Colin's posts

"I hope it turns for the better." Darrel responded, referring to her luck.

"You don't deserve to have it end like this." he said.

"The prejudices in this world suck." he then muttered.

"Just... they suck. People can't look past certain things, and I hate it." he went on.

"You're talented, and you're nice, and overall awesome." he then admitted.

"It's cool." Ryker said. "I was just dozing, anyway." he told him.

"And that's good." he said further with a smile.

"I'm glad you're feeling better." he continued.

"The doctors really did their best work on ya." he told him.

"Good stuff all around."

Darrel just sighed.

"Geez." he said.

"Just.... geez. That sucks." he told her.

"Plain and simple." he said further.

"....I'm sure something will come up, though." he went on.

"Things have a way of working out in the end... sometimes..." he muttered.

"....depends on your viewpoint, I suppose." Darrel replied.

"Anyway." he said.

"How you holdin' up?" he asked.

"Seems like you're doing all right, but... surely this is a bit of a trying time." he went on.

"Any luck finding a new place to work?"

After a moment or two, Ryker stirred.

"Hm?" he mumbled.

"Oh. Hey, kid." he said when he saw Eke was awake.

"Looks like you're awake." he said further.

"Congrats." he went on, pausing for a moment and smiling.

"Ya did it."

"Oh, fair enough." Darrel replied, setting the cheesecake on a countertop.

"And I have something to discuss with you." he told her.

".....buuuuut it can wait until we're eating." he said.

"For now, I guess I'll... stay out of the way?" he went on, looking around.

"If there's no way for me to help, the best thing I can do is not get in the way." he reasoned.

Ryker had been fretting the entire time, and was now sitting next to Eke as he recovered.

"....well... y'did it, kid." he said to the unconscious Eke.

"You did it." he repeated.

"I'm proud a'ya." he said further with a smile.

"....now I can sleep." he finished, before collapsing in the chair and falling asleep.

"Oh, hell no, I'm not hopeless." Darrel responded.

"If there's one thing my parents have taught me, it's that you need to be self-reliant." he told her.

"So I'm quite competent in the kitchen." he assured her further.

"Granted, I'm no chef or anything, but if you need help, I can provide it." he continued.

"What all do you want help with?" he then inquired.

"I wanted to be nice." Darrel replied.

"As for anything needing to be chilled, the drinks were cold when I got them, but depending on when you want to eat, they may need to sit in the fridge until dinner." he told her.

"And the dessert actually needs to thaw for a bit, so that will benefit from NOT being chilled." he chuckled.

"....yeah, it's just pop and cheesecake." he then admitted.

"Nothin' too fancy."

"................" Ryker was silent, before lowering his head a bit and pinching the bridge of his nose.

"You read me like a book." he muttered.

"Yes, I suppose I SHOULD practice what I preach." he admitted.

"Just... I'm sure it'll be fine." he told Eke.

"You're a toughie. You can do it. I believe in you."

"We'll cross that bridge when we get to it." Ryker replied.

"IF we get to it." he then said.

"I know it's a lot like denial, but I think there's no sense worrying about the future. It comes soon enough." he went on.

"And don't worry about that past. It's over and done with." he continued.

"Just worry about right now." he added with a smile, hiding the fact that he, himself, worried about the future a lot.

But he put on a brave face. For Eke.

Ryker had noticed this, and placed a hand on his shoulder.

"It's all right." he said.

"You're tough. You're resilient." he told him.

"You'll make it through this. Even the doctor's are confident of it." he went on.

"Don't worry, you'll make it through this, and I'll be waiting for you."

Ryker remained silent as the doctor said what he did, gave him the papers, and then left.

"....lucky to have me..." he muttered to himself, before smirking.

"Heh. Never thought I'd hear THOSE words." he chuckled.

"Maybe a wretch like me really DOES have a place in this world." he went on.

"...question is... as WHAT?" he then asked himself, lightly placing his hand over his chest.

'Where do I go from... that point in the future?' he thought.

Darrel bit his lip for a moment, and then nodded.

"All right." he replied.

With that, he stepped inside, and the door was shut behind him.

"I've never minded a little mess." he told her.

"By the way, I brought drinks and dessert." he then said, holding up the cloth bag.