Colin's posts

"Perhaps." he responded.

"However, if you die here and now, you know he'll be devastated." he told Eke.

"So you need to make a choice." he said further.

"Die here and now, and have him potentially be blamed for this... after all, you and him are the only ones in this room..." he continued, his smirk growing.

"...or allow me to take it out of you, potentially growing stronger." he said further.

"Make your choice."

"Simply put, it's demon-laced magic." Ryker responded.

"As for who? Who knows." he then said.

"Probably some poor sod that thought they could tame it and use it." he told Eke. "Odds are the magic consumed them and they fell into the water, their body rotting away and serving as little more than an incubation engine for the magic to spread." he explained further.

"Much like it's trying to do to you." he went on, extending his hand.

"Grab my hand with your infected hand." he instructed Eke.

"I'll take it out of you, and put it in the shard in this body." he said further.

"Your precious 'brother' won't be harmed." he added with a smug smirk.

Almost as soon as Eke said the last part, Ryker slumped down for a second... and then raised his head, his eyes black as coal, his body surrounded by a thin black aura.

"A wise decision." he told Eke.

"I'll say it now, your time is severely limited." he said further.

"Give me your hand. Your infected hand." he went on.

"I will suck the curse out of you. Draw it out before it ends you."

Ryker's body, as if by instinct, rushed up and got between Eke and the door.

"Eke, please!" he said.

"I... I know how to... to remove this from you." he told him.

"Or... or, rather... the 'other me' does." he said further.

"Please... just... just talk to him? I'll put him in the front of my mind, and he'll talk to you." he went on.

"Eke, that crap is leaking out your nose. We don't have time. Please?" he almost pleaded.

"......" Ryker was silent, before a voice entered his mind.

'I can fix him.' it told him.

This caused Ryker to take a step back back and grasp his hair.

"Ngh!" he grunted.

"Let me take the curse from him. I can draw it out of him. it said further.

Ryker then sighed, and looked at Eke.

"Eke... do you trust me?" he asked.

Jake was silent as Vanessa said what she did and left.

"Well, all right then." he said.

"Guess it's time for me to get some sleep." he reasoned, making his way to the bed.

Meanwhile, as Vanessa walked, she encountered a human male, who looked at her quizzically.

"Hm?" he muttered.

"YOU look pleased with yourself." he commented.

"Something happen?" he asked.

Jake looked inside the door, and saw various things.

A bed, a drawer, a mirror, basically all he'd need. It wasn't the fanciest, but it would certainly do.

"This is wonderful." he said.

"Thanks so much." he told her, stepping inside.

He was then silent, before a large yawn escaped his mouth.

"Guess I'm tired..." he said quietly.

"Is there anything I can do for you to repay you?" he asked her.

"I mean, anything further than when you asked for my name."

"Heh, thanks." Jake chuckled.

"And it's a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Vanessa." he told her.

"Thank you once again for, well, essentially saving my life." he said further.

"Odds are I would have frozen to death out there." he went on.

"Didn't realize just how low my core temperature had dipped, until you gave me... whatever was in that mug."

Jake was silent for a moment, almost frozen in place.

"Oh, how inconsiderate of me." he said.

"My apologies." he said further.

"I'll spare you my Ramaarin name, but call me Jake." he introduced himself.

"It's the closest approximation."

"Ohhh, I see." Jake replied.

"Well, that's fair enough." he said.

"Thank you once again." he told her.

"Is there anything I can do to repay this kindness?" he asked her.

"Just name it, and I'll do it." he said further, unaware of just what he had said, and to whom he'd said it to.

"....uh, sure." Jake replied, as he looked around at the light that filled the area.

"I do have one immediate question." he then said.

"I'll fit right in? What do you mean by that?" he asked her.

"Is there a substantial amount of Ramaarin here?" he asked further, a bit of hope to his tone.

"Or just that I won't be judged by what I am here?"

As soon as Ryker saw Eke come out of the bathroom, his jaw almost dropped.

"Wha...!?" he exclaimed.

"Eke, that does NOT look 'fine'!" he said to him, getting up and rushing over.

"Eke, what the hell is happening to you!?" he asked.

"When did this start?" he asked further. "....and does this have anything to do with you touching that black water earlier?"

"....wow." Jake muttered, as he witnessed this happen.

He then shook his head and quickly stepped inside the door, the entrance slowly disappearing behind him as he did so.

"I like this." he told her.

"Truly nobody would be able to find you here." he said further.

"Thank you for allowing me to take shelter here." he then thanked her.

"......." Jake was silent, before accepting the garment.

"Thanks." he said.

"Looks a bit big for me, but makes no difference right now." he reasoned.

"All right then." he went on, throwing the cloth over himself.

"Let's go."