[R]overwhelmed and soft reassurances {Beni x Chal}

[Sleet Tempest Snape]

He’d been reading, all the information on his plants noted down for the day, he sat and read by candle light so as not to subject his plants to harsh lights in his office. The only lights they needed were the special grow lamps he had focused on them, and them alone.

When the knock to his door came he tilted his head…interesting. Not a lot of people bothered him, he didn’t have such a large team or as many friends as others did, but a general was on the other side of his door. Interesting indeed. “Come in.” Putting his book down, slipping a marker between two pages before the book was closed, he turned in his seat and drew his legs up onto his leather chair. He fit nicely in the chair, he was rather small after all, and despite his age he certainly didn’t look it. Rather he looked like a teen sitting there all curled up watching the door.
 

[Sleet Tempest Snape]

Nodding once to the other he motioned to the chair across the desk from himself. “Have a seat, it has indeed been awhile. I do hope you’ve been well. I’m been managing well.” He’d had his life turned upside down, a partner walk out on him, and had found someone else who he certainly loved. He just had to convince Mason he wasn’t going to be leaving him, that he didn’t think the other worth less than someone else. One day he’d manage to convince Mason he wasn’t going to leave him for someone wealthy, or someone else. Rolling his eyes at the thought he smiled at Chalcanhite. “It’s good to see you back. You’ve missed a lot but I don’t think you’re here to catch up on things, at least not right now.” Since he’d mentioned questions and clarifying something, though what he hadn’t a clue.

Shifting to face the other fully, though he kept his legs up on his chair, his arms came to rest on his desk as he leaned forward. “Whatever I can do to help you I will, nothing will pass my lips to another's ears. So tell me what I can clarify for you and I’ll do my best.”
 

[Sleet Tempest Snape]

“I see.” Those names, especially the first one, he hadn’t heard nor spoken in a long time. The first one carried a lot of memories for him; it was a lot of negative but some good. “That’s a long time to carry such emotions, such questions. It’s been a for the both of them.” He spoke slowly, taking the time to figure out what to say about them, especially the first. He hadn’t known the second well at all, in fact he didn’t think he’d ever met the corrupt senshi.

Leaning back in his seat the ashen blond took a slow, deep, breath as he gathered himself. “I can see how he’d haunt a person…his personality was the sort which brought people in and hooked them.” Even he’d fallen for it, and he knew he wasn’t the only one, but he’d learned to get over it. “Bischofite I can confirm is dead, how I do not know. But I cannot say I’m surprised and perhaps it is for the best. I doubt he enjoyed his fate but it was one he should have taken into consideration.” Youma were, in some cases, capable of higher thought and he had stupidly gotten into bed with such a youma, sort to speak. His plan had been beyond stupid and while he didn’t remember all the details, time was a blessing like that, he did remember just what the outcome had been.

“He nearly opened a portal for the youma to flood into the city, that is what he nearly did. He wrapped it up in some fancy words and didn’t say what the plan actually was. He got me on board with helping, with holding down an area, to help his plan succeed. I nearly got myself killed in the ensuing fire because I didn’t want to leave.” Mason’s sister had carried him out, though he hadn’t known about Mason back then nor his connection to Lellouch.

“Orchre is another matter entirely. I did not know him but I knew the name, I know a lot of people by name only.” He looked over member lists to see who was who, what they could do, but he didn’t meet most of the members, especially the newer ones. He was secure with his little group. “Recently there was an event with space aliens, they were working with us, and as per usual a large fight broke out. During the battle the royal senshi Ganymede began to purify people - Ochre was one of them. He betray us and for that he got himself killed, as he deserved for such. However, I assume you had some close connection to him so I take no pleasure in saying such to you. But traitors should not be allowed to remain.” And he would assume, and even hope, that his fellow general understood that. He meant no harm in his words but it was the truth. He’d kill a traitor himself if presented the chance. He still had a few such people on the top of his list to kill, one of them he’d been told to recorrupt if he found them.
 

[Sleet Tempest Snape]

“I wouldn’t call him a monster, not now anyway, a master at manipulating people however - yes. He was good at using people to gain whatever he wanted, or needed, at the time. I do wonder if he ever cared for anyone honestly. Perhaps he did, if so it was clearly none of us. He used me as well as he used you and others I’m sure.” Not to say he was a saint himself, he wasn’t, but he didn’t go playing those sorts of games. He had no reason to go planning things, dragging others into his plans, and leaving out information or downright lying about it.

“Sometimes it is little things we miss, things they don’t want us to see, that point to them not being as loyal as we think they are. But he did go willingly to purify…I’m unsure if the other side can even force such a matter to be honest. But take whatever time you need on that, I do not blame you for that need.” Why would he? He’d just heard someone he’d cared for, to what extent he didn’t know, had died after betraying them. It was a lot to take in.

“I don’t have a lot left either, many have departed wether to live their civilian lives or because death has claimed them. This is a war and these things come hand in hand with it, I’ve learned that over time.” He’d learned a lot over time and he knew he’d carry these lessons with him if the war ended before he died. “I was carried out of that mess as well…it left it’s scar on me.”

