Colin's posts

"I shall do so." Hal responded.

"I promise." he said.

With that, they exchanged good-byes, and he left, making his way back down to the planning session.

"My apologies." he said as he entered.

"It seems that the situation has gotten far more complicated suddenly." he told her.

"A nexus has been shut down. Disappeared."

"Damn it." Hal cursed.

"But very well." he said.

"I will do all I can to find out what's happened. And try and stop this from happening again." he assured her, using her own words.

"It may be tied to this Vyran person, but that's just a theory." he went on.

"I'll see if anyone I was meeting with knows anything about it, or has any sort of lead."

Hal brought a hand to his chin and thought about this information.

"...I have a theory, but I'd rather not jump to conclusions." he said.

"Regardless, this information is definitely good to have... albeit not good to receive." he sighed.

"Is there anything we can do for you in the meantime?" he asked her.

"Anything to make you more comfortable, or help mitigate how you're feeling?"

"..." Hal was silent once more, before nodding.

"I see." he said.

"Well, if you're sure you'll recover, then at least there's that. We don't have to worry about... the unthinkable. Not yet, anyway." he said further.

"If you don't mind my asking, where was this nexus?" he asked.

"Where did this happen?"

Hal was... stunned, shocked, and horrified to hear that.

"Gone." he said.

"Oh my dear sweet lord..." he mumbled in a hushed tone.

"That is... even more alarming than I first imagined." he told her, shaking his head slightly.

"How could this happen?" he asked her.

"I didn't think a nexus could just up and disappear."

Hal was stunned to see what he did, and Ilias was still with her, making sure she was okay. The djinn made his way over and looked at Ilias.

"Inform the medical wing." he told him.

"Yes, sir." Ilias responded, looking at Terra once more, and then heading off.

Hal watched him go, before looking at Terra.

"...what's happening?" he asked.

"Because right now, what I'm seeing is alarming."

Savra nodded at the end of what Eke said.

"Pants and shoes are good." they said.

"...I don't know how to pick clothing, though." they then admitted. "So I'm ok with someone else doing it for me." they said further, looking Eke up and down.

"You pick your own clothing now?" they asked.

"Because you pick really nice clothing." they said with a smile.

Savra looked at the various sweaters, almost studying them carefully, individually looking over the lot, and feeling each of them with their hands... before looking at Eke and smiling.

"These are wonderful." they said.

"They look and feel amazing." they said further.

"I would LOVE to wear these! All the time!" they then added, with Eke being able to hear the excitement and enthusiasm growing with each time they said that.

No sooner had she said that, did Ilias pull his phone out and dial Hal's personal cell.

"...it's me. Yeah. Miss Terra wants to speak with you. Immediately." he told him when he'd answered. "...now. It's... urgent." he said further, before pausing and looking Terra.

"And by that, I mean NOW. Seriously." he stressed. "She's atop the building, and... cannot make her way to see you." he finished.

"..." he was then silent, looking at her again, and biting his bottom lip, as Sharp confirmed he would be there ASAP.

Sharp, meanwhile, hung up the phone and looked over at the ones he had been conversing with, Vanessa being one of them.

"Excuse me." he said, standing up from where he was sitting.

"It seems that Terra had requested my presence on the rooftop... and the urgency of said meeting was... stated very clearly."

He wouldn't lie, this frightening him and concerned him. Greatly.

To see this happen meant the planet itself was in danger. And that was alarming.

"I'll... I'll call him." he said.

"Are... you going to go to him?" he asked.

"And if so... do you want or require assistance?" he asked further.

"I'm more than happy to help."

Ilias froze when he heard that, horror showing in his eyes.

"...stole... some of your mana...?" he asked hesitantly.

"I... I didn't know such a thing was possible." he admitted.

"That is... horrifying, and frightening, and... well, I suppose those are the same things, but... you get what I mean." he said.

"Is there anything we can do to help?" he asked her.

"Or do you know how something like this can even happen at ALL?" he asked further.

"Good heavens!" he exclaimed, as he raced towards the woman.

He got close and gently placed a hand atop one of hers, and the other on one of her shoulders.

"Are you all right?" he asked.

"What's happening?" he asked further, as a snake or two slithered out from underneath his hair.

"....hm." Hal mumbled.

"That... IS frightening." he admitted.

"He truly is a cruel, cruel man." he mused further, pondering the implications of what she'd said.

"...and he must be stopped, ASAP." he commented.

"The longer he is allowed to be free and uninhibited... the more of a danger he becomes to this realm."

Hal looked at her as she gave her warning, was silent for a moment, and then nodded.

"...yes." he said.

"We were warned against that. But it was mostly we were told that he could control you with a touch." he told her.

"We don't know much more than that." he admitted.

"But YOU... yes, you would have first-hand knowledge about that." he went on.

"It... couldn't have been pleasant, to understate it."