Colin's posts

"Blue?" Vincent replied.

"All right, thanks." he said, as Rene came back.

"Everything ok?" he asked.

"Indeed." Vincent responded.

"I've gotten all I need, and I should be back in about a week or so." he continued.

"And are you enrolling her in a mage school?" he asked Rene.

"I am in the process of it." Rene said. "But the red tape is horrendous." he muttered.

"...this is true..." Vincent agreed.

"I'll talk to Hollie, see if we can't streamline that a bit." he told him.

"That would be greatly appreciated." Rene replied.

"Indubitably." Vincent replied.

"Don't worry, I'll be able to help you." he told her.

"...I do have one more question, though." he then said.

"Do you have any favourite colours?" he asked. "Or perhaps a design or pattern you are particularly fond of?" he asked further.

"I know it might seem odd and random, but humour me."

Vincent was silent for a few moments after she asked that, before he released the shields and sighed heavily.

"Whew." he muttered.

"Yeah." he said.

"I'm all right." he told her.

"That really is a powerful thing." he commented.

"But... I think I know just how to help you." he then said with a confident smile.

"It'll take me about a week, but I KNOW I can do it."

Thankfully, the shields that Vincent put up were keeping the effects at bay... for now... for the most part.

"Mmm..." he muttered.

"I see." he said.

She then saw him draw in closer, and he narrowed his eyes. He seemed to be studying every last part of the markings. He was taking it all in, as best he could.

"Mmhmm... mmhmm..." he mumbled further, as he had her turn her arm around and rotate it, so he could get a full view of everything.

This took about 5 minutes, before Vincent grasped at his head suddenly.

"All right." he said.

"You can rewrap it now." he told her, as he concentrated on keeping his shield's up and strong.

Rene broke the hug, and then nodded.

"I'll head to my bedroom." he told her.

"Don't worry." he then said.

"Things'll be fine. You'll see." he assured her, before getting up and heading out of the room.

With that, she heard his footsteps heading up the stairs, and saw Vincent seeming to concentrate hard on something, his eyes closed intently.

After about 15 seconds, he opened his eyes.

"All right." he said. "I'm ready whenever you are." he told her.

Rene was silent, before getting up and making his way over.

"It's all right." he said.

"I'll leave the room so you don't affect me." he told her.

"Vincent knows what he's doing, and he just wants to help you." he went on.

"I promise." he finished, before smiling and giving her a hug.

Vincent watched all this, and smiled a little.

'Well, I'll be.' he thought.

'Maybe there IS something to what you've been saying all this time, Nakia...'

"Hm." Vincent muttered.

"Well... I shan't comment on that." he said.

"However..." he then mumbled, looking at her.

"May I see it?" he asked.

"Your marking, that is?" he clarified.

"Because I think you don't need much of my help in terms of counselling and such." he went on. "But I can think of one major thing I can do to help you." he continued.

"However, that relies on my seeing it." he said further.

"Rene, you might want to leave." he then told Rene.

"I can 'shield' myself to a degree, but I don't know if you can." he finished.

"Well, then." Vincent replied.

"You already have a better attitude." he commented.

"Good." he said.

"But I do know of ways that can help you even more." he told her further.

"I've been around for a while... and even though I do not have your abilities, I DO know how to control them."

Vincent sighed.

"I once heard someone else say something similar to that." he told her.

"Things didn't go well for him." he said.

"He thought that he needed to shun the world. Lock himself away from it." he went on. "And the mark devoured him." he told her further.

"Figuratively, of course." he clarified.

"But he became an emotionless husk of a man. Almost soulless, one could say." he informed her.

"Let me help you. You don't have to be alone in this world, locked away because of something you can control, but don't know how to." he implored her.

"Rene, you're free to be a part of this." Vincent told him.

"Very well." Rene replied.

"And after this, I'll tell you about my own markings." he then told her.

With that, the three of them made their way to the living room, and Vincent sat across from Erica, with the two of them facing each other, and Rene was off to the size.

"Erica, I've been told you have a very special ability." Vincent said to her.

"However, it's been a source of great stress, hasn't it?" he asked.

Vincent raised an eyebrow, and looked at Rene.

"Surely you recognize a joke, Remmington." Rene said.

"I do." Vincent replied.

"Though it doesn't change the fact that I, on some level, honestly agree with her statement." he added.

"....yes, I know." Rene sighed, looking at Erica.

"Vincent and I have... a history." he told her. "A history of when I was... different." he went on, looking off to the side and exhaling slowly.

"Regardless, if there's anyone in this world that can help you, it's him." he reasoned.

"And I shall." Vincent responded.

"Erica... would it be all right if we chatted privately?" he then asked her, almost cordially.

As soon as she entered the room, she noticed who the other person was.

He looked to be older than Rene. While Rene looked to be in his early to mid-20's, this man looked to solidly be in his mid-30's. And he was definitely bulkier than Rene... but that wasn't saying much.

But his eyes... she saw in his eyes that he was a man that had experienced a lot in his life. Possibly more than anyone else could possibly comprehend. And they were fixed on Rene with a subtle hardened glare.

When he saw her, though, those eyes softened, and he smiled.

"Hello, Erica." he greeted her.

"I'm Vincent." he introduced himself.

"And I'm here to help you."

"...neither do I." Vincent sighed.

"So I guess this is as good as it gets." he muttered.

"Sadly." he then added under his breath.

-Some hours later-

Erica and Rene had eaten their dinner, and she was back up in her room with Felix. She had just finished the book she'd been reading, and was cuddling with Felix, when she heard Rene's voice.

"Erica!" he called up.

"Could you come downstairs, please?" he asked.

"There's someone here who wants to meet you!"

"Very well." Vincent replied.

"I shall gather what is necessary, and make my way there." he told her.

"...." he was then silent, before sighing lightly.

"Calder..." he said quietly.

"Hard to believe he's taken in someone like that." he said further.

"Didn't think he was the type."