Colin's posts

The man was obviously flustered. He was stressed, sad, angry, and confused. He suddenly found himself separated from his daughter, and it seemed like these people wanted to make it permanent.

To say this was taking its toll on him would be understating it.

"I keep telling you!" he said to those that were questioning him, exasperation in his tone. "I was with her because she is my daughter!" he protested.

"My biological daughter!" he insisted.

"Why do you not believe me!?" he asked them, trying his best not to let his anger get the better of him.

There was still sorrow in his eyes. He knew that his words probably didn't reach her. Not all of them, anyway. He knew this. But he knew he wanted to help her.

He HAD to help her.

He then dug a small pad of paper and a pencil out of his pocket, and wrote something on it, before handing it to her.

I'll make sure you have everything you deserve in life. I promise I'll protect you from here on out. it read.

'I may have done you wrong up until now. But I'll change that, I swear.' he mentally vowed.

Her father was silent, biting his lip slightly, before he leaned in and gave her a hug. He held her close and brought his face close to hers, almost resting his chin on her shoulder. He held it for a moment, before making it so she was looking right at him again.

"I waited too long." he said.

"And it came to this. I should have seen it coming. Maybe I did. But I hoped it would get better. It didn't. I'm so sorry." he told her further.

"But you're safe now." he continued.

"I took you away from them. You didn't deserve what they were doing to you. Please... please forgive your father." he added, near tears once more, as he'd been crying earlier.

She sat in her confusion and fear for a few minutes, before she saw the door open slowly. A figure then stepped through, and it was one that was probably the best she could have hoped for here.

Her father. He stood at about 6 feet tall, and had a fit build, though his loose clothing hid it decently. His own strawberry blonde hair matched her own, though he had a different eye colour than her... mostly.

He looked haggard and tired, and his eyes were a bit red, with dark circles under them, but he made his way over towards her.

"...Desiree..." he said when their eyes met and he was right up close to her.

"I'm sorry." he apologised.

"I let it come to this... and I shouldn't have." he said further.

"Are you all right, Honey?" he asked, guilt and sadness in his eyes.

"All right then." her father responded.

"We're off." he said when she got close. He took her hand, and they disappeared in a burst of mana.

Off to OLA.

Off to uncertainty.

Off to her future.

"It is." Hal replied.

"We need to teleport to the receiving area of OLA, where we'll meet with Leo and Dr. Calder, and make sure everything is ready." he told her.

"You ready to go?" he asked.

"We have a LITTLE bit of time, but arriving early is always a good thing."

"It would be best if I contacted you directly." Rene responded.

"Unless I should go through your father, first." he added.

"This is all about HER." Hal replied.

"Very well." Rene responded.

Time passed, Rene had given Lunet a date and a time, summer break had arrived, and the day had finally come when she was to go to OLA for her procedure.

Hal made his way to her bedroom door, and knocked on it.

"Sweetie, you awake?" he called in.

How's it smell?

"....." Aly was silent, before sighing.

"We can go look at cars, yes." she said.

"Odds are Ryker wants to do so within the week, actually." she added.

"However, given how you appear to be sneezing, perhaps we should cab home?" she then suggested.

"It wouldn't be expensive, and it would get you home a lot quicker." she reasoned.

"I'm fine with that." Hal said.

"I am, too." Leo chimed in.

"Excellent." Rene responded.

"I'll head back and figure out a more specific date." he told them. "I'll be contacting you relatively soon with the information." he went on.

"Very well, then." Hal replied.

"You truly are as reliable as Hollie says you are." he told Rene.

"You flatter me." Rene responded with a small laugh.

'And thank EMELIE she didn't mention my... extracurricular activities...' he then thought.

"Hmmm." Rene mumbled, as he took out a planner and flipped through it.

"Summer break... summer break..." he muttered further.

"Ah!" he said.

"I can probably get you in as soon as.... 5 weeks from now, roughly." he told her.

"Does that work for you?" he asked her.

Rene just chuckled.

"For starters, it's a mage hospital." he said. "They have patients from all over, and paperwork is non-existent. Mostly just where you're coming from." he told her.

"Also, I have... SO much seniority in that hospital, you have no idea." he then said.

"I can get away with a LOT." he assured her.

"Trust me, it'll be fine."

"OLA will be the obvious choice." Rene responded.

"It's where I work, the conditions are sterile and clean, and the staff know me there." he said.

"How long will she be there?" Hal asked.

"Assuming she has the procedure done on the day of admittance, and no complications, no longer than a week." Rene responded.

"Lunet, would you be okay with OLA?" Hal asked her.

"Avoid the risks?" Rene asked.

"....Doctor Calder, I am a djinn." Hal admitted. "If you are willing to put her under, then my mana and magic can do the rest, in such a way that the complications are minimised to the point of being almost non-existent." he explained.

"But we'll still need you to watch over her, make sure nothing happens." he went on.

"I see." Rene responded.

"And the part that I would make you forget, is who the djinn was." Leo said. "You'd know that a djinn was involved, but you won't remember WHO." he continued.

"That is something I can live with." Rene confirmed.

"We'll need to set it all up, and I'd like it done in an actual hospital, of course, but I can most certainly agree to those terms." he said further.

"When do you want this done?" he asked.

"I'd say ASAP, but it's all dependent on my daughter." Hal responded.