Colin's posts

"....he...?" Jaden asked.

"Who's 'he'?" he asked her, before pausing.

"Wait..." he said.

"Wait, hold on... no..." he muttered.

"You said you wouldn't have to worry about him." he said.

"Damn it, he came back." he then growled.

Jaden paused when he saw her.

"D... Desiree...?" he asked.

"What...? What happened to you?" he asked her.

"What's wrong?" he asked further.

"Come in, come in." he then offered, opening the front door so they could go inside.

Jaden just sighed.

"Yeah." he said.

".....you can still stay with me if you want to." he then told her.

"Just.... yeah." he muttered.

"If you want to." he repeated.

"It's an option."

"..............." Rene was silent for a bit, and then sighed.

"Right." he said.

"I... have paperwork to fill out." he told them.

"I'll be back." he said, before leaving.

"Wow..." Jaden muttered.

"You can really change anyone's mind, can't you?" he asked her.

Rene was silent, and then pinched the bridge of his nose.

"Arrrrrrrgh..." he growled under his breath.

"Just... just.... ergh." he snarled.

"Look, will it help put your mind at ease if I said that I would be her guard?" Jaden asked.

"...." Rene was silent, before looking at Jaden.

"Anything happens to her, your throat is as good as mince meat." he threatened him.

Rene narrowed his eyes.

"....fine." he said.

"Go to the apartment if you want to." he told her.

"Beg pardon?" Jaden asked. "Just like that?" he asked further.

"I will make SURE he doesn't return." Rene told them.

"Or, rather, that he regrets it immediately when he DOES."

Again, Rene was silent.

"He was HERE!?" he exclaimed.

"I had the same reaction." Jaden said.

"But... I think she's onto something." he told him.

"Excuse me?" Rene asked him.

"Look... just... I mean...." Jaden stammered, before sighing deeply.

"I just think she may be right."

Rene paused when he heard that.

"....I'm sorry?" he said.

"The apartment?" he asked.

"Oh, no. No, no, no." he said. "In fact, I dare say that you should NEVER go near that place again." he went on.

"Wait..." he then muttered.

"ARE you depressed?" he asked her.

"Is this... your way of trying to commit suicide?" he asked further.

Rene nodded in response.

"Right then." he said.

"We'll see if a scan confirms that." he told her.

Desiree was then surrounded by a bubble of water... though she could breathe just fine. It lasted for about 30 seconds, before it dissipated.

"No abnormalities." he commented.

"I see no issue with releasing you now." he told her.

"You heading back with Jaden, or with Kalin and I?" he asked her.

"Well, then odds are Rene'll let you go home later today." he told her.

"Anyway, eat up." he said.

"Before it gets cold." he added.

Several hours later, while Jaden was still there, Rene stepped into the room.

"All right." he said.

"Time for one final scan to see if you're good to go." he told Desiree.

"How are your physical injuries?" he asked.

"And how is your mana? Weak or not, do you feel like you have control over it again?" he asked further.

"From what I understand, sometime this afternoon." Jaden replied.

"We'll know for sure when Rene returns from lunch." he said.

"But it really boils down to you." he went on.

"How are you feeling?" he asked.

"How's your mana? How's the injuries?" he asked further.

"Just.... overall, how are you doing?"

"That's... a morbidly frightening thought." Jaden told her.

"Oh, and Silver'll be happy to see you home again." he said.

"He's taken to Kalin, but you can tell he's worried about his Momma." he told her with a light chuckle.

"Unfortunately, we can't bring him to see you.... hospital and allergies and all." he went on.

"But when you're heading back to the apartment, as it seems you intend to do, we'll make sure the kitten is there to greet you." he assured her.

Jaden just smiled.

"Less than you'd think." he told her.

"Rene and I made sure that the place was kept in good condition while you were in here." he said.

"Which is to say, we didn't really move things around or unpack what needed to be unpacked. We didn't know where you'd want that stuff." he then admitted.

"But we made sure the place was clean and tidy, at the very least."

"....hm." Jaden muttered.

"I see." he said.

"Well... fair enough.... I suppose..." he mumbled.

"At least you have some of the money back." he reasoned.

"And today's the day you should be released." he continued.

"So I guess... today's been a day of good news?" he added with a small shrug.