Colin's posts

As if Ryker had sensed something, he was making his way towards where Eke was.

When Eke noticed him approaching, he saw that the black aura was surrounding him, but it wasn't nearly as oppressive and strong as it had been in he past.

He also noticed that Ryker's eyes were his own... meaning it was, in fact, Ryker that was in control.

But his eyes DID look a bit dull and drained.

"What's wrong!?" he then called out to Eke.

"Oh, it's not hard to believe at all." Jake responded.

"It's just something I'm REALLY not used to." he told her, before pausing.

"....yes, I realize that's depressing." he quickly said.

"You sure about this?" he then asked her.

"Is it really all right for me to live here, in such a nice place of yours?"

Ryker had continued to sit where he saw, seemingly stewing in his own black energy, before he raised his head slightly.

".....mm?" he mumbled.

"Hm." he muttered further, his eyes shifting from side to side.

".....hmmmm." he then murmured, before sighing.

He then rose to his feet and looked around again.

Ryker watched as Eke stormed off in a huff, before gnashing his teeth.

"Yep." he said.

"It figures." he muttered to himself.

He was then silent, before walking in the opposite direction.

He didn't know where he was going, but he ended up making his way to the shack and sitting down outside it, leaning against it. He brought his knees up to his chest and draped his arms down over his knees. He then leaned his face into his arms, and sat there... as the black aura softly glowed around him, and black energy seemed to puddle around him.

Ryker just looked at Eke as he said what he did.

"Yeah, because we had no other choice." he said.

"It's not exactly the grandest of plans to wander around with a vial of cursed water, asking random people about it." he went on.

"I don't like him just as much as you do." he then continued.

"But he can be hella useful at times." he finished.

Jake just nodded in response.

"Right." he said.

With that, he stepped through the portal, emerging in the livingroom of a very nice house.

"Woah." he muttered, looking around.

"Furnished all nicely and everything." he commented with a low whistle.

"Works for me." Hal responded.

"You go and get Jake settled in. The paperwork'll be filled when it's ready." he said further.

"But... unofficially speaking, welcome aboard." he went on, extending a hand towards Jake.

Jake responded by taking the hand, and they shook on it, before doing the same with Sydney.

"Sydney, I'll leave you to take Jake to his new home." Hal then told the vampire.

"Awww, I offended the little dragonling." Ryker said in a mocking tone.

"But all right." he said further.

"I'll give. For now." he finished.

Ryker then stumbled back, placing a hand against his head, and almost falling over.

"Ngh." he grunted.

"Ow. That always gives me a headache." he muttered.

"........." Jake was silent for a moment.

".....no." he said quietly.

"I am homeless." he admitted.

"Well, that's not technically true." Hal interjected.

"After all, Sydney DID mention that place in San Diego." he reminded him.

"Ah... yes, that's true." Jake replied with a small chuckle.

"Guess I'm not, then." he said, smiling softly.

Ryker just rolled his eyes when Eke's stomach growled.

"Because of course you pick now to be hungry." he said.

"Well, he's not going to have any food in THERE." he told him.

"So we're going hunting, it seems." he went on.

"Come on, then." he said, starting to walk away from the shack.

"If your stomach's going to make those infernal noises, it will interrupt his work." he finished, referring to the one inside the shack.

The figure looked at the vial, and then to Ryker.

Ryker just crossed his arms over his chest, and nodded.

With that, the newcomer grabbed the vial that Eke had handed him, and looked it over.

"...I will need to perform experiments on it." they said.

"Then DO so." Ryker ordered the figure.

"Very well." they responded, before disappearing into the shack.

"Come in, if you like." they said from within.

"You feeling brave?" Ryker then asked Eke with a smirk.

"And yes, I DID say 'us'." Hal then said.

"While I may not look it, I DO fit into that category." he went on.

"I see..." Jake responded.

"So when does this Unit become up and functional?" he asked.

"Hard to say." Hal admitted with a sigh.

"Could be a few months, could be another year or so, or more." he said truthfully.

The two of them walked for what seemed like an eternity, before they came to what looked to be a disheveled and abandoned fishing shack that hadn't seen usage in decades. It was a bit of a distance away from the sludgy water, but there was still something... ominous... about the atmosphere around it.

"Yo!" Ryker called in

"D'lergich suyritsu ftavre sitblen! SYL!" he then barked in a language that Eke did not understand.

A few seconds later, a figure emerged from the shack, looking thin and emaciated... and Eke could swear he could see... something... glowing from beneath the thin shirt they were wearing... a pattern of sorts.

"....how may I help?" the figure then asked.

"You're up." Ryker then told Eke.

"....true." Ryker admitted.

He then sighed, and sat down on a large nearby rock.

Eke then watched as the dark aura flared up and down, getting more an more intense each time, before one of Ryker's eyes changed to that of the other entity's.

"....all right." Ryker said in a low voice.

"This way." he told him, before starting to walk alongside the bank of the black sludgy water.