Colin's posts

"Well, it's not ALWAYS active." Uriel replied.

"But yeah, it's just something we need to work with." he shrugged.

"I mean, here's hoping you won't need to use it ever, but it's for emergencies." he told her.

It was at that point, Vincent returned, stepping through the door.

"Guess it's time for me to leave." Uriel said.

"Only if you want to." Vincent interjected.

"I have no complaints about you staying, or sharing your company with Aimee." he told the archangel.

Vincent nodded in response.

"Indeed." he replied.

"Thank you for the talk, Emelie." he said to her.

With that, they parted ways, and he started to make his way back to the house that he and the twins lived in.

Uriel, however, had already arrived there, and had given Aimee what he had received.

"This should help." he told her.

"It'll put up a barrier that neither myself nor my brothers will be able to break through."

"I shouldn't be surprised." Vincent responded.

"Regardless, I suppose I should head back to the house soon." he said.

"Let Aimee know she has nothing to fear from me, as far as her relationship is concerned." he went on.

"I trust you, and I should learn to trust HER." he sighed quietly.

"Shows even someone as old as I can still learn from children."

Vincent was silent for a moment, before looking at her.

"Oh?" he asked.

"I mean, I know I saved their lives by taking them in." he said.

"But... really? A week, and a year?" he asked.

"Wow. Didn't know it would have been that soon." he said further.

"...heh. Well, nice to know I happened along at the right time." he then chuckled.

Vincent leaned forward a little more, and lowered his head some.

"....I know." he said.

"I... I know. I guess I've known that all along." he said further. "I guess I just didn't want to acknowledge it." he admitted to her.

"I've... I've never been good as a father." he went on.

"I wasn't there for Nakia, and... I guess I had no idea what I was doing, looking back at it." he said further.

"I just want to make sure Aimee and Steff get a proper chance at a proper life, after all they've been through."

"Here." Ryker said, taking some candy out of his pocket and handing it to Eke.

"Have some sweets." he told him.

"Just relax and take in the nature around us." he then said further.

"It's nice and calm here. It's serene and quiet." he continued.

"So just take some time to appreciate the fresh air, hey?"

Vincent was silent again for another moment, before chuckling.

"You always have a counter to what I have to say." he said.

"I like that." he told her.

"But... all I want is for Aimee and Steff to be happy and safe." he admitted.

"I didn't get a chance to do that with Nakia, I don't want to screw up again.' he went on, looking at his reflection again.

".........I suppose I'll have to trust them to make their own decisions, won't I?" he then asked Emelie.

Ryker, not being tired, himself, merely rested his arm by Eke, allowing him to grab onto it whenever he wanted to. He sat there for the 4 hours that Eke was asleep before looking at him once more, and then towards the sky.

"......hm." he muttered to himself.

"At least the rain stopped, and it looks like the clouds are dissipating..." he said further.

"Odd that that storm came outta nowhere." then mumbled, pausing for a moment.

"...the work of another dragon?" he asked under his breath.

Vincent sighed again.

"That's... fair enough." he said.

"But... I'm worried he'll be bad for her." he told her.

"She already told me he's violent and has a temper." he went on.

"And what of his brothers?" he then asked.

"If Uriel won't harm Aimee, will THEY?"

Vincent blinked a couple of times.

"O-oh." he said.

"I... I see." he muttered.

"I... was unaware that any of them had taken a woman, let alone fathered a child with her." he told her.

"Which... all right, isn't surprising." he then admitted.

"But... I didn't think that was something that was allowed." he went on, before pausing.

"Or is this a case of this happening BECAUSE it was not allowed?" he then asked hesitantly.

Ryker listened to Eke snoring, and sighed.

"Yep, you've over-exerted yourself." he said.

He then lifted Eke up in his arms, and started to carry him to where he heard the water getting louder, until he saw light at the end of the cavern that they were walking through.

"Finally." he muttered, as they emerged from the cavern, and he looked around.

"...looks like we escaped." he said, setting Eke down on a soft patch of grass and putting his coat under his head for him to use as a pillow.

"........." Vincent was silent as Emelie said what she did.

"...that... that was him?" he asked.

"She told me she was accosted... or, rather, her brother did, but made me swear I would never bring it up, as Aimee ended up being saved, and no lasting damage was done." he said.

"...but that was Uriel that did that?" he asked her.

"I admit, that's... surprising." he admitted.

"I thought archangels saw humans as not worthy of their attention... save for when they need to be purged." he said further, grumbling the last part.

"I figured." Vincent replied.

"All right, let's sit." he said.

With that, the two of them sat side by side, watching the little creatures swimming in the stream.

"I do wonder what will happen with them." he told her.

"I know what the archangels are... I know what they're like." he went on.

"...and I never would have foreseen Aimee falling in love with one." he added with a small sigh.

Vincent had been staring at the various fish and other animals below the surface of the stream, and sighed quietly when he felt the mana of the one behind him.

"Emelie." he said, turning around and smiling.

"Hello, hello." he greeted her.

"There anything I can do for you?" he then asked, pausing for a moment.

'Though I have a feeling I know what this is about...' he then thought.