Colin's posts

It was at that point, in all the commotion, and before Kalin could properly get Rene, she noticed something. There was a clanging noise, and she saw what looked to be a canister clatter and fall next to them.

Before she could even do anything, the canister expelled sickly green gas around the two of them.

Instantly, as the gas touched them, she could feel her nerves start to misfire and freeze up. Essentially, her nervous system was confused, and even paralysed. She couldn't move properly at all.

And she couldn't access her mana properly, either. She could feel her grasp on it start to slip away from her.

Which was when she felt a sharp pain in her stomach, like she'd just been shot.

Jaden just smirked, and pretended his didn't notice the rapier floating behind him.

"Mmm." he mumbled, doing his best to keep his cool.

Off the stage, she was a very different person, sweet and kind, maybe a little shy, but on stage, acting cool, calm, and cocky? He had to admit, he loved that about her.

"You flatter me." he said.

"But enough!" he declared.

"If you dare... then strike me down NOW!" he commanded, as the audience roared once more.

However, at the very same instant that he finished that statement, and the crowd started to cheer, a tiny concentrated beam of light shot down from an angle on high. It was for the briefest of moments, and hardly anyone would have seen it. Even if they had, it could be mistaken for a trick of the light, or the eye.

But that would have gone away in an instant, when Jaden's expression changed from confident and commanding... to shocked and stunned. He looked down at his chest, as the clothing he was wearing started to become stained red at the chest. He then looked towards the woman, concern and pain in his expression, as a trickle of blood dripped down from the corner of his mouth, and he collapsed to his knees.

And then a woman in the audience let out a high-pitched shriek of horror.

Jackson said nothing more as she continued on, leaving him behind.

"...." he continued to be silent, before looking away.

"Why...?" he mumbled.

"Why do I get the feeling I made that worse...?" he asked himself.

"But... how?" he wondered aloud.

'I just... want to help her. Try and keep her moving on...' he then thought, before starting to slowly walk forward, not paying much attention to anything, now.

- - -

The crowd cheered and roared, as several floating sword hovered above Jaden... and then fell, one by one, seemingly impaling him through his head and palms. However, after brief pause, Jaden removed each sword as if it were nothing.

"Heh." he chuckled.

"Is that the best you can do!?" he demanded of the female he was sharing the stage with.

Jackson watched her start to head off, before gently placing a hand on her shoulder.

"Hey." he said.

"You look really stressed. Like... REALLY stressed." he commented.

"If you need anything, let me know." he told her.

"Okay?" he asked.

"Talk to me if you think you want or need help."

"......." Jackson was silent for a moment, before sighing.

"I... well, it's getting to everyone." he commented.

"But... already?" he asked.

"Last I checked, you were just fine with making a quick run for that Levi guy to get some fast food before the lockdown was fully implemented." he said.

"And that wasn't very long ago. At all." he went on.

"...did something happen?" he asked her.

"Did Levi hurt you?" he asked further, anger in his tone now.

Levi was silent as she suddenly excused herself, and left in a hurried state.

"Huh?" he muttered.

"Did... I say something wrong?" he wondered, making a note to ask her about it later, and apologise... if necessary.

But as she hastily and aimlessly meandered through the hallways, she didn't notice someone was right in her path... and she bumped into them.

Thankfully, it was someone that she knew. And they knew here.

"Hey, Becca." he said, placing his hands gently on her shoulders.

"What's wrong?" he asked her.

Levi was silent for a moment.

"Well, yeah, we intend to move into one of the dorms here for a while." he told her.

"All of our important stuff has been moved here. So we don't care if our place gets ransacked or whatever. We don't have any emotional attachment to the place." he shrugged.

"And yeah... I know I'm lucky that I can blend in." he then sighed.

"But you're lucky, too." he told her.

"After what was done to you, the chances of you dying were over 99%. At LEAST." he said. "But you did it. You survived. Albeit barely, but you're getting better. You're practically thriving. And I'm here to help." he went on.

"If we'd have met before I met Ally, then I'd say you'd be my perfect match." he chuckled.

"Feel free to have some of those boneless bites." Levi offered.

"And... well, not as much as one might think, actually." he told her.

"Granted, I'm worried something will go wrong. I think we all are." he then admitted.

"But... well... I've always been a bit of a loner. That's been changing as of late, but it'll not be a huge adjustment to go back to that." he reasoned.

"And here, Ally and I can at least feel safe." he continued.

'That's the important thing." he said.

"What about you?" he then asked.

"Hey, wait up!" Levi said.

"Wanna stick around?" he asked.

"I mean... it IS kinda lonely here right now." he admitted.

"Unless you have something to do." he then added.

"But if you DO stick around, you can have some of the food or the pop if you want." he then offered.

"Admittedly, I DID get a lot..."

After a second, she heard him call back.

"In the back!" he said.

"Sorry, in the middle of something!" he continued.

She then made her way to him, and he sighed.

"I'm weird, and have a fave computer." he admitted, before smelling the bag.

"Ohhhh MAN that smells divine!" he exclaimed happily.

"I was an adult, and made a conscious decision." Tyson responded.

"I knew what I was getting into." he said.

"Well... I did. I thought I did. Point is, I was able to adapt reasonably well. Sort of." he muttered.

"With Lunet, it was an accident, and she had NO idea what it was." he went on.

"Regardless, I intend to be there for her if she needs help coping or needs someone that understands." he said further.

"It's the least I can do for the daughter of my oldest friend." he reasoned with a small sigh.

Ty looked to be about to say something, but paused.

"I...." he stammered.

"Well, then." he said.

"I hadn't considered that." he admitted.

"..." he was then silent for a moment, before smiling slightly.

"Heh." he chuckled.

"Good for them." he said sincerely.

Again, Tyson sighed.

"I don't know." he said.

"Only SHE does." he mumbled.

"At least the Order is helping her with her nightmares." he then went on.

"Seems like a partial pit's nightmares are a little more easily dealt with." he shrugged.

"Which is good for her."

Ty paused for a moment, and thought about it.

"....she should be." he said.

"From what we've seen, she'll come back from anything. Just... a lot more slowly than me." he told her.

"But truth be told, I don't know." he admitted.

"I've been around for a very long time, and that's the first time I've seen an incomplete pit... well... work." he went on.

"Those kinds usually just do the opposite and kill someone." he said further.

"Lunet is truly someone in uncharted territory."