Colin's posts

"........" Chris was silent for a moment, before nodding.

"Sure." he replied.

He then paused briefly, and was silent.

"I just... need to remember." he said.

"Which is to say, I can picture WHERE it is, I just need to... keep expanding outwards until I know where that place IS." he reasoned.

"She's... extremely careful with security, to put it one way..." he mumbled.

"...my entire life has been being used." Chris responded, speaking far more candidly that even Serenity could have expected.

"Even my sisters used me for my mana when I was younger... I guess I thought that that's what love was. At least, when it was shown to me." he went on.

"...damn it." he then cursed quietly.

"I... just... I never thought it would take something like this to make me see the truth." he told her.

"I never thought I would be the reason for her death." he mumbled further.

".......I've done horrible things in my life." he suddenly said out of nowhere.

"I'm reasonably sure that Hell is what my future holds." he went on.

"...is there any way I can even begin to try and make up for the horrors I've helped bring upon everyone?" he then asked Serenity... and she could tell that he was actually sincere in his question.

"........." Chris was silent, before sighing once more and looking forward, as though staring into space.

"I screwed up. Big time." he told her.

He then bit his lip, and regaled to Serenity what he had attempted to do. What had happened, what went wrong, how Vanessa had reacted, what she had done in response, and the image that haunted his subconscious.

"...now I know what it means." he said quietly.

"It means... she never loved me." he went on, a few tears streaming down his cheeks. "She never loved me, never would. No matter what I did for her, no matter how hard I tried... it would never be enough for her to see me as little more than a tool." he went on, before gritting his teeth together.

"I'm a fool. A complete and utter fool." he said.

"What do I have to live for now? What is there left for me?" he asked aloud, mostly rhetorically.

Just as he looked at his empty mug, he heard Ryker call to him.

"Eke! Aly!" he said.

"Emergency meeting! Now!" he told them.

"....okay, maybe not an emergency, but still important!" he then clarified.

"Just... meet me in the kitchen!"

After about 30 seconds, Chris's expression softened, and he relaxed, before opening his eyes.

"...hm?" he mumbled.

"What the...?" he asked, looking at Serenity.

"Who...?" he started to ask her, before it seemed to come to him.

"Wait..." he muttered.

"Oh, I see." he then said, sighing heavily.

"I suppose it was only a matter of time, wasn't it?" he asked. "Though I admit, I didn't expect to see you in a form like THAT." he admitted.

When Serenity made her way into the room, she saw Chris on the bed.

He was laying on his back, and seemed to still be unconscious.

However, there were slight stirs from him every few seconds.

Odds were he was either just waking up, or he was having a rough time while unconscious... possibly nightmares.

Regardless, his expression was a bit on the stressed side, and she could see vague hints of deep sadness.

Hal shook his head.

"I do not." he replied.

"As I said, I will leave you to Jenkins." he told Serenity.

"Thank you for showing up on such short notice." he then thanked her.

"And I wish you luck in dealing with him." he finished.

"Whatever the result, please let me know." he then added, before sighing quietly.

"...I hope he's willing to help." he mumbled.

"Otherwise, I have a strong feeling the world may very well be screwed."

"..." Hal was silent.

"Well, you deal with mental and emotional wellbeing, yes?" he asked.

"I'm sure Miss Terra is exhausted after all that." he went on.

"And while you are an elf, yes, you are also a member of The Order." he went on. "Which... I mean, I assume it would exist separate to the Earth." he then reasoned.

"I just thought you could use your other-realm abilities." he shrugged. "If nothing else, let her have a clarifying and rejuvenating nap." he finished.

"Regardless, I'll leave you be to deal with Jenkins."

".....Syraene!?" Hal exclaimed.

"That's... really you?" he asked.

"......so THAT'S what Kalin meant when she said your hands would be too small to answer the phone, yourself..." he then clued in, remembering what Kalin had said over the phone.

"...also, I believe I remember you telling me that about the draydin boy." he commented to Terra, before looking towards Serenity.

"Well, I have more questions about your current... form... but they can wait." he told her, before taking a deep breath, and explaining the situation on hand... about Chris, about what had happened, and about Terra.

"Do you think you can help Terra... Gaea... however she wishes to be referred?" he asked her.

"And is there anything you think you can do regarding Jenkins?"

"........" Hal was silent, seemingly dumbfounded.

"Right." he said.

"Hold on, hold on, hold on." he muttered.

"I have... SO many question right now, but I think I can simplify them all into "what the bloody HELL is going on!?"..." he then told them. "But let's break that down a little..." he then said, clearing his throat.

"Firstly, you two know each other?" he asked.

"Secondly, what are you two talking about?" he asked then further.

"Thirdly, we've met before?" he asked Serenity specifically.

"And lastly, WHO are you???" he then asked her further.

"I mean... I can sense the mana off of you, and I know what my senses are telling me, but... let's see if your answer confirms what I'm thinking." he then added.

"T-t-tonight?" Ryker stammered, before mentally clearing himself.

"...sure." he said.

"Yeah, sure. Why not." he said further.

He then paused for a moment, thinking about something.

"But... uh, before we go, I should do something." he told her.

"I need to warn Eke and Aly about... not doing anything too intensive in the bedroom." he said further.

"Just so they know."

"...." Ty was silent as he heard the darkness in her tone, before sighing.

"I understand." he said.

He then clammed up, not wanting to push it any further... and because they'd arrived at Sharp's office.

He was let inside, and Hal looked confused when he saw them.

"...Agent King?" he addressed Ty.

"Agent Sharp." Ty responded.

"She's here to see you." he added, setting Serenity down in one of the empty chairs.

He then excused himself, said farewell to Serenity, and left the three of them to discuss.

Why is this 8 hours silent?

Come on peoples, she does wunnaful art!

"......." he was silent, before relinquishing control back to Ryker.

"Ah, I..." he stammered, before sighing.

"Right." he said.

"Seeing... as you're interested... and I am as well... WE are..." he went on.

"Would... you consider taking this somewhere?" he asked.

"Like... for dinner or something?"