Pushing his chair back he let his feet slip out from under himself and land on the floor with a gentle click of his heels. Standing slowly he let his coat fall to his chair in a pool of heavy dark fabric, The next layer was the gray and silver vest he wore which landed on the coat gently, the fabric light and flowing. Fingers slowly undid the buttons of his white shirt and down his arms it slipped, shoulders then arms laid bare, he was fair skinned so the ink stood out in heavy contrast to his fair skin. Dark and black it was thick but unmistakable - ivy and thorns adorned his petite frame.

The fabric landed on the vest, covering it up, and laying in stark contrast to the dark and heavy fabric of his coat. Turning his back slowly, and now watching the other general over his shoulder, he motioned to his shoulder blade where a white scar could be seen. Paler than the rest of his skin it wasn’t too hard to make out. “That…falling wood that was on fire caught me there. It left its mark. If it didn’t leave its mark then the ink certainly has. I carry my own scars from the past, from Bischofite.” Emotionally, mentally and physically but he’d worked on getting over them. For a while he’d let the anger carry him away from other emotions, those of loss and the like, but then the anger had faded as well.

When he turned back round there was another, low on his hip to the left side, it was a fleur de lis with a banner and words. There was a scar on his right side and one towards his chest too…he’d gained his fair share of marks from the war.Taking his seat, slowly, he sat on his own uniform casual as ever.
 

[Sleet Tempest Snape]

Watching as the other showed his own scars, both physical and otherwise, he nodded his head slowly. “He got you as well….as I said he was good at bringing people in. I don’t think he cared for anyone, I don’t think he knew how to properly, but he certainly could get us to care for him.” Then he’d hurt them. “It’s a shame however that you’ve never had someone care for you since then, that he’s tainted things so much.” Even now it seemed he had a grip still on things. His clawed fingers reached so far beyond his death it seemed. How many new members knew that name and knew the face…knew what the man had done?

So many older members, members of the past, who went about things in a very different way were gone to time? Their names were remembered by a few and even fewer knew them and had worked with them. He felt old for a moment as he sat there staring across his desk at the other.

“Might I suggest remembering that he manipulated us, lied to us, and led us on in order to fulfill a goal of his that he never thought us worth knowing. Move on, find someone to care for you. I’d suggest someone who serves chaos, so that secrets won’t get in the way.” As had been the case in his life before Mason had entered his life.

Standing once more, bringing his shirt back up and over his shoulders, buttoning it as he moved, he came around his desk and drew the others head towards his side. “Cry for what you’ve lost, remember the lessons, and move on. You need to..you’ve let Bischofite bring you down much too long and I know he’d call it weak. I was, when I brought him into the Negaverse, dealing with the loss of another. The mourning I did he scoffed at and called weak. I thought I was weak for it. While I don’t think human emotion is a weakness I do think there is a time and a place. He’d taken enough of your time.” He stated, fingers coming to comb through the others bangs.

“If you need me I’m here, I understand and I remember. I doubt I’ll ever forget it fully. But we cannot allow it to drag us down. It’s unfair to us to allow him, and his memory, to continue to claw at us.” As he’d physically done to the other as well.
 

[Sleet Tempest Snape]

“Emotions are not a weakness unless you let them be, or unless you're an idiot. They are, in my opinion, a strength. I tend not to act on them, without thinking my actions through, but it doesn’t mean I don’t have them. I won’t act on them alone, I’ve learned now to, but I do let them aid me in making choices that are good.” Though sometimes he still did slip and act on emotion alone, he tried not to. “The first hurdle is saying you need help, to yourself and to another person, and you’ve done that. You’ll get the help you need, you said you have others as well who can help.” And that was good, it was better than some people got.

“I think you need to learn when and where to show emotion and how to act on them.” while also acting with reason rather than just jumping into things, as he’d done in the past. It wasn’t easy to learn these lessons, they left a lot of scars at times, but they were young and in a war. They were lessons which needed to be learned by them.

“I’m glad you have help, aside from myself. You’ve carried this burden too long.”
 

[Sleet Tempest Snape]

“You don’t need to apologize, I do understand to some degree what you’re going through. I know you’re having a difficult time. I’m glad to know you are working through things finally, you deserve the peace it can give.” He was very glad for that, he was surprised someone was still suffering because of Bischofite. He knew the other was dead, records said as much, but what exactly had happened he didn’t know. He wasn’t sure he even wanted to know to be honest. He wasn’t sure the other hadn’t taken himself out considering what had become of him, after his failed plans, he could picture that being a possible outcome.

“You don’t need to leave, I wouldn’t throw you out.” Though there were some he very well might throw out of his office, Chal was not one of them, he’d yet to toss someone out of his office. “That’s good to hear, and I will never hide anything as well. I’m terrible at lying anyway, but I’d rather have people follow me because they support whatever I’m working on.” Not because he’d lied and manipulated his way into it.

“I don’t know if you’ve told the other two about the past, I am glad you have them by your side, but perhaps you should tell them whenever you are ready.” Ruffling the others bangs he smiled down at him. “Now, what would you like to do tonight? Perhaps something a bit lighter?” Anything to try and help the other pull back a bit but not too much, not withdraw into himself.