Colin's posts

Francis just shrugged as he got closer.

Close enough to actually speak to them.

"Where does he fit in?" he asked.

"Simple." he said.

"He seems to be one of the things anchoring you to this plane." he told her.

"He shows how weak you're becoming." he smirked.

"Or am I wrong?" he asked her.

"Do you have the strength to leave him behind to save yourself?"

Francis smirked.

What do I want? Simple. he responded, as he started to slowly walk forward.

To have a little fun. he told her. Yes, yes, I could go on about wanting to fulfil the wishes of my mistress, but... might as well be honest here. he added with a shrug.

Besides, she knows that'd be a lie, anyway. I want to have fun, she wants you gone, different goals, same path. he added.

It was then that a rune started to glow under his feet, which caused him to falter for a second, but he quickly stepped out of it.

He then looked over towards the two of them and shook his finger, as if to say 'naughty, naughty'.

"Damn it." Lex cursed quietly.

"That worked for a second, but only a second." he said further.

"To be fair, she IS a live-in nurse, essentially." Ryker laughed.

"But she's gotten better with the hovering and stuff." he added.

"I like to think so, anyway." he then said further.

"And yeah, the nomadic lifestyle WAS pretty cool at time." he then admitted.

"There was something... I dunno... it was something one might read in a book, I suppose."

"....huh?" Lex asked.

"What do you mean?" he asked her.

However, before she could answer, they saw a very familiar figure about 10 metres before them.

And he had a cruel smirk on his face.

You can't run. he projected into her mind.

You're slowed down, and you have dead weight. Is he worth dying for? he asked.

And you'll also find your chaos mana quite... hindered. he then informed her.

Courtesy of your family.

Immediately, she felt something.

A thought entered her head.

It was nothing new. Escape. It was telling her to escape.

But it was now adding to that.

The boy is dead weight.

He's slowing you down.

You're standing out with him.

Leave him and save yourself.

...he'll understand.

"I think I can-" Lex started to say, taking a step... and then almost falling to the floor.

"Damn it!" he cursed quietly.

"I think something's really messed up in there." he growled.

"But... but I'll manage." he went on.

"Come on, let's..." he continued, before trying to hobble forward.

"Let's scram. Quickly."

Lex paused when she started looking around... and then it reached HIS ears as well.

"....oh." he muttered.

"Oh, shit." he said quietly.

"Lilim, we need to go." he told her.

"Quickly. Let's get out of here, and-" he started to say further, before he felt a sharp pain in his leg. One that almost caused him to fall to his knees.

"AH!" he exclaimed shortly.

"Damn it! What the!?" he asked, as he struggled to remain standing.

"Honestly?" Lex replied. "I don't get it, either." he said.

"Casey told me about it a couple of times, but I never really retained it, I guess." he told her.

"It's something I just can't grasp, I guess." he lamented.

"But it IS amazing." he agreed.

"Some of them almost look... alive." he commented further.

"Just... yeah." he mumbled.

"You can almost feel the passion in some of them." he continued, happy that Lilim had seemed to find something she was genuinely interested in.

"Ahhh.... hm." Lex muttered.

"Not... too much." he admitted.

"I mean, we have computers here for the internet, there's the TV and stuff..." he listed off.

"We can set up some outdoor sport stuff in the backyard, like lawn bowling or outdoor table tennis or whatever..." he continued, thinking about it for a moment more.

"Hmmm." he mumbled.

"I mean, I can't think of much else." he then admitted.

"All that's left is the small room downstairs that Casey sometimes uses as a studio when she's visiting." he told her. "When she gets a spark of creativity and needs to put it to canvas before she loses it." he chuckled.

Lex just relaxed in his chair.

"Good." he said.

"Maybe he'll give up, then." he told her.

"Well... he should have a limited time up here, so he'll have no choice." he shrugged.

"You're safe here, and that's what matters." he reasoned with a smile.

"At least that's something." he went on.

"You have a safe haven on this plane."

"....I'm not sure." Lex admitted.

"He'll know you're here. The barriers aren't stealth or concealing or anything." he said further.

"But if he doesn't show up, then we can assume he can't." he told her.

And sure enough... he didn't.

She could feel his presence... but only vaguely. As though he were close, but so very far away.

"Well?" Lex said to Lilim.

"Anything?" he asked her.

"....uh?" Lex muttered.

"What the...?" he started to ask, before shaking his head.

"Whatever." he said.

"Hey again." he greeted her.

"How did it go?" he asked.

"You don't look any worse for the wear." he then commented.

When she grabbed his ankles, yet another small bit of mana transferred from him to her.

But, sure enough, about a minute late, he was back. This time, approaching her from the front.

And so she sent him away again.

And again. And again.

However, with the latest sending away, a thought entered her head. It had been a small nagging thing before, but now she couldn't ignore it. It was clearly there now. And prevalent in her mind.

'This is pointless. You can't do this forever. Give up.

SUBMIT

As she pushed him, there was the faintest bit of mana that transferred from him onto her hands, but he was definitely gone when the tear closed.

And she was, indeed, alone.

But that didn't last long.

At all.

Mere minutes later, she felt his presence again.

"Well, THAT was pointless." he said from behind her.

"Have fun pulling that useless little stunt?" he asked.