Colin's posts

Ash was stunned to the point of his jaw practically dropping.

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

"Wow." he said.

"Guess... that shows just how much of a newbie I am in my new position." he went on, scratching the back of his head, and knowing that she would know what he was referring to.

"I didn't know that that could even be a thing." he continued.

"But all right. It's clear you know who this individual is." he then commented.

"Who is it?" he asked.

"A BLOC-" Ash started to exclaim, before Emelie hushed him. This was still a medical wing, equivalent to a hospital, and people were trying to rest here. Volume levels needed to remain low.

"A blockage!?" Ash repeated in a sort of whispered exclamation.

"But... but how?" he asked.

"You're... well... you're you." he said, not wanting to reveal too much to those that shouldn't know. "There's... well, there isn't a whole lot that can stand up to you, to understate it." he went on.

"How is a blockage even possible?" he asked her.

"Who has that kind of power?"

Ash just nodded.

"Right." he said, jumping through the portal.

When it closed behind him, Lindsay sighed.

"All right, let's talk." he told her.

Sure enough, on the other side of the closed portal, Ash was not feeling the best. However, he completely pushed it aside and looked around. Indeed, he was in Emelie's office, indeed, he was alone, and indeed, there was a note.

He grabbed it and read it, the paper telling him that she had been expecting him, and that she could be found by the large windows... which was usual for her.

He pocketed the paper, and left the office, making his way to the location in question, finding the woman in question.

"Emelie." he said when he was close enough.

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

"...ah. Indeed." Lindsay agreed, as Ash hastily came into the room.

"All right, I'm ready!" he told Sydney.

"Let's go, let's go, let's go." he said to her.

"She's sending you alone." Lindsay told him. "She wants to speak with me while you're there." he said further.

"All right, whatever." Ash responded.

"Sydney, just portal me." he told the vampire.

Lindsay was silent, thinking for a moment.

"Well, tell me." he said.

"That way I can process it and possibly help HIM process it when he learns it." he reasoned.

"....hm." he then mumbled.

"Yeah, I think that makes the most sense." he said with a small nod.

"But if you'd rather wait, I completely understand. This is a... very delicate situation, to put it lightly."

"....she can't fix her?" Lindsay asked.

"Such... such a thing is possible?" he wondered aloud.

"Wait, someone is BLOCKING it???" he then asked her.

"........." he was silent now, taking in that statement, letting it stew in his mind.

"Ah... who...?" he stammered. "Who... could DO such a thing...?" he asked, before shaking his head.

"It makes no sense..."

"The quicker I get there, the better." Ash responded.

"So while I scramble to get ready to leave, you can tell my brother what's up." he said further.

"As for the lift back to the guild, I'll take you up on your offer." he then told her, getting up off the bed. "Your portals are a lot more precise than my teleportation." he reasoned.

"But yeah, I need to... get dressed. Make sure I have everything." he finished, his tone a bit unsure. But Sydney knew what it was.

He was concerned, he was confused, he was doing everything he could not to turn this into a massive production.

"I'll meet you upstairs when I'm ready." he then finished.

After a minute or so, Aly came back with a glass of water and a tablet.

"Here." she said to Eke.

"Take this tablet and drink the water." she told him.

"It'll feel fizzy in your mouth and stomach for a moment, but it should start to help soon after." she went on.

"It's okay." Ryker said.

"You just had something that disagreed with you." he told him.

"Aly's whipping up something to help with that, you heard her." he went on.

"It was an honest mistake, and it'll be taken care of." he continued.

"For now, just try and hold yourself together, yeah?"

Ash was stunned silent.

He couldn't believe what he was hearing.

"Ah... no... no way..." he muttered.

"I... Emelie couldn't fix her completely? I... I never thought I would hear those words." he admitted. "I'm used to her choosing not to fix things completely, to 'encourage' downtime and rest, but... her being unable to?" he went on.

"...unheard of. And immensely worrying." he continued.

"I... I..." he then stammered, before looking at Sydney, meeting her eyes.

"Thanks for telling me." he said.

"I... should go see her." he finished.

Ash was about ready to ream Sydney a new one... when her words caused him to freeze.

"Wait, what?" he asked.

"She did? When?" he asked further.

"Where is she?" he asked her, looking around, before pausing.

"Wait..." he mumbled.

"The fact that you're here, and she isn't... and the fact that you felt the need to wake me up like this... both indicate that this isn't a joyous or positive news delivery." he commented.

"What's happened?" he asked her.

"Is Ashley all right??" he then asked further, concern growing in his tone.

"Indeed." Zeke agreed.

"He's the key to all this. He's our best lead on Encrae right now." he reasoned.

"I just hope he can be useful." he then muttered further.

---

Lindsay's eyes showed his surprise when he saw who it was.

"Sydney?" he asked.

"Something up? You usually don't end up coming for him for something." he commented, before shaking his head.

"Right, you need Ash? I'll grab him for you." he told her.

"Where are going to be? Den? Here? Elsewhere?" he asked.

"I... hm." Zeke muttered.

"As far as Talon goes, perhaps she thought that having access to a Nephilim... one that's the spawn of an archangel... would be beneficial?" he suggested, trying to think up a reason.

"And as for Corvo, you have to admit, he's an oddity, and a fascination." he then said. "I mean, a familiar that came back to life when their charge did? That has to be a rarity, and worth examining." he continued.

"As for how they got free... maybe they became a liability?" he offered.

"Maybe since the others were freed, she thought them being there compromised her security and location?" he suggested further.

"We can always have them scanned for abnormalities." he then said, causing Talon to screech briefly.

"I DO trust you. But we never know when it comes to a dark elf. Especially Encrae." he reasoned, which seemed to satisfy the eagle.

"Hmmm, maybe." Zeke responded.

"Or... yeah, hm. Terra may be the best, here." he muttered.

"Not sure if this falls under alchemy... or necromancy... or something else, entirely." he then admitted.

"I don't think something like this is a common occurrence, to put it lightly." he went on with a small laugh.

"I guess he's been looking for you ever since he was revived, but wasn't able to really locate you. I guess the death and revival made your guys' connection all... static-y?" he continued, trying to find the right words for it.

"And I guess Talon here, knowing that if he were to find me, he'd find YOU, led him back here with him." he added.