Colin's posts

".........." Vincent was silent as Averie asked her question.

"I..." he stammered.

"Hm." he mumbled.

"It's... I've never heard of such a thing." he admitted.

"I know of ways for statues to become... well... 'animated', but even then, they're limited to VERY simple and basic movement." he continued.

"Why do you ask?"

The man in question was, indeed, in his study. However, he wasn't currently absorbed in his usual stack of books... but there was a good reason for that.

He was taking a small break from it, sitting in the small circle of comfortable chairs in the area, a mug of tea in his hands.

He looked over to the door when he heard the knock, and sighed.

"Come in!" he called out, flicking his wrist and causing the door to swing open slowly. Those that knew him knew why... his control of wind was amazing, from violent windstorms, to localized tornadoes, to gentle breezes.

"Oh!" he said when he saw who it was.

"Averie, do come in and have a seat." he offered the woman.

Aly blushed deeply when Eke kissed her.

She giggled quietly, before clearing his throat.

With that, she leaned in and kissed him in return, on the opposing cheek.

"Eke." she said.

"I'd like to keep seeing you." she told him.

"I don't know if I'm ready for anything too much... we DID just meet... but I would really like to... to see if this can go further that being friends." she then admitted shyly.

Aly smiled when Eke took her hand.

She looked into his eyes, and he saw the sincerity in them.

"....Eke?" she said.

"I like being with you." she told him.

"I know we just met, but... I really do." she insisted.

"You're sweet and awesome, and I really like you."

"Love you, too." Lindsay replied.

With that, their call was ended, and he found himself staring at the phone.

"....I did not expect something like this to happen." he said.

"Sure, her gallery showings are big events, but she has no enemies... and Mason shouldn't have had any, either." he reasoned, mulling it over.

"This makes no sense." he went on.

"Unless this was just an indiscriminate chaos kill." he added.

Aly just smiled as Eke spoke about Ryker, nodding at the end.

"It's so sweet how close you are." he told him.

"I'm glad you two found each other." she said further, as the steak arrived.

Her eyes widened a little when she saw it.

"Oh, wow." she said.

"That's a lot of steak."

"......" Lindsay was silent for a moment, processing the information.

"Oh, no..." he then said.

"Not Mason... he was so young..." he went on.

"I... Casey, just be careful." he told her. "We don't know if they'll come for you next, whoever they are." he then warned Casey.

"Let me know if there's anything I can do to help." he continued.

"I'm not sure there IS, given the circumstances, but let me know if I can do anything."

When she called, she was left waiting for about 4 seconds, before it was answered, and when it WAS answered, her other half sounded rather exhausted.

And she could guess as to why.

Her other half, Lindsay, was a man that loved working out. Not because he enjoyed having a muscular body, but more because he genuinely liked it. He was an intellectual man, but he also believed that a healthy mind rested in a healthy body, and it made him feel good to do more than just sit and read.

As such, he had his own little gym area in the basement of the manor they inherited from his mother, and shared with his brother and sister-in-law. Inside it contained mostly weights and punching bags, but it had a treadmill as well, among other things.

He had just finished a set with the heavier weights, and was catching his breath, when his cell phone went off. He saw it was his wife calling, and quickly answered it.

"Hey, Casey." he greeted her when he did.

"Something up?" he asked. "I hadn't expected to hear from you for at least another couple of hours." he then commented, wiping his brow with a towel and gulping down a drink of water from a bottle that was sitting nearby.

Lindsay's eyes widened when he heard that.

"A... As in... Ashley!?" he exclaimed.

Kiah nodded in response.

"....all right, then." Lindsay then said.

"I can keep in contact with Anna... if she still wants to." he went on, looking at the phone, and then looking back at his cousin.

"...let's go back inside." he suggested.

With that, the two of them started to make their way back to the Unit, with Lindsay hoping for a better future than what it had looked like before, and Kiah smiling, happy she had found Lindsay. She knew quite a few people that would be very happy to see him again.

Lindsay watched as the car left, before looking at Kiah.

"....family." he said.

"I... never thought I would meet anyone I'm related to." he admitted, making his way closer to her.

Once he was close, he lifted his hand up slightly, palm up... and a small orb of red fire formed above it.

And Kiah could tell it was Fyrane fire.

The one in the car watched as Anna hopped in, before looking at Lindsay, who seemed to just be trying to process all of this.

"Don't take it so hard, kid." he said.

"It's just how she is." he told him.

"There's some fish sandwiches in the bag by your feet." he then told Anna. "Feel free to mow down." he finished, looking at the other woman.

"Thanks for the tip." he told her.

"Catch ya later." he finished.

Ryker looked at his phone when Eke had hung up, and sighed.

"....hm." he mumbled.

"At least that's taken care of." he said to himself.

"Wonder when he'll be back..." he mumbled, as he continued on his way back home.

Meanwhile, Aly still looked concerned, but nodded.

"Of course, of course." she responded.

"So.... what's your brother like?" she asked, in her attempt to change the subject.

Almost as though this was planned out, a car suddenly pulled up next to Anna, and the window rolled down, revealing a man with greenish-blue hair, and glasses on.

"...also, family look out for each other." he said, as though finishing what the woman had just said.

He then looked at Anna, smirking.

"Hey, cousin." he greeted her.

"Been a while since I saw you last." he commented, flashing a toothy smile that revealed his sharp shark-like teeth in his maw.

"Oh, geez." Ryker muttered.

"Right, listen." he said.

"You're far away from any water." he told him.

"Close your eyes, and picture a calm blue sky with puffy white clouds." he went on.

"You're laying on a bed of lush soft green grass, and the clouds are calling to you, asking you to join them." he then said further.

"Now picture yourself slowly rising up, and reaching one of the clouds, finding it solid and soft, so you can sit upon it and survey the entire world." he told Eke.

"Can you do that?"