Colin's posts

".....all right." Ash responded as he stood up.

"I'll do that." he told her.

"........" he was then silent, before shaking his head.

"All this crap. Why." he mumbled.

"No reason." he then answered himself.

"Guess life is just shit at times."

Ash just continued to hold Terra close to him... before his grip relaxed, and he just went slightly limp.

"I mean... you needed me to make a decision when I literally couldn't." he said.

"...hated that feeling." he muttered.

"....and at least the road that was forced upon Ashley and I ends with her surviving." he went on, before pausing.

"And you're not sure how she'll be, mentally? That's concerning." he mumbled.

"That's... ominous." he sighed.

"All I can do now is wait. Take this as it comes, and deal with it. And try my best to help Ashley."

"............." Ash was silent, and suddenly he felt like there was no need to scream.

He just wrapped his arms around her, and held her close, tears streaming down his cheeks.

"...I needed to make a decision..." he said quietly.

"But I couldn't. Something was literally holding me back from making a decision." he went on.

"That feeling was horrible. I'll never forget it." he continued.

"Now I don't even know if the right thing happened. I can't even own the decision that was made here." he told her.

"What's going to happen to her, Mother Gaea?" he asked.

Ash remained silent for a moment, before collapsing to his knees.

"....yes." he said.

"Wait, no." he then said further.

"I don't know." he told her.

"I just hope the mana that was inside me hasn't fucked all of this over." he went on.

"You were asking me to make a decision when forces beyond my control were making me obedient and agreeable to everything." he continued, falling to his hands now.

"I have no idea what's going on, I have no idea what's been happening to Ashley, I have no idea what the possible consequences are for whatever it is you just did, and I feel like I want to scream my head off!" he then exclaimed.

Ash just stood there, watching.

He didn't make any kind of move, didn't even seem to react at all.

But that was just on the outside.

Inside, he was fretting and worrying and wanted desperately to go to Ashley. He had no idea what was happening, and he was honestly scared.

All he could do was trust Terra, even if that was being forced upon him at the moment.

He would have trusted her anyway, but it felt horrible to have the mana inside him holding him back.

Ash remained silent, nodding as he did so.

"...whatever is best for her." he said, referring to Ashley.

"Or what you think is best, anyway." he then added.

"This all seems very confused and complicated, but whatever you say is best, is best." he went on.

"Do what you feel you need to." he said in an agreeable tone.

Ash followed her obediently, listening to what she said, stopping when she stopped.

"I understand." he said.

"I defer to you." he told her.

"You seem to know what is best." he went on.

Inside, he was screaming.

Ashley was hurting, but what was Terra talking about? What did she mean?

He wanted so desperately to speak his mind, and even though he was feeling more like himself... something was still holding him back.

Hal looked very confused now, and shook his head.

"I am even more confused and concerned now." he told her.

"But I will get him here ASAP." he then said.

With that, he left to go do so, and about 10 minutes later, Ash showed up where she was.

"Hello." he greeted Terra.

"I have been told you wish to talk to me." he said.

"And that it involves Ashley." he added.

"....." Hal was silent, thinking for a moment.

"Then you're going to want to speak with Ash Fyrane." he told her.

"He's her husband." he said. "Or... is he? I cannot remember if they're married. Point is, he's her significant other." he said.

"I'll call him and ask him to come here." he went on.

"I assume to direct him right to here?" he asked.

"Oh, and fair enough on Agent Az. At least I know what's going on with him." he then added.

After about 2 minutes, Hal arrived where Terra was.

"I knew that alarm was about you." he said.

"Thankfully I stopped the security team from going on red alert." he continued.

"Regardless, what's happened?" he asked.

"Is Ashley all right?" he asked her.

"And where is Agent Az?" he asked further.

"....." Azazel was silent, before shaking his head.

"No, Ma'am." he said.

"No questions." he told her.

"Level this place to the ground and make sure nobody escapes. Got it." he went on.

"You... you go take care of Ashley." he finished, getting to his feet again.

With that, he removed the ring once more, and cracked his neck.

"Guess I have some work to do." he finished, cracking his knuckles.

"....." Azazel was silent upon hearing the explanation.

"...damn it." he cursed.

"She was playing the long game, here." he muttered, shaking his head, before pausing.

"Right, that last part is extremely worrisome, but a thought just occurred to me." he then told her.

"That Chris guy outright suggested Ashley coming here, right?" he asked. "Do you think he planned this?" he asked her.

"Was he a part of this plan all along?" he asked further.

"Because all this seems a bit... too coincidental." he then added, sounding suspicious of Chris.

Aly nodded and disappeared from the room. She was gone for about 8 minutes or so, before returning with two large glasses of milkshake. One looked chocolate, and the other looked strawberry.

"Here." she said, handing him the chocolate one.

"Chocolate peanut-butter." she told him with a smile.

"Should hold us over until the Chinese food gets here."

Azazel just leaned against the wall and sighed heavily, satisfaction in it, before sliding down to his ass, and putting the ring back on, giving him the appearance of being human once more.

"Mmmm, yes." he replied.

"That's been meaning to get out for a while now." he admitted.

He then shook his head, and brought himself back to reality.

"Right. Ashley." he muttered.

"What's going on with her?" he asked.

"What's happening, and how can it be fixed?" he asked further.