Colin's posts

"...huh." Vincent muttered again.

"Feeling this, I can understand that." he said. "Already, this feels amazing." he told her.

"But still... I'm glad you're all right." he went on.

"Maybe we need to be more careful in the future." he then said further.

"If he hadn't come and helped you... you may have very well not made it." he lamented.

"Because there's nothing I can do to help you when this flares up."

Vincent hesitated for a moment, before accepting them.

And they didn't dissipate.

"..." he was silent for a moment, witnessing this.

"Well I'll be." he said.

"Perhaps your mana reacts with it." he commented.

"That's a very unique gift you have, Aimee."

"Ah?" Vincent muttered.

"How?" he asked.

"I tried to catch one, and it just dissipated." he told her.

Then, for the first time in Aimee's life, she realised something.

She knew something Vincent didn't know.

Something that was... a decently big deal. And at that moment, she knew more about the world... and the next life... than HE did.

"No." he replied.

"No, don't feel you need to give it back, nor that I want it back." he told her.

"It's yours to continue to do whatever you wish to do with it... and all others." he assured her.

"....I should go." he said.

He then left in a pillar of light, with several feathers left behind. 3, to be precise. The wind blew them over towards Aimee and Vincent, and Vincent held it hand out as one landed on it.

And immediately dissipated into nothingness.

"......." Gabriel was silent for a moment, grabbing his elbow with his opposing hand, and looked off to the side.

"...I see..." he said further.

"Wait, that was when...?" Vincent started to ask, before shaking his head.

"You saved her?" he asked Gabriel.

"I did." Gabriel confirmed.

"...and... the more time that goes by... I've realised something." he then said.

"If I hadn't... then you and my brother would never have met. And he wouldn't be as happy as he is right now." he said further.

And Aimee could see it. She saw the legitimate guilt that Gabriel was feeling. To hear his feather had been a solace for her. How he had treated her in the past and such.

"...." Gabriel was silent for another moment.

"Don't." he said.

"It's not your fault you didn't know which... feather you... grabbed." he muttered, before it clicked.

"You... still keep one of my feathers in your hair." he realised and vocalised.

"Why?" he asked.

"Why keep a reminder of ME around?"

"Ahhh, CRAP!" Ryker yelled, as he started to run closer.

"...." the one that was there was silent, before reaching into a pouch they had and taking out a strange salve. They put it on Eke's back, and Eke immediately felt a stinging sensation, followed by soothing coolness and a minty sensation.

"...this should help." they said.

"I'm sorry." they apologised.

"I hurt you..."

"....Gabriel?" Vincent asked.

"As in...?" he started to ask, before Gabriel interrupted.

"Yes." he said. "Yes, what you were about to say is correct." he confirmed.

"...and you'll not say anything, yes?" he then asked pointedly.

"Clearly." Vincent responded. "I keep a lot of things under my hat." he told him.

"I know you do." Gabriel responded, before looking at Aimee.

"Give it a minute before you're breathing normally again." he told her. "In the meantime, just stay still and don't exert yourself."

It worked.

She contacted the one that the feather belonged to.

However, instead of the white-hot bolt of lightning she may have been expecting or hoping for, a pillar of light appeared, and Gabriel was standing there.

"What in the...?" the man mumbled, as Gabriel looked down at the two of them.

"..." he was silent, before stepping forward.

"It's bad." he said.

"You called for help, but knew not who you would receive." he went on.

Then, just as Aimee started to feel her consciousness fading, Gabriel produced an orb of pale mana, and gently sent it floating into her chest.

'....oh no.' he thought, as she started to cough. Badly.

It was unlike anything he'd ever seen before.

This was the worst he'd seen it, and he was now genuinely concerned for her health and safety.

"Aimee!" he exclaimed, getting closer again.

"...." he was silent, wondering what to do here.

Could he teleport? Would that make this worse?

And if it did, would that be... it? For her?

He turned towards her when she doubled over, obviously concerned.

"Oh my goodness!" he exclaimed, racing over.

"Are you all right?" he asked, kneeling down.

"That damn bronchitis." he then cursed.

"Aimee, just... try and keep breathing." he told her.

He then looked around, seeing if anything or anyone was around to help, but... truly, they were alone up here.

Uriel just laughed.

"Well, odds are you've seen the last of Gabriel's feathers for a while." he told her.

"You may end up with a collection of MINE, though." he added.

"...because now I can come to see you whenever I want, whenever YOU want, without any threat of recourse, empty or not." he reasoned.

"And... that feels good." he went on.

"It's a weight off my shoulders."

Uriel looked at her.

"Maybe." he said.

"Beats me." he shrugged.

"All I know is there was some gratitude mixed with guilt in his expression." he went on.

"Maybe yeah, because you were kind." he postulated.

"But I guess the only one that truly knows is... him." he finished.

"I see he left a few more feathers than he usually does." he then commented further.

"She'd drive you to end it." Uriel told her bluntly.

"If she wanted to, she would easily convince you that you were worthless enough that your existence would be a burden to anyone and everyone, and it would be a favour to all to end that burden permanently." he said.

"No bones about it." he muttered.

"So yes, she got Gabriel to come down here and apologise, I'm guessing." he went on.

"...and odds are you'll not see him or hear from him for a GOOD long while." he then added, before pausing.

"Though he DID seem... grateful when he came back home for some reason." he then added quizzically.