Colin's posts

Ash was silent as he heard all that.

"Oh?" he asked.

"Is that so." he said.

"Hmmm..." he muttered, thinking about it.

"I can deal with those that would attempt harm to those in charge." he told her, venom and darkness in his tone.

"Tell me." he then said.

"Can I use mana in here, and not have it affect those mana things that roam outside?" he asked.

"Name's Ash." he told her.

"I went by 'AJ' as a code name when I worked at this place back in the day." he said.

"I remember when this area was used to house animals and creatures..." he then said further, looking around some.

"Seems it's... a bit bleaker now..." he mumbled.

"Anyway, there anything I can do to help out down here?" he asked.

"Sorry, bad joke." Ash responded with a snicker.

"But seriously, I was sent here to assist you in any way." he told her.

"Emi told me to look for the one called 'Spear'." he went on.

"So... here I am." he muttered.

"How goes things down here?" he asked.

"........hm." Ash muttered as he heard that.

He then sighed, and continued his way forward, before stopping.

He paused, looked around, and then cleared his throat loudly, knowing it would echo about.

"Hellooooo?" he called.

"I'm here to talk to the activities director here!" he said, his inner smartass shining through.

"...she is." Sorrel agreed.

"But he should be able to deal with her, regardless." he said.

"If the stories are anything to go by, that is." he then added.

Meanwhile, Ash made his way down to where the holding cells were, being ignored by those he met... until he met less and less people, realizing he was now alone.

'....hm.' he thought.

'Guess not many come down this way.' he thought further.

"...definitely an air of death around me now..." he mumbled to himself as he entered the two doors that normally led to the animal holding area.

"Mana can be faked. To a degree." Sorrel responded.

"Which is to say, signatures can be mimicked, but strength can never be faked." he then clarified.

"He seemed like a bit of a buffoon... but he also seems reliable. And there's one thing that makes his claim undeniable in my mind." he went on.

"Look." he said, gesturing to a small patch of dark soil. It was normally empty. Nothing ever seemed to grow there. But now, it seemed that emerald green shoots were starting to sprout out from the ground.

"It seems those were planted long ago by Ashley. She said that they would only react to his mana, and her mana, as they were given to them as a wedding gift." he reminded her.

"And he doesn't look or seem anything like Ashley." he continued.

"Which can really only mean one thing." he finished.

Ash raised an eyebrow when he heard that.

"Right." he said.

"Guess I'm off to the holding cells." he commented.

"....I assume the animal pens are being used for that?" he then asked.

"Animal pens?" Sorrel asked. "Oh, downstairs in the basement?" he asked further.

"Yeah." Ash replied.

"Then yes." Sorrel confirmed.

"Well... see you both later, then." Ash said to them.

"Spear?" Ash asked.

"All right, sure." he said.

"How will I know him... her... when I see them?" he asked.

"What do they look like?" he asked further. "Or is this a case of knowing someone when I see them?" he inquired.

Sorrel just chuckled.

"I should get back to tending to the plants." he commented.

"I get that feeling, yeah." Ash responded.

"I'll be sure not to miss it." he said.

"There anything I can do around here to help?" he asked.

"Or should I stay out of the way?" he asked further.

"I was warned to not give people reasons to be annoyed with me."

"Yeah, that's a danger." Ash replied.

"Not compared to another person she knew, but still." he said.

"Regardless, there you go." he told her. "I'm glad I was able to be of some help since getting here." he muttered further, before sighing.

"I guess I should go and... well... reacquaint myself with the guild." he said.

"Get people used to seeing me and stuff."

Ash looked at the holes in his arm, before shrugging.

"Sure thing." he told her.

"...and sorry if that was strong." he said.

"Sydney said I was like the finest wine, and needed to be savoured only at times of celebration, or when one needs to treat themselves." he told her.

"...sounds unnerving." Sorrel commented.

"I was used to it. Sydney was Sydney." Ash replied flippantly.

Ash raised an eyebrow.

"A pint? That's it?" he asked.

"Hell, help yourself." he told her, holding out his arm.

"Jaden and Sydney generally took 3 from me, and I was fine with that." he said.

"A pint's the size of an average donation back in my time. So have at it." he went on.

"You sure you don't need more?" he asked her.

"...................." Ash was silent for a moment, before smacking his forehead.

"Aaaaand I forgot she actually mentioned that." he said.

"Suppose it was because I was so absorbed in the world I awoke in." he mumbled.

"Right. No. She DID tell me. I was just an idiot and forgot." he assured her.

"But you need blood?" he asked.

"How much?" he asked further.

Ash was silent for a moment.

".....blood?" he muttered, rising to his feet again.

"Wait, blood?" he asked her.

"What of it?" Sorrel asked him.

"Just out of curiosity... are you part of the Sherwood line?" Ash asked Emi.

"Might be a long shot, but... figured I'd ask."