Colin's posts

Vincent closed the door behind her, and sighed.

"Let me start with the mana hunter." he said.

"Who was it?" he asked.

"And why do you trust them?" he asked further.

"Who ARE they?"

"I love you too, Eke." Aly replied as Eke fell asleep.

"...Ryker, I'm worried." she then admitted to Ryker.

"I know." Ryker replied. "I am, too." he said.

"What can we do?" Aly asked.

"No damn idea." Ryker admitted.

"If we could see what the hell these dreams were like, then maybe we'd get some kind of clue or hint, but I'm not sure that's even possible." he went on.

"So we just need to take this as it comes." he sighed.

"Coming!" she heard, before the door was opened, revealing Vincent.

It was clear by how he looked that what she gave him was still doing its thing... but it wouldn't be long now.

"Ah, right." he said, stepping aside.

"I assume you have answers for me." he told her.

"I would greatly appreciate it if they were quick, as I've been monitoring the time, and I don't have long before I'm dead to the world." he went on.

"So... do come in." he finished.

"............yes, Ma'am." Rene replied, sounding nervous.

Dom just laughed out loud at that, before reeling in pain for a few seconds.

"Ok, no laughing. Gotta remember that." he said through snickers.

".....jesus, Sydney." Rene muttered. "Not often you remind me of your mother." he said further, before making his way to Dom.

"Sydney, leave us be." Dom told Sydney.

"I don't think the doctor can do his best work when you're there, coiled like a snake, ready for the frog to make that ONE misstep." he chuckled.

"...also, I'm asking about that Triad comment later." he added.

Rene just raised an eyebrow when he heard that.

"....right." was all he said, before they made their way towards where he was.

The two males regarded each other for a moment, before Nico broke the silence.

"Hello, there." he greeted Rene.

"Yo." Rene replied.

"Dominico." Nico introduced himself. "Or... well, I go by either Dominic, Nick, or Dom, depending on who's addressing me." he continued. "Sydney calls me 'Nico', though." he added.

"Rene." Rene responded. "My real name-" he started to say, before Dom interrupted.

"-would be impossible for a human tongue to pull off. I know. Lanthan names are like that." he chuckled.

"...." Rene was silent, before looking at Sydney.

"He's good." he told her.

"I expect you to." Nico replied, before they heard a knock on the door.

"Yo! Sydney!" they heard a voice call in, Sydney recognising it as Rene's.

"Sounds like your friend's here." he commented before lifting his head up slightly.

"...briney..." he mumbled.

"Lanthan??" he asked her, a bit surprised.

"......." Nico was silent for a moment, before sighing heavily.

"That... all that will take a VERY long time to explain." he told her.

"And given what I heard you say about your friend, and when he's coming here, I don't think we have that kind of time right now." he said further.

"But trust me, I WILL answer them." he told her.

"I'll tell you EVERYTHING." he assured her further.

"You deserve it." he reasoned, before pausing.

"And... Jaden?" he asked. "Is that what our son goes by now?" he asked her.

"Ah, I see." Nico replied.

"...and yes, I am." he told her.

"Much better than when I first arrived at your doorstep." he said.

"...been better, overall, though." he then added, taking another, smaller, drink.

"...." he was silent for a moment, and looked at her.

"You've only grown more gorgeous, Cs... Sydney." he said, catching himself on her name.

"I can't tell you how many times I've dreamed of you on a lonely night." he added wistfully.

"A couple of days." Aly replied.

"You were soaked and cold, and apparently they almost lost you earlier." she said, her lip quivering slightly.

"They want to make sure you're properly stable before they let you go." she added.

"They also wanted to get a head doctor in here to make sure you weren't suicidal or anything, given the jumping off the roof stunt." Ryker then chimed in.

"Stopped THAT on the quick-fast." he muttered.

"Made sure they knew that would end in badness."

Nico gulped down about 1/3rd of the liquid, before exhaling loudly, and then letting out a low carbonated burp.

"...ahhh, refreshing." he said.

He then sighed, and nodded.

"Right." he replied. "I'll be mindful of that." he told her.

"I also noticed the signature of another, powerful mage here." he then said. "But they seem to have left." he commented further.

"...sorry if I interrupted something..." he apologised quietly.

I'll be there within 10 minutes. she received.

Meanwhile, Nico sighed heavily.

"Ugh." he grunted.

"I need a drink." he said.

He then paused for a moment, and sniffed the air some, flinching a little.

"...wow." he muttered. "This place is thick with the scent of alcohol." he commented.

"And it smells like some REALLY quality stuff, as well." he added.

A couple of seconds later, she actually received a call from him.

"Sydney." he said when she answered.

"My first reaction is to fly off the goddamned handle, and I still feel like doing that." he admitted.

"However, I will withhold that instinct, because I know you would not ask me this without good reason." he then said.

"And, as a doctor, I DID swear an oath to help anyone that needed it." he added.

"So... tell me where I'm going in Italy, when you know, and we'll get this done." he finished, some hesitation in his tone, but conviction and certainty as well.

Nico just smirked.

"You are amazing." he said.

"Always were." he told her. In his tone, and in his expression, she could see that he had missed her. That he was SO happy to finally see her again.

She then received a text back from Rene.

Got it. it read.

I can be there in 5 minutes, sooner if need be. But why the don't just come over thing? Seems weird... the next one said.

Nico was silent for a moment, opening his eyes and looking at her.

"Hungry? Extremely." he said.

"It's been a bit since I last ate." he admitted sheepishly with a chuckle, which caused him to flinch in pain.

"Oh, hurts to laugh..." he mumbled.

"As for how I'm feeling... better." he then told her. "I don't feel ready to collapse and die. Still feel light-headed and ready to pass out, though." he went on.

"...don't really want to do so, though." he then muttered.

"That band really laid into me with all they had..."