[He slips his hand past the curtain. In it is another of those little snack cakes he's made a habit of carrying around.]
Not to my knowledge. You did not attack when I found you, but your body language made it clear that I was to not approach. Thus, I didn't. You had confined yourself to the kitchen's pantry, and I left you there while I investigated.
[With his account given, there's a brief pause before he asks another question of his own.]
[There's a rustle as the curtain is immediately pulled open, a damp and only half-clothed Beelzebub frantically grabbing for the snack, pulling it to the bare skin of his torso. Black stripes dot his sides from the neck down, and his horns and wings are both still vibrantly on display.
...
The snack doesn't go straight to his mouth, though, a strained effort to get his fingers to dig against the wrapper. His wings continue to hum, and with the curtain open, the faint movement of air can be felt.]
I'm sorry. I don't remember much of it. But... I'm glad I didn't hurt you.
...
I don't know. I don't remember falling asleep. I just woke up, and I was so hungry... I couldn't think about anything else.
[Now that Beelzebub is in a clearer state of mind, he'll be able to tell that Temenos is looking a little different as well. He's not wearing his cleric garbs like he usually does. Instead they have been replaced with a rather bright and colorful vacation shirt and white trousers. It's a long story.
With the immediate danger gone now, he takes a moment to properly study Beelzebub's demonic form. Insect wings and horns, hm... Quite an interesting look for a demon. He then notices Beelzebub is struggling a bit with the wrapper and lets out a quiet noise of amusement.]
Let me help.
[He doesn't take the snack away, but he reaches out cup Beelzebub's hands in order to get at the wrapper that way. He makes quick work of pulling it open.
With that issue resolved...]
You needn't apologize. I had a feeling you weren't able to properly register what was going on around you. We're going to need to find a way to prevent this from happening again, however...
[He doesn't want Beelzebub to accidentally hurt someone, or for someone to have to hurt him in defense.
So he probes further.]
It seems as though many of us fell asleep without having intentionally laid down to do so. Did you awaken where you last remember being? And do you have a typical routine to manage your hunger through the night?
His grip loosens to let Temenos take over, though there's a pang of guilt at how vibrantly his stomach growls at the scent of processed sugar and pastry past the plastic. The wrapper is barely gone before the snack is immediately past his lips.
Goodbye, snack.]
Thanks.
...
Yeah, I did wake up where I remember I last was. I definitely wasn't that hungry when I was awake, though. Normally I can't sleep that long or I'll eat things while I dream. It's better for me to just get up and snack during the night.
I don't think either of those happened, though. I was way too empty.
[Temenos thinks nothing of it. Honestly, the sound of Beelzebub's rumbling stomach has become background noise at this point with how accustomed he is to hearing it. He takes care of the empty wrapper once the snack has been eaten.
He listens closely to Beelzebub's account of events. It takes a lot of willpower to not let his lips quirk upward a little bit at the fact that of course Beelzebub would even eat in his sleep. This is a genuinely serious matter right now.
He brings a hand to his chin and thinks about it for a moment... Not enough to fall into his mind palace or anything though.]
Then that means whatever knocked us out kept us asleep, no matter what our bodies are accustomed to doing. You were unable to have your nighttime snacks, which left you far hungrier than you would normally be upon waking up for the day.
[He carefully scoops up his shirt and jacket, both of which are also soaked. It looks like he just went straight into the showers without bothering to undress at first.]
Ho-oh expects me to clean up the kitchen myself. They can restock it eventually. But they won't tidy up after me. I'm not looking forward to it, but it's only fair.
Ah... [There's a slight cringe on his end. He's seen the state of the kitchen, so he knows how bad it is.] Fair, perhaps, but in no small part due to their own meddling...
[Still, the ultimate cause is Beelzebub's strange physiology. Something is going to have to be done about that.]
There must be something we can do to prevent this from happening again in the future. If this continues, I fear we may end up with a bigger problem at some point.
[If the situation from earlier didn't already put Beelzebub's hunger in a far more serious light, then those words certainly do. He's never stated it so plainly before, and it leaves Temenos quiet for a moment.
It is natural and necessary for humans to eat. They have to eat in order to survive. But when taken to the degree of excess, it becomes the sin of Gluttony. As the literal manifestation of Gluttony, Beelzebub seems to have gotten the worst of both worlds. He's had to manage an unending hunger that Temenos couldn't hope to understand for thousands of years. What could Temenos possibly offer as a solution that Beelzebub hasn't tried?
Still alone with his thoughts, he almost misses Beelzebub making his exit.]
...This must sound ridiculous to you. I really ought to apologize for my ignorance.
[With that, Temenos exhales and the tension recedes almost immediately. He still feels a bit guilty for speaking to Beelzebub like he could easily solve all of the demon's problems, but...
Ah, yes- coming, coming!]
