I don't care about that! [he snaps, and it comes out quite a bit harsher than intended. He's trying very hard to hold it together but he looks so feverish, and he feels like it, too.] I mean-- don't worry about Spirit or whatever faction you want to be. Your friend is trying to help the planets we come across, right? That is far more important.
[He brushes Eithan off and turns, intending to simply go back to his ship and not worry about this anymore, but then he simply crumples where he stands. He's not sure how he got on the ground, but he sure is tasting pavement right now.]
[ He blinks at that snap, but otherwise doesn't react outwardly - inwardly, though? Man, that was unexpected. Did something happen in the library? Or... what? ]
Yeah. I agree.
[ He'd elaborate, maybe throw in some sort of self-deprecating joke, but-- no, never mind, not important. Because right this moment, the kid is walking away and then suddenly dropping like a damn rag doll. Thank the goddess for demonic reflexes - he drops along with him, grabs him before he can potentially hit the ground hard and do any more damage to himself. ]
Okay, what was I just sayin' about sittin' down? [ Sigh. ] I'm not buyin' that you're fine, so tell me how to help.
[Belthazar just blinks for a moment. He should be sprawled out on the ground, but instead, Eithan is holding him and... and it's very, very distracting. He was just barely able to control himself around Mikleo before, but deep in the throes of mana withdrawal, his iron will is beginning to rust.]
No, no-- I don't want to hurt you, [he stammers. He fights weakly, trying to get to his feet beneath him so he can run away. Or try. That's not going to happen, most likely.] Please, I can barely...
Hurt me? The hell're you talkin'-- [ Lightbulb! ] Oh. The... magic thing.
[ He bites his lip, thinking... And now that he's put two and two together, this really does look a lot like something familiar - like what happens when he goes too long without feeding. Withdrawal at its damn finest. Geez... So, no, he's not letting go, and that weak resistance isn't going to get Belth anywhere. He shakes his head. ]
Look. If you need it, you should get it. Seriously. So how do you do it?
[He's still fighting even after Eithan figures it out, but to no avail. His fists don't hit very hard at all, and he's trying not to hurt Eithan anyway; he's only fighting to get away, trying to pull the arms off him.
The demon's question makes him still. Don't tempt me, he wants to say. Demon magic is the most addictive kind. But Eithan hasn't shown himself to be corrupted-- which Belth would see in his mana signature-- so... maybe it's okay. Maybe, just this once...]
N-not here, we can't do it here. It hurts and I don't want to hurt you. You'll scream-- a-and what if I take too much? I can't--
[ His tone is a bit darker for that statement - the smallest amount he'll let slip of what he's hiding from his past. But it's gone as quickly as it appeared. Besides, what he has to do hurts, too. It's still the same. ... Sort of.
He does let go, but only after he's sure the kid's stable enough to not completely collpse on the ground, and because of the massive protesting going on. He's not about to let him run off, if he's even capable of doing such a thing. He offers him a hand up instead. ]
You can't just let yourself suffer like this, damn it. I'm takin' you back to your ship, and we'll figure it out there. Deal? ... Can you walk?
[Belthazar doesn't miss that. Maybe he's found a kindred spirit after all, but that doesn't quell the trembling, the fever, the pain shooting through his whole body. Nothing will-- nothing but mana. He takes the hand and shivers, ever-sensitive to Eithan's magic pulse. It's so hard to be touched right now, so tempting, so he pulls away as soon as he can stand.]
I-I can walk.
[He takes a deep breath, trying to calm himself. The shaking subsides a little.]
Are you sure you want to help me? After the way I've treated you?
[ Leave it to Eithan to keep it up for a second. ]
I'm on the Blue Fish, which... there's probably a lot of people hangin' around. So yeah, let's go to the Iskaulit. Less chance of somethin' goin' wrong.
[As they make their way to the shuttle, Belthazar still can't believe he's doing this. He can only hope Eithan's mana isn't as addictive as a real demon's, or else he'll be in trouble. But he's out of options. He drove himself here, so he can't feel sorry for himself. There was just... only so much that Hiro could do, since he lacked an abundance of mana. And besides that, Syeira--
[ Honestly, he's glad the kid can walk, given it looked like he might just completely pass out for a second back there. He's also glad he can apparently help, somehow - though he still has no clue what he's getting himself into. But he's not worried. ]
Origins? No... Guess I never really thought about where any of the ships came from. Thought it was just part of the whole "hey, you're stuck here now, no explanations ever" kind of deal.
