Colin's posts

"Ah." Vincent replied.

"No. No, I think I'm fine." he said.

"I don't like hanging around here. Too many people that don't like me around." he muttered.

"Regardless, we should meet up for lunch sometime." he suggested. "It's been a while." he said.

"And every so often, a brother and sister should spend some time together." he reasoned with a small laugh.

Rene's eyes widened when he heard that. That had NOT been the response he'd been expecting. Yes, he'd been expecting to be rejected, but not for THAT reason.

"Well, then I must be off, then." he said hastily.

"Lady Remmington, I bid you good day, and a pleasant afternoon." he finished, before scurrying off.

Vincent, having not heard the conversation, just stood where he was, looking QUITE puzzled at what he had just witnessed.

"It's possible." Rene responded.

"And yeah, mana IS unpredictable." he agreed.

"Regardless, yes, I WOULD like to study this, see if I can find the root of it." he told her. "Just to see if this is something to be concerned about." he reasoned.

"But anyway, moving on, am I done here?" he asked.

"Or do you require any further service from me?" he asked her, before pausing slightly.

"Here, or... elsewhere..." he added super quietly, as he grinned slightly, showing a hint of a mouth filled with razor-sharp teeth.

He was silent for a moment, before shaking his head, snapping back to 'reality'.

"Huh? Oh, no." he said.

"The test came out positive, and that's what matters." he told her.

"But that initial reaction was... puzzling... to say the least." he went on. "I've never seen it do THAT before." he admitted to her.

"I mean, yeah, in the end, it makes little difference. It proved what it was meant to, and that's the be all end all of this." he then reasoned.

"It's just... odd..."

"....I know." Vincent responded.

"Their trials have only just begun." he lamented.

"All we can do is hope for their future." he went on.

Meanwhile, Dr. Calder was standing off to the side, seemingly lost in the container that held the essences of both Desiree and Marcus. He looked to be concentrating on it intently.

"........hm." he mumbled to himself.

Vincent just sighed.

"...I... I couldn't just sit back and do nothing." he told her.

"...that child..." he went on, looking in the direction of Desiree and Marcus.

"That child has seen hell. She's been through abuse. But it's NOT at the hands of that man." he told her further.

"I could almost feel the sincerity in her words, and in her expression."

The man, Vincent, just nodded.

"Of course." he responded, as they left the room, with Desiree and Marcus embracing each other, looking like they would never break it.

Once they shut the door, he sighed.

"I hate some of the interrogators under your command, Hollie." he told her.

"I have as many misgivings towards hunters as the rest of the mage community, maybe more, but they had an end in mind, and they were going to drive it to that point." he continued.

"...I assume they'll be dealt with accordingly?" he asked.

Aly just leaned into him and smiled.

"That's one of the reasons." she said.

"One of the many MANY reasons." she expanded.

"I love you for you, including your cuteness." she went on, kissing him lightly on the nose.

"Always will."

He looked at her, and nodded, before stepping inside the room.

When he did, he saw Desiree, and couldn't help but smile as the weight of it all was lifted off of his shoulders... and his heart.

"...Desiree..." he said quietly, before starting to quickly make it was to her.

"Desiree!" he called out.

"Are you all right, sweetie!?" he exclaimed.

He nodded in response.

"I understand." he said.

"I am eternally grateful for the opportunity." he told her.

"I will do everything I can to show you that your faith in me is not misplaced." he then vowed, and she could tell he was sincere in his tone.

She could see the gratitude in his eyes.

Sheer, unmitigated gratitude. He looked ready to cry again, but for an entirely different reason.

"...th... thank you." he finally said.

"I can finally support my daughter properly." he said further.

"If you'll take me, I'll more than willingly accept." he confirmed.

"And you'll let me stay in Canada? I don't deserve such kindness..." he went on, his voice catching in his throat a little.

Aly got into the cab and smiled back at him, as the cab pulled away.

"It's one of the many reasons I love you." she said.

"And what to get?" she asked.

"Well, there's the place in town that has really good toasted sub sandwiches." she suggested.

"They DO deliver, too."

Again, he was silent, before looking at her.

"I..." he stammered. "I have SOME savings, but they will only last a few years at most." he told her.

"But... do you mean it?" he then asked.

"You'd be willing to give me a chance?" he asked further.

"...and, incidentally, yes, I can suppress it. I've learned how to ever since she was born." he then confirmed.

"......" the man was silent for a moment, before sighing.

"I am what I am." he said.

"And what I am breeds and fosters anger and hatred amongst mages and non-humans." he told her.

"I accepted the consequences of my 'gift' when I received it." he went on.

"But I don't even care any longer." he told her further, before pausing a moment.

"All I care about now, is protecting my daughter."