Colin's posts

Ryker just sighed again, before plating the fish steaks he finished, and taking them over to Eke.

"I don't know anything about dating." he said.

"But other people have told me about it." he told him.

"They've told me that love and dates and all that... it's a battlefield. And every time you throw yourself out onto that battlefield, you're taking a very big risk." he went on.

"But ya gotta do it. Y'gotta take that plunge and go for that glory. There are no rewards for cowards." he finished.

"...that's what I've been told, anyway." he added.

"That's natural." Ryker responded.

"Seriously. It's all right." he told him.

"It's just you being understandably nervous." he said, as he cooked and seasoned the fish.

"I'm sure it'll work out fine." he assured Eke.

"You're quite charming, after all."

"Goodbye for now." Vincent responded as she left.

He then sighed, and seemed to stare off into space.

'...it should be her birthday soon...' he thought, recalling her file.

'...she'll be 16...' he thought further.

He then shook his head, sighed once more, and stared at the papers in front of him.

He'd done all he could really do. Anything further, and there would probably be repercussions. So he needed her to come to him about this... if she wanted to.

".....hm. I see." Vincent replied.

"That pretty much told me all I need to know." he said.

"Well... I do hope you manage to find a way to leave your stressful life behind, though that can be difficult at such a tender age." he told her before sighing.

"....oh, on another note." he then said, sounding like he had remembered something.

"The manor I live in has a fully renovated basement, but I have no need to use it... and it seems a shame to just use it for storage." he told her.

"If you think of anyone that could use it in the next little while, let me know." he said. "If it helps, I'm very flexible with rent... so much so, I'm actually willing to forego payment for help in caring for the place." he continued.

"It's... pretty big." he chuckled.

"It could very well be." Ryker responded.

"Also, you gulped those down pretty quick." he commented.

"Still hungry?" he asked.

"There's still a good amount of fish left." he told him.

"It'd be nothing to do up some more."

Vincent just smirked.

"Very well." he said.

"Have it your way." he told her.

"At any rate, how are you doing?" he asked. "You look much better than the last time I saw you, but... still not quite up to par." he commented.

"...also, forgive me for being presumptuous, but I'm going to assume your family hasn't been much help or given you much support turning this stressful time." he then said.

"Your final report is due at the end of May." Vincent responded.

"Oh, and also, you have a special extension on tomorrow's quiz." he told her.

"Due to your recent illness, and the nature of it, I will allow you to take your quiz on Monday next week." he informed her.

"I hardly expect you to take a quiz when you have just returned, especially seeing as you don't seem to quite be at 100% yet." he then reasoned.

"Sound fair?"

Vincent looked at Madison, and smiled slightly when he saw her.

'Good.' he thought.

'She looks like she's improving.' he realized.

'Good.' he repeated.

A few whispers started to fly again, but Vincent tried to pay them no heed, and merely hushed the ones that seemed to be getting a bit loud.

"Remember, class." he said when the bell rang.

"You have a quiz tomorrow about Chapters 5 and 6 in your workbooks." he reminded them.

"Hmmm... I see." Vincent muttered.

"Greece, huh?" he asked.

"Duly noted." he said, recalling some things in his mind.

"Anyway, I'll leave you be." he told her.

"I'll visit occasionally." he said with another smile.

"Speedy recovery, Madison."

Vincent was silent for a moment, and nodded.

"Very well." he replied.

"We can leave this here for now." he told her.

"After all, you need to spend your energy recovering and resting." he reasoned, before smiling again.

"By the way, interesting choice of reading material." he commented, looking at her book.

"There anything else you might like to read up on when you finish that?" he asked her. "Because I'm sure you'll finish the book long before your stay here is up." he reasoned.

"Relka." Ryker repeated.

"Nice name." he said.

"And heh, all right. Sounds like a plan." he told him.

He then finished cooking up the two large slabs of fish, and brought them over towards Eke.

"Here y'go." he told him.

"I'll make some up for myself while you chow down."

Vincent just smiled when she said that.

"Then you know you don't have to hide it from me." he told her.

"I am like you." he said.

"A mage. One that has access to the mana within their body." he went on.

"I've wondered if you had such mana in you for a while now, but I was unsure as to how to broach it." he then admitted, shaking his head.

"What a way to figure out." he then lightly chuckled.

"But you can talk with me about mana at any time, if you like."

Vincent raised an eyebrow.

"Really?" he asked.

"Told ALL about it?" he asked further, sitting down beside her.

"Were you told what the virus was doing?" he asked her. "And how you were able to house it in the first place." he then inquired.

'Hmmmm....' he then thought.

'Wonder if this will be easier than I pictured...' he mumbled mentally.

"......huh. I see." Ryker responded.

'Hm.....' he thought.

"Well, if she makes you happy, then she can't be bad." he said with a small laugh.

In the back of his mind, Ryker wondered about the girl, though.

He'd had encounters with those like her, and they generally weren't pleasant ones. But he dismissed his nagging doubts, telling himself he was being jaded.

"Fish is almost done."