Colin's posts

"......that's my fault." Ryker admitted.

"You weren't breathing." he said.

"So I had to do CPR and the like... chest compressions, mouth-to-mouth..." he went on, trailing off a bit.

"I think I bruised your ribs in the process." he then mumbled.

"Sorry about that..."

"Woah, woah, woah." Ryker said.

"Easy, there." he told Eke.

"You're gonna need to be looked at, see what kind of injuries you've sustained." he said further.

He then sighed, and shook his head.

"And the phone's... well... busted." he told him.

"I saw it near the mugger's body. It... yeah, you'll need a new one." he muttered.

"Boy, I'm glad I got a warranty on it, now." he then added.

".....oh?" Gregory asked, looking at Illias.

"Well?" he asked him.

"Speak up." he said.

"Oh, right." Illias muttered.

"We're going to destroy one of those statues, and we believe there to be a soul trapped inside." he said to Gregory.

"Can you detain the soul and make it so we can ask them some questions?" he asked him.

"....." Gregory was silent for a moment, and shrugged.

"Sure." was all he said in response.

Illias shook his head.

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

"Seriously. I'll live." he told her.

Then, as Casey finished the rune, it started to glow with an eerie aura, and darkness seemed to fill the area. Then, it seemed like a weird hole opened up in the wall, and a cloaked figure stepped out of it.

"....." it was silent, before looking around again, and then seeing Casey.

"...different location." he said to her.

"Why am I HERE?" he asked.

Illias just made his way to a chair and sat down in it, looking ready to outright collapse.

"....man..." he said.

"I really feel weird." he told Kiah.

"I dunno, just... I feel off." he said further.

"Wish these death visions would go away, too."

Ryker just smiled.

"Hey, no worries." he said.

"And to be fair, you defended yourself real good back there." he told him.

"Seriously. You done good." he assured Eke.

Meanwhile, Aly returned the embrace and held Eke close.

It was clear she was happy he was still with her, and that she was with him right now.

"....yeah." Illias replied.

"Yeah, I... I'm fine." he said.

"...I think so, anyway." he then corrected himself.

"I just... can't help but suddenly be preoccupied with my death." he told her.

"It's like... I can almost 'see' it happening? If that makes sense?" he went on, trying to find the words. "Like the vision of it is right in front of me." he added.

He then rubbed his eyes, and when he brought the hands away, the black bags under his eyes had grown a little, and he looked that much more exhausted and distressed.

Illias was silent for a moment, before stepping forward and hesitantly taking it.

When he did, he seemed to freeze in place, his eyes almost hollow.

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

"Ah." he blurted out, as the mana within almost seemed to pulse through his body, but it always returned to the pen. He seemed to be stuck like that for about 10 seconds, before he shook his head vigorously, and handed the pen back.

"I..." he said, trailing off a little.

"I am suddenly VERY aware of my own mortality." he commented, which was a weird thing to say. As a gorgon, he wasn't immortal, but his lifespan was QUITE long. For him to be aware that he was going to die one day was odd for a gorgon as young as himself.

He also seemed to have massive black bags under his eyes now, as well.

Aly was quiet as Eke laid down, before Ryker poked his head through the door.

"....." he was silent as he saw what he did, before sighing.

Then, as he made his way closer to him, Aly laid down on the bed as well, wrapping her arms around him as best she could.

Ryker sat down on the edge of the best closest to Eke, and place a hand on his shoulder.

"Hey." he said.

"Feeling rough, huh?" he asked, knowing he was understating it.

Illias was still rather embarrassed, his face still red.

But he watched as Casey got to work, marvelling at the marker.

"...woah." he said.

"Wait, what?" he then muttered.

"What is that thing?" he asked.

"That's not a regular marker at all, is it?" he asked further.

Aly was quiet, and merely pulled him into a hug.

"Oh, Eke..." she said.

"It's okay." she told him.

"You're safe." she said further, rubbing his back.

"I'm here." she went on.

"Ryker's downstairs. He's here for you as well."

"I love you too, Eke." Aly replied.

"I'm so glad you're okay." she said once more, before finally pulling away from him and wiping her eyes.

"Anyway." she muttered.

"Is there anything you want?" she asked.

"Anything you want or need at all?"

Aly was silent as Eke said what he did, and took her hand.

Her eyes started welling up with tears, before she lunged forward, wrapping her arms around him and holding him close.

"Eke..." she said.

"I'm glad you're alive." she told him.

"I... I don't know what I'd do without you." she then admitted, tears falling down her cheeks.

"I don't want to lose you THIS early!"

Illias had now frozen in place.

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

"I... I... but... you... she..." he stuttered further, before shaking his head and slapping his cheeks lightly, his face as bright red as anything at the moment.

"That is... well... I mean..." he mumbled, before sighing.

"So it comes to light THIS way, huh...?" he asked, shrugging his shoulders forward in defeat.