whatever it takes to help you." he added with a smile.

"...." he was then silent as he noticed the choker around her neck. Something about it seemed... not right to him. It didn't sit well with him for some reason, though he couldn't put his finger on it.

"By the way, interesting piece of fashion, there." he commented, gesturing to it.

"You like chokers or something?" he asked.

Alex was silent for a moment, before laughing.

"Girlfriend?" he asked.

"No, no, no." he said.

"Sister." he told her.

"My sister and I live here together." he continued.

"I don't have a girlfriend." he went on.

"But yeah, she should have no problems with it." he then said.

"She likes to help people, too."

The man sighed as well.

"Name's Alexandre LeBlanc." he introduced himself.

"People call me Alex. Or just Lex." he added.

"As for whether you stay here or not... well... you obviously cannot go back to where you came from. I get the feeling that that would be a VERY bad idea." he commented.

"But I might know someone that can... make it so that you're legally living here, as my ward." he continued.

"For now, though, I think it's all right for you to stay here so you're not out in the streets."

"Why... what?" he asked in response. "Why am I helping you? Why do I care?" he asked further.

She just nodded.

The man then sighed deeply.

"Because I know the struggle of being left to fend for yourself. Without parents that care for you." he answered her.

"Granted, it's not the exact same situation. My sister and I were all we had. But we had each other. And we lived on the streets like urchins for... well... too long." he admitted.

"Eventually we were found by a kind man that took us in... gave us a home, food, comfort, warmth... things we didn't have." he went on.

"And... we all agreed that the best way to pay him back would be to... pay it forward." he continued.

"So I'm going to show the same kindness that I was shown so long ago. That, and I can't stand the thought of you being lost and alone here, especially when it's on a foreign continent, let alone country..." he then muttered.

"....." Ryker was unsure as to what to say here.

"I... yeah." he said.

"Yeah, I've been told that." he said further.

"As for mating for life and living a long time... yeah, well, got that covered." he muttered.

"Seems I'm going to stop aging when I hit 30."

Again, the man was stunned.

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

"Wow." was all he said.

He didn't know what else to say here, so he ended up making some awkward small talk with her, before bringing her the sandwich he'd made... and made sure it was a little fuller than he'd usually make it.

"Here." he said.

"Oh, one more thing." he added, before disappearing again and coming back with a plate of home-made madeleines he'd made a bit ago.

"Here you go."

That answer almost caused him to drop everything he was doing.

"....2 days!?" he exclaimed.

"...wait, locked out!?' he exclaimed further.

He then sighed, took a deep breath, held it, and let it exhale slowly.

"....calm... calm..." he mumbled to himself.

"All right..." he went on, before continuing what he was doing.

"Where... where are your parents...?" he asked her.

He wouldn't lie to himself, that statement alarmed him.

"........uh.... right." he said.

"Sure thing." he told her.

The first thing he did was give her a tall glass of cold water with ice in it, before starting to make up what he said he would.

"...how long had it been since you've eaten?" he asked.

He was almost scared to know the answer right now.

"I'll speak English then." he replied.

"Come on, let's go downstairs." he told her.

The two of them then made their way downstairs, and towards the kitchen.

"Hmmm." he mumbled.

"How about a nice croque-monsieur?" he asked.

"It's simple, quick, and I have some VERY good cheese for it." he told her.

"And what do you want to drink? Water, milk, or juice?" he then inquired.

"...I... ah..." the man stammered.

"I... I see." he said.

"Well, I mean... why are you here?" he asked.

"Which is to say-" he then started to ask further, before pausing and sighing.

"Would it be better if I spoke English?" he asked, switching to the language in question.

"And would you mind answering a few more questions for me?" he asked further.

"Over something to eat or drink if you like?"

"...." again, he was silent for a moment.

"Uh, hey." he said.

"Hold up." he told her.

"Are... are you okay?" he asked.

"You seem a little... nervous? Scared? I dunno, something seems wrong." he commented.

"Where's your home?" he asked her.

"I can help you get there if you need it." he offered.

"........." the man was silent after she'd gone up to do her business.

He sat down in one of the chairs that were nearby, and thought about it.

"....hm." he mumbled.

"I felt... immense power from her." he said.

"For one so young..." he continued, before looking up towards the ceiling.

"......" again, he was silent, before getting up and making his way upstairs, to the bathroom door, and knocking lightly on it.

"Everything all right in there?" he asked through the door.