Colin's posts

"Yes." Julien replied.

"To both." he told her.

He then sighed and told her about what had happened. How Kiah had come running in scared, what he saw when he went out there, the squirrel, and how Kaia had said she had done it before.

"It's not my mana, it's not the Fyrane mana." he said further.

"It's both." he continued.

"A very strange and unnerving hybrid of the two."

"I can answer that." Julien said, entering the room and just hearing what she said, obviously having made his way to her when he heard her arrive at the house.

He sounded stressed, and when she looked at him, he LOOKED stressed.

Like the weight of the world was on his shoulders.

"To put it nicely, eventful." he told her.

"To put it bluntly, stressful and worrisome." he continued.

"Seems Kaia's mana has developed."

Julien wasn't exactly sure what to do here.

His daughter was able to produce a frightening hybrid rune of his mana and the Fyrane mana, she was unaware of JUST what she was doing, and his other daughter was (rightfully) scared by it.

But how could he discuss this on his own?

He couldn't. He NEEDED either Demitra or Racquel there to help explain and fill in on what the Fyrane rune did.

'...please come home soon, Demitra... or Racquel...' he thought.

'I can't do this on my own...'

Julien looked over towards his other daughter, and sighed.

"Hey." he said.

"You all right, Kiah?" he asked her.

"I know what your sister did was... well, I'm sure it was scary for you." he commented.

"But I don't think she really knows what she's truly doing with it." he continued.

'...not sure -I- know what she's truly doing with it...' he then admitted to himself mentally.

Julien was silent as he heard that she'd done it a few times already. He wondered when, and if anyone had gotten hurt during it. It was clear that Kiah hadn't at least, so that was a massive relief.

"I see." he responded.

"Well, you and I and your mother... when she gets back... will talk about that." he told her.

"I'm sure she'll be VERY interested in hearing about this." he continued, before starting to walk back towards the house.

On the way, he stopped and reassuringly put a hand on Kiah's shoulder, giving her a soft look that said it was all right.

Whether she believed him or not was an entirely different matter.

".....eesh." Julien mumbled, as he walked over towards Kaia and lifted her up in his arms in a bit of a quick motion, for the exhilaration of it for her mostly.

"That's my girl!" he told her.

"We should probably talk about that little pattern you created." he then suggested, nudging the squirrel out of view with his foot.

"That was a very interesting thing you did." he went on.

"Have you done it before?" he asked.

"Or was this the first time?"

Julien sighed again.

"Kaia, sweetie, are you aware of what you're doing?" he asked.

"Look around, dear." he told her.

"See the little pattern you've put out?" he asked.

"Maybe put it away now, okay?" he suggested.

"Mr. Squirrel has things to do, and your sister is a little scared of the markings." he continued.

"Maybe we can talk about this over something to drink?"

"Ah-ha, yes, sweetie, he's... very cute." Julien replied.

"But maybe you should let him go, okay?" he suggested.

"Maybe he needs to go gather some... nuts or something, right?" he said further.

"I'm sure he's having a good time with you, but he has things to do as well, after all." he continued.

He then looked at the squirrel again, and grimaced slightly.

'That's... unnerving...' he thought.

Julien looked down at the ground, and his eyes widened a bit.

"...the Fyrane rune...?" he muttered.

"No... MY netting....?" he then asked.

"Or.... both...?" he wondered aloud further, before looking at Kaia and the squirrel.

"......" he was silent for a moment, watching the squirrel's stiff and janky movements, and cleared his throat.

"Kaia, sweetie!" he called out to her.

Julien was silent, before giving her a hug.

"It's all right, dear, it's all right." he said.

"Her mana's just showing up, it seems." he told her.

"Come on, let's go see her. I'll try and help." he went on.

'...CAN I help with the Fyrane rune?' he then thought.

"Kaia!" he called, as he started to make his way towards her.

"Just remain calm! Don't freak out!"

Julien's head whirled around in the direction he heard the cry from.

"Kiah!?" he exclaimed as she got close. He then knelt down and placed his hands on her shoulders.

"Kiah, what is it, dear?" he asked.

"Did something happen?" he asked her.

"...is Kaia all right?" he then asked, noticing that Kaia, her twin sister, wasn't with her.

And he heard no noises coming from the backyard.

He was beginning to fear some very bad things right now, he had to admit.

Julien nodded.

"Fair enough." he said.

"That makes sense." he told her.

He then sighed, almost contentedly, before looking towards the sky.

"Never thought I'D ever be a father..." he mumbled.

"It's... an odd feeling." he continued.

"I feel... terrified, yet excited. I have a pit in my stomach, but I'm all right with that." he said further, continuing to smile.

He raised an eyebrow when she said that.

"That... is still a bit unnerving." he told her.

"I'd just assumed she had some sort of... I don't know, maternal instinct or something." he went on.

"But we should confirm it." he said further.

"Let her know what's going to happen in the near future." he reasoned.

"Think she'll want to stay here or move elsewhere in the world?" he then asked.

Julien smiled a little when she said that.

"Heh." he chuckled.

"I see." he said.

"Well, she'll get it soon enough, I suppose." he commented.

"Should we tell her when we get back?" he asked, before pausing.

"...though she might already suspect it." he continued.

"She told me she has her suspicions, before I came here to speak with you."