XXV.

[hellshaped]

[Hellboy's outside in the garden today, sitting on a stone bench. And also cleaning his gun. Because now that he actually has one again (that he's not renting from the shooting range ...), he should probably take care of it so it doesn't explode again.

Not that this was his fault, for reals.

A lot of people have been leaving lately, people he knows, and it's making him nervous -- why does the castle continue to hold him here, when so many have left?

He opens his journal after awhile and flips to a blank page.]

There have been a lot of departures in the past few months. Or maybe I'm just more aware of them because I've been here this long.

[Long enough to build friendships to the point where it's distressing when they leave, despite this meaning they're escaping the castle.]

The number of people returning has been dwindling, too. It seems like the castle's developed a really particular taste lately.

[He pauses, not really sure if he wants to voice this next bit. But --] I wonder if it's possible for the castle to starve itself by being so choosy. And what'll happen to those of us still here if it does.

[ooc. open in person or over the journal!! i'll be at work until the evening so tags will be scarce until then.]

Comments

action;

[persequor]

[ Arya is close enough to overhear the familiar voice. Getting up from where she had been sunning herself on the grass, she looks for him. Nymeria pads along and pauses beside Arya when the girl stops. The direwolf is almost as tall as she is. ]

Did someone you know leave?

forever <:

[hellshaped]

[Yes good someone he knows who hasn't left. Hellboy lowers his firearm down to his lap but keeps a grip on it, eying the wolf that's strolling with her. What the ...]

Yeah. A few people, in the past few months.

[persequor]

I'm sorry.

[hellshaped]

It's okay. I think they're better off.

dictated

[gevurah]

How many people returned after the camp?

forever c:

[hellshaped]

I counted three, but I could be off.

[gevurah]

Way less than Paris, I think. Maybe camp's not popular.

[hellshaped]

Maybe. But I heard only two people are left from Paris, too. [Only two who showed up on that entry he was stalking, anyway.]

I wonder how many are left from that middle world.

[dictated]

[not_like_the_rest]

A starved castle? That just sounds really funny.

forever!

[hellshaped]

It's not really hyperbole, though. It feeds on us.

[not_like_the_rest]

Yeah, i got that, but it still sounds funny. I'm Johanna Mason.

[hellshaped]

[Oh ... okay ...]

Hellboy. Hi.

[walkinthruwalls]

Have you known any of them? The ones that left.

[hellshaped]

Yeah, I did.

[walkinthruwalls]

I'm sorry they're gone.

[hellshaped]

Thanks. But I think I should be happy they're gone. Nobody deserves to be cooped up in this place forever.

[arealwoman]

I don't think less people returning is a bad thing.

[hellshaped]

It just makes me wonder why the castle bothered in the first place.

[arealwoman]

You'll probably never get an answer to that, unless it grows a voice.

[withmymind]

It's better to be gone.

[hellshaped]

I think so too. If only we could find out how to make that happen.

[withmymind]

Need to listen closer.

over the journal ]

[huntersdaughter]

Deep thoughts. [She pauses.]

Things have changed in the last seven months; I know that I've noticed that at least.

forever!

[hellshaped]

Sometimes I can pretend I'm deep, anyway. [Always with the jokes!!]

Just seven months?

[huntersdaughter]

First set of people that came back remembering was around Christmas. Paris and everything. That was definitely different.