Colin's posts

A few seconds later, she got a text.

On my way up. it read.

Sure enough, several seconds later, her father appeared from the basement.

"Yo." he greeted her.

"What's up?" he asked.

"Sounded kinda important from the tone of that yell." he commented further.

"H-huh?" Darrell stammered.

"It's... it's Dr. Fyrane." he said.

"And?" Kelly asked.

"L... Lindsay Fyrane?" Darrell asked.

".....aaaaaaand?" Kelly asked further.

"I... what?" Darrell asked in response.

"What IS he?" Kelly inquired.

"A... therapist." Darrell answered.

"AND?" Kelly asked him, a heavy implication that he was missing the obvious in her tone.

"...." Darrell was silent for a moment, before the lights came on in his mind.

"...oh. OH! Ohhhhhhhhh!" he realised.

Darrell was... stunned. Shocked. Flabbergasted.

"I-she-it-but..." he stammered and sputtered.

"We were on the roof and that thing came crashing towards us and it hit her and they both fell and there was this sickening crack and the blood everywhere and she's not moving or breathing..." he rambled on, panic in his tone.

"AND SHE'S DEAD!" he yelled.

"She's dead, she's dead, she's DEAD!" he repeated.

"I'm SO SORRY!" he exclaimed, falling to his hands and knees to plead for forgiveness, Kelly's nonchalant tone having gone over his head currently.

When Darrell saw all this... and it registered what had happened... he almost threw up.

However, he quickly gathered himself and portaled down from the roof, beside where Sammy and the creature had landed.

The animal was... surprisingly alive. Just stunned and injured, and unconscious.

Sammy, however... looked to be in worse shape.

FAR worse shape.

Darrell quickly got the creature away from her, and looked at her, before panicking.

Hard.

He was NOT sure what to do here, and he was freaking out.

"SOMEONE!" he then yelled out.

"THERE'S BEEN AN ACCIDENT! HELP!"

Darrell looked to where she was looking, and sniffed the air.

"...huh?" he mumbled.

"Wait... something's... coming..." he said.

"Sure enough, a small black figure appeared in the sky, and it was getting larger. After a few second, they saw it as one of the larger birds of prey that inhabited the forest by the Fyrane manor... and it appeared injured.

It was also coming towards them at an alarmingly quick pace.

[b]"Uh... uh, Sammy?" Darrell said.

"I think... maybe being up here isn't a good idea..."

Darrell looked over towards Sammy when she said this.

"Happen?" he asked.

"That's... ominous." he told her.

"Seriously, like some kind of death premonition." he went on.

"As for this place being too full... who knows." he sighed.

He then looked around tthem, and smiled slightly.

"At least it's nice being up here." he commented.

"Can really see it all from this vantage point."

"I would if I could, but I have some files to fill out." he replied.

"About this incident, mostly." he clarified.

"I just wanted to stop by and impart the good news." he told her with a small smile.

"Seriously. I'm proud of you." he told her.

"You showed some of the most genuine and selfless generosity I've ever heard of." he went on.

"But I'll come see you in a bit." he assured her.

"For now, see you later." he said.

"Love you, sweetie." he finished.

Lindsay just sighed deeply.

"Admittedly, I am too." he said.

"However, I AM still unimpressed that I missed your race." he told her.

"But anyway." he then mumbled, shaking his head.

"You rest well." he told her further.

"...you and your little guardian." he laughed.

"You WILL text someone." Lindsay told her.

"YOU have been on your feet enough for one day." he said.

"Or, more realistically, 2 days." he went on.

"I don't want you up and about unless ABSOLUTELY necessary." he then warned her.

With that, he made his way to the door and looked back at her.

"All right, I'm gone." he said.

"Oh. And turns out that 'emergency' call was nothing more than a bratty cry for attention." he then told her.

"We discovered he was in no real danger, so he caused me to miss your big day for... well, no reason." he went on.

"So I'm not impressed."

"Well, the right people didn't miss it." Lindsay replied.

"For the most part, the attention was on the winner." he told her.

"Anyway, I'm sure it's been offered before, but there anything I can get you?" he asked.

"Anything to drink? Eat?" he offered further.

"Because, if nothing else, I'll leave you to get your rest." he continued.

"...leave the door open a bit so Kitt can leave when she inevitably gets hungry..." he mumbled.

"I don't know the exact numbers." Lindsay admitted.

"But they told me it was a full scholarship." he told her.

"At the very least, that should cover your tuition for your entire tenure at University." he continued.

"As for what else, I do not know." he said further.

"When you're up and about again, they say they want to meet with you." he went on.

"You can discuss it with them then."

Lindsay just laughed quietly.

"It's all right." he said.

"And it's understandable." he told her.

"Now... you realise we'll have to tell your mother all this." he went on.

"She has a right to know." he said further.

"...but that can wait until she returns." he continued.

"For now... I stand by what I said. I'm proud of you. More than ever before." he told her further.

"Guess your mother and I did SOMETHING right with you." he chuckled.

"Very odd." Lindsay replied.

"And it shall stay that way." he told her.

"It's also a little bit... of a secret, shall we say?" he went on.

"Truth be told, it's a slightly different scholarship. It's one they don't advertise they have, and they hand it out to those that have truly earned it. It's one that's more stealthy, so to speak." he continued.

"Just don't broadcast that you got it." he continued.

"It seems it's their way to quietly reward those that showcase exemplary qualities."

Lindsay just smirked.

"I know." he replied.

"I was called and told about what happened, seeing as you disappeared so soon after crossing the line in 2nd place." he told her.

"Those in charge of granting the scholarship saw what you did... and noticed that you seemed to have been injured as well, hence your hasty departure." he continued on.

"And they were impressed. VERY impressed. This was the first time they'd ever seen such selflessness before." he then said. "Seems the one you gave up the scholarship to was insisting that you get it instead, actually." he then revealed.

"However... it seems that's not necessary." he told her.

"I was told that they would be doing something they'd never done before... and have awarded the BOTH of you the scholarship." he informed her further.

"So as I said previously, congratulations."