002 | Balthazar | Audio| End of Day 59

[tryingitall]

Kore! Kore, kore, kore. [The voice is smooth and low and upbeat. People who have spoken to Balthazar will no doubt recognize him, but there's a gravelly undertone there that's just a little unnerving.]

Apropos of nothing, but have you ever heard about the ortolan? It's this darling little bird that used to be a gourmet dish in France until it was outlawed. I suppose there are still people eating it on the sly. Wasn't something I ever tried.



What you do, is you catch this songbird--it's about the size of a sparrow--and you stick it in a box. Oh, no, wait you blind it with pincers first, and then you stick it in a box, with all the millet and fruit it can eat. Until it grows several times its normal size due to eating nonstop from boredom and depression. Can't blame it, really.

And then, to kill it, you drown it in brandy. It has to be drowned rather than marinated, because the point is when you eat it the lungs and stomach should be full of liquor, for a burst of flavor.

People eat the entire thing in one bite, except for the head, and they cover their heads with napkins while they do it, to hide their gluttony from God. Assuming He's watching them eat, which, really, if He wasn't already pissed off by them poking the bird's eyes out, why would He get annoyed at that point?

It fascinates me that this is a thing. I mean, veal is pretty harsh, let's be honest. Foie gras is gruesome. One pretty much always boils lobsters alive. There are many dishes out there that have an element of meanness. And they're gourmet. They're specialties.

I'm forced to conclude the taste of suffering that lingers must be part of the appeal. But what do you think?

[Private to Anna and Gabriel]

I'm going for a walk. Don't worry, I'll do my best to avoid eating anything with a face. But I can't sit in the house forever. It just makes me hungrier.

Comments

[video/private]

[afallenstar]

[ You know what the easiest way of worrying Anna is, Balthazar? it's exactly that. That message right there. As soon as she hears it she jumps up, responding within seconds of his image disappearing. ]

Balthazar, please. Just stay in, we can go and get you...whatever it is you need. I don't think you'll be able to control yourself out there.

[video/private]

[tryingitall]

No, Anna. I can't control myself in the house. And you're wearing yourself to the bone sitting outside my window. You don't have to be responsible for everything.

[video/private forevz]

[afallenstar]

[ She is ready to argue - of course she is, she always is, and she's very good at it too - but she can't exactly fault his response. Most of it, anyway.

...Fine. She doesn't like it, but she can't exactly drag him back to the house herself now, can she? Doesn't mean she isn't going to continue to make herself as accountable as possible. ]

Head for the woods, if you're lucky there won't be many people to avoid along the way. If you're not, just... I don't know. What do leviathans find repulsive? Imagine that. Head straight for the woods, and be careful out there. I've seen some of the things out there and they're not nice.

[tryingitall]

[That's better. He respects and looks up to her, but he's not following orders today. Still, what she says was more or less his plan anyway.]

That was my thought, as well. That thing Lucifer brought me was quite tasty.

If I run into trouble, I'll call. [Probably he'll call Lucifer, first, actually, since he's got the power to control him. But there's no reason to say it that way to Anna.]

[afallenstar]

Even if you don't run into trouble, call anyway?

[ It's a lot less demanding than the orders issued through gritted teeth, a lot more carefully phrased and a lot more concerned. Balthazar is still in there, even if he's become a leviathan jungle gym, and she can't let herself forget that. ]

Just be careful, please.

Voice

[recognize_an_opportunity]

So you either got turned into a gourmet chef, or someone who wants to eat things that suffer. Or both.

Voice

[tryingitall]

The latter, I'm afraid, and I'm trying very hard to restrain myself.

Mind you, I didn't invent any of the aforementioned meals. That was all human creativity.

Re: Voice

[recognize_an_opportunity]

So have you been successful in restraining yourself?

[He'd like to know what to watch out for, if not.]

Voice

[tryingitall]

So far. I'd give me a wide berth, though, if I were you. Hanging about the edge of the woods right now, if that helps.

[He's the helpful Leviathan!]

Re: Voice

[recognize_an_opportunity]

I'm giving just about everyone a wide berth. For various reasons.

( video )

[rigging]

Dude, that's really fucking gross.

Re: ( video )

[tryingitall]

[There's a sputter of laughter, and the feed clicks to video. Balthazar looks pretty gross, too, honestly, mussed and streaked with black.]

