Colin's posts

"Oh, yeah." Jake replied.

"That Levi kid's all right." he said.

"...well, when he's having a good day, anyway." he muttered.

"Poor fella has a REAL rough life." he sighed.

"But he's always found a way to keep going forward." he continued.

"Gotta respect him for that."

Jake merely chuckled.

"Was gonna say." he said.

"Ilias is a cool guy, but... don't see him making super-close friends with you." he commented.

"You're a bit too... exuberant... for him." he went on.

"You'd probably come on a bit too strong for him." he clarified.

"Also... for real, thanks." he then told her.

"My job's gotten... better than I could have ever expected since you started stopping by regularly."

Jake paused when she made her 'friend' comment.

He wondered if it was HIM that she was talking about. He could see reasons for her meaning him, but he didn't want to be so presumptuous as to make that vocal assumption. Plus, he didn't care really about the specifics. She had a friend... a real friend... and that's what mattered.

"Good." he replied.

"Glad to hear it." he told her.

"This place can do wonders for one's outlook in general." he continued.... before then just sighing.

He had to know.

"By the way..." he muttered.

"You... you referring ME with that friend thing...?" he asked hesitantly.

"......" Jake was silent for a moment, before nodding.

"Ah, him." he said.

"Yes, I know him quite well." he told her.

He then just sighed and looked to be staring in the distance, thinking about something... and his eyes showed that these were... thoughts that weren't very nice ones, to say the least.

However, he quickly cleared his throat and returned to reality, before sighing.

"Anyway." he said.

"Other than THAT entitled asshole, things have been decently good here for you, as far as the people?" he asked.

Immediately, Jake's demeanour changed.

IMMEDIATELY.

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

"Interesting." he mumbled.

"Who was it, anyway?" he asked her.

"Just... so I know." he went on, returning to a more proper sitting position.

His tone was now a lot colder... and lot more emotionless.

But there was a definite undertone of venom to it.

Jake just continued to crack up at her imitating the man, before slapping the desk with his open palm a few times. It was so rare to see him show such... expressive and extroverted emotions, but she brought it out of him.

Seemingly naturally. Without even trying.

"Oh, man, I wish I could have been there." he said.

"Was there a crowd?" he asked.

"PLEASE tell me there was a crowd." he went on.

"Witnesses would make it SO much better."

"...." Jake was silent for a moment.

"He... he fought you... YOU... only have ONE arm... because of his pride?" he asked.

She nodded.

"And I'm guessing you won." Jake then said.

Again, she nodded.

Jake was silent once more, before bursting out laughing.

"Oh, that is PRICELESS!" he declared.

"Bet his pride is now shattered almost beyond repair!" he proclaimed.

"It's going to take some very serious cognitive dissonance on his part to come back from something like THAT."

"Well, keep me up to date." he told her.

"I wanna know these things." he said.

"Anyway, how have things been otherwise?" he asked.

"I know that early on here, people would give you looks that you didn't much appreciate, but what about now?" he inquired.

"They still looking at you like an oddity?" he asked further.

"You haven't really said one way or the other."

"Hm." he mumbled.

"Yeah, I suppose that would be a bit much to ask, THIS early in obtaining it." he admitted.

"Right now, basic functionality should be the primary goal." he nodded.

"Well... I mean... just..." he then muttered, before sighing heavily.

"I really AM glad that you have a functioning arm once more." he told her.

"Seriously. I know you said you're good at adapting, and I know you are, but I could tell that losing your arm DID bum you out a little, to put it mildly." he then commented.

"It's nice to see a happy ending that has a chance to get even happier."

"For sure." Jake agreed.

"And yeah, you really are adaptable." he laughed.

"Like, impressively so." he muttered.

"I'm sure this'll be no different." he then assured her.

"...can you manipulate your mana through that thing, anyway?" he then asked her.

Jake sighed quietly.

"I'm still being amazed by it constantly." he told her.

"Tech is... it just seems to break new boundaries." he went on.

"It's almost a miracle at this point." he shrugged.

"Regardless, good on you, getting it already... and at all." he reiterated.

"Here's hoping you get used to it sooner, rather than later."

"....wow." Jake muttered.

"That was... surprisingly quick, all things considered." he commented.

"But that's pretty cool." he said further.

"A fully functioning mechanical prosthetic arm." he went on.

"...technology really IS something." he chuckled, shaking his head slightly.

"Congrats."

"......." Jake was still silent for a moment.

"I... uh..." he stammered.

"Wait, wait, wait." he said.

"Hold the hell on." he said further.

"Back UP." he went on.

"You have an arm again? The replacement? Already?"

Jake just shrugged.

"Everyone's busy." he said.

"Everyone has things to do." he commented.

"Making chit-chat with security is just something nobody thinks of doing, save for a few specific individuals." he continued. "But you're the only one that makes time in their day to do so." he shrugged.

"And I DO appreciate it." he then said, looking at her as she sat down on the desk...

...and then suddenly becoming silent, as things started to turn in his head.

"...uh?" was all he managed to get out, gesturing to her new appendage.