Video - Locked to Belphegor of Sloth

[yoctogram]

[The feed clicks on with Sho actually looking at it as it does so, for the first time in...ever. Yes. Ever. He's answered people before, but he's never made use of it to begin with. Even when he was getting rescued from the other continent it was the Pokemon who got things rolling.]

[That was then, this is now. He's been gone, back in Shibuya, and frankly being there had impressed on him just how much he prefers being in this world. Even with the tinny, repetitive noise going on and on and on and on and on...]

Bell?

[His voice is a little tentative, hoping that she is still around. If not, well, he'll pick up and start again. He's strong, he can do that.]

[Still. It would be nice if his friend is still around.]

Bell, I'm back. Got a different Purrloin, his name is א‎₀. Do you have RZF? The twins?

Comments

[yoctogram]

[That...hurts. That hurts a lot. The soft smile slips away, replaced for an instant with a visual of the pain before he slaps a grin back on.]

Guess I'll just have to go find them again.

...Even Riemannian Zeta-Function?

[belphe]

I haven't seen her since you disappeared. I checked the entire inn room we'd been sharing in Azalea very thoroughly when I'd packed it to move on.

....which reminds me. Whatever supplies of yours would fit into the PC storage, I put away for you.

[She can't change that the pokemon are gone, so changing the subject a bit is the next best thing]

[yoctogram]

[He accepts the change of subject without comment. What's gone is gone and it's not Belphe's fault any more than it is his for disappearing.]

That's good. I won't be starting over from scratch, at least.

[Even through his exhaustion, though, his fingers are starting to tap out equations and he's exhibiting all the signs of a breakdown without the energy for it to be truly impressive.]

[belphe]

[That's a small blessing, at least. As much as a screaming, chaotic tantrum would drive home the idea that Sho really was back, Belphe doesn't especially think it would be productive.]

You should rest. [she tells him, taking an arm to guide him back in the direction of the inn] We can get you situated later.

[yoctogram]

[He lets her guide him in, staggering a little.]

I kept looking. [He mumbles softly] I kept looking for a way back.

[belphe]

How long did you stay?

[The lady at the front desk politely does not stare as she half-drags the tall, lanky young man over to the elevators]

[yoctogram]

More than a month. [How much longer? He knows, he just doesn't want to think about it.] It's not home any more. Just killing and scrabbling without hope for better. I don't mind killing, but not senseless killing. I'm better than that.

[belphe]

[As someone who has enjoyed her share of senseless killing, she can't really talk.]

Well...you're here now. It would be best not to think of it.

[The elevator chimes its arrival and she helps him in]

Until you've rested, it might be best not to think of anything. Let me handle it.

[yoctogram]

You do too much.

[Sho mumbles]

When'd you last sleep?

[belphe]

Last night.

And yourself...?

[She already has an idea that it hasn't been recently, given the shape he's in]

[yoctogram]

Dunno. A couple weeks? I didn't need to much back in Shibuya.

[He staggers towards the bed on autopilot]

[belphe]

[All the while she attempts to remain one step ahead of him, keeping him from careening into the closed door of the room, and once that's open, from stumbling over luggage and the different geography of Goldenrod's accommodations as compared to what they'd become used to in Azalea Town.

Eventually, the bed is reached. And a little silver eevee looks up indignantly from where he'd been lounging on the pillow.]

[yoctogram]

Nnnngh.

[Sho topples to the bed, ignoring Taboo's pissy look, and drags Belphe in after him. He's missed having her hair in his nose when he sleeps. The twins shriek excitedly about daddy being home before draping themselves across Sho's legs.]

[belphe]

[Being dragged into the bed as well had not been in her plans. Neither had Taboo deciding, with a put-out snort, that he was going to utilize her as a cushion as long as she was taking up his valuable napping space.

In short order, she's weighted down by stringy arms and draping eeves, preventing her from going anywhere, much less taking care of anything.

......well, as long as HE'S resting, she supposes.]

[yoctogram]

I wish you and the pokemon could have been with me. Could have taken over with the rest of you. With you. This is still better, but it wouldn't have been so bad.

[belphe]

[As she's not going anywhere for the moment, there's little to do except make herself comfortable as she shifts to mold herself against him.]

What kept you from doing it yourself?

[yoctogram]

I wanted to be here more than I wanted to take over Shibuya.

[Simply enough] It just wasn't as important as trying to come home.

[belphe]

[She falls silent, wondering if her reaction might be the same if she was sent home. She can't say, really...despite the fact it's been many months since she's seen her sisters and master, and has gotten the hang of life in this fragment.

A thousand years of loyalty runs deeply, after all.]

I see~

[Her fingers reach up to smooth through his wild silver hair. As long as she's stuck here, though, she'd be lying to herself if she said that she didn't appreciate familiarity returning.]

[yoctogram]

Shibuya is all life-and-unlife fighting. Kill or be killed with the stakes being your soul. That world is garbage. No badges, no long-term teams, just kill to survive a while longer so that you can kill to survive a while longer after that.

[He goes silent for a moment, just leaning into the stroking of his hair.]

I spent so much time trying to kill the Composer, but...if I took his place, it'd just be more of the same, only killing my kind instead of humans. Composer has to hide who he is as hard as he can so that people like me don't kill him. I could do that, easily. I could keep control and take out anyone trying to kill me.

I just don't see the point any more. Here people will know what I do, and appreciate my work.