Normally, I'd agree. If it were a matter of self-preservation, eating these things, it would be more understandable. I don't see why people save them for special occasions.

Mind you, I'm not at my best right now. I'd eat the hell out of a bird drowned in Armagnac.

[rigging]

[ Wow, he does look pretty gross. Jesse squints at him. ]

No kidding. Talk about overkill. S'like, with cows, you at least keep 'em happy before you slaughter 'em. [ A beat. ] See, now you're makin' me wanna go vegetarian, thanks.

Did you get hit by the thing [ He gestures at nothing ] that's been going 'round?

[tryingitall]

If you say so. I haven't taken any polls of beef cattle; beats me whether they're happy.

I've been hit by the thing, yes. As near as we can figure, I'm a universal garbage disposal. I recommend you keep your distance.

[rigging]

[ Jesse makes a face. ] Like a goat? [ A beat. ] Man, some people really got the short end of the stick. You don't gotta worry, I ain't real big on being eaten, so.

What... are you eating, then? -- Shit, no wonder you were talking about bird delicacies.

video, private

[hung_garian]

You sure that's a good idea? Only you're starting to sound a lot like Hannibal Lecter, and that's rarely a good sign.

[On the one hand, he definitely wants Balthazar not to either starve or snap. Both of those would be sucky options. On the other, he's become quite fond of a few people here. If the risk were only that Balthazar might eat one or two of the inhabitants he might be willing to just take the chance that it wouldn't be anyone he likes, but he suspects that it would be more like ten or twenty. And that would suck too.

Then again, their house is near to the woods. It'd be more than just possible to get there without running into anyone. He sighs.]

You do what you think is best, but don't take any risks you can't avoid, alright?

video, private

[tryingitall]

No fava beans or chianti, Gabriel. I'm not saying I'm perfectly in control, but I'm sober enough to take whatever steps need taking to keep from losing it completely. I need air.

[Talking about it seemed to ease some pressure, too. Balthazar's just never been good at repressing these things.]

video, private

[hung_garian]

[He nods. It's kind of a relief, actually - he feels bad about it (or as bad as Gabriel ever feels about things), but Balthazar being in the house and potentially on the verge of eating them all alive has him a little on edge.]

Well, I guess it'll probably do you good. Just be sens-- heh, well. As sensible as you can be about it, given the circumstances. Okay? If things start getting bad, call one of us.

[He considers that.]

Preferably one of the few still equipped to do anything about it, but in a pinch, any of us is better than nothing.

video, private

[tryingitall]

[It had Balthazar on edge, too. Unfortunately the mantra 'Don't eat Gabe or Anna or Chuck' isn't the most inspiring thing to rally one's self-control to. It was only a matter of time before he either found a new diversion or changed the theme to 'DO eat Gabe or Anna or Chuck'.]

I'll call. Of course I will. And if I play my cards right in the woods, maybe I'll get to eat a velociraptor.

video, private

[hung_garian]

Ooh, if you do, let me know. When this is over I want one as a pet.

[Being facetious is totally an appropriate way to deal with this, right?]

Video

[godsprophet]

[ ...

Oh, Balthazar.

While he can't possibly deny that he watched some of the feed with his head in his hands--especially the part where Balthazar mentioned God--he can't deny that he's concerned about him. Particularly if he feels the need to talk about eating bird on the feed, in front of everyone to see. ]

...Are, uh. You okay?

Video

[tryingitall]

[The video feed shows more leaf and sky than Balthazar at the moment.]

I'm in the forest. Hunting. It's keeping me focused.

Can't last forever, I suppose.

Video

[godsprophet]

[He can hear Balthazar at least, and snip-its of leaves and sky was a much better sight than Balthazar standing over a very bloody and dead body.

N-Not that he was worried about such a thing! But, well, he has to be ready for all scenarios when one is a leviathan.]

Uh, no. I guess not.

Just, uh. Be careful, I guess.

[Please don't kill anyone.]

Video

[tryingitall]

[There's a flick of tongue, in and out of the frame, but it's mercifully blood-free.]

Be careful for myself or careful for everyone else?

Video

[godsprophet]

[Blood free is good, Chuck likes blood free.]

Uh... [He squints at the screen.] ...both?