video/action;

[hymnals]

Who: Adrasteius
Broadcast: All
Action: Marsiva
When: Oct 19

[It's been a few weeks since Archimonde's downfall. Since the collapse of the Iron Horde. It was a good moment, hard-won, but Adrasteius hasn't felt celebratory. The battle had ended in triumph, yes, but also a warning. Something is coming. Something that keeps Adrasteius from sleep, that keeps him up late fiddling with wards, praying to the Light. Keeps him staring at the sky with unease threading through all of his brittle bones.

But all living things must sleep, eventually, and he's no exception.

When he wakes up, he expects to see his wife; possibly some children, crept in after nightmares. Instead, he's alone. The room is stark, chilly, sterile.

Familiar.]

Oh, for the Light's sake.

[He rolls over, groaning. This again. Lying flat on his belly, but with his face turned upwards, he addresses the camera.]

Bal'a dash, everybody. If we haven't spoken, I'm Adrasteius. If we have--

[He sits up, albeit with obvious effort. It's hard to be old, even for an elf.]

--nice to see you again. Probably.

[Adrasteius runs a hand through his feathery blonde hair.]

What did I miss?

Comments

[child_of_bhaal]

Adra!

[Oh she's so happy to see him!

And then she claps her hand over her mouth in embarrassment.]

It's wrong to be pleased that you've been abducted again. I'm sorry. I can't help it.

audio;

[arcanepower]

ADRA!

[There's the sound of scrambling, someone possibly falling off a bed, and then... uh... slamming into the hallway... and running. Urgently but without direction. WHERE IS HE. WHERE IS HE WHERE IS HE WHERE IS HE WHERE IS HE]

[hymnals]

[On the one hand, it's unfortunate that Bel's still trapped here. On the other hand--he exhales sharply.]

Belthazar--

[Oh, he hears the scrambling and the noise.]

--Belthazar, it's all right--

[hymnals]

[Aw, sweetheart. He leans forward, elbows on his knees, smiling at her.]

No need for that. It's an inconvenience, but--it's good to see you again.

video;

[ino]

[ ... Well. That actually gets something of a genuine smile from her ]

I can think of someone who's going to be very excited to see you.

[hymnals]

Yeah, he's spoken up.

[Adra shakes his head.]

Is he--doing okay? Still?

[child_of_bhaal]

[The smile can't stay away, no matter how hard she might have tried to surpress it. It's so good to see him.]

You were missed, my friend. How are you?

[hymnals]

Was I? I mostly remember yelling during my time here.

[Granted, he mostly remembers yelling literally anywhere he is, but.

He shrugs.]

Slightly older, not much wiser. What about you?

[arcanepower]

[It is decidedly NOT all right until he makes sure Adra is here and solid. So he's still making laps down the huge hall, trying to find one with Adra's name on it, slipping and sliding in socked feet--]

An'da!!

[WHUMP.]

Bastard door!

[WATCH YOUR FUCKING LANGUAGE]

[ino]

Yeah.

[ Boy, oh boy, has she got some gossip for you, Adra ]

A lot has happened. But he's been alright.

[hymnals]

[Light preserve him. Light preserve them both.]

Bel! Damn it--are you okay?

[He jumps up and goes to his own door, flinging it open, looking around for some sign of the kid.]

[hymnals]

[Adra rubs his chin.]

Mind filling me in?

[child_of_bhaal]

I don't recall you yelling at me. Regardless, I missed you.

Nothing truly terrible has happened while you were gone. So that's something at least.

[hymnals]

I missed you, too, Syeira. I'm glad you've been well.

[However...]

Did you ever--hmm ... do you remember the last time we spoke?

[arcanepower]

[Belth is a good 15 yards down the hallway, fighting both his robes and the door he ran into by accident. It's mostly ineffectual flailing but still. He hears Adra nearby though and tries to straighten himself up; he ends up in a sort of scarecrow pose with his hood twisted around his head and his sleeves pulled down over his arms.]

Adra?

[He tries to tug his hood around so he can see properly.]

[child_of_bhaal]

[Oh that does it. The smile fades and she glances down.]

Ah. No, I haven't. Things happened.

[It sounds like an excuse and she knows it.]

[hymnals]

[WUPS :[ ...]

Hey, hey. It's all right. I just wondered. You don't have to do anything you don't want to do.

[hymnals]

[Oh, little man. Once Adra spots Belthazar, he teleports, appearing right in front of the boy. Without preamble, he grabs Bel by the shoulders and hugs him fiercely.]

I hope you haven't been waiting for too long.

[arcanepower]

[He manages to disentangle himself a little too late; there's just blond hair and then darkness as he's tugged into Adra's arms. At one point he might've fidgeted uncomfortably, but not anymore. He clings to the front of his mentor's robes until his fingers turn bone-white.]

N-no, only a few weeks, but I thought--

[At some point he started crying? When did that happen? He sniffs and still tries to go on, tears and all.]

I wasn't sure I'd ever see you again, if I'd ever leave this place, and I found you at home but then I came back and you were gone and I realized I'd have to choose and I don't think I can--

[hymnals]

Wait, wait, wait.

[Adra gently pulls away, just enough so that he can kneel down before Bel (not that he hardly needs to), so that he can draw back Bel's hood and brush his thumbs more easily against Bel's tearstained cheeks.]

What do you mean, choose?

[child_of_bhaal]

No, it's fine. I should have. I just...

Maybe we could talk about it when they let you out of holding?

[hymnals]

Whatever you're comfortable with.

[He leans back, sighing. It's good to see the people here again, it really is. And he's comforted by the concrete knowledge that his family won't even know he's gone. But he knows he's gone.]

So--tell me. What's been happening?

[arcanepower]

[He squeezes his eyes shut for fear of being poked in the eye. Thankfully, Adra is more gentle than that.]

If I get the choice to go home, I do not know what I'll do. I have friends here now, and at home--

[His face falls as he comes upon a realization.]

Do you... remember? I found you. Or rather, you found me.

[child_of_bhaal]

Uh, let's see. We were attacked again. We've gotten an extra ship that we can use. For things. I think someone was talking about opening a tavern there.

[Priorities.]

[hymnals]

[Adra's not offended; that's a natural reaction. Still, he keeps his hands on Bel's cheeks.]

I remember. Just yesterday, you were helping me bake a shepherd's pie.