Colin's posts

"Especially after all that." AJ replied.

"He's a douche. Plain and simple." he told her.

"His prejudices colour all his decisions, he's an elitist, a racist, he's narrow-minded, and, quite frankly, I detest him. I may have to be civil with him, but I absolutely detest him." he went on.

"So the worse he sees someone, the more inclined I am to give them a chance." he said further.

"I'll hand you the paperwork to sign." he told her.

"But yeah, you're hired." he repeated.

Ryker's eyes hardened.

"I said no." he told him, finality in his tone.

"I refuse to leave you now." he said.

"Destiny can set a path for me, but how quickly I get there is MY decision, damn it." he declared.

"So, like it or not, I'm with you to the end." he told Eke.

"Plain and simple."

Ryker shook his head.

"No." he replied.

"That's not it." he said.

"I mean, what we're discussing will eventually result in my leaving, yes, but... well... like I said, this is really hard to explain." he lamented with a sigh.

"I started off as a nobody slave, but it seems that, ever since this shard of gem got embedded in my chest, a far greater plan was set in motion." he continued, looking out towards the sky.

"However, that having been said, before I go with the flow on it, I intend to spend as much time as I possibly can with you." he then assured Eke.

"Well... see, that's what we're negotiating." Ryker replied.

"He wants it to be sooner, but he realizes that things go a lot smoother if we're in agreement over it, and I say after." he told him.

"...completely, anyway." he then said, before sighing.

"And I'm being extremely vague right now." he realized, now sounding annoyed with himself.

"Look, the best way to inform you about this, is to have HIM speak with you, but it doesn't have to be NOW. It can be after you get some sleep." he suggested.

"Imperious Umbra, then." AJ responded quietly.

"Very well." he muttered, putting the phone on his desk on speakerphone, and dialling a number. The phone rang for a few seconds, before a male answered.

"Yeah?" Abby's old boss' voice rang out.

"Dunkel, it's AJ." the man before her responded. "Need your opinion on a former employee of yours. Abigail Cox." he said.

The man was silent for a moment, before launching into a veritable tirade of venom and insults, downplaying her whenever he could, and ranting about how she was a hunter. It went on for close to 5 minutes, before it seemed he ran out of steam.

"...so I advise you to stay as FAR away from her as possible, and have NOTHING to do with her." he finished.

"Thanks for the information. I'll take it to heart." AJ responded, before ending the call and looking at Abby.

"And I intend to seriously take what he said to heart." he told her seriously.

"You're hired."

".............." Ryker was silent for a moment, and then sighed.

"Talking in my sleep?" he asked.

".....you're kinda right." he said.

"In actuality... you're hearing half of the conversations I have with... the 'other me'." he told him.

"We discuss the future." he went on.

"Mine... his... our shared future..."

"I do." AJ responded.

"Have a seat." he told her.

When she did, he sighed, and shook his head.

"I'm going to need to know who your last employer was." he said.

"I need to get into contact with them. I need to hear what they have to say." he went on.

"Especially since you've worked for another guild as your past job." he continued.

"Or... well, at least tell me the guild you last worked for." he then added.

".......oh yeah, I managed to find a nice roomy one." Ryker remembered.

"Not a bad cave, though." he muttered.

"Well, it's up to you." he went on.

"Sleep in the cave, or sleep in the tent." he said.

"....or both." he then mumbled, looking around.

"Looks big enough here to set up INSIDE."

AJ raised an eyebrow when he heard that.

"Again, that surprises me." he said.

"Didn't think she'd get THAT sorta hit on you." he admitted.

"Anyway, go and get yourself looked after." he told her.

"And yeah, if you see Abby, send her back here." he finished.

"Love ya." he finished with a smile.

"Good." AJ responded.

"He's insipid, and whenever he sees someone better than him lose, he tries to knock them down even further, and big himself up." he said.

"So if you see it, show him why he's wrong." he told her.

"Beyond that... I just need to wait for Abby now." he went on.

"Finish up the interview."

"...........oh, right." AJ muttered.

"Right, that." he said.

"Well, fair enough then." he shrugged.

"You know if Jay saw you lose to Abby, he'll be trying to talk himself up, saying HE can beat you." he then mumbled, rolling his eyes.

"Teach him a harsh lesson if you have to." he told her.

"I'm getting sick of his unwarranted smugness."

Ryker followed Eke, and looked around, before looking skyward.

"....yep." he muttered.

"Seems so." he said.

"Here's hoping it doesn't rain." he went on.

"...let's see if we can't find any sort of shelter..." he then said further, checking their surrounding area again.

"I'd hate for us to potentially get soaked in the middle of the night."

"That... IS a fair point..." Ryker admitted.

"Maybe you're just too cute, no matter what." he suggested with a smirk.

"And I'm ready to go." he told him.

"I've had my fill, and I should be fueled for a while." he reasoned.

"To... the Capital, I suppose."

Ryker pursed his lips a bit, and then sighed.

"...can't really deny that..." he muttered.

"I am a carnivore at heart." he said.

"Need me my protein." he went on, as he continued to eat.

"This is very good meat, too." he then commented. "Tastes pretty premium."