Colin's posts

Ash had been looking into the woods that spread out behind the Fyrane manor, but immediately walked over towards Rowena when she called out to him. He smiled a little when she asked if he had a minute, and nodded.

"Yep." he said.

"Was just thinking about going for a walk in there." he told her, jabbing a thumb in the direction of the woods.

"Not sure if I want to or not." he admitted.

"Anyway, sup?" he asked.

"That's fair." Vincent responded.

"I'll leave you to that, then." he told her, as he gathered up all the books that had been brought into the den.

"Won't need these anymore." he chuckled. "So I'm going to take them back down to my study." he said.

"Love you." he finished.

She responded in kind, and he left with the stack, rendering her alone in the room, with plans she had to make.

"Hm." Vincent mumbled.

"De-stress, huh?" he asked.

"What about that one spa?" he suggested. "The one that you go to a lot for such things, and the people there are actually on good terms with your family... and buy relaxation teas from your sister..." he then said further.

"You know that they take 'emergency' book-ins, especially for a Fyrane." he chuckled.

"Could really help."

"All right." Vincent responded.

"I do hope that helps." he told her.

With that, she left, and Vincent looked over towards Rowena.

"...you all right?" he asked.

"I know this has been an... exciting day... to understate it." he commented.

"But will you be okay?"

Vincent didn't say anything in response, before just shaking his head.

"I can tell there's more here than you're saying." he said.

"However, as long as he is all right, and he will continue to help Alice, then I shall not complain." he told her.

"Admittedly, the lack of specific information about your interaction with him is... not concerning, but suspicious." he admitted.

"That being said, Alice is already separating herself from us. I'd rather not push YOU away, too."

Vincent looked at her when she said what she did, and raised an eyebrow slightly.

"Oh?" he asked.

"Why is that?" he asked her.

"He seemed pretty sure of himself that he was going to be here tomorrow, and each following day." he said further, scratching at his chin.

"....hm." he mumbled, almost sounding suspicious now.

"Is everything all right with him?" he inquired.

Mikhail's eyes widened a little when she said that.

"...a petrified waterfall..." he mumbled.

"Thank you!" he said to her, suddenly placing his hands on her shoulders.

"I have to go!" he finished, before taking a few steps back.

He then disappeared in a small swirl of water mana, leaving her alone where she stood.

But she had seen it... that thin ray of hope turn to immense hope and excitement.

Mikhail was silent as he processed this, before shaking his head slightly.

"How...?" he started to ask, but stopped himself.

"Right, I won't look a gift horse in the mouth about this." he then said. "Though I AM curious about how you know this." he admitted.

"But where is she?" he asked.

"She's alive, so what's around her?" he asked further.

"I need to find her and find out what's happened." he told her, a small ray of hope in his tone of voice.

Mikhail looked at her confusedly for a moment.

"Sure." he responded.

"Let's go somewhere more private then. Your choice." he told her.

At that point, Lindsay rose to his feet.

"Well, I'm not needed here any longer." he commented.

"So I best be headed home." he said.

Mikhail raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah, why?" he asked. "What's wrong with it?" he asked her.

Rowena just chuckled in response.

"Nothing, nevermind." she said, unaware as to whether or not Mikhail knew what Hal WAS, so she figured it was best to just drop it right there and then. Still, she had to have an internal laugh at the very... familiar and apt metaphor he'd used.

"Right." Vincent interjected.

"So around what time will you be showing up daily, you think?' he asked Mikhail.

"It'll vary, but generally mid-afternoon for her." was the response given.

Mikhail nodded in response.

"Makes sense." he said. "Twins share a close bond, usually, so she would be more used to being close to you, being more in tune with your emotions as is. However, that was amped up to the nth degree." he went on.

"Is she all right?" Vincent asked.

"In time, she will be." Mikhail replied.

"I am going to be coming by almost daily, to help her with this. She was essentially thrown into the middle of a violent ocean of feelings and emotions, and what I managed to do right now was give her a life-jacket." he explained.

"In time, I'll help her build a boat, and then row to shore." he said further.

"...to overuse the nautical theme."

Mikhail just sighed quietly.

"Well, let's help with that." he said.

He'd been up there with her for close to 4 hours, and when he stepped out of her room, he shut the door behind him, and made his way down the stairs, to the den, where the other three still were.

And now Vicki was, too.

When he saw her, he flinched for a moment, his mind trying to piece this together, before it clicked.

"Twins?" he asked her.

"All we can do is wait and see." Vincent responded. "...that's literally all we can do." he lamented.

Meanwhile, Mikhail reached to the door and opened it, stepping through the barrier, and wincing slightly as he did so. It hadn't hurt him, but it was almost like waking through a wall of suspended molasses.

He looked over and saw Alice laying on her bed, on her back, staring at the ceiling.

"It's hell, isn't it?" he asked.

"All these feelings. None of them yours. And you feel like you're being pulled down into a violent sea of emotions."

"...." he was silent for moment, freezing in place as he heard the explanation.

"That would do it." he said.

"Time to help her." he finished, as he followed his senses and started to walk deeper into the building.

He made his way up to where he sensed the barrier, pausing at it, and then knocking on it almost rhythmically.

It's Mikhail. he sent.

Care to let me in? he then asked in his next message.