[He's a tough little guy. He's been through much, much worse. To the point where he couldn't move, where he would drain the life out of whatever insect or vermin wandered within reach just to keep going.
He's come a long way from eating rats.]
It was a ship we ran into like any other planet system. It was... sending out these insect people. They couldn't speak to us. They were acting like they were possessed.
We found out that they were sick. Some kind of parasite had infected their colony and driven them all to insanity and a sort of undead state, so then we...
[His voice hitches unexpectedly. He clears his throat and goes on.]
... we purified the ship, and then we told their people what had happened. They didn't want the ship back, so we repurposed it.
[ Ah, possession. He's heard of that in his world, never has found out if it's true or just a bunch of superstitious hearsay. Still, he understands the concept. And the idea that a whole ship full of people could be acting completely out of their minds like that? Damn.
... Maybe it's the hitch in Belth's tone, maybe it's because he's a half-breed of the two races that people historically tried their damned hardest to set up as heretic (maybe it's both)... but the word "purified" definitely sticks out to him, especially in light of what happened to the former inhabitants. He even visibly winces ]
Goddess. I had no idea... So no one originally on that ship survived?
[He shakes his head.] We tried to save them. Our healers-- ah, medics-- made an antidote, but everyone was too far gone. The best we could do was pass on the cure in case this happened again, and... and grant them a swift death.
[He keeps his gaze forward, hoping his bangs hide enough of his expression that he doesn't have to explain himself.]
It could have been us. I think, sometimes, people forget that.
Yeah. People do forget, sometimes. ... At least you found a cure at all. I mean, here's hopin' we don't come across it or anything like it again, obviously, but still.
[ He's looking pretty serious himself, right now. Between this, and what Vash said about the poison moon, there's a lot of shit going on around them, isn't there? ]
Yes. [He swallows hard.] I would like to continue to do that. To-- to leave places better than when we found them. I think it's important. We're travelers and guests and prisoners, but that doesn't mean the people and places we discover aren't real.
[The shuttle waits for them, its lights blinking softly.]
How well can you pilot?
Edited (what did i fucking write) 2016-08-28 21:43 (UTC)
Exactly. And if in some of these places, we can do somethin', then we really should. Bein' from other worlds might help even more.
[ He cracks a faint smile. He had a hunch that Belth wasn't actually as abrasive as his initial message had been... it had been a sideways offer to help, after all~
But that's more of a reason to make sure he stays okay. As if he wasn't completely sure about doing this before, now he absolutely is. ]
I mean, it's not my augment, but I can definitely get us where we need to go.
[ Advantage of refusing to stay in one place for long: working shuttle knowledge! ]
Exactly. There is magic on your world that I'm sure I've never even heard of, and the same with mine. I think if we all contribute something we can find a way home.
[He speaks with quiet passion and not a trace of doubt. This is what kept him going in Exsilium, and it keeps him going here.]
All right, good. I would drive but my head is still... not completely clear. [A pause.]
There is something I need to tell you when we are in the shuttle. When we are alone.
[ Yeah, he picks up on that tone - and appreciates it, to be honest. He nods in answer - once, firm. There's no doubt on his end, either.
He's already getting the door open, preparing to begin the start-up sequence, but then Belth says that and he pauses with his hand on the door frame. He blinks, once, shakes his head and gets back to it. ]
That's not ominous soundin'. But yeah, 'course.
[ DOOT... doot. But hey, he's clearly not actually bothered! And they're ready to launch. He actually does know what he's doing! This time. ]
[Belthazar says nothing else until they are settled and strapped in. He keeps his head down and his eyes closed, obviously trying to conserve his strength.]
... I should tell you that draining mana hurts. It hurts a great deal, as mana is tied to one's life force. If you could channel your mana into something else, like a crystal, then it would be fine. But if I'm directly feeding from you, I... I know it will not be pleasant for you.
[His knuckles turn white against his black robes.]
[ Eithan can tell. All the time he spent at the beck and call of the order, forced to push himself beyond breaking points... he knows what it means to be exhausted.
