Colin's posts

Lindsay just smiled as Hazel asked her question.

"Pretty good." he told her.

"I've had some more successes with my patients, and Samantha is growing like a weed, not to mention her exercise regime has made her very healthy." he commented.

"And Evan is... well, he's as energetic as ever." he then chuckled. "His necromancy is some of the strongest I've seen as well." he added.

"How have you been doing?" he then asked her.

"I've been wondering that for a bit now, but wondered if it would be right to try and impose myself in to find out." he admitted.

"....." Lindsay was silent as he went to the basement.

'Already, she's... different...' he thought, as he reached the closed door to Ash and Ashley's bedroom.

He knocked on it, waited, and then knocked on it once more.

"Whaaaaaaaaat?" he heard his brother whine from behind it.

"Hazel's returned." Lindsay responded.

"WHAT!?" Ash then exclaimed.

"Ash, get dressed." Lindsay commented, hearing his brother's footsteps. "She's upstairs, and I will be, too. Meet us in the den." he told him.

He then made his way back upstairs, seeing Hazel making her way to said den, having grabbed a drink.

"He'll be up in a minute or so." he told her.

"I'm... not sure, admittedly." Lindsay replied.

"I know he's due back any day from a hunt, but I'm not sure if he IS back yet. It's entirely possible he's downstairs and hasn't let anyone know yet." he told her.

"Come in, come in." he then said, stepping out of the way.

"I'll check to see if Ash is home."

"Kitt, what is the matter with you?" she heard Lindsay ask.

"Geez, you'd think you'd seen-" he started to say further, before pausing suddenly. He had looked through the peephole, and saw who it was.

"...................oh." he said.

"Right." he muttered, before unlocking the door and opening it.

"Hazel?" he addressed her.

"Welcome back." he said.

After she finished saying what she did, she heard a very heavy and familiar thu-thumping sound, and it was getting closer to the door, and louder as it got so.

She knew what that was. She recognized the 4-legged gait of the individual in question.

It was Kitt, the resident black panther, and Casey's familiar.

However, she then heard the steps come to a screeching halt. After a moment of silence, she heard a low rumbling, growling sound for a few seconds, before the thumping sound retreated, going further and further back into the manor.

"Bye for now." Hal responded.

When she was gone, he sighed a little, and smiled slightly.

"She's a good person." he said.

"Lindsay would be proud of the woman she's turned into." he said further.

He then took out his phone, and was about to type up a text, before pausing, and then putting the phone away.

"Nah." he said.

"Odds are she'll go to him eventually. I'll let HER show him her transformation."

"Well, it's sorted out." Hal told her.

"Glad I could be of assistance." he said.

"And I'm sure the charity will be most happy to receive your donations." he said further.

"For now, have a good day, Hazel." he told her.

"If you ever need anything, my door's always open, so to speak."

"Very well." he responded.

"Sadly, because we're so close to your payday, it won't be taken out of your upcoming pay." he told her.

"But, starting immediately after that, each pay will have 50% deducted from it and donated." he continued.

"Things can take a bit to process and all." he reasoned.

"Now, anything else I can help with?"

"One second." Hal responded.

He then started to type something up on his laptop, and printed off a couple of documents. He then stapled one of each to two of what she filled out.

"I've stapled one of these to the copy for the bank, and for the charity." he told her.

"You'll need to deliver the one to the bank personally, but I can give the one to the charity if you like." he said.

"The irony of that is that you not doing it for commendation makes it all that much MORE commendable." Hal responded with a light laugh.

He then grabbed some papers, and started to fill out what he needed to.

"Mmhmm... mmhmm... mmmhmmm..." he mumbled, before nodding.

"All right, all that's needed is for you to sign these papers." he told her.

"One for yourself, one for your file, one for the bank, and one for the charity, itself."

"Very well." Hal replied.

"There's some paperwork to fill out, then." he told her.

He then started to dig for said papers, and sighed quietly.

"You know, Hazel." he said, addressing her. "This will make you the most generous person on my payroll." he told her.

"Many of my staff regularly donate to charities, but you're going to be giving the largest portion of your pay, on the most consistent basis, in the Unit." he continued.

"It's extremely commendable."

Hal looked at the charity she had selected, and listened to her as she gave her reasons.

"Hmmm, I see." he said.

"And you'll be able to live on half your current salary?" he asked her.

"More than comfortably." Hazel responded.

"See, here's the issue." Hel then said. "If I cut your pay in half. Just outright cut it, and word gets out, or the wrong people find out, then I will be in a sea of a PR nightmare, with allegations that I discriminate, or whatever, and they'll be wanting my head, as well as me ousted from my position." he told her.

"And you know as well as I do that even if you step forward and say this was your own decision, they'll assume I threatened or bullied or blackmailed you into saying it. Or that you don't know what you're talking about, and THEY know what is best for you." he added with some snark in his tone.

"However, there IS a workaround." he then quickly said.

"Your pay will remain the same, but we can set it up that half of your paycheque will be automatically donated to this charity under your name." he offered. "You'll get the necessary tax receipts for it, the charity will get the money, and I don't have to worry about losing my job." he went on.

"That a suitable compromise for you?" he asked.

Hal was silent as he heard that.

"Ah...." he stammered.

"Okay... I admit, that's something I never thought I would hear." he said.

"Let me ask this, just for the sake of clarity." he went on.

"You want us to cut your pay in HALF?" he asked her.

"And give it to... what, just general charity?"

"Your pay?" Hal asked.

"Sure, I have time." he told her.

"Come in." he said.

With that, Hazel got up and made her way into the office. Hal shut the door behind her, and made his way to his desk, sitting down behind it and booting up his laptop.

"What's the issue?" he asked.

"Do you feel we're not compensating you enough for your services?" he asked further.