ic contact.

[arcanepower]

[What is this strange goblin technology? Why is it not blowing up in his face?

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[arcanepower]

[He's just like the man Belth remembers. Even if Adra doesn't remember Belth's biggest tantrum, he does, and so he... tries to be honest, here. There's no lying to Adra. There just isn't...]

I don't... know. He called me something and I... reacted.

['Smarmy human child' isn't worth getting called mana-sucking trash, he thinks.]

[hymnals]

What did he call you? Why did he say it?

[Once they're at the library, Adra throws himself down in the nearest bean-bag chair. He loves these things.]

[arcanepower]

[Belth sits against the beanbag chair Adra is in, hugging his knees to himself.] "Dirty mana-sucking trash". [He rests his chin on his arms.] Why should I know why he said it? I'm not him.

Humans never understand.

[hymnals]

[Adra massages his temples.]

You're telling me there was no preamble whatsoever? That's your final answer?

[arcanepower]

[A long pause.]

... Well, I called him an obnoxious human child.

[hymnals]

[FANTASTIC. He struggles to keep his tone patient.]

Why did you do that? I thought you two were friends.

[arcanepower]

Because he wouldn't bathe. And he acted like I was staying on the ship for him, which... I'm not.

[Not entirely, anyway...]

[hymnals]

So you're not friends.

[arcanepower]

[He fidgets with his sleeves.]

I... I don't know! I'm not an expert on friends. I didn't even have any before this place.

[He sighs and slumps over a little more.]

He thinks I am a monster. I highly doubt he wants to be my friend.

[hymnals]

No, he does not think you're a monster. He cares about you. He's not even upset.

[Good head on that lil man's shoulders.]

[arcanepower]

[He blinks, then lifts his head slightly. He can see Adra's golden hair out of the corner of his eye.]

He... isn't?

[Belth is such a dumb kid.]

[hymnals]

[Gently.]

No. He said he was just trying to offer you an example. He didn't mean it.

[Adra holds up a hand.]

Now, don't get me wrong. He shouldn't have used that kind of language with you. But you shouldn't have spoken to him that way, either. You are friends.

[arcanepower]

[Ah. Now that he thinks about it, he remembers Hiro saying something to that effect. "YOU MEANT WHAT YOU SAID." Yeah, well, years of being targeted for simply existing tends to do that.

His ears lower, and he goes back to looking at his shoes.]

I guess.

[He's so very reluctant to admit this fact.]

[hymnals]

[Adra leans forward, turning to get a good look at Bel.]

Nope.

Try again.

[arcanepower]

[Belth startles and leans back.]

That isn't good enough?

[hymnals]

Not nearly.

[arcanepower]

[Aaand he looks down again.]

I... I can apologize.

[hymnals]

Do you want to apologize?

[arcanepower]

[He thinks about seeing Hiro again, and something knots in his chest. Not talking to him, not spending time with him, not blowing shit up with him.

Ah, fuck. They are friends.]

N... yes. I was wrong. About everything.

[hymnals]

[Adra offers his hand.]

It's okay to get upset, Bel. Anger is inevitable, and sometimes necessary. The emotion itself isn't the problem. It's knowing when to apply it, and how powerfully.

[arcanepower]

[He hesitates-- as always-- but in the end he always comes back to Adra. He sets his smaller hand in his palm.]

How do you learn when to apply it? I always bite my tongue until one day it all spills out of me, and then I have to suffer for it. Everyone has to suffer for it.

[hymnals]

[Adra squeezes Bel's hand, very gently.]>

Belthazar, I'm as old as the hills, and even I'm not always sure. That's the kind of wisdom that only comes in the fullness of time.

But, for my part: think about why you're angry. Think about what it's for. Think about what it will serve. In most cases, if your anger only serves yourself, it's something you need to let go.

[arcanepower]

If my anger serves myself...

[Wow, that constitutes like, 90 percent of his anger. He bites his bottom lip, and then it all kinda... tumbles out. He's talking too fast.]

But I don't want people to walk on me. They've done that for most of my life. I'm not Caspa, I can't just take everything that's thrown at me and swallow it with a smile and forgive. They don't deserve it-- they didn't deserve her and if I let them continue to shove me down then nothing will ever change!

[hymnals]

I'm not telling you to let people walk on you. I'm telling you not to hurl insults at your friends because you might be slightly irritated by their hygiene habits.

[arcanepower]

[Whoop, there it is. Sometimes you just gotta tell a kid point blank. All the wind leaves his sails then, not that there was much in the first place, but it's clear he has a lot of issues. His anger is wrapped tightly around his sense of self-worth and tied to xenophobia with a fisherman's knot, so basically... he's a mess.]

... To be fair, [he murmurs,] it was a death threat.

[BELTHAZAR.]

I'll... do better next time.