Ryan watched Cleo's bold move with a raised eyebrow, a mix of surprise and amusement. [color=pink]“Cleo, darling, I get it—you’re desperate to get your hands on those crystals again, and trust me, I’m right there with you. But stealing them?”[/color] He shook his head. [color=pink]“That’s not really our style, is it? We’re better than that. After all, I am many things, but a thief is not one of them.”[/color]

He leaned in a bit. [color=pink]“Look, I know we all feel this weird connection to these crystals. And I’ll admit, the thought of being separated from mine is not a good feeling. I mean, it’s like that pink crystal was made for me. No one else would be a fitting owner! But I’m not about to break the rules just because of a gut feeling, no matter how fabulous the crystal is.”[/color]

Ryan glanced at the containment unit and then back at his friends. [color=pink]“But maybe we don’t have to resort to stealing. We could just... convince Professor Cranston to let us keep them, at least until we know more. After all, we found them, and they clearly have some kind of connection to us. He seems like a reasonable man.”[/color]

He smiled. [color=pink]“And besides, if we explain how important these crystals are to us, who knows? The professor might even agree that they’re safer in our hands. I mean, who else is going to appreciate their beauty and potential as much as we do?”[/color]