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[arcanepower]

Who: Belthazar and open!
Broadcast: Yes
Action: SS Bishop
When: Now

[video;]

[Belthazar is usually much more careful about what he broadcasts, but this time he doesn't care. He's in the grips of a tantrum the likes of which haven't been seen for a very long time. He's a blackish blur off the edge of the screen, ripping things off his walls and throwing furniture like it's going out of style. He's screaming but not out of any particular physical injury; it's that of sadness and anger and desperation.

He hurls a chair at the other wall and it sounds like a bone breaking. Probably a 7/10. Passable work.]

He's gone! Why is he gone!? BRING HIM BACK!!

[He's a mess of hair and glowing green eyes and rage. He slams his fist on the table just in case that last bit wasn't clear enough.]

Do you hear me, Atroma?! [His voice cracks mid-yell thanks elf puberty.] I will hunt you down! I'll dismantle you piece by piece! I'll wipe you from EXISTENCE! I'll-- I'll--

[His eyes well up and he cuts off the feed, presumably to hurl more things at the wall until he feels better.]

Comments

[arcanepower]

[He's quiet for a moment when he realizes someone's out there. He doesn't know who it is, but even he has some shame. He knows he shouldn't cry but here he is, crying anyway. He picks himself up off the floor and shuffles over to the hatch, but he doesn't invite her in immediately.

He'll just talk to her through the door, because he's really a child and we all know it.]

Go away.

[ino]

No.

[ She's just as obstinate. And she knows that doing any such thing will only make how he's feeling worse. ]

I'm going to stay put.

[arcanepower]

[He wipes his face on his sleeves, then opens the door. He doesn't invite her in, exactly, but he's feeling the anger drain so... he turns his back and begins picking things up off the floor.

The only thing that's broken is the chair, at least.]

[ino]

[ Eh, even if there is stuff broken, it's all replaceable. She doesn't seem to mind or care that there's stuff all over the floor; she just lets herself in and moves to put a reassuring hand on his shoulder. ]

[arcanepower]

[He freezes at the touch on his shoulder, not because he wants to pull away but because such gestures still startle him, even now. It's hard to hide how much he's trembling so he trades the books in his hands for Ino instead. She's warm and she smells familiar. He thinks of Caspa and his throat tightens, along with his fingers in the hem of whatever she's wearing.]

[ino]

[ There we go.

She wraps her arms around him to pull him in closer for a nice, tight hug. ]

I'm sorry, Bel.

[ She's had many of these tantrums herself in the past, after all ]

[arcanepower]

[He's silent for a moment, then two, until he buries a scream of anguish in the hug. He's a mess. He's always trying to be strong, like he's taller and more put-together than anyone he knows, but he's as transparent as glass and just as fragile too. He's a child who had to grow up too fast and his one thread to home is now gone.

Granted, his home is really with Adra, but he has feelings about his sister tied up in there, too.

The sobs make him shudder, but they'll calm in a few minutes. For now she'll just have to put up with the hiccups.]

[ino]

[ She doesn't seem to mind at all -- she just lets a hand smooth over his hair and rub his back a little. It's an attempt at being soothing while he lets it all out. ]

You'll see him again. Don't worry.

[arcanepower]

[He knows Adra will be waiting at home for him. He knows, but... the problem is that Belthazar doesn't want to go home. Home is a terrible place full of people who hate him and spit on him for no reason. It's full of war and sadness and death. But here, here at least, people don't really ever die, and they're almost always happy to see him, and they don't accuse him of murder, and he doesn't have to feed on their mana when he exhausts himself, and that's not even getting into the people he loves who come from wonderful worlds.

Articulating that is a problem, but he tries.]

I don't want to go home!

[Well, okay.]

[ino]

[ The outburst surprises her a little, but -- the thought behind it doesn't. She's quiet for a moment, though ... and then: ]

You don't have to go home. I'm sure he'll be back again to check on you sooner or later.

[arcanepower]

[He swallows with some difficulty.]

His... his children need him, I can't...

[ino]

Can't what?

[ She's still under the assumption that any time spent here is all within a split second at home, so it's not like his kids would be alone ... ]

Besides, you're one of his children, too.