He doesn't look away from the piloting directions, even as Belth speaks -- but he does hear, and he does nod to prove as much. ]
I've... never heard of puttin' my magic -- mana -- into somethin' else, so that's not really an option right now. Think it's somethin' you could teach me for next time? As for the pain... seriously. Don't worry about me. I can take it. I've probably been through worse. [ Even though he tries not to give anything away, he does swallow, hard. ] I'm still in. Nothin's more important than makin' sure you're okay. And I'm not budgin' on that.
Yes, absolutely. It's a very useful trick to know so that in the heat of battle, you can give your magic a boost.
[He opens his eyes and peers over at Eithan, trying to judge if he's being truthful. So far it seems like it. Belth is slow to trust people in general but... he has no choice. He has no choice, and it's his own fault.]
Huh. That does sound really useful. [ Not that he's fighting things much here, but if that's knowledge he can take back home with him... all the better.
He glances over at Belth, gives him a small smile before he puts his attention back to the shuttle. ]
[The smile helps. He can't bear to return it, but the thought is there. He takes in a deep breath and lets it out so deep that his shoulders slump, hinting at just how exhausted he really is.
They reach the Iskaulit after a while, and Belthazar is slow to move purely because he's rationing his strength. He lifts his head and glances around. There are hundreds of places to hide in this ship. He knows how to disappear.
No one else has to know.]
Let's find a lift. We need to get to the third level.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
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[He brushes Eithan off and turns, intending to simply go back to his ship and not worry about this anymore, but then he simply crumples where he stands. He's not sure how he got on the ground, but he sure is tasting pavement right now.]
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Yeah. I agree.
[ He'd elaborate, maybe throw in some sort of self-deprecating joke, but-- no, never mind, not important. Because right this moment, the kid is walking away and then suddenly dropping like a damn rag doll. Thank the goddess for demonic reflexes - he drops along with him, grabs him before he can potentially hit the ground hard and do any more damage to himself. ]
Okay, what was I just sayin' about sittin' down? [ Sigh. ] I'm not buyin' that you're fine, so tell me how to help.
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No, no-- I don't want to hurt you, [he stammers. He fights weakly, trying to get to his feet beneath him so he can run away. Or try. That's not going to happen, most likely.] Please, I can barely...
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[ He bites his lip, thinking... And now that he's put two and two together, this really does look a lot like something familiar - like what happens when he goes too long without feeding. Withdrawal at its damn finest. Geez... So, no, he's not letting go, and that weak resistance isn't going to get Belth anywhere. He shakes his head. ]
Look. If you need it, you should get it. Seriously. So how do you do it?
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The demon's question makes him still. Don't tempt me, he wants to say. Demon magic is the most addictive kind. But Eithan hasn't shown himself to be corrupted-- which Belth would see in his mana signature-- so... maybe it's okay. Maybe, just this once...]
N-not here, we can't do it here. It hurts and I don't want to hurt you. You'll scream-- a-and what if I take too much? I can't--
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[ His tone is a bit darker for that statement - the smallest amount he'll let slip of what he's hiding from his past. But it's gone as quickly as it appeared. Besides, what he has to do hurts, too. It's still the same. ... Sort of.
He does let go, but only after he's sure the kid's stable enough to not completely collpse on the ground, and because of the massive protesting going on. He's not about to let him run off, if he's even capable of doing such a thing. He offers him a hand up instead. ]
You can't just let yourself suffer like this, damn it. I'm takin' you back to your ship, and we'll figure it out there. Deal? ... Can you walk?
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I-I can walk.
[He takes a deep breath, trying to calm himself. The shaking subsides a little.]
Are you sure you want to help me? After the way I've treated you?
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'Course I'm sure. [ ... And then he's cracking a smirk. ] Besides, to be honest? If flamebrain's the best you've got, you're gonna have to try harder.
[ Dammit, Eithan. ]
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I wasn't really trying, [he says mildly. At least he still has half a sense of humor.]
Anyway, I can't go back to my ship like this. Everyone will coddle me and make me feel worse. I've been spending time on the Iskaulit.
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[ Leave it to Eithan to keep it up for a second. ]
I'm on the Blue Fish, which... there's probably a lot of people hangin' around. So yeah, let's go to the Iskaulit. Less chance of somethin' goin' wrong.
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[As they make their way to the shuttle, Belthazar still can't believe he's doing this. He can only hope Eithan's mana isn't as addictive as a real demon's, or else he'll be in trouble. But he's out of options. He drove himself here, so he can't feel sorry for himself. There was just... only so much that Hiro could do, since he lacked an abundance of mana. And besides that, Syeira--
-- ugh. What a mess.]
Do you know the origins of that ship?
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Origins? No... Guess I never really thought about where any of the ships came from. Thought it was just part of the whole "hey, you're stuck here now, no explanations ever" kind of deal.
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He's come a long way from eating rats.]
It was a ship we ran into like any other planet system. It was... sending out these insect people. They couldn't speak to us. They were acting like they were possessed.
We found out that they were sick. Some kind of parasite had infected their colony and driven them all to insanity and a sort of undead state, so then we...
[His voice hitches unexpectedly. He clears his throat and goes on.]
... we purified the ship, and then we told their people what had happened. They didn't want the ship back, so we repurposed it.
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... Maybe it's the hitch in Belth's tone, maybe it's because he's a half-breed of the two races that people historically tried their damned hardest to set up as heretic (maybe it's both)... but the word "purified" definitely sticks out to him, especially in light of what happened to the former inhabitants. He even visibly winces ]
Goddess. I had no idea... So no one originally on that ship survived?
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[He keeps his gaze forward, hoping his bangs hide enough of his expression that he doesn't have to explain himself.]
It could have been us. I think, sometimes, people forget that.
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[ He's looking pretty serious himself, right now. Between this, and what Vash said about the poison moon, there's a lot of shit going on around them, isn't there? ]
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[The shuttle waits for them, its lights blinking softly.]
How well can you pilot?
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[ He cracks a faint smile. He had a hunch that Belth wasn't actually as abrasive as his initial message had been... it had been a sideways offer to help, after all~
But that's more of a reason to make sure he stays okay. As if he wasn't completely sure about doing this before, now he absolutely is. ]
I mean, it's not my augment, but I can definitely get us where we need to go.
[ Advantage of refusing to stay in one place for long: working shuttle knowledge! ]
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[He speaks with quiet passion and not a trace of doubt. This is what kept him going in Exsilium, and it keeps him going here.]
All right, good. I would drive but my head is still... not completely clear. [A pause.]
There is something I need to tell you when we are in the shuttle. When we are alone.
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He's already getting the door open, preparing to begin the start-up sequence, but then Belth says that and he pauses with his hand on the door frame. He blinks, once, shakes his head and gets back to it. ]
That's not ominous soundin'. But yeah, 'course.
[ DOOT... doot. But hey, he's clearly not actually bothered! And they're ready to launch. He actually does know what he's doing! This time. ]
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... I should tell you that draining mana hurts. It hurts a great deal, as mana is tied to one's life force. If you could channel your mana into something else, like a crystal, then it would be fine. But if I'm directly feeding from you, I... I know it will not be pleasant for you.
[His knuckles turn white against his black robes.]
If you do not want to do this, it's fine.
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He doesn't look away from the piloting directions, even as Belth speaks -- but he does hear, and he does nod to prove as much. ]
I've... never heard of puttin' my magic -- mana -- into somethin' else, so that's not really an option right now. Think it's somethin' you could teach me for next time? As for the pain... seriously. Don't worry about me. I can take it. I've probably been through worse. [ Even though he tries not to give anything away, he does swallow, hard. ] I'm still in. Nothin's more important than makin' sure you're okay. And I'm not budgin' on that.
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[He opens his eyes and peers over at Eithan, trying to judge if he's being truthful. So far it seems like it. Belth is slow to trust people in general but... he has no choice. He has no choice, and it's his own fault.]
... Thank you.
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He glances over at Belth, gives him a small smile before he puts his attention back to the shuttle. ]
Hey, no problem.
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They reach the Iskaulit after a while, and Belthazar is slow to move purely because he's rationing his strength. He lifts his head and glances around. There are hundreds of places to hide in this ship. He knows how to disappear.
No one else has to know.]
Let's find a lift. We need to get to the third level.
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