entranceway | 002 | Video/Action

[Balthazar pops up in the feed looking drawn and stressed-out, his voice terse and sharp.] I have a question. Has anyone out there with peculiar weaknesses tried them on their own Shadow? Out of curiosity. Living with them indefinitely seems a bit--

[The voice of his Shadow comes from offscreen, but close.] Draw your sword. Let's try it. I won't even fight back.

[Flinch. The angel's eyes lock on the screen as he attempts to ignore the antics of his duplicate self in the background.] --seems a bit of a tall order, when they're so utterly determined to needle us.

Oh, I'm sorry, I forgot you're a coward. Well, never mind. At least you know I won't stab you in the back, either.

[His jaw twitches, and he goes on through gritted teeth.] Mostly, I'm curious whether spells and sigils can trap them effectively, but mine seems determined to stay close and disrupt my concentration.

Haha! Get it? Because stab--

[The sound cuts off abruptly, and a hand covers the video screen while Balthazar waits for replies.]

((OOC note: Still studying for my test, so replies will be very slow, but I will get to tags when I can.))

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[All Dick will do here is smile as he steps past the angel and into the closet. He will wait for the door to be closed behind him before he shows his true face. Before he does, he cracks his neck and chuckles.]

I'm starving.

[What else does he need to say here? Anything else will be a waste of time. Whatever this shadow of an angel has in store for him, it will not work. That is the beauty of being what he is. He reaches forward to grasp the shoulders of the others and opens his mouth...wide. He will not leave a drop of anything on the carpet as per Balthazar's request.]

I know what you are. He doesn't know, but I do. [In the dark of the closet, the yellow eyes of the Shadow are faintly luminous. Which only serves to give away his location in the back corner. His sword is drawn, but it's a futile last stand. He stabs wildly as he gets grabbed, and whether he makes contact or not, the end is inevitable.]

BALTHA-- [A yell of reproach and horror gets cut off by the Leviathan's teeth.

Well. At least it was quick, right?

Outside, the real angel cringes and retreats several steps, rattled.]

[It really does not take long to finish off this shadow of an angel. Dick always liked having that advantage over God's later creations. Somehow he managed not to spill but a few drops. He wipes his mouth with a napkin he happens to have in his pocket.

He knocks on the door. Before he says anything out loud, he thinks fondly over what the late angelic shadow blurted out. He never got to say much of anything, did he? What a shame.]

All taken care of.

[The real Balthazar lets him out, trying to look calm and collected about what's just happened and possibly not succeeding. He clears his throat nervously.]

Well. Good job. I...won't be missing him.

[He could end this right here, bury his head in the sand, and chalk up this whole messy business to Wonderland. That's what he should do. No doubt.

It's not what he does, though. He's quiet for a second before blurting:]

There's no polite way to ask this. What the hell are you?

No you won't because I can promise you he will not be back. When I say I'll do something, I stick to my word.

[He smiles as if this is all perfectly normal. For him, it definitely is. Somebody allowed him to satisfy himself over something that was not created by the closet. He straightens his jacket before he replies.]

Honestly I was expecting you to ask something like that. Do you really want to know? They say ignorance is bliss.

[Balthazar still feels rattled and uncertain. He does want to know. But maybe now isn't the time.

Give him a few days to get back on an even keel.]

You know what? No. I'll ask later. For the moment, you've done me a favor. Let's leave it there, and I'll see you around.

[And he will find out in due time. Dick will be more than happy to tell the angel what he is when he wants. The consequences of that...well...no sense in getting all excited until that actually happens.]

Yes. It should definitely wait. You take care of yourself and don't hesitate to let me know if you have more trouble. We're all in this thing together after all.

[With the usual smile, he turns to the door and leaves the room. All good things come to those who wait.]

002 | Video/Action | Open

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