Colin's posts

Emerald just nodded, before turning and disappearing back into the house, as Jack finished eating what he had been given. Once he had, he just sighed and shook his head a little.

"He's a good man." he told her.

"You two are lucky to have found each other." he continued.

He was then silent, before taking a small breath, and exhaling it.

"Before we go, I have a request, if possible." he said. "Seeing as I probably won't get any at the Unit, do you have any alcohol I can down a gulp of before we go?" he asked.

"It's been so long, and I wish to feel that burn. That rush. The tingle." he said further.

'That, and it calms the urges down."

Jack crossed his arms over his chest.

"I know." he replied.

"It's wise." he said.

"...what...?" Emerald mumbled.

"Don't fault her." Jack said to him. "I'm keeping it together for now, but there's a reason I became the bringer Death." he told him further. "And I can feel those desires, those urges, welling up inside me." he finished.

Emerald looked uneasy for a moment, and looked to Rylie.

"I'll back us both some travel bags." he told her.

Jack spoke up before Emerald could respond.

"I'll make this easier." he said.

"I'll head to the Unit." he told Rylie.

"Having two pairs of eyes out there would be better than one." he reasoned.

"And it REALLY wouldn't be fair for me to impose on him, when he hardly knows me." he went on. "Besides, you KNOW you won't be able to trust me alone with him." he then warned her.

"So let's just cut off any potential/probable issues... before they have a chance to develop."

"Oh... oh, wow." Emerald responded.

"But the Triangle IS still strong." Jack told Rylie. "AND it's unpredictable enough that such an event MIGHT happen." he said. "Now, granted, chances of that happening are about 3/1,000,000 or so, but... it's not impossible." he said further.

"Regardless, this situation has so many unanswered questions, it's infuriating." he went on.

"And unless something is done quickly, the domino effect will be swift and catastrophic." he warned.

"Life and Death is a precarious cycle. To throw it off balance is to doom the world."

"Pretty much." Jack confirmed.

"People have noticed their mana works better, but the stones there have natural augmenting capabilities. Hardly a nexus, but it explains the buffs." he said.

"Even then, nothing's been confirmed or recorded. A nexus is a very protected thing, and Stonehenge is a tourist attraction." he continued. "So cases can be made for both arguments." he sighed.

"That's... pretty much saying everything and nothing." Emerald replied.

"Pretty much." Jack said.

"But, theoretically, if it WERE a nexus, it'd be one strong enough to make THIS..." he went on, gesturing to himself. "...a reality."

Jack looked over towards her, and raised an eyebrow.

"There's a few in Australia too, remember." he said.

"...as for what you're saying, I have no idea." he told her.

"I mean, it wouldn't go unnoticed. It's an open area." he reasoned.

"What are you talking about?" Emerald asked, clearly confused.

Jack shook his head.

"Not really." he responded.

"Best I can say is it's obviously on a nexus." he told her.

"Oh, a naturally occurring phenomenon of a location that boosts mana considerably?" Emerald asked.

"It can be manufactured, but only to a certain degree. And they're not as powerful as natural ones." Jack corrected him. "But yes, considering what we're talking about, you are correct." he confirmed.

"And odds are it wasn't in North America. Their nexus' tend to be a little weaker than the rest of the world." he added.

Jack and Emerald exchanged glances, before Jack followed Rylie to the kitchen, sitting where she directed him.

"...man." he said.

"Been so long..." he muttered.

"I'd forgotten just how good food smelled." he commented.

"It's amazing what one misses when they remember it's gone." he lamented.

"Assuming I return to my position, it will be hell." he sighed.

"For all the reapers, too."

"...the... the Bringer of Death?" Emerald stammered.

"As... as in, Death of the 4 Horsemen of the Apocalypse?" he asked further, remembering that term from some books he'd read.

"Yes, and no." Jack replied. "I don't actually have a horse, only War does." he said. "However, the sentiment is the same. Regardless of what you call me, I am that. Or used to be." he mumbled.

"Are... the others... like you?" Emerald asked concernedly.

"Not as far as I know." Jack told him, looking at Rylie next.

"As for your offer on clothes, that'd be great." he told her.

"I got nothin'. At all."

Jack put his hands in his pockets, and sighed with a smirk.

"Yes." he replied.

"Extremely." he told her, before pausing.

"...ah, right." he mumbled, seemingly remembering something about himself, and his body. "I really liked alcohol..." he sighed quietly.

"And yeah, what she said." he then told Emerald.

"Death doesn't exist, and the natural balance is thrown outta whack."

"Huh? Oh, sure..." Emerald responded.

"That's fine." he said.

"Hopefully this won't be long, kid." Jack said.

"The fact that I'm here means big trouble." he told him.

"...is that a threat?" Emerald asked defensively. "Don't you dare try and hurt Rylie." he said with a frown.

This caused Jack to hold back a snicker, before he laughed out loud.

"Oh! You're precious!" he exclaimed.

"I can see why she likes you!"

Jack shook his head.

"At this point, I'll eat anything." he told her.

"Odds are if I were still out there, I'd be trying to hunt some woodland creature to eat raw." he admitted frankly. "Not like it'll kill me anyway." he muttered.

"Coming!" Emerald called back, quickly making his way to where she was, and stopping abruptly when he saw Jack.

"Oh? Hello." he greeted him.

"Hey." Jake muttered in response.

Jake dismounted and removed his helmet as well, before sighing.

"Yeah." he said.

"I'd forgotten just how hunger feels." he told her.

"...I'd be lying if I said I completely dislike it." he then admitted.

"I'd forgotten just how it feels to be... alive. To be human." he went on. "Over time, the memories of that just... faded. And looking back, maybe I was grateful for that." he then said further.

"Mostly because not eating or sleeping and all was driving me to the point of insanity when I wasn't used to it." he continued.

"I'll have to go through with it again, assuming this is reversed and the world is saved."

Jack climbed onto the bike and paused for a moment.

He wrapped his arms around her waist, and nodding, signaling he was ready.

"A few times." he said.

"And I mean, once or twice." he clarified.

"Even then, not sure how well I'd be received." he then admitted.

"Bearing in mind, I'm not the nicest guy. I'm... blunt and pretty much an asshole."