Haha... I don't know if "kind" is the right word. [It never feels right when applied to him, even when his traveling companions say it.] But I do want to help, for whatever human insight into the matter I can offer.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
no subject
[He slips his hand past the curtain. In it is another of those little snack cakes he's made a habit of carrying around.]
Not to my knowledge. You did not attack when I found you, but your body language made it clear that I was to not approach. Thus, I didn't. You had confined yourself to the kitchen's pantry, and I left you there while I investigated.
[With his account given, there's a brief pause before he asks another question of his own.]
What happened to put you in such a state?
no subject
...
The snack doesn't go straight to his mouth, though, a strained effort to get his fingers to dig against the wrapper. His wings continue to hum, and with the curtain open, the faint movement of air can be felt.]
I'm sorry. I don't remember much of it. But... I'm glad I didn't hurt you.
...
I don't know. I don't remember falling asleep. I just woke up, and I was so hungry... I couldn't think about anything else.
no subject
With the immediate danger gone now, he takes a moment to properly study Beelzebub's demonic form. Insect wings and horns, hm... Quite an interesting look for a demon. He then notices Beelzebub is struggling a bit with the wrapper and lets out a quiet noise of amusement.]
Let me help.
[He doesn't take the snack away, but he reaches out cup Beelzebub's hands in order to get at the wrapper that way. He makes quick work of pulling it open.
With that issue resolved...]
You needn't apologize. I had a feeling you weren't able to properly register what was going on around you. We're going to need to find a way to prevent this from happening again, however...
[He doesn't want Beelzebub to accidentally hurt someone, or for someone to have to hurt him in defense.
So he probes further.]
It seems as though many of us fell asleep without having intentionally laid down to do so. Did you awaken where you last remember being? And do you have a typical routine to manage your hunger through the night?
no subject
His grip loosens to let Temenos take over, though there's a pang of guilt at how vibrantly his stomach growls at the scent of processed sugar and pastry past the plastic. The wrapper is barely gone before the snack is immediately past his lips.
Goodbye, snack.]
Thanks.
...
Yeah, I did wake up where I remember I last was. I definitely wasn't that hungry when I was awake, though. Normally I can't sleep that long or I'll eat things while I dream. It's better for me to just get up and snack during the night.
I don't think either of those happened, though. I was way too empty.
no subject
He listens closely to Beelzebub's account of events. It takes a lot of willpower to not let his lips quirk upward a little bit at the fact that of course Beelzebub would even eat in his sleep. This is a genuinely serious matter right now.
He brings a hand to his chin and thinks about it for a moment... Not enough to fall into his mind palace or anything though.]
Then that means whatever knocked us out kept us asleep, no matter what our bodies are accustomed to doing. You were unable to have your nighttime snacks, which left you far hungrier than you would normally be upon waking up for the day.
no subject
[He carefully scoops up his shirt and jacket, both of which are also soaked. It looks like he just went straight into the showers without bothering to undress at first.]
Ho-oh expects me to clean up the kitchen myself. They can restock it eventually. But they won't tidy up after me. I'm not looking forward to it, but it's only fair.
no subject
[Still, the ultimate cause is Beelzebub's strange physiology. Something is going to have to be done about that.]
There must be something we can do to prevent this from happening again in the future. If this continues, I fear we may end up with a bigger problem at some point.
[Someone actually getting hurt.]
no subject
I can't stop being hungry, though, Temenos. I'm the Avatar of Gluttony.
The best I can do is keep it quiet. And the only way I can do that is to eat, as much and as often as I can.
[That's the only solution that's ever worked for him.
He shrugs, almost apologetically, as he ducks out of the shower and motions for Temenos to follow him.]
no subject
It is natural and necessary for humans to eat. They have to eat in order to survive. But when taken to the degree of excess, it becomes the sin of Gluttony. As the literal manifestation of Gluttony, Beelzebub seems to have gotten the worst of both worlds. He's had to manage an unending hunger that Temenos couldn't hope to understand for thousands of years. What could Temenos possibly offer as a solution that Beelzebub hasn't tried?
Still alone with his thoughts, he almost misses Beelzebub making his exit.]
...This must sound ridiculous to you. I really ought to apologize for my ignorance.
no subject
[You coming out of this shower area or not, Mr Mind Palace? It's fine, Beel will wait.]
Besides, you're a kind human. I can tell the questions come from somewhere good.
no subject
Ah, yes- coming, coming!]
Haha... I don't know if "kind" is the right word. [It never feels right when applied to him, even when his traveling companions say it.] But I do want to help, for whatever human insight into the matter I can offer.
no subject
But it wouldn't be the first time a human surprised me. So...
[A hand is clapped to the priest's shoulder.]
Thanks, Temenos.
no subject
Of course. I'll reflect on my teachings to see if I can come up with any potential solutions.
[When was the last time he did that for something that wasn't necessary for a case? Well, at least they're